The Secret Girl (Adamson All-Boys Academy #1) - C.M. Stunich Page 0,95

don't even care. Seriously. Ranger rolls his eyes, but our conversation's put on hold when Spencer opens the door and waltzes in with a grocery bag full of goodies he swiped from downstairs.

He gives me this narrow-eyed look with that turquoise gaze of his, and I shiver.

“What are you two assholes up to in here?” he says, shoving past me and heading over to his bed, so he can flop down and pour out all his treats. I distinctly see one of my granola bars in the mix.

“You dildo!” I snap, marching over there and snatching the bar off the bed. “I knew someone was stealing my granola bars. I thought it was Nathan the creepy security guard, but of course it was you.”

“It was Nathan the creepy security guard,” he replies without bothering to look up at me. “I just caught him red-handed. Then I figured if he was gonna make off with them, I may as well take them with me instead.”

“I call bullshit,” I snort, tucking the granola bar into my pocket. “Food thief.” I raise my chin triumphantly, and Spencer lifts his head up to sneer at me.

“Asswipe,” he murmurs.

“Condom face.” It's the only thing I can think of, and my cheeks flush. Spencer just smirks like this is a challenge he's happy to take on.

“Penis eater.”

“Slimeball.”

“Toilet brush.”

“Shit stain.”

“Jerkwad.”

“Ass pig,” I blurt, and Spencer raises one of his dark brows.

“Okay, that one was a little weird even for me. You win. Although condom face was pretty creative. I might borrow that one to insult the twins with.” Spencer pauses to pull his shirt over his head, tossing it aside and leaving me gaping at the beautiful, flat planes of his chest. He notices me looking and glances my way, his lids drooping and giving off this heavy-lidded bedroom stare. The corner of his mouth curves up in a smirk as he tilts his head to the side. “Like what you see?” he asks, as Ranger makes a noise of frustration, slides his hands over my eyes and then turns me toward the door.

“Enough gawking. Let me walk you back to your room.” Spencer watches us go, his eyes narrowing as he sneers and turns away. “You know you're going to have to tell him eventually,” Ranger adds as we head back up the stairs. I give him a look, but he just returns it with a steadfast stare. His look brooks no argument. “If we're going to solve this mystery together, we need him. He knows this campus better than anyone. That, or maybe you should just go back to California.”

“There's nothing that could make me go back there,” I blurt, cheeks reddening. I've never felt more like a fish out of water than I did when I went back to the place I should belong, and felt like nothing more than an outcast. Besides, Mom's in rehab. And my aunt is nice, but … even though she offered to let me stay with her, I think I've always known she didn't really mean it. She's only twenty-eight, and she doesn't want some teenager staying in her house and throwing off her vibe. “Besides, your sister deserves to have her name cleared.”

We pause near my bedroom door as Ranger takes the keys out again and studies them. He reaches down and tries the gold one on my door, but it doesn't work. The silver key, however, does work on Jenica's door. Interesting.

“Well, what the hell is this for?” he murmurs, rubbing at the side of his face with two fingers. “Jenica, what the hell were you up to?” His eyes look far away and sad, and I wonder what his memories of his big sister are like. He had to have been, what, seven or eight when she passed? Poor kid. I can't even imagine that sort of pain. I imagine it's similar to how I felt when my mother bailed on me and Dad. Then again, if I really want to see her, at least I know she's still out there. “By the way, I have her journal. Part of it anyway. When I go home for spring break, I'll snap some pics and send them to you if you want to read it.” Ranger looks so immensely uncomfortable, that I lean up and give him a quick peck on the cheek.

“Thanks for sharing this with me,” I tell him, and he nods once, briskly. The way he eyes me though … it's impossible to