The Academy - Love's Cruel Redemption: The Ghost Bird Series, #12

By C. L. Stone

Love's Cruel Redemption is the twelfth book in The Academy Ghost Bird Series. 

Sang's life was on pause after the dramatic break with her real family. Now she's back in the game, returning to Ashley Waters to appear like a normal student. However, returning to school hasn't made her life any easier. When it comes to the Academy and her role in the secret organization, there's no such thing as normal.

When Kota's mother catches Sang and the guys in the complex web of lies they've woven, everything starts to unravel: Their relationships, their ties to the Academy. Everything's under risk of exposure.

Nathan struggles most with his conscience and lying to Erica Lee, the woman who supported him when his own mother was never there, doesn't seem like the right thing to do. She's his family and Nathan knows you shouldn't lie to family. But he also knows the truth could hurt her: It could put Erica in danger. And it could force Kota to make a choice he should never have to: his mother and sister, or his team—his chosen family.

With Ashley Waters High School under attack and the principal now missing, the Academy needs to maintain its cover more than ever. It's a bad time for Erica to start discovering what the Academy is really all about.

But to protect them all, Nathan's willing to take the heat. He'll do it for Sang, as well as Kota, Victor, Silas, Gabriel, Luke, North, and the rest of the team. He may be their only chance at survival.

But Sang, who committed to be all in with her team, isn't about to let Nathan go down alone.

The Academy: Family First

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcato Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: May 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386099482

Book preview

Into the Night

Nathan

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Nathan Griffin white-knuckled the wheel of Kota’s sedan.

Ahead was a dark lane, made nerve-wracking to drive by trees closely lining either side. He wasn’t sure if it was a narrow road or a driveway, but he had gone for a couple of miles already, looking for the house he had been told would be here. The exact coordinates were unclear, as the GPS had said he’d arrived at his destination already.

The headlights weren’t the brightest, shedding only so much light immediately in front of the car. The gravel road was littered with potholes. Kota’s car didn’t have the best suspension, either.

Too bad he couldn’t have brought the Jeep...not that he could run back and get it.

He released the wheel with one hand to wipe at his lips, trying to ease the tense sensations that’d been in his heart for hours so he could pay attention to the road.

Why did they have to live all the way out here? A deer or another animal could hop out of the woods at any moment. Normally, he’d like such a rural location. It suited his outdoorsy personality. Tonight, he groaned at having to slow down. The longer it took, the later it got. The ungodly hour was already horrible enough to be intruding on them. Without a phone to call ahead, he’d be lucky if they weren’t traveling and this was for nothing.

If it wasn’t an emergency, he wouldn’t have come.

Eventually, the trees fell away and the high beams on the sedan settled on a large, white plantation-style house. The home resembled some of the old estates in downtown Charleston. The colonial style was similar to the house Victor lived in, yet this one was wider, with a large front porch, white columns, darkened windows. The surrounding grounds were trim but bare and brown for midwinter.

The grandeur seemed out of place in the middle of the woods. It was too fancy to be tucked away and hidden from the world.

As he drove around the loop of the driveway, his opinion faded. The bushes were a little too wild and needed pruning. The grass was filled with weeds. The front porch appeared in disrepair.

Nathan parked, hitting the lock on the inside of the door and checking to make sure he had the keys in his pocket before closing it up. He gazed up at the house, the darkened windows. There were no numbers to indicate the address. Did he even have the right house?

Yet it was exactly where Mr. Blackbourne had described it to him before.

Weeds crunched under his shoes as he approached the house. He eased his foot onto the first step. It creaked, and he stopped.

They didn’t need an alarm system. The porch gave him away.

He stilled, not wanting to scare anyone who might be awake inside. He considered returning to the car and coming back in the morning.

He needed to talk to someone. Lily might be the only one who could help him.

He continued to climb up the steps and went to the front door. There was a rusty doorbell to one side. The door had a knocker.

He paused.

He closed his eyes.

He pictured Sang’s face.

Her tears. The pleas.

He looked down at his own hands, the blood that still stained parts of his knuckles.

Blood on top of older bruises.

He tried to wipe away the blood, but it had dried hard to his hands.

