Chapter 66 Chapter 66

Chapter 66 Chapter 66
Elari

“Wow.” Issi shook her head , her eyes wide and startled as Serephina rushed from the room sobbing, followed by the other cheerleaders. Kade went back to eating like he hadn’t just humiliated a girl in front of the whole school. “That was brutal.”

I couldn’t agree more. It had been brutal. I hated Seraphina but I wasn’t sure she deserved that kind of humiliation. You could tell she was genuinely heartbroken.

Next to me, Rivan shifted his chair closer to mine. His arm back around my shoulders as he pulled me into his side. “Your brother is a complete asshole Elari.” He said. 

He was. But I knew why he had done what he had. Even if I thought it could have been handled differently. I knew that he couldn’t stand to touch another woman because I was having a hard time letting Rivan even put his arm around me. And an even harder time seeing Kade with that bimbo all over him.

We had agreed. I reminded myself. We had agreed that we had to act like regular people in public. Like we didn’t have feelings for each other.

Like we weren’t made for each other.

“At least.” Rivan's voice drew me back to reality and away from memories that still made my cheeks flush. “You are safe from him.”

I blinked at my “boyfriend.” Completely confused. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “I mean he goes after anything with a pulse. He always has. Issi do you remember-“

Issi leant across the table, chin propped up in her hand. “Are you talking about Cassie Korton?” She whispered. Rivan nodded his head eagerly. 

I glanced between the two of them. “Who is Cassie?”

“She was an exchange student from last year. Really pretty, really sweet. A great student.” Rivan's voice sounded far away.

“He honed on her straight away.” Issi continued. “Started a secret affair with her. She was so into him it was pathetic and then it all changed.”

My eyebrows shot up. “He dumped her?” 

“It was all like this badly kept secret but rumour is.” Issi’s voice dropped even lower. “He took her virginity in some cave in the valley.”

I sucked in a breath. Our cave? The one Kade had said he had never taken another person to? “What?”

Issi shrugged. “I know half the students are at, it like rabbits and most of them with Kade. But Cassie was different. She was sweet and kind. Actually she kind of looks like you. Anyway she left in the middle of the semester. Right before her trials. In the middle of the night, her parents just came and grabbed her and took her home. No one would answer why she had left and Kade was pulled out for a week as well.” She waggled her eyebrows like I was meant to get what she was saying.

I looked at them both blankly. “What are you insinuating?”

“He got her pregnant.” 

My head snapped around to stare at Rivan. He looked murderous. His face twisted into something almost grotesque. I frowned. What was that all about? “What?” My voice shook.

“We don’t know that for sure,” Issi interjected. “But that’s what people started saying. No one heard from her after and her and Rivan were -“

He threw a glance at her and she shut her mouth. I sighed. So that’s what this was about. Rivan had liked this girl, and she had chosen Kade. I instantly felt bad but only for a second before another thought popped into my head.

“You and her?” I asked quietly.

Rivans eyes went wide in his suddenly white face. “It was a year ago and-“

“She looked like me?” My voice shook. “Is that why you are with me?” My voice rose an octave but I wasn’t shouting enough to draw attention to us. I didn’t want to make a scene but I did want the truth.

Of course I couldn’t be mad at Rivan , not really. Not when Kade might have been attracted to me for the same reason.

Damn boys were so confusing. And dumb.

They were definitely dumb.

“Only a little bit.” Issi quickly said, trying to break the tension that had suddenly settled over our table. “And her and Rivan didn’t- they weren’t. They were just friends.” She added in a rush.

“I see.” Reaching for the napkin, I wiped my lips with it even though I knew there was nothing there. Screwing it into a ball I tossed it on top of my half eaten breakfast. “Well I have to go.” I stood up.

“Don’t.” Lashing out Rivan caught my wrist in his big hand and stopped me before I could walk away. “Please don’t be angry. I liked her, yes. But we were never together.” He lifted his pleading eyes to me. “You can’t be mad at me for liking a girl I knew before I met you.”

I knew I couldn’t. And really I wasn’t but it did make me uncomfortable. Like maybe Rivan only liked me because he knew Kade did. This was his chance to get his own back. But of course I couldn’t be mad at him for that either. Even if he was using me to get back at Kade , I was using him as well.

Coming to Frostveil had turned me into a liar.

“I’m not mad.” I said bending over him and aiming a kiss on his cheek. At the last minute he turned his head and my lips fell on his. His hand came up to trap my head so he could deepen the kiss.

“I have to go.” I said , cheeks flushed as I pulled away. “See you after class?”

Not waiting for his reply, I rushed out into the cold air. Two steps towards the bridge that would take me to my first class, a strong arm looped around my waist and pulled me into a shadowy alcove. My back was pressed against the cold brick and Kades body pressed against my front, trapping me there.

His lips were soft but insistent as he kissed me. We shouldn’t be doing this here where anyone could see us. But I was powerless to do anything but wrap my arms around his throat and lift my lips to his.

Kissing Kade always felt right.

“Fuck.” He tore himself away and shot me an angry look I didn’t understand. “I can’t stand this.”

I looked at him confused.

“This.” He said in a growl. “I can fucking taste another man’s lips on your mouth.”