Sweet Temptation: A YA Boarding

School Romance (Weybridge Academy

Book 2) Alexandra Moody
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Copyright © 2023 by Alexandra Moody

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 CONTENTS

Book One Recap

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Epilogue

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Also by Alexandra Moody
About the Author
 BOOK ONE RECAP

Click here for a brief recap of what happened in book one

 CHAPTER ONE

I thought I knew what heartbreak was. I’d experienced the hurt and betrayal of a relationship ending
in disaster once before, so I was familiar with the empty feeling that came from my chest being
torn open and my heart ripped out. Somehow though, this time felt worse. I’d foolishly trusted
Noah with my slowly healing heart only for him to take a hammer to the cracks, shattering the fragile
pieces until they were nothing more than specks of dust.
I let out a long sigh as I stared up at the night sky. It was dark and completely clear tonight, and the
stars were so bright it almost felt like they were mocking me from above. Why couldn’t I be a star?
They were perfect and untouchable, and they never had to deal with pain or sorrow.
A low chuckle came from beside me, and I glanced over to find Wes had turned his head and was
watching me rather than the sky. It was just the two of us. We were resting on the hood of his car in the
middle of a field. He had found me crying alone in the courtyard after Noah broke up with me and had
whisked me away. He hadn’t pressured me to explain why I was so upset. He just listened to me when
I said I wanted to leave the ball and get as far away from the school as possible.
I’d had no idea where Wes was planning to take me. I hadn’t really cared. I would have happily
gone anywhere to get away from the school, but the quiet field he had chosen was the perfect place.
The long grasses rustled pleasantly in the breeze, and though we were only a ten-minute trip from
Weybridge Academy, it felt like we were a million miles from civilization. It was peaceful out here
and, until now, Wes had stayed silent, giving me space to work through whatever it was he thought I
was going through.
“Is something funny?” I asked, tugging his suit jacket in closer around me as the evening air
danced across my skin. Wes had to be cold without his jacket, but he had refused to take it back when
I’d offered it to him. I didn’t have the energy to argue.
“You’re scowling at the stars like they’ve done something to piss you off.”
“Yeah, well, maybe they have.” I threw another scowl up at the sky. “It feels like they are rubbing
their happy, sparkling butts in my face.”
“I didn’t know stars had butts.”
“Oh, they do,” I replied, rolling to my side so I could look directly at Wes. “They’re big balls of
gas, after all. And we all know where gas comes from…”
Wes laughed, and I somehow managed a small grin in response. It quickly fell from my lips
though. How could I smile after everything that had happened tonight?
“So, Matthew LaFleur is your father,” Wes said.
Now that we’d broken the silence, Wes was probably eager to start asking questions. I wasn’t
surprised this was the first one he ventured, having seen the stunned look on his face when Matthew
had introduced himself at the ball earlier.
I slowly nodded in reply. “He is.” I hoped my short response was enough to deter Wes from
digging any deeper. I wasn’t particularly interested in talking about my father, but I had to admit it
was damn sight better than lying here thinking about Noah.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Wes’s voice was soft, and I knew he wasn’t annoyed about being
kept in the dark. It seemed he was just trying to understand.
“It’s not like I was keeping it a secret. It’s just that I barely know the man, and I never thought to
bring it up. He doesn’t feel like my dad, so why would I say anything?”
“That makes sense,” Wes said, but his head was tilted as though he was still considering my
response.
“What?”
“I was just thinking a lot of people at school will be surprised. You’ll probably find them all
clambering to be your friend now that you’re a LaFleur.”
“I’m not a LaFleur.” My response was immediate, and my defensive tone caught me off guard. I
took a quick, calming breath before I tried to explain. “Just because Matthew LaFleur is my father, it
doesn’t mean I’m a LaFleur,” I said more gently. “Surely the kids at school won’t care who he is?”
“A lot of them might. Your father has a lot of success and influence in our world.”
That was just it. This was Wes’s world, not mine. And I didn’t care one bit how much influence
someone’s parents had. In my view, a person’s worth came from their actions, not their DNA.
Apparently, I was in the minority when it came to that opinion though. At least, around here I was.
“This isn’t my world,” I muttered.
Wes frowned and nodded, as though he was thinking of a different way to get his point across.
“All I’m saying is that The LaFleur Corporation is just as big and well-known as Hastings
Laboratories. And look at how people around here treat Noah. The fact that Matthew LaFleur is
involved with Weybridge Academy now won’t go unnoticed by the kids or the parents.”
“As long as I can go back to being unnoticed, then I don’t care.”
Wes smiled at me but shook his head slightly. I guess that meant I was out of luck.
“Most people at Weybridge would have been shouting from the rooftops on their first day if they
had a parent as rich and influential as your dad,” he continued. “I mean, Veronica never would have
targeted you the way she did or teased you about your mom’s business if she’d known who your dad
was.”
The fact it was normal, expected even, to brag about how rich and influential your parents were in
order to make friends at Weybridge only made me more certain I would never really belong there. A
wave of guilt washed over me at Wes’s words though. While I never had any intention of publicly
promoting my messy family history and newly discovered father, I shouldn’t have hidden the truth
about my mom and my life back in Rapid Bay. She’s the parent I should have been proudly bragging
about on my first day at school.
“I doubt it would have made a difference to Veronica,” I said. “She’s been trying to take me down
one way or another since the moment Noah first looked my way. If she wasn’t teasing me about being
a charity case, she would have done something else.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“I guess I won’t have to worry about her so much now. She’s got what she wanted.” The empty
cavity in my chest seemed to ache as I uttered the words. I could only imagine how happy Veronica
would be when she heard the news about Noah and me.