All the memories of the past few weeks started stirring up. Mistakes. He blamed himself. Mr. Blackbourne would say placing blame was a lost cause. It didn’t help anyone and only hindered solving the problem.

But Nathan didn’t know the solution. He only knew everything was horribly wrong.

He made a fist and pounded at the door, then stabbed a finger at the doorbell. He couldn’t hear it ring. He wondered if they rigged it to do something other than make noise. Vibrate their phones perhaps. Give them a feed image of who was outside. Clever. They needed to do this at their homes.

After a few minutes, the door inched open and a face appeared. The man was shorter, with reddish hair, light blue eyes and a glare that held strong. A frown formed on his lips. What do you want? he asked.

Trout, Nathan said quickly, letting him know he was Academy with a random response.

Without blinking, he answered, Azalea. He opened the door a bit wider. Who are you?

My name is Nathan Griffin, he said. He pressed his palms against his jeans at his sides, hoping to hide the marks and blood. You’re Liam? You’ve been mentoring my team. Blackbourne. Sang...

His eyes went from Nathan’s face to his rumpled clothes. He looked beyond Nathan as if anticipating to see other faces. I know them. I don’t remember you.

I’m part of the team, too. I need to...talk to someone.

Y’all have too many on your team. I can’t keep track. Liam lifted an eyebrow and leaned out of the door. Can’t it wait until morning?

Nathan pressed his lips together and shook his head. He couldn’t answer that question. Could it wait? Sure. He was supposed to say yes.

He should have called. He should have just sent a text message. If he had a phone, he would have.

But it couldn’t wait. He had driven all the way out here because he needed to fix things. He couldn’t go back unless he could fix it.

He didn’t know how to talk to her. How could he explain what happened?

How could he tell the others?

I messed up, Nathan said finally, lowering his gaze.

Liam waited a moment, studying Nathan. He sighed and opened the door wider. Come in.

Nathan took a small step inside the home, his sneakers squeaking against the slick floor, granite or marble, he wasn’t sure he could tell the difference. There were plants on pedestals and a stairway leading to the second floor further in. The inside was nicer and cleaner, the upkeep obvious compared to the outside. Nice furniture. Clean surfaces. Homey.

It didn’t make sense to him, but they must have had their reasons for the outside looking like it did.

Nathan pressed his palms together, rubbing hard against each as if he could rub off the soreness in his hand and get rid of the memory of what had happened.

Liam closed the door behind him and then stood back. He wore jeans and a navy sweater with a white shirt underneath, and dark socks, no shoes. His face was covered in rust-colored hair, thin but growing out, unshaved for a least a couple of days. In the light, a bit better than the porch, his hair lightened in color, a bit more strawberry blond than reddish.

Liam held his morose expression and crossed his arms over his chest to examine Nathan with the same scrutiny. Well? What do you want?

Nathan glanced around, feeling the room echoed with every little noise they made. Most every other door he could see in the house on the first floor was closed to him, except to the right, some sort of library. Was anyone else awake? He couldn’t help feeling someone else was there and listening. Weren’t there four others on their team? He couldn’t remember.

He refocused on Liam and then looked down to the floor. There’s been a fight. Two, actually.

Liam bobbed his head. Is the team breaking up?

They...might... He bowed his head further and closed his eyes tight, trying to control his voice and keep his body from shaking. It’s my fault.

Liam sighed and then his footsteps echoed, coming closer.

A hand rested on Nathan’s shoulder. Look at me, he said quietly.

Nathan picked up his head. He was taller than Liam and broader. It was strange to Nathan as he felt very young and small with him, something he rarely felt with anyone.

Helpless. Useless.

Liam’s lips twisted, frowning, and then he spoke. Whatever happened, I’m sure it’s horrible. But if your team was any sort of team, the heat of the moment misunderstandings...You’re clearly sorry for whatever happened, or you wouldn’t be here trying to fix it. They’ll see that.

Nathan swallowed thickly. I’m just afraid they’ll decide to boot me off the team. I’ll lose them. I’ll lose her.

If they are your team, they won’t kick you off. It’s always a mutual decision.

He wished he believed it. But at the moment, he was pretty sure.

