Shattered Legacy : A Dark Bully Romance (Gravestone Elite Book 1) by Caitlyn Dare (red seas under red skies TXT) 📕

them, you mean?” She smiles, and I find no malice there, only understanding.

“I’m not one of them. I’m not sure I ever will be.”

“I get it. But I want you to know something, too. I’m proud of the way you’ve handled everything. You should be, too. Being the chosen prosapia is never easy. But look at Fawn and Tim. They’re wildly in love.”

I want to argue after what Sasha told me about Tim and Hadley, but I don’t, because although Annabel is my only real friend at Gravestone U, she’s right. Some things have changed. I’m on the inside now, or at least, I’ve entered their world. Annabel is still an outsider.

“Here goes nothing, I guess,” I say, digging out my key and letting us into the house.

“Mom?” I call.

“Mia, sweetheart, is that you?” She rounds the hall, looking every bit her immaculate self.

“Oh, baby, it’s so good to see you.” Her hug is overbearing, but I let her have this moment.

“Okay, Mom.” I pat her back. “We’ve only been gone a couple of weeks.”

“Two weeks too long, if you ask me.” She holds me at arm’s length, inspecting my face. “Are you getting enough sleep? Eating plenty of greens? You look a little—"

“Mom! Take a breath, I’m fine.”

“Hey, Mrs. Thompson,” Annabel says.

“Oh, Bel, sweetheart call me Temperance, please. Mrs. Thompson sounds so formal. Come,” she takes my hand, leading us into the living room, “I want to hear all about it. I still can’t believe my baby is at college. College!”

I shoot Annabel a silent plea for help, but she only offers me a reassuring smile. Traitor.

“So how are classes? And the dorms? Oh, and how are things with Cade?” Her whole face lights up at the mention of my tormentor’s name.

“Cade is… a bit of a jerk, Mom.”

“Mia!”

“What? It’s true.” I shrug.

“Cade Kingsley is a fine young man, sweetheart. You’re a lucky girl—"

I bristle, and Annabel finally jumps to my rescue. “I love your blouse, Mrs.—I mean, Temperance. Is it new?”

“This old thing? No, but thank you, Annabel. My motto is it never hurts to be dressed for an occasion. Who knows what the day might bring. Did you already eat? I could make—"

“Bel’s mom did a whole spread for lunch. I’m stuffed,” I say. “Actually, if it’s okay with you, Mom, I think we’re just going to hang out in my room. I’m kind of beat.”

“But you just got here, and me and your father have the gala tonight.”

“That’s okay, we can hang out tomorrow before I leave.”

Her brows pinch. “Mia, I’d really like—"

But I’m already up out of my chair and making for the door.

“I guess we’ll see you later.” Bel grabs her bag and follows me upstairs.

When we’re in the safety of my room, she says, “That was mean.”

“I know, but I couldn’t stand listening to her going on about Cade as if he’s this hero. He’s really not, Bel.”

“Did something happen?” She kicks off her sneakers, grabs a pack of Twizzlers from her bag, and dives onto my bed.

“You mean aside from him being his usual cocky, arrogant, cruel self?”

“Whoa, tell it how it really is.” She chuckles.

But I’m not laughing. I’m remembering his fingers on my skin, moving inside me, and I want to vomit all over my plush carpet.

Taking a deep breath, I brace my hand against the dresser. “I know everyone thinks he’s this powerful, sexy guy, but honestly, he’s kind of an ass.”

“But have you seen his ass?” she asks. “You can’t tell me the guy isn’t packing a serious hot body beneath his Fendi t-shirts and jeans.”

I press my lips together, refusing to answer. I don’t want to talk about Cade, let alone imagine him naked.

“Have any guys caught your eye?”

Heat creeps into her cheeks, and I know I’m onto something. “Who? Alex?” I tease. She mentioned him a while back.

“No one.” She plays dumb, biting the end of the candy stick.

“Oh, come on, I saw the way you blushed. There is a guy.”

“Well, there was, but now it’s confusing.”

I grab my beanbag and smush down on it. “How so?”

“It’s Alex.”

“I knew it!” I smile, but realization quickly dawns and my expression falls.

“Now you understand my predicament.” Annabel lets out a resigned sigh.

“You didn’t say anything?”

“Yeah well, you’ve been kind of occupied.”

Guilt floods me. “I’ve been a crap friend, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Being in their world changes things.”

“Are we talking about me, or Alex?” Internally, I’m cringing because I saw Alex fucking a girl at Cade’s house that fateful night. He probably can’t even remember it, but I can. The image of his white ass pounding into her is imprinted on the backs of my eyelids. A shudder runs down my spine.

“Have the two of you…” My eyes widen.

“What? No! We made out a couple of times…” She blushes. “And there might have been some clothed groping, but that’s it. I don’t just go around sleeping with random guys, Mia.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t—"

“Relax.” Her laughter fills the room. “I’m just messing with you. I’d totally jump Alex’s bones if I had the chance. But now he’s initium…” Her smile falls. “He probably won’t even notice me again.”

“No way, Bel. You’re beautiful. He’d be a fool not to notice you.” Withholding the truth from her twists my insides, but I don’t do it. I can’t tell her what happened that night.

For more reasons than one.

We spend the afternoon hanging out in my room. Mom appears a couple of times to provide us with snacks and drinks. I know she’s hurt at the way I hurried to my room, but the truth is, I wish she was in my corner. Not Quinctus and their archaic rules. And certainly not Cade’s.

“Sweetheart.” There’s a knock at the door, and I leap up at the sound of my father’s voice.

“Dad.”

“It’s good to see you, kid.” He pulls me into his arms. “How are you? How’s college?”

My mouth twists into an uncomfortable smile.

“That good, huh?”

“I’m not cut out for this, Dad,” I whisper, burying