Wes hesitated but, sensing I might be getting closer to revealing the source of my tears, he
continued. “Do you want to talk about what happened tonight?”
“Not really.” I glanced away from him, struggling to stop the tears from welling in my eyes again.
Just the thought of Noah had me turning into a pathetic mess, and I didn’t want Wes to see me that way.
But as the silence between us grew once more, I wondered if it would really be so bad to talk to Wes
about what happened. He was going to find out eventually, and I hated trying to keep these feelings all
bottled up inside of me. If there was one thing my first heartbreak with Levi had taught me, it was that
sometimes sharing the burden with someone else lessened the load. My mom wasn’t here to help me
this time, so maybe it would be good to open up to Wes.
I let out a breath and the words tumbled from my lips. “Noah broke up with me.”
“What?” From the shock lighting Wes’s eyes, it was clear this wasn’t what he expected. “Why?”
“Because his grandfather asked him to.”
Wes’s mouth dropped open, and it took him a moment to recover from his surprise. “You’re
kidding.”
“I wish I was.”
He was quiet for a moment before he continued. “Do you have any idea why his grandfather
would want that?”
“I think it’s because of Matthew. There was definitely some hostility between my father and
Noah’s grandfather, and I got the feeling this wasn’t the first time they’d clashed. William Hastings
told Noah to end things with me, so he did.”
Wes shook his head. “I get that they run competing companies, but that’s ridiculous. Why do you
think they don’t get along?”
I hesitated. Noah had been seething when he discovered Matthew was my father. He was
convinced Matthew was the reason behind his family’s ruin—whatever that meant. He had stormed
off without giving me a proper explanation. All I knew was that, whatever the rift, it was enough for
Noah to break up with me, no questions asked.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “Our breakup was hardly a discussion.”
“I’m sorry, that really sucks.”
“Tell me about it.”
Wes shook his head again and sat up, bracing his arms against his legs. “I kind of want to pummel
Noah’s face right now.”
“Easy there, tiger.” I gave him a soft smile and sat up beside him. I felt somewhat better sitting
upright so I didn’t have to keep looking up at the mocking night sky.
“I’m serious. Who breaks up with a girl because his grandfather asked him to?”
“Noah, apparently.” The more I thought about it, the more heated I began to feel. Noah had
dumped me and not even given me a good reason why. Did he really think he could just walk away
from our relationship, leaving me heartbroken, and expect me to just accept that? I deserved better. I
deserved answers.
My phone lit up, the screen almost blinding in the darkness of the field. It was another message
from Cress asking where I was. The ball had finished an hour ago, and everyone had moved on to the
after-party at Luther’s house.
Wes’s phone brightened at almost the same time, and he let out a deep sigh. “Sawyer’s hounding
me.”
“Yeah, I’ve got Cress harassing me too.” I bit my lip as I considered her text. “Do you think we
should go to Luther’s party?”
“We don’t have to,” Wes said. “I’ll happily stay here all night if that’s what you want.”
 I took a moment to think it over. I was so glad Wes had brought me here. It was exactly the escape
I’d needed after everything that had happened at the ball. I don’t know what I would have done if he
hadn’t shown up. I’d probably have still been crying in a heap outside the ballroom doors as the
guests started to trickle out at the end of the evening.
I didn’t know if I could face the party, especially if Noah was there. I felt like I’d only just
managed to get control of my emotions amid the soothing calm that currently surrounded us. I was
worried seeing Noah again so soon would only bring the pain, shock, and anger rushing back to the
surface.
But, lying here staring up at the stars only had my mind replaying the events of the evening,
recalling Noah’s shock when he found out who my father was. The anger in his grandfather’s eyes
when he glared at Matthew and then at me. Most of all, I couldn’t stop picturing the look of resigned
certainty on Noah’s face as he told me we could never be together.
No matter how many times I went over his words and his reasons in my head, I couldn’t
understand or believe what had happened. Gazing up at the stars certainly wasn’t going to give me the
clarity or closure I needed. As much as it terrified me to admit, Noah was the only person who could
provide that.
“We should go,” I said.
“Really?”
“Yeah.” I slid from the hood of the car and landed lightly on the ground. The grass was cool and
wet beneath my bare feet. I was probably getting mud along the hem of my white dress, but I didn’t
really care.
“You’re sure?”
“Not really, but at the very least, it might distract me.” I did my best to sound convincing, but even
I wasn’t sure I meant what I said.
“Okay. After-party it is then.” Wes jumped off the car and went to open the door for me.
I paused before I climbed into the passenger seat and reached out to lightly touch his hand.
“Thanks for rescuing me tonight, Wes. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there.”
“You didn’t need rescuing. You just needed a getaway driver, and I was happy to help.” He
smiled. “If anything, you kind of rescued me tonight too.”
I frowned as I tried to understand why he’d think that. Then I remembered his girlfriend had
ditched him at the last minute. “I’m not sure being your date to the ball counts as rescuing you,” I said.
“But I am sorry Sarah didn’t come tonight.”
Wes shrugged. “Things haven’t been all that great between us. I guess she didn’t see the point in
coming if she had something better to do.”
I put my arms around Wes and gave him a tight hug. “It’s her loss.” He slowly wrapped his arms
around me in response. He didn’t hug me too tightly, but I felt secure and warm, all the same. Wes
gave really good hugs, and I felt like perhaps he needed one as much as I did right now.
The hug went on for a few seconds too long, and the two of us seemed to realize it at the same
time. We awkwardly stepped back, refusing to meet each other’s gaze.
“So, after-party?” he said.
“After-party,” I quickly agreed.
I still didn’t sound convincing, but I jumped in the car before Wes could point that out. My heart
couldn’t take another beating, and it felt dangerous to leave the safety of this random field where I felt
somewhat protected. But, how much worse could this night really get? How much more of my heart
was there left to break? Maybe if I stopped staring up at the stars and went looking for the answers I
so desperately needed, I might be able to start putting it back together again.
 CHAPTER TWO