Liam motioned to the library room. Come sit down. Hurry before you wake anyone else up. If you need to vent and get another opinion, I guess I was the lucky dog to answer the door first. The answer you’re looking for probably isn’t as hard to get as you think.

Nathan breathed out heavily through his nose and relaxed, but only a little.

He wasn’t so sure it was going to be fixable.

Cake in a Pan

Sang

Two Weeks Earlier

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Cold seeped through the windows upstairs in the Lee household. Mid-January in South Carolina wasn’t as cold as Illinois, but the darkness and cooler temperatures made me want nothing more than to stay in bed with a blanket and a book.

Kota’s bedroom was still. The drapes to the windows had already been pulled back to let in what early morning sunlight could get over the trees. The room was cool in purple and pink hues.

I had two or three blankets piled up around me.

Luke was pressed to my side, hip to hip.

The narrow twin mattress left little room, so no matter how I rolled over, he was at my back, my front, everywhere. Luke’s legs were crossed on top of one of mine.

When did he crawl in with me? I barely remembered him coming in. I must have been sleeping extra hard, or I’d gotten so used to someone crawling into the bed with me that I dismissed it entirely.

Luke draped an arm over his eyes. His breathing was steady. I slowly blinked at him, keeping still so I wouldn’t wake him. His tapered shoulders were bare. The tan he’d built up during the warmer months hadn’t faded much. His blond hair was getting as long as mine, and it framed his face, splaying out over the pillow.

I considered getting up to wash and dress, but I was comfortable next to Luke. The bed was warmed by the two of us sleeping so close together.

The other reason to stay in bed as long as possible was Erica.

Even though it was an early hour, Erica was downstairs rattling around in the kitchen. Kota had joined her not long ago. Their voices floated up, mild tones. I couldn’t really hear what they were saying. When I was around, Kota’s mom seemed to ask a lot of questions.

Luke turned his head to me with one brown eye opening. An arm stretched lazily across my shoulders. He tugged me closer until my back was to his chest, and his lips dipped down at my spine along my neck.

I flipped over so I could look at his sleepy brown eyes. Good morning, I whispered.

I like mornings like this, he said. Even though I had flipped, he kept an arm around me, his forearm resting on the side of my rib cage loosely. Erica isn’t going to work today?

It’s so hard to keep track of her schedule, I said. Sometimes she’s getting in at two in the morning. How does she do it?

It works for her. I think she likes the non-routine.

The volume of voices downstairs rose, mostly Erica. She didn’t do it often, but I’d been in the house for about a week consistently now, and I was getting used to hearing it. She got very animated around Kota.

I sometimes listened, because often the questions were about me.

A couple of weeks ago, the Sorenson house had been taken over by my stepmother. She returned from the hospital and Marie took care of her, with a little help from the Academy.

They both seemed relatively happy with the arrangement. With my father staying at a small rental with his new fiancé until a divorce finalized, everything was settled.

Except for me.

The paperwork for the divorce was handled delicately. Each side had hired Academy lawyers, luckily. The lawyers were careful with the documents they prepared, limiting my name in each page until I’d eventually disappear before any official record was signed for the court.

The only one concerned at all was my father, who asked carefully about keeping me.

We all knew the reason was to keep my background a secret. His assumption was that my stepmother wouldn’t want me anyway.

I wasn’t in the clear, but the guys assured me repeatedly I wasn’t going back to anyone.

And me being at Erica’s house for a week left her with a lot of questions about what was going on at my house. She trusted Kota, but she knew something was wrong and she wanted to know. Kota explained there was a divorce pending, but he left out a lot of details and claimed he didn’t know because I didn’t know the full details either. She had accepted this, but she did pry for updates.

Luke moved to curl a lock of my hair. He made the curl taut against his finger, and then quickly released it. You’d look good with curls, I think.

Hmm. I didn’t have much opinion about curls or my hair while I was listening to the voices downstairs. If Erica is home, maybe we should go somewhere else today.

