The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play, #1) (27)

That left me with two possibilities, neither of them desirable.

Maybe I could sneak out the window…

“I know you’re in there,” a masculine voice called out. “I can hear you plotting.”

Jamie.

The lesser of two evils.

I snatched open the door and found him with his arms crossed over his chest as his lean frame rested against the doorjamb. I waited for him to speak, but he was too busy staring at my bare legs.

“Can I help you?”

Picking up on my chilly reception, he said, “Not a morning person, eh?”

“It’s not the hour that bothers me,” I hinted.

“Relax, kitten.” He held out long arms, clad in a crisp white dress shirt, in surrender. “I come in peace.”

The red vest he’d chosen paired well with his mahogany hair while the black slacks hugged his toned legs even better. I would have told him he looked nice, but his ego was bigger than Kanye West. Besides, he may not be a snob like his cousin, but he’d probably still have his back when it counted.

“Let me guess…you’re the good guy?”

He answered with a sharp shake of his head. “Never,” he added with a grin. “But I did come to offer you a ride to school.”

Thomas didn’t bother dictating the arrangements as he did a year ago. Had he expected us to pick up where we’d left off?

“Why would you help me?”

“Why not? You do something to me?”

“You’re Ever’s cousin.” Was I the only one aware of the line drawn between us?

“And?”

I let down my guard enough to smile. Someone who didn’t fall over themselves to please Ever McNamara was exactly what I needed. I held up my finger so he’d wait and ducked back inside to grab my backpack.

“Good girl,” he praised.

“You do know that I’m not a dog, right?”

He laughed as he practically leapt down the stairs, leaving me behind. When I passed through the doors leading outside, the first thing I noticed was Ever leaning casually against the Range. He was busy texting on a phone years ahead of mine, which still flipped.

My heart skipped a beat. It was a warning that I’d admired him for too long. Ever’s allure was rare, eclipsing everything around him. The temptation was blinding. Common sense withered in his presence.

The wind blew, tousling his hair, and my heart skipped again.

Freeing myself from his snare, I surveyed the large circular drive. Ever’s was the only vehicle in sight, and Jamie was heading straight for it.

I hovered over the first step unsure of what to do.

Ever had yet to notice me.

I still had time to slip back inside the house.

But my chance to pretend I was never there was taken when Jamie obnoxiously yelled from the passenger window, “You coming or what? Those fine legs won’t get you to school on time!”

I gritted my teeth just as Ever’s head popped up.

His eyes flashed with surprise, but then his mask was back in place before I could reach the last step. Standing up straight, he stuck his phone in his pocket and smoothly slid into the driver’s seat. Realizing Jamie had trapped us both, I sighed and hopped inside the car.

“Told you she’d come,” Jamie gloated.

They actually discussed this?

Ever simply turned up the volume, and Seether drowned out most of Jamie’s yammering. I’d chosen to sit behind Jamie and couldn’t keep from stealing glances at His Majesty.

His neck was strong without being bulky, his jaw angular, lips full above a cleft chin, and a nose that was perfectly straight.

Maybe that’s why he keeps it so high in the air.

Admiring the stylish cut of his two-toned hair, I failed to notice we’d stopped at a sign until his head turned just enough for him to catch me staring. It was too late to look away and pretend. His eyes were completely hidden by the dark tinted sunglasses, but somehow, I knew they raked me as I’d done him…his exploration felt much more invasive.

Only when he had his fill did he turn back without a word and let off the brake. Ten minutes later, I was out of the Range and practically running for the entrance before he could cut the engine.

I could feel the cousins’ attention the entire way.

With my head down, I headed straight for the headmaster’s office and almost made it undetected when I felt fingers gently curl around my bicep. Feminine squeals filled my ear as I was pulled into a hug.

“I can’t believe it’s really you!”

I quickly returned Tyra’s hug before she could rupture my eardrum. Other than the bangs that now covered her forehead, she hadn’t changed much.

“How’s it going?” I kept it casual even though I was excited to see her. After what I had done to one of their own, it didn’t seem wise to bring attention to myself. I was a little surprised there hadn’t been a mob waiting at the gates.

“I should be asking you. You’re the one who disappeared for an entire year without a word.”

God, I didn’t want to talk about that. “I’d fill you in,” I lied, “but I have an appointment with Burns.”

“Are you sticking around this time? I’m almost afraid to let you out of my sight. One minute you were here and”—she snaps her fingers—“the next you were gone.”