The Lies We Tell (The Four #1) - Becca Steele Page 0,11

to meet Kinslee. I glanced around me. Ah. The library. I headed over to the tall modern structure, which somehow fit in with the old stone buildings, even though it was completely different in design. The doors swooshed open gently as I neared the entrance, students hurrying past me in both directions. I entered the large, cool foyer and swiped my student ID card to get into the library itself.

Once inside, I found myself immediately relaxing. There was something about a library that always made me feel so at home. Maybe it was because I’d spent countless hours in libraries with my dad. Being a professor, his entire life had involved being surrounded by books. I had vivid memories of being left in a cosy corner of a library, a pile of books in front of me, while he lost himself in hours of research.

I spent the next half an hour familiarising myself with the layout of the library and decided the top floor was my favourite. It was so quiet up here—most students seemed to be staying on the busier lower levels, and I could see over the entire campus all the way to my apartment building from the floor-to-ceiling windows that spanned one wall.

When it neared twelve o’clock, I made my way into the SU, stopping for a moment to check the sign-up lists for the university clubs and societies. As Alstone was a small specialist business school, there wasn’t a huge range of choices, but I noticed a couple that caught my eye, and I snapped some photos with my phone camera so I could look at them in more detail once I was back at the apartment.

Making my way into the large cafeteria, I scanned the room for Kinslee but couldn’t see her anywhere. I grabbed a tray and loaded it up with a plate of lasagne, salad, and a bottle of water. I spied an empty table in front of the windows and quickly walked over to it before someone else could get there first.

“Is this seat taken?” I glanced up from my plate to see Cassius and Zayde drop into a chair either side of me.

“Be my guest,” I muttered sullenly. “More orders from His Highness?”

Cassius snorted in amusement. “I dare you to say that to his face.”

“Maybe I will.”

Zayde stared at me silently, his sharp gaze unnerving me. Fuck, he freaked me out. There was something about him…something unhinged, almost. As if there was a monster lurking behind his eyes, just waiting to be unleashed. Cassius, I could handle. Zayde, on the other hand, I did not want to cross.

I felt hot, jealous stares boring into me as girls seated around us took in the fact that I, the new girl, was sitting with two of the Four. Like I’d had a say in the matter.

“Is Caiden going to grace us with his presence?”

“Miss me already, babe?” The mocking voice came from right behind me, and I jumped, placing my hand on my heart.

“Told you she was jumpy.” I turned to see Weston grinning at me, and Caiden, standing next to him, staring at me with icy disdain. How could they be related? Their personalities were as different as night and day.

They slung themselves into chairs opposite me, placing their trays down, and just like that, the table was full.

“Hey. My friend needs somewhere to sit.”

“She can sit right here.” Cassius pointed to his lap.

“What if my friend’s a man?”

“Hey, I don’t discriminate.” He winked at me, and I rolled my eyes, noticing Kinslee standing in line to pay for her lunch.

“Look, she’s here now. Can someone please find a chair? I’m going to have to sit somewhere else, otherwise.” I could feel my blood pressure rising. Why couldn’t I have a simple lunch with my friend, in peace?

Everyone looked towards Caiden. “Calm down, Snowflake.” His voice was dangerously soft. “Cass, get her friend a chair, will ya.”

“Snowflake?” I looked at him across the table, puzzled.

“Yeah. You know. Winter. Snowflake.” He gave me another disdainful look, as if I should be able to read his mind so he didn’t have to waste time explaining.

“Original,” I commented with yet another eye roll. At this rate, I was going to be needing an appointment with an optician to check my eyes weren’t being permanently damaged with all the eye rolling going on around these boys.

“Appropriate nickname.” Zayde’s low drawl came from my right, and I turned to stare at him, raising a brow. “This university