Deviant Descendants (Descendants Academy #2) - Belle Malory Page 0,35
he made that oath to escape the Underworld. I knew he did it to save his own life. But I said them anyway.
Xander’s jaw ticked as he took a step toward me. “You’re forgetting one thing, damsel.” I didn’t like the derision in his tone.
“What’s that?”
“I wanted to carry out the terms of that oath, until I met you. The only reason I’m not doing everything Selena asked of me, is for you.”
I raised my brows, so stunned I had to take a breath. “Are you saying, if not for me, you would happily protect Riley?”
“Selena helped me escape the Underworld. Yes, I would’ve kept my end of our bargain.”
I swallowed.
It would have been less hurtful if he’d slapped me across the face. Somehow, even though I was dying inside, I kept my head held high. “Then maybe you should.”
With that said, I walked away. I needed to get off this field and away from both him and Riley before I said or did anything else I would end up regretting.
“Sheridan, wait,” Xander sighed behind me.
But there was nothing left to say. We had both said more than enough.
15
The day that started off so perfectly kept getting worse. Grandpa sent a note to my next class that instructed me to report to his office for detention. Don’t be late, it read. Because he knew me well enough to know I would drag my feet.
I chewed the side of my cheek, wondering what Dad was thinking. Only his first day at Arcadia, and Riley and I were at each other’s throats again. After the last incident, he sent me away to put some space between us. This time, I may not be so lucky.
When dinnertime came, I hesitated at the door to Grandpa’s office. This felt an awful lot like déjà vu. The only other time I’d been here was for my previous detention, when Grandpa interrogated Xander. Now it was my turn.
I wasn’t sure how to explain my fight with Riley when he explicitly told me to stay away from her. I closed my eyes and breathed out through my nose. I would’ve rather taken my detention in a snake pit.
My brows raised at the sound of Riley’s voice, followed by Dad’s. Oh, this should be interesting. The family reunion from hell. But hey, at least that meant Grandpa wouldn’t be laser focused on me. My sister had a reckoning coming her way too. Before going in, I pressed my ear to the door.
“You didn’t think you’d have to suffer any consequences?” Dad shouted. “You made me a prisoner in my own home!”
“Now you know how I felt,” she replied, without an ounce of regret. Typical Riley response. Always eye for an eye with her.
“Let me go!” Riley screamed suddenly, and I blinked, wondering what was going on in there.
Dad’s voice was more forceful than usual. “Sit down, Riley.”
“Or what?”
“Or I will withdraw you from this school as soon as I leave this room. Now SIT DOWN.”
I cracked the door open in time to catch Riley throw herself into the nearest chair, crossing her arms over her chest dramatically. “Fine, let’s get this over with. Where the hell is Sheridan?”
I cleared my throat and shut the door behind me.
My gaze went straight to Dad. I blinked, doing a double take. He usually looked like a tidy, younger replica of Grandpa, always clean shaven, in pressed clothes and shiny loafers. But tonight, he looked rough, barely resembling the father I knew. In the few months I’d been away, he had aged years. His reddish blonde hair was ruffled, he sported a full beard, and the lines in his face were more pronounced. The poor guy looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks.
“Sheridan.” His arms came around me at once. I breathed in his cologne, feeling a lump swell in the back of my throat. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed him.
Riley snorted. “And just like that, she’s back to the perfect angel again.”
Dad looked pointedly at me. “You were supposed to keep your distance.”
“I know.” I pressed my lips together; there was no point in making excuses. “I’m sorry.”
He took my face in his hands and sighed. “I’m just glad to find you both alive.”
Ah, the emotion in his voice was killing me. He was too soft to play the bad cop. He loved us too much.
Grandpa, on the other hand, had no problem taking that role. “You can have a seat too, Sheridan. Over there, across from your sister.”