This Fearless Girl (St. Clary's University #2) - E. M. Moore Page 0,101

ruined that place for you.”

He shakes his head. “It couldn’t. Ever. Sometimes I think that’s the only good thing that came out of my parents’ relationship.”

“And you,” I tell him.

He gives me a sly glance. “Yeah, I guess that, too.”

“Without you, I never would’ve been able to see this.” I stare out over the picture-perfect postcard in front of me. “How could I live so close to something so beautiful and not have ever stepped foot here?”

“The way I see it, Tits. You’re still like a toddler. You’ll come into your own eventually.”

“A toddler, huh?”

“I mean in real-life stuff.”

“I don’t know about that. I may be lacking in some life experiences, but due to the other abnormal life experiences, I’d say I’m firmly middle-aged.”

He cringes. “Too old. I take it all back. You can stay the age you are now.”

“How big of you.”

He winks at me. “If you’re wondering, it’s pretty—”

I groan, and he just laughs. “Tell me something real, Wyatt Longhorn.”

The smile slides off his face, but it isn’t replaced with anything other than contemplation. “You’re the only person I’ve ever wanted to bring here. I think that says something.”

I smile under the scrutiny of his swirling blue eyes. “I think that says a lot.”

He swears under his breath as he shoves his hand into his pocket.

“What is it?”

“Nothing. Someone’s been calling me. That’s all. I turned the ringer off, so I wouldn’t scare the horses.”

We turn back to the river, but this time, I hear the vibration as Wyatt’s phone goes off again. “You better answer it.”

He presses his lips together as he brings his cell phone out. “It’s Lucas.” He puts the phone to his ear. “Yeah. What?” His gaze turns sharper. “Well, did you call him?”

Whatever Lucas’ response is makes Wyatt frown.

He glances up at me. “We’ll meet you at the school.” He hangs up the phone, and before I can ask him what’s going on, he says, “Stone didn’t show up at Saint Clary’s this morning, and Lucas can’t get ahold of him.”

34

Multiple phone calls later, and we’re on the way to the Jacobs mansion. Wyatt’s holding me in the front passenger seat as Lucas drives. Each of them are as worried as me. Stone doesn’t just go offline. He doesn’t abandon his friends like this, and after the discussion we had the other day, I’m worried about him. The more I think about it, him calling Lucas into his room after we spent hours in bed together was strange—like he was handing me off because he wasn’t going to be around.

I don’t want to believe it, but I keep coming back to that moment where we actually made love, joined together by promises. Was he planning on breaking them all along?

But why?

I pick up my phone and call Stone again. I let it ring and ring until his voicemail comes on. I’ve left a few already, so I don’t leave him another. Wyatt holds me tighter after I sigh in frustration. “He’s fine.”

I don’t know whether he’s saying that for his benefit or mine.

Forty minutes later, we pull up to the mansion, except this time. The main gates, adorned in beautiful white flowers, are closed. A man stands out front dressed in a fancy tuxedo. “What the hell is this?” Lucas asks, peering out the windshield like the rest of us.

The car in front of us gets waved inside. When the wrought iron opens, we see a trail of cars with people stepping out and moving toward the backside of the property.

My stomach plummets. Slowly, the guy working the gate moves toward Lucas. “Name?”

“Lucas Govern.”

The guy sneers at his attire, and evidently, we are definitely not dressed for what’s going on inside. It’s probably one of those stupid luncheons his father has, like the one I was all too happy to be told to leave. The servant checks through a list of names, flipping back several papers before frowning. “Your name is not on the list.”

Lucas’ grip on the steering wheel tightens. I duck my head down to see the man. “We’re Stone’s friends,” I inform him. “We need to see him.”

“Stone is a little busy today. You’ll have to pull around so I can assist the guests who were invited.”

Lucas shuts the car off and leans back. “No. We need to see Stone. Don’t pretend you haven’t seen us around here before. Just call him up.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, sir.”

“I said,” Lucas growls, “call him the fuck up. We’re not moving