This Fearless Girl (St. Clary's University #2) - E. M. Moore Page 0,1
way out. Take the way out that someone who treasured their life would take. Who admired normal and boring and—
I pinch my thigh. Despite my reassurances that I could, I’m not going to stay invisible.
“Wyatt’s been asking about you...”
Low blow. Asshole. But then again, no one ever accused Stone, Wyatt, and Lucas of being anything else. Even when I was slipping into their day-to-day routine, they showed me who they were every single day.
“He says he wants his magic hands.”
“I’m sure someone from Saint Clary’s will be on their knees for him as soon as he snaps his fingers.”
There’s a beat of silence before Lucas says, “You’re really dense, you know that?”
I swing my gaze to his. “You’re going to berate a grieving girl?”
“When that grieving girl is being a dumbass, yes.”
“Why are you here again?” I snap.
He snickers. “Keep trying to push me away, Dakota. Let’s see how far it gets you. You already know I love the chase.”
“You’re avoiding the question.”
He sighs, piercing me with his hard stare. “I’m taking you to the funeral, that’s what I’m doing. I’m dragging your ass to the car so instead of sitting out here in your daydream life, you actually live in reality for once. No matter how much it hurts or how bad it sucks, living is a hundred times better than slowly disappearing.”
I bite the inside of my lip, my fingernails digging into my thighs. Being with them felt so right up until that moment when shit got too real. Now I’m thrust right into the middle of something I can’t be a part of.
Lucas reaches over to grab my chin. His hold is loose yet domineering as he moves me to look at him again. “I’m not going to talk about the other stuff. I fucking get it, okay?” He shakes his head. “Today is just one of those things that has to be done. Yeah?”
He’s so damn handsome. My fluttering eyelids shutter my view. There are so many other things I should be thinking right now, and I suddenly remember why I’ve been avoiding him. He gives me a knowing smile as if he can already see the cogs turning in my head. Damn my lonely upbringing. If only I had any other friend. Or...
Or Dickie.
My heart fissures in my chest. For a moment, I can’t breathe.
Lucas stands and helps me to my feet, pulling me out of my downward spiral. “We have to go now, Wild Girl.”
I brush the dirt from my ass. My new black skirt swings against my knees. Paired with a modest shirt and shoes to match, it’s the perfect outfit to wear today. It also miraculously showed up inside my dorm room this morning while I was in the shower. Apparently when they fixed the lock on my door, they neglected to mention they made extra keys for themselves.
Bastards.
I don’t see them watching, but I know they’re there. They won’t let me out of their sight, even when I’m running away.
I shot Lance Jacobs.
I’m going to a funeral.
My dad is still missing.
Dickie... My heart pings again as Lucas holds my hand, steering me toward the road. We walk past the remains of my house, and he doesn’t even bother gazing at the tattered ruins of my life burnt to hell. Maybe that’s how he does it. How he gets through everything. You just walk away and don’t look back.
When I see the car sitting in the driveway, I stop. It’s Stone’s silver Audi. The sun ricochets off of the iridescent paint—the heat waves distorting the air around the vehicle as if it has its own aura.
“I borrowed it,” Lucas says, and a part of me sighs in relief that I don’t have to see Stone just yet.
I didn’t talk to him after I shot his father. The retreating ATV’s whipped up a dust storm, temporarily muting the whole scene. Cole and his two lackeys were just out of sight when the police sirens echoed over the horizon. Lucas had run to intercept them so they could call an ambulance for Wyatt and Lance. Stone and I just stood there, staring at what I’d done until Wyatt’s soft groans called to me. Even then, I didn’t move. I went through the motions at the police station and the hospital. Lionel never even asked me a single damn question, but it’s okay, I guess, because Lance’s gunshot was ruled accidental even though none of us had guns.