“I’ll leave you to it, let me know if you need my help,” he says directing it at Noah who nods before showing him out.
“Leighbear, sweet girl, what happened?” he asks as he leads me over to his bed and sits me down.
He grabs himself a chair, sits down in front of me and takes my hand.
“They destroyed it, I need to know who I need to make pay,” I grit out. He starts to trace circles on the back of my hand.
“What did they destroy, I need you to tell me what happened and then I’ll see what I can do to find out who’s responsible.” He’s so calm, and maybe if I stay with him long enough I’ll start to feel calm by osmosis.
“My room was trashed when I went back, there’s paint all over my bed. The pillows and mattress are slashed, and the word ‘bitch’ is written across the walls. Even my laptop has been smashed,” I say, declining to mention the photo. That’s mine, and just the thought of not being able to look at Elliott makes me want to cry.
“What else?” he asks, not letting me break eye contact. He’s so intense and it’s getting my back up slightly.
“Isn’t that enough, what more do they need to do?” I know my voice is rising but he’s exasperating.
“That’s plenty Henleigh believe me, but I don’t think that’s why you’re so upset. They did something else and you don’t want to tell me what, it’s okay but you can trust me you know. I won’t repeat it, if that’s what’s worrying you.” He has a soft smile to match his kind eyes, he really is remarkable.
The tears are falling again, he is such a good guy, and if I was into that whole forever kind of crap I could see myself picking someone like Noah. He’s just too good for me.
He leans forward and wraps me in his arms, not even caring that the front of his shirt is getting soaked by my unrelenting tears. He draws circles on my back and it feels good, it’s soothing me and I’m dreading when he pulls away. But he isn’t, even as I’m shuffling as far forward as I can and pushing further into him, he just holds me tighter. If I could, I’d climb onto his lap and just let him hold me, but I’ve never been a needy person and I don’t want to start now.
I pull away and look up at him as he rests his forehead against mine, he doesn’t look away from my face as he starts tracing circles on my cheek.
“Do you want to tell me or would you rather I pretend I never noticed anything?”
He’s offering me an out, a way to keep Elliott to myself for a little longer. It’s just, the fact that he’s giving me this option makes me want to share it with him and only him.
“They destroyed the only photo I had of my brother with me, it’s been ripped to shreds.”
“Can’t you ask him to send you a new one?” he asks, and I don’t know what my face is doing but I watch as realisation dawns on him.
“Oh, sweet girl, I’m sorry I wouldn’t have said that if I’d known. Can you forgive me?” He looks so worried that he may have made things worse, how can I make it clear that he’s done the opposite.
“No.” He looks horrified, so I rush to finish what I need to say, “Because there’s nothing to forgive. You didn’t know, and once you did you didn’t look at me with pity. Honestly Noah you’ve made things feel easier and my heart hurt a little less. For a little while at least. I’m glad it was you I told.”
He awards me with his beautiful smile and my heart jolts for a second. If it feels like this after only a week, how will it be after the school year ends?
Six
I stay with Noah until dinner time comes around and we walk to the canteen together. Amias cocks his brow when we enter and then again when Noah tells me to sit down and refuses to let me get my own dinner. He’s still worrying about me, but I do feel a little better. It will be so satisfying when I make whoever did this pay, I may suspect Harrison, but I won’t get even until I know for sure, he wants a war and I won’t tuck my tail and run.
Amias is staring at me intently and the fact that he’s directly opposite me makes it even easier for him. I feel naked and exposed and I don’t really like it, Ivy looks like she’s fallen asleep beside him and Elijah is hurrying over so he can claim the seat beside me.
Poor Noah, he hates when they take his seat and I’m not going to delude myself into thinking it’s because it’s next to me.
“My chair again,” he says as he places my tray in front of me and brushes his fingers across the top of my hand before taking his seat.
He goes so far to pull a chair to the head of the table and smiles broadly when Elijah moans for not thinking of that before.
“We came to get you for dinner, but you weren’t there,” says Amias, staring at my hand where Noah has touched me.
“Sorry, I should have let you know she was in my room,” says Noah innocently and Ivy sits up so fast she must give herself whiplash.
“Ooh this has suddenly grown interesting, and what was she doing in your room? No, no, or was it more ‘yes’, ‘yes’,” Ivy says on a moan, and garners a lot of attention from around the canteen. I’m never going to be out of the limelight with this girl.
My cheeks are heating, and I feel so bloody embarrassed, this is ridiculous. I haven’t done anything wrong so why am I having this kind of reaction? It’s only going to encourage Ivy further and I don’t need or want any more attention to be directed my way.
“Someone broke into her room and trashed it, she was looking for us and luckily Mattias saw her and brought her to me. Stop reading more into it, you know the score,” he says with hard eyes and I know I don’t like this look on him. He’s too sweet and kind to be mad.
“Are you okay?” asks Elijah, with the softest tone I’ve ever heard from him and he lays his hand on top of mine.
“I am, Noah calmed me down by being his typical quiet but nice guy self. I didn’t even know where you guys were. If it wasn’t for Mattias, I probably would have ended up with the Shepherds.” I keep my tone low and my eyes soft, I have nothing to hide and I know they see this. I think they can also probably see how bad that situation could have turned out if Mattias hadn’t been the one to find me.
“What is the headmaster doing about it?” Amias asks, his eyes remaining cold and his mouth pulled into a thin straight line.
“They’ll replace my laptop and get me a new mattress delivered but it won’t be here until Monday and the cameras conveniently went down again,” I say, my frustration returning tenfold.
“Oh Henleigh, we heard what happened. It must have been such a shock,” says Britney as she approaches our table.
I’m not saying anything back and I know it’s pissing her off, she wants to know she’s affecting me but she’s gotta try harder than that.
“Pink isn’t really your colour, I hear you prefer gravestone grey,” chuckles Octavia and my vision is starting to shimmer a light shade of red.
“Shame about the cutie, I would have preferred to keep the picture but it was a celebration and all celebrations need confetti,” her smile is sly and her tongue drips her poison like it’s nothing more than sugar. This bitch has no soul and deserves to suffer.