Might be a good idea to get you to stay overnight somewhere else, he said. He sighed and got up on his elbow. The blanket we shared slipped off of his shoulder, exposing his bare chest underneath. As he twisted and stretched his arms, the blanket fell off of his waist and revealed he was wearing a pair of Kota’s pajama bottoms. They hung loose and low on his hips. She doesn’t mind you staying at all, but with her odd hours becoming odder, it makes it harder to manage...

I breathed out slowly. Our schedule. I didn’t say it, but the Academy had the guys keeping odd hours, too. And because I was here, the guys were constantly streaming in and out of the house.

It will be different once we’re back on a school schedule full time. Now that our class schedules have changed... Luke twisted his back as he sat up, stretching. He scratched at his forehead. Are the cakes ready yet?

Cake? I asked.

Pan in a cake, Luke said. He shook his head and blinked a few times. I mean cake in a pan. Pancake. Don’t talk to me. I mean don’t listen to me, I haven’t had breakfast yet.

I laughed a little as I sat up and combed my hair away from my face. I think we need breakfast to come up with something. I could go back to Nathan’s.

You’ve spent months at Nathan’s, he said. Come stay with us for a while. We’ve got the room.

It sounded like fun, but there was a problem with staying anywhere long term. But what about Uncle? My black hair clip was on the bedside table. After combing my hair with my fingers, I pulled it all back, twisted and then attached the clip. Isn’t he going to think it’s weird if I’m staying overnight for a while? Won’t he have the same questions as Erica?

Luke shrugged and moved to put his feet on the floor. He absently scratched near his eyebrow. I don’t even know. But he asks about you. Like why I’m not out with you on Friday nights. It’s sort of hard to explain.

There were lots of things that were hard to explain to others. The secrets we kept were so strange I wasn’t sure anyone would understand. Even Academy members like Uncle found us odd.

I moved to sit beside Luke, leaning into him and pressing a cheek to his shoulder. He stared off, either daydreaming or thinking. I listened passively to the voices downstairs and general noises in the house but enjoyed the simple moment of being next to him.

He still smelled of vanilla and sugar, although he had taken on a bit of Kota’s spice scent. The mix worked surprisingly well together. His blond hair was wild, sticking out in places, but framing his high cheekbones. His lean muscles and tan skin had once made me think of him akin to clothing models. The longer hair softened his angled jaw and chin, but in a notable way.

Compared, I felt like a mess. I wore my own pajama bottoms, but I was pretty sure the shirt was Nathan’s. I touched the collar of the T-shirt absently, wondering where he was and if he’d slept at his house alone again. He’d done so almost all week.

Luke tilted his head and blinked rapidly, looking at me as if realizing I was there. He reached around, hugging me around the shoulders and kissed the top of my brow. We can’t forget, the important thing is you’re out, right? We will always have to juggle us anyway, given the Academy and everything, but it could have been much worse if we left you there. That’s one thing not to worry about anymore. Everything else is cake...in a pan. He laughed at his own joke. I’m starting to sound like Silas.

He was right about us and the continuous need to mind our schedules. I could have been stuck at my stepmom’s house, sneaking around and at great risk. I wrapped my arm around his back, hugging him in return. I don’t mean to be so glum. I’m just... I mean there’s a lot to think about.

He chuckled and nuzzled my face until I tilted it enough and he could kiss my cheek, closer to my mouth. I don’t have much to think about. I’m all in. Whatever happens. Okay?

I knew he wasn’t just talking about the living situation, but the relationship we had developed between the nine guys in our group and myself. I sighed but smiled at him. I do worry about the others...

He kissed my lips briefly and his fingers smoothed over the skin just above the elbow. He slowly slid his fingers up my arm, under the sleeve, massaging a little with his fingertips. I’ve known them for a good long while. If any of them really felt they wanted to not do any of it, they would have been out the door by now. He lightly held my arm and pulled me in, his lips meeting mine, putting more pressure into his kiss.

I closed my eyes, a little passive at first as my mind was slow to readjust. Eventually, I became more animated, responding to his kiss, leaning into him.

Suddenly, the door to Kota’s bedroom down below opened. Swift footsteps thundered up the stairs.

Luke leaped away from me, turned, and rushed into the bathroom, but not before Erica popped her head up. He closed the door just as she finished clearing the last step.

