Not bothering to look at him, I jumped up and ran through the park towards safety.
Chapter 21
The strength that surprises us.
Kenzlee~
When I got home after Talon ripped my heart out, Alexandria, my uncle, and my aunt had all assumed I was a wreck over what happened with my father, and I let them believe that.
Even if I wanted to confess about Talon, I had been such an emotional mess, I wouldn’t have been able to get the words out to explain. How do you explain heartache? Only a person who has experienced heartbreak would understand. It wasn’t until Uncle Allen and Aunt Sheri gave me some space that I called Alexandria into my room and confessed how Talon dumped me at the park. She had ranted and raved and wanted his balls on a platter, but I convinced her indifference was better than prison time.
But it was the phone call last night from the attorney that had really turned my life upside down again. He had called to tell me he forgot to inform me that my tuition at Madison Prep had been already paid through the year. I was free to go back if I wanted to, and I spent all night with my mind going back and forth between mourning my father, worrying about my future, and shattering over Talon.
And now it was our ten-minute break time between second and third period, and Alex and I were milling around her locker. My uncle had suggested I stay home and just write off this week, but I couldn’t do it. As heartbroken as I was, I wasn’t going to fail at this. I wasn’t going to let this boy get away with knocking me down when nothing else has been able to. I survived the death of my brother, the disruption of everything I ever knew, and the suicide of my father. There was no way I was going to let Talon Draven be the thing that I couldn’t come back from. I was at school today because Kaden would always tell me, “Cry in private and flip them off in public, Kenz.”
So, that’s what I was doing. I was flipping them all off.
“Have you heard from your mom since your fight?”
I shook my head. “No,” I admitted. “The last text message I got was right before boarding the plane back, and it was just to tell me I’d be sorry.”
Alex snorted. “I’m sorry Kenz, but what a bitch.”
I couldn’t argue with her there. “Money does things to people, Alex,” I said lamely.
“What about Madison Prep?” she asked. “Are you thinking of going back?”
I grinned at her. “Awe, Alexandria,” I teased, “does that mean you’ll miss me if I do?”
She laughed as she flipped me off. “Of course, I’m going to miss you,” she admitted dramatically. “I like having you here. You’ve always been one of my favorite cousins, and while I have other friends, having you here has been awesome, Kenz.”
I cocked my head at her. “You have other friends?”
She shook her head at me. “You’re a jerk,” she teased. “Yes, I have other friends when I’m not being kidnapped by the Finley brothers.”
The mention of Lars and Hunter caused a pang in my chest, but I wasn’t going to become a victim to it. “You never know, Alex, we can end up at the same college, you know,” I said hopefully. I mean, I knew the odds were slim, but it’d be great to have Alex with me in my next adventure. As it stood, it felt like she was all I had in the world. Of course, Uncle Allen and Aunt Sheri would be there, but the next phase of my life was going to be entered alone, as an adult, not as their lost niece.
“I’ve only been gone from Madison Prep a month, or so,” I said returning to the topic of school. “It’s really a question of where I’d live and…and if I’d even fit in anymore. Everyone would know about my dad, and I’m not sure if I’d want to deal with the looks and whispers.” I let out a pathetic chuckle. “At least here, the looks and whispers have died down.”
Alex was quiet for a minute before asking, “What about Talon?” But before I could answer, she grabbed my arms, jumped up and down, and smiled at me like she just learned the secrets of the Universe. “Oh, I got it!” she squealed. “Why didn’t we think of this before?”
Well, she had me curious.
And baffled.
“Think of what?”
“You can do independent study, Kenz,” she suggested. “There’s nothing preventing you from going onto independent study and finishing school off campus. You’re a legal adult and now that you have enough money to support yourself, what’s stopping you?”
I laughed at her eagerness. “Nothing, except that we hadn’t thought about it until now.”Independent study could work.
The first warning bell rang, and Alex and I started walking down the hallway together until we’d have to part ways. So far, I’ve managed not to run into Talon, Edie, or the Finley brothers, but I knew Alex had third period with Lars and Hunter, so I was going to leave her earlier than I usually did. As hard as I was trying to be brave, I still wasn’t a glutton for punishment.
“Or course, going back to Madison Prep would be ideal, don’t you think,” Alex prattled off next to me. “I mean, your tuition has been paid for since the beginning of the year, so it’s like a waste of money if you don’t go back. And since itisMadison Prep, I imagine the waste is quite high.”
“There is that,” I agreed.
“And, I bet Madison Prep had a better college placing program than your average public school like, say, Lakeside,” she chuckled.
