Chapter 30: Unexpected meeting
ELOWEN BENETT
The next morning dragged like molasses. I barely touched my breakfast, too busy replaying the image of Derek’s lanky arm around Mom’s waist and that too-easy grin of his. But even that couldn’t fully distract me from the bigger knot in my chest—Alaric.
His dad had said minor injury. That’s what the man had muttered when I’d asked why Alaric was there. Minor. So why had Alaric looked so pale under those fluorescent lights? Why had his shoulders been tense, like he was holding something heavy? I kept telling myself it wasn’t my business. He’d made that clear a hundred times with his sharp stares and colder silences. Still, my brain wouldn’t let it go.
School felt louder than usual. I slid into my seat for first period, eyes flicking to the empty desk two rows over. Alaric’s desk. He wasn’t there. I’d half-expected him to show up looking perfectly fine, like the hospital visit had been some weird dream. But the chair stayed empty. Even Andrew wasn’t in class—probably skipping again. Normally that would’ve stung a little, but today my mind stayed glued to Alaric. Where was he? Was the “minor injury” worse than they’d let on?
By the time the bell rang, my notebook was full of doodled question marks instead of notes. I shoved my stuff into my bag and headed for the hallway, keeping my head down. Lunch meant the janitor’s closet again like always. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was quiet, and no one bothered me there. At least, not usually.
I was halfway down the corridor when it happened.
My foot caught on something maybe a loose tile, maybe nothing at all and the world tilted. I hit the floor hard, books scattering everywhere. Pain shot through my knee. For a second, everything went quiet.
Then the laughter exploded.
I looked up to see Tasha standing there with her usual squad of minions, all perfectly glossed lips and designer bags. Her mascara was so thick it looked like spider legs. She stepped closer, towering over me in her heeled boots, and the hallway seemed to shrink.
“Stay away from Alaric,” she hissed, loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. “I don’t know what stupid fantasy you have in that empty little brain of yours, but Alaric is not for girls like you.”
Girls like me. The words landed like a slap. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My throat had closed up tight. I couldn’t even defend myself—because what was there to defend? Alaric had never shown me anything but irritation. The only thing he seemed to care about was watching me squirm. So why did Tasha keep warning me off like I was some kind of threat?
She flipped her hair and strutted away with her friends, their laughter echoing behind them. I sat there for another second, cheeks burning, then gathered my stuff as fast as I could. Someone offered a hand to help me up, but I ignored it and hurried off toward the janitor’s closet, eyes stinging.
The hallway blurred. I just wanted to disappear for thirty minutes, eat my sad sandwich in peace, and maybe text Andrew back about the skatepark. The closet door was already ajar—maintenance probably forgot to close it again. I pushed it open, stepped inside, and froze.
A familiar scent hit me first. Clean soap mixed with something warmer, like cedar and rain. Then I saw him.
Alaric.
He was sitting on an overturned bucket in the dim light of the single bulb, long legs stretched out, silver earbud in one ear. Those striking blue eyes lifted slowly and locked onto mine. He looked… better than he had at the hospital, but still not quite right. There was a faint bruise along his jaw that makeup couldn’t fully hide, and his posture was too careful, like moving hurt.
My heart slammed against my ribs. “What was he doing here—”
He pulled the earbud out, one eyebrow lifting in that signature half-annoyed, half-amused way. “Bennett. You stalking me now?”
I clutched my bag tighter, the door clicking shut behind me. The tiny space suddenly felt even smaller. “This is my spot. For lunch. Usually empty.”
“Clearly not today.” He didn’t move to leave. Instead, he nodded at the other bucket across from him. “Sit before you fall again. I heard the hallway entertainment.”
Heat rushed back to my face. Of course he’d heard. The whole school probably had. I hesitated, then sank down, knees aching. Up close, I could see the exhaustion in his eyes. “Your dad said it was minor. The injury. But you weren’t in class.”
Alaric’s jaw tightened. He looked away, fiddling with his phone. “Dad says a lot of things. It’s nothing. Just… family stuff.”
“Family stuff that lands you in the hospital?” I pressed gently. I didn’t know why I cared so much. He’d been nothing but confusing hot and cold, pushing me away one minute and showing up in my hiding spot the next.
A small, tired smile tugged at his lips. “You’re nosy, you know that?”
“Says the guy in my janitor’s closet.”
He chuckled softly, the sound low and unexpected. It made something warm flutter in my stomach. “Touché. I needed quiet. Loud places… aren’t great right now.” His fingers brushed the bruise on his jaw absentmindedly.
We sat in silence for a beat. I unwrapped my sandwich, offering him half without thinking. He took it, surprised.
“Thanks,” he murmured.
The door slowly creaked open…