My cheeks warmed quickly. The guys came and left often enough. I suspected most of them didn’t ask to stay, so Erica usually wasn’t surprised to see them. However, I had been up here alone with him, and he’d not had a shirt on. We had been quiet.

There was only one bed unmade...

Erica slowed at the top of the stairs, her smile frozen on her face. She glanced at the bathroom door and then at the bed. The rollaway bed had been put away.

The rule was to stay overnight, Kota slept on the rollaway and I slept in his bed. If the others stayed, they usually had sleeping bags on the floor. Most of the time we followed this, but Luke had come in really late and just crawled into the bed with me instead of waking us up pulling out sleeping bags.

I... I muttered. I stopped myself, not wanting to lie to her. I also couldn’t stop the heat in my cheeks, and I knew I was blushing. I just didn’t know how to respond.

Erica turned to me. Her smile was still there but it flickered with confusion. Did he stay over?

He...woke me up. I was sleeping in... I stuck with partial truths, like what Mr. Blackbourne and the others often did when they needed to be careful with what they said. But he beat me to the bathroom...

Don’t wait on him, she said. She motioned to me. I came to get you anyway. I was going to make breakfast, but Kota volunteered to go pick some up from Bob’s.

I relaxed, hoping I was overthinking her glances and pauses. I hurried over to her, and she tugged me by the arm to get me to follow her downstairs.

I only hoped she didn’t see too much into Luke running off like he had.

Entangled

Kota was in the kitchen with a notepad in his hands, scratching a list onto it with a pencil. He was already dressed in a nice pair of jeans and a green polo shirt, with a white T-shirt underneath noticeable at the unbuttoned collar. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have cheese grits, he said over his shoulder as he glanced at what he had written. I think it’s just the normal sort.

Jessica stood behind him, wearing jeans, a sweater and socks. She touched the edge of her pink glasses. When they stood close together, I noticed how alike they looked as siblings, with the face shape, hair color and features. Jessica was just the younger version. North knows how to make it if he’s in.

I’ll ask. Kota picked up his head to look over at his mother and then at me. He brightened a little. I know what Luke wants, he said. But you want the same? Chocolate chip pancakes?

I nodded. If North would be making them, he’d include fruit and plenty of eggs anyway.

Erica rolled her eyes. I need my sixteen-year-old metabolism back, she said. By the way, I didn’t know Luke was here.

He came in sometime this morning, Kota said and took out his phone, ready to dial, but turned his attention to his mother. Is he awake?

You know I don’t mind them here, Erica said. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the counter before looking over at me. Go on to the bathroom. It should be open. There should be plenty of towels if you want to shower.

I didn’t want a shower, but I got the feeling Erica had something to say to Kota without me being nearby. I walked away slowly. Jessica seemed to get the hint as well and padded off to the living room, where she sat down on the couch and picked up the remote.

I tiptoed through the front hallway, trying to listen to what was being said in the kitchen.

What? Kota asked.

You know I trust them, but I don’t have a good feeling about leaving them alone with Sang without you or the rest of us around.

Kota coughed shortly in a way that sounded like a laugh. They’d never... I don’t know what you’re thinking...

I know they wouldn’t hurt her but... A footstep echoed in the kitchen.

The sound startled me enough to drive me forward, through the hall.

In the bathroom, I closed the door and pressed my back against it. My heart thundered. My palm slipped over it, feeling it thudding and trying to calm myself.

It was normal, I told myself. Erica was doing what any mother would do when concerned about boys and girls being alone together. I supposed all of them together, it didn’t seem too bad, but being alone with one of them was a little too much for her. She did make the rules for a reason.

It was something to talk to the guys about, and probably why Luke felt the need to bolt to the bathroom quickly when hearing someone coming up the stairs.

It was another reason I needed to be more careful, especially if this was going to be my life from now on. Living between houses like this to split my time between them was going to require some adjustments. I had to remember where I was, follow the rules, mind the other people in the house.

I used the facilities and then ran the sink, splashing my face. I lingered there over the cool water, wanting to give a little time for Erica to have her talk with Kota. Hoping I hadn’t caused any trouble between them.

