Savage Little Lies: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Court Legacy Book 2)

Sloane

My time spent with Ares “Wolf” Mallick required long days and even longer hours when we finally got started on our piece. The transition to the canvas had been seamless, and we hammered out a ton of work over the next few days. Actually, we worked so hard I found myself dreaming about galaxies instead of my usual stress and strain. It was a nice release.

And go figure working with him.

The two of us surprisingly worked pretty well together. He didn’t like to talk, and I didn’t either. I definitely knew who I was working with. Whenever I seemed to move, I felt his eyes in my direction, which was a stiff reminder of what we actually were. We weren’t friends.

But we weren’t feeling like enemies as much.

We’d been able to find some common ground, and that common ground kept me sane and working. He never gave me crap about checking my phone, and even less when I had no messages from my brother. He just kept working beside me, his earbuds in. I did the same while I brushed strokes along the car and canvas, and even though we were two planets working in our own little worlds, it felt as if we were on the same planet. It was probably one only another artist could get.

We had plans to work tonight too, but he sent me a text telling me he had to bow out. I was surprised until he mentioned it was football. His coach was having some of the varsity run drills. I wondered how long something like that could last since we did work long hours, but then he said he had a student council meeting after that.

Student of the Month indeed.

Something told me there was more to the boy with the attitude than met the eye. I told him fine and would probably just work on my series. I hadn’t gotten to work on it at all this week. It’d also be nice to be close to Bru even though he’d probably be sleeping, and Dr. Richardson was supposed to come by tomorrow to check on him. It was hard to tell how my brother was doing since he did sleep so much, and it’d be nice to talk to the doctor myself.

Since I did have my evening free, I decided to get some paints after school. I was coming out of the art supply store when I noticed a girl in a Windsor Prep uniform rushing into the street. She’d come from the direction of the grocery store next door, and the bottom of her bag exploded, oranges spilling into the street.

“Crap,” she squeaked, running after them. Hiking out to assist, I grabbed the closest orange, and it took me getting that close to realize who she was. She’d had her head down as she scrambled, her dark hair covering her face.

Of course, Rainbow Reed would be chasing oranges in the middle of a mini mall. I just felt like that was literally something she would do. She gathered a bunch before she followed my knee-highs up to me.

Her eyes expanded in width, but before she could say anything, a blond woman raced up behind us.

“Rainbow, honestly,” she said, laughing with the words. The woman was gorgeous, Bow’s height and with blond hair nearly the color of Wells Ambrose’s. Hers was natural blond, though, and the woman’s bib overalls gave her a more youthful appearance. She sported them with cute heels. “Darling, you had twenty feet to the car.”

“Sorry, Mom. You know I’m a klutz.”

“Something I’ve apparently cursed you with.” The woman grinned. “Catch your father looking at us, he’d be laughing at us both.”

The woman nearly dropped her own bag when she said it, making her laugh. Her laughter was so high-pitched it reminded me of her daughter’s voice. If anyone questioned this woman was Bow’s mother, they wouldn’t. I definitely saw it.

Her mother was scattered grabbing the oranges, but Bow was still looking at me. It took her a moment to start helping her mom and her mom a moment to realize I was helping. I’d gathered a couple before she saw me.

“Oh, thank you,” the woman said, standing. She took me in. “Oh, are you from the school?” She faced Bow. “Bow, is this your friend?”

Bow’s lips parted. Friend was definitely a strong word. I hadn’t been her and the rest of Legacy’s favorite person as of late, though, I didn’t know exactly how Bow herself felt about the situation. The boys were her brothers, and she obviously followed along with them.

But then, she looked at me, really stared. A harshness met a normally soft gaze, and when she pushed away her hair, she barely gave me her eyes.

“Mom, this is Sloane,” she said, the tone of her soft voice matching how she looked at me. It was rare I saw Bow Reed angry. Actually, she was entirely too sweet, but today, my appearance was met with aggression. Bow lifted a hand in my direction. “She is from school. Yeah.”

I’d say ouch, but I knew what this was. She still believed I’d crossed her brother, no blood tie or not, and the only reason Ares was being decent to me was because he needed something from me.

