Other kids filed into the room, setting down their stuff in the corner. “That’s not it.”
Bobbi lifted her dark brows. “So you do want to go?”
“That’s…also not it.”
The girl who was probably the closest thing to a friend I’d make in this place laughed. “So you don’t want to go, but at the same time you do? I think I get it.” She still grinned. “Was it a boy who invited you?” The look on my face must’ve given it away, because she immediately said, “It was! Who?”
“Shh,” I shushed her, not wanting everyone to know my business. I opened my mouth to tell her who it was, but the bell rang, and Ms. Haber walked out of her office, coffee in hand. Anytime she was, well, on time, you knew you were in for fifty minutes of straight singing.
I was getting the hang of it—I still thought my voice sounded like shit, but I knew how to warm up my voice, at least. Bit by bit I’d learn. Still couldn’t read sheet music that well, though. I mostly had to go off how the girls beside me sounded to catch the tune and the notes.
By the time the bell rang again and I picked up my stuff, I went to Bobbi to tell her about Archer, but she shook me off, saying, “I have to stay here and talk to Ms. Haber. You go. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She gave me a grin before disappearing in Ms. Haber’s office.
It was probably for the best. If I started gossiping about Archer, things would only escalate.
With a sigh, I exited the choir room and entered the hall. My feet drew me through the crowded halls, my boots clicking on the clean tile below. The boots were pleather, and they were years old, well-worn in places. I loved them all the same, though.
I made it to my locker, my mind lost in everything that was going on. My fingers twirled the lock and found the numbers to the combination, and I opened it—immediately I was hit in the face with something that sat on the top shelf of the locker. It wasn’t hard, and it wasn’t big, but it came out of nowhere. After it slapped against my face, it slid to the floor, and it took me a few moments to realize what it was.
Money.
A stack of bills with a small white paper wrapped around their middle to keep them together.
Shit.
I bent over and picked it up, cradling it to my chest between my books, tossing a quick look around to make sure no one else had seen it. My mouth fell open when I touched the corner of the bills—one hundred dollar bills, to be exact—and flipped through their corners.
There were at least ten bills here, probably more.
What the hell…
Another glance over both shoulders, and I couldn’t see anyone looking at me, watching. No one creeping around to make their presence known. Someone had stuffed this money into my locker, but why? And who?
I should probably take it to the office, but the selfish part of me won out, so I stuffed it in my backpack, in one of the front zippers, before grabbing my lunch and closing my locker.
That money could pay for Jacob.
I hurried to lunch at an almost ridiculous pace, my feet nearly tripping over each other as I went. For the first time ever, I made it to the lunch table before Vaughn. Seemed odd for him to take his good old time coming, unless the line in the kitchen was long—I threw a quick glance at the kitchen in the back—and it wasn’t.
Minutes passed, and I slowly began to eat, feeling weird sitting by myself. As it turned out, I needn’t have worried so much, because Vaughn showed up ten minutes later, sliding into the chair across from mine.
I stared at him for a long while. He had no food, so he hadn’t gone to the kitchen. He wore a thin black sweater, its sleeves long and covering up most of his arms. My eyes fell to his tattooed hands, at the words scrawled across his knuckles and the black tribal design on the rest of them. Did those hands shove money in my locker?
No. No way. He knew I suspected his family of something, so I highly doubted he’d ever fork over cash for me.
I decided to be straightforward, asking, “Where were you?”
A slow, careful smile spread on his lips. “Nowhere,” he said, obviously lying, because unless he fazed in and out of reality, he had to be somewhere at all times. Checkmate, bitch. Try again. “I came in late. Had some family business to take care of.”
I nearly choked on the cracker I was currently chewing on.
Vaughn smirked. “Kidding. I overslept. It happens.” He leaned forward, lowering his voice to a deadly low decibel, “Wouldn’t want you thinking I was into any shady business.”
Was he…was he mocking me?
I swallowed the cracker in my mouth, needing to take a sip of water. Mom packed me those tiny water bottles, the ones that were less than half the size of the normal ones—I had to drink nearly all of it before I was able to say, “I never accused you or your family of anything.”
His smirk was gone; he simply cocked a single eyebrow at me now.
“All I’m saying is that something felt off, and the more you get offended, the more I think I’m right.” I had no idea what kind of business his family could be in, but there were lots of illegal things rich people did—they just had the money and power to cover their crimes up.
“I’m not offended,” Vaughn spoke. “I just wish you’d let things be.”
“Says the guy who told me to hire a PI.”
His gaze narrowed. Those dark eyes looked sinister, downright evil when he wore an expression like that. “You really want to know what my family does?”
I could not nod fast enough.
Vaughn’s gaze dropped to my chin, slow to rise to meet my stare. His head gestured back, and he got up. He…wanted me to follow him? He must, because he said nothing else as he walked away, zigzagging through the crowded lunchroom.
My eyes darted around, wondering if it would look weird for me to get up and go after him. Oh, hell. What other choice did I have? I had to know. I had to. I was dying to know the secrets Midpark held, and knowing what Vaughn’s family did would knock at least one secret off my roster.
Deciding why not, I got up and walked in the same direction.
The halls were empty because everyone was either in class or at lunch, and I watched as Vaughn disappeared in what looked like a unisex restroom. I threw a look over my shoulder to make sure no one would see me disappear the same place he had, but no one was around. It was safe enough to go into a bathroom with a handsome boy with knuckle tattoos.
Yeah. Safe enough.
He might radiate danger, but my curiosity drowned out my danger radar.
The moment I walked into the bathroom, I spotted a sterile room, white walls, white floor tiles, a clean porcelain toilet. I took a few steps in, for a stupid moment wondering if my eyes had deceived me and Vaughn didn’t enter this unisex restroom—but then I heard him.
He was behind me, near the door, helping to close it…and then his tattooed fingers flicked the lock.
Our eyes met, and I wondered, for the first time, if Vaughn was more dangerous than I thought. The look he gave me right now made my stomach harden and my breathing catch in the back of my throat.
Maybe it wasn’t smart to follow him like this, but it was too late to turn back now. Far too late, because the more I looked at him, the warmer my body became. Even though I didn’t want to admit it, it was true. Vaughn Scott turned me on.
Damn it.