I surveyed the bathroom, trying to pull my mind out of it, for now, to focus on waking up. I borrowed a brush from a drawer and detangled my hair before twisting it again and putting it back into the clip. I was still in pajamas but planned to return upstairs to change once Luke came down.

There was a gentle knock at the door, and I opened it.

Nathan stood on the other side, his eyebrows up in surprise at seeing me, but then he smiled broadly. Thought you were Jessica.

Nope, I said. You didn’t see her in the living room?

I didn’t see anyone. I just heard you making noises... He came into the bathroom, leaving the door open. He wore jeans and a red hoodie, and some Nike sneakers. His reddish hair was a little wild, as it was getting a bit longer these days. He stretched his arms over his head, flexing, and his broad chest became more defined through the clothing. I didn’t even see Max. They must be upstairs or in the garage or back porch or something. I came over to see you, anyway.

Is there something we need to do? The question was generic, but I hoped my tone conveyed the true reason I was asking. There hadn't been word from the Academy in the past week about anything regarding my joining or the promise of looking in on me. There had only been updates about my parents. This left me feeling I might be racking up favors of some sort that I’d have to repay, or that they may reconsider and I was too much trouble for the Academy to take on.

I’m just hoping to get you out of the house, he said. You’ve been cooped up for a while. I’d go stir crazy. He nodded toward the hallway. Have you eaten?

No, but Kota was ordering in from the diner. If you go ask, he can get you something.

Sounds good to me. He angled himself around me and leaned his butt against the sink. He leaned over, looking at me directly as I was facing the mirror. His blue eyes took on a glow when he looked at my face that had my blush returning. How about after that we go for a walk? Or maybe we can take someone’s car downtown? What do you want to do?

I loved the idea of getting away, even just for the day. I found it wonderful he seemed to know what I needed. He’d gotten used to my moods, I thought, when we were staying together for so long.

However, I still wasn’t sure if Kota or the others had planned anything. Or if the Academy might call on them and we’d need to rush off to do something. I think we should get out... If there’s nothing else we need to do. Luke and I were just talking about where to go today.

He leaned against me a bit more, brushing his shoulder against mine. I wouldn’t mind hanging out a little at some point, just the two of us. It feels like you’ve been gone awhile.

For a long while, we spent most every night together, or hanging around the house, usually just the two of us. As it was now, being alone with one of them was hard to pull off. If I’m not restricted to resting anymore, let’s go out after breakfast. It was easy to say. However, I wasn’t sure how we were going to get away by ourselves. Would Kota want to go with us? Would the others want me to do something else?

I had to figure out how to spend time with each of the guys and in different ways. It was one of the things Mr. Blackbourne and others had mentioned.

And Nathan, and a couple others, were having a hard time with the idea of the relationship.

I did, too. I was still unsure I wasn’t making them unhappy, even if most said they wanted to try. We weren’t sure how this new relationship was going to work, but it wasn’t going to work at all if I didn’t get a chance to spend time with them.

It doesn’t have to be for long, Nathan said. He brightened up, and he leaned in, kissing me briefly on the cheek.

He lingered there, his lips brushing my skin.

Instinct had me tilting my head just enough until his lips met mine. I wanted to kiss him. I missed him. A lot.

He kissed me with his familiar, strong kisses that sent my mind spiraling. He leaned into it and enclosed a hand around my elbows. He tugged gently to urge me close to him.

Strong.

Steady.

He always made me feel protected and safe. He was a rock, always there, always ready for anything.

Slowly, I eased back, remembering the problem with Erica. Hang on, I said quietly. I needed to tell him about it.

His eyes widened, and he appeared concerned. His breath was hot near my face. Did I do something wrong? he asked very softly.

No! I gasped, probably a little loudly, but I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. No, no, no, no. I struggled a little, wondering how to explain to him about what happened with Luke earlier. I tried to smile for him so he knew it wasn’t too serious. It’s something else, I said a little softer. I touched his lips gently with a forefinger, to indicate the kissing. Not this.

He kissed gently at my fingertip then turned to me fully and held me by the elbows. It’s okay... He paused. I think I know. Give me a kiss and I’ll go find the others.