And don’t forget that.

I couldn’t forget my place amongst them, and this bond Ares himself had mentioned. They were family, and this was their world.

Mrs. Reed didn’t know about all this drama, though, and I put my hand out when she gave me hers. “Hi, Mrs. Reed.”

“Sloane?” She tested my name before facing her daughter. “Is this the same Noa Sloane who came to our house? Janet mentioned her.”

I knew Janet to be the Reeds’ housekeeper.

“Yeah.” Again, Bow was looking at anything but me. “But she’s probably busy, so…”

“Of course.” And realizing I still had the oranges, Mrs. Reed had me put them in her grocery bag. Mrs. Reed managed to lift a hand below the bag. “One second, Sloane, before you go.”

I didn’t know what this was about, but she had her daughter assist her to the car. Bow still had her broken bag and the oranges she’d gathered.

Using her foot, Mrs. Reed motioned the sensor for her automatic trunk to open. She placed the bag in the back. Bow followed her with her items, but only Mrs. Reed came back.

“What are you doing for dinner this evening?” she asked, and at this point Bow was coming back.

Bow shook her head. “Mom…”

“Oh, stop it. You never have friends over.” She braced her daughter. “Please join us. Bow and I were just out gathering a few things. It’s our night to make dinner, right, sweetie?”

Bow appeared at odds with what to say. I mean, she didn’t want me to come over, clearly. I was a traitor to her.

“I probably shouldn’t,” I started, making her mother frown. “My brother’s at home, and he’s been feeling under the weather.”

Bow’s lips parted after I said that. Had she not known? I didn’t think they were friends or anything, but she was acquainted with my brother. She wet her lips. “Sorry to hear that.”

She did sound sorry. She probably was. Bow had a heart. She wasn’t like these boys, and though she was obviously as loyal, she wasn’t so hard-edged.

Mrs. Reed frowned. “Oh. I’m sorry. Hope it’s nothing serious.”

I did too, and I waved her off, trying not to make a big thing of it. I had no reason to according to Dr. Richardson. “We’re thinking it’s just something he has to sweat out.”

“Oh?”

I nodded. “Though he’s not making it easy.” I shrugged. “He’s seventeen, so he thinks he’s invincible.”

“Well, I definitely know something about that with this one’s brother.” Mrs. Reed shook Bow, which made her smirk.

“Yeah, Thatcher’s stubborn,” Bow said. “Real stubborn.”

She said it to me, and I noticed the initial aggression had faded. She might be going along with her brothers, supported them, but she may not actually feel the same way. At this point, Legacy, Dorian, and everything was just one more thing I didn’t want to think about. If Dorian had made up his mind about me, then he had and I…

“You know what?” I stated, getting Mrs. Reed’s attention. “Bru, my brother, he’s fine. In fact, he’s been pushing me to stay out longer.” I lifted my bag of paints. “I was at the art store so I could do something else other than be in his face tonight.”

This made Mrs. Reed smile. “Does that mean you’ll come over? Have dinner?” Mrs. Reed pumped her fist, and that too reminded me of her daughter. She nudged her. “Bow, isn’t that great?”

Bow’s enthusiasm definitely didn’t match her mother’s, but she didn’t appear as annoyed either. Maybe I’d been right that she might not be on the Sloane-hating train as the others. We had been friends.

We might be able to be again if I could just talk to her, and Ares’s text did say varsity was running drills tonight. Odds were, her brother wouldn’t even be there, and I wouldn’t have to deal with his mess.

Bow nodded at her mother, and Mrs. Reed tapped her chin. I didn’t know what that was about, but I did know Bow didn’t seem like she had a whole lot of friends. Bow herself had been very enthusiastic to have me over the last time, and that definitely could have something to do with the guys in her life. I mean, they had chased me away.

He chased you away.

I swallowed. “I’d love to come over.”

“Perfect. Dinner’s at seven, but if you come over early, we can chat while we prepare,” Mrs. Reed said, and I forced myself not to backpedal. I forced myself to believe I was going over there to talk to Bow and maybe just be cool with her again. It wouldn’t be about anything else.

It couldn’t be about anything else.