Don’t let me give you the wrong idea... I wasn’t totally sure he knew what I was thinking, and clearly my touching his lips didn’t tell him what I meant. He was thinking of something else. Should I just tell him about Erica now?

Yet, I wasn’t sure how to explain what happened without telling him about kissing Luke. The relationship between us all was a sensitive topic. I struggled to say it delicately, but my brain was still waking up, trying to formulate words.

Listen, I trust you, he said. If it is about Kota... I mean. He shook his head. Never mind. Should we wait until after breakfast? He leaned in, lips puckered, aiming for my cheek close to my mouth.

I waited, ready to accept this and just talk to him later when we hopefully would get out of the house. Probably for the better.

Nathan connected shortly with his kiss.

Hey! Stop it! Jessica’s voice called out from the hallway.

Nathan pulled away from me instantly and spun around. Jessica stood just shy of the slightly open bathroom door, looking in. Her eyes were wide, her hands at her cheeks.

Exactly how long had she been standing there? It was obvious from her expression she had witnessed Nathan leaning in with lips puckered and intent to kiss, and from her angle, it might have been hard to tell if we connected.

Jessica... Nathan said. He moved his hand slowly up, showing his palms to her. I don’t know what you might’ve heard but...

Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth again and shouted, Kota! Kota! With that, she turned and bolted.

My mouth wrenched open, ready to call out to her, to tell her it was okay. That what she saw wasn’t what she thought was happening.

As we peeked out into the hall, she was already gone. Too late to catch up with her.

I shared a look with Nathan. I had no idea what Jessica might be telling Kota right now.

No matter what happens now, Nathan said, for the next few minutes, don’t freak out, okay?

It was too late for me. I knew in that moment it wasn’t going to go well.

Fallout

Nathan

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Shaking nerves rippled from Sang immediately after Jessica disappeared. She met his eyes, doubt and concern overflowing. It echoed his own feelings.

This wasn’t her fault. He should’ve shut the door. He should’ve been more aware. He should’ve been listening for Erica or Kota or anybody else coming down that hallway.

He knew how it might’ve looked, depending on exactly when Jessica showed up and what she was able to hear.

But he wasn’t about to let Sang take any heat for what was his fault. He didn’t exactly have a plan to fix this, and he wasn’t sure how, but he was absolutely sure he wanted to keep Sang from taking the blame for any of it.

Wait here, Nathan said. Don’t leave this bathroom.

She hesitated for a moment, an unspoken question in her eyes about what he was up to. Slowly, she started nodding, still appearing confused but trusting him.

It’ll be okay, he said. Don’t worry. He wanted to hug her quickly or kiss her again. Only, after Jessica found them, he wasn’t sure how much time he would have before Kota showed up.

For Jessica’s and Erica’s sakes, if he wanted this to look like it was his fault and Sang didn’t initiate, he had to make it appear exactly like that.

With his heart heavy, he turned and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He hated leaving her in there.

He crept down the hallway, trying to listen.

He counted, like Kota often did, starting at one and continuing up. For no reason other than to keep himself calm and not think too much.

Nathan stood on the edge of the hallway, peering out into the living room. He could hear Jessica’s voice somewhere deeper in the house. Erica said something following up, and then Kota talked over her and Erica quieted.

Nathan swallowed, stepping just a couple of feet into the living room, waiting. He breathed slowly.

Whatever happens, he whispered to himself, it’s only temporary. It was something Mr. Blackbourne told him when dealing with a highly stressful situation, to stay calm during those moments. Situations are often temporary and look a lot worse in the moment.

He started to repeat the phrase when Kota came around from the dining area, hurrying ahead, lips pressed together, focusing on Nathan instantly.

Kota quickly crossed the room. Erica and Jessica trailed slower behind him. Jessica tucked herself behind Erica, her eyes wide.

It was something Nathan had never seen before, not with Jessica. That hurt damn worse than anything else in that moment. There was no reason for Jessica to be afraid of him. They’d known each other for years. He’d never do anything to her. He’d never be angry at her for something like this.

If Sang was in a normal relationship with Kota, Jessica had every right to do what she did and tell Kota.

Nathan... Kota said, his voice steady and deep, oddly calm given the circumstances. He