T he after-party was well and truly underway by the time Wes and I arrived. It was in the same
clearing in the woods where Luther had held his last party, and tonight there were huge white
lanterns strung between the trees that surrounded the wide-open space, and a live band was
blasting out a tune on the other side of the dancing crowd.
Most of the students had changed out of their formal wear, but Wes and I were still dressed in our
outfits from the ball. Wes was in his shiny black tuxedo, and I was in my flowing white dress. I
hesitated at the edge of the clearing as I watched everyone dancing and having fun. I didn’t know if I
could pretend I was okay when I so clearly was not. It felt like everyone here would be able to see
my heartbreak as plainly as if it were written in permanent marker across my face.
Wes gave my hand a tight squeeze. “Let’s go get some drinks.”
“Uh, sure.” I still wasn’t certain if I wanted to stay at the party, but if I was, a little liquid courage
was probably going to be necessary.
His hand dropped from mine as he started into the party, but I didn’t move to follow him right
away. Instead, I paused as I watched him disappear into the crowd. The small amount of confidence
I’d had in my reasons for coming here was slipping away. I’d thought it might offer a brief distraction
and maybe I’d be able to talk to Noah and ask him why all this had happened. The latter was enough
to make me shrink back into the safety of the trees. Now that I was here, Noah was the last person I
wanted to see.
I lurched forward as someone knocked their shoulder into mine, and I stumbled as I tried to stay
on my feet. Thankfully, I managed to avoid falling to the ground and making my dress any dirtier than
it already was.
“Oops, I didn’t see you there, Charity.” I recognized Veronica’s high-pitched voice immediately.
Her words were met with cackling laughter from her friends. “Although, I guess we can’t call you that
now we know you’re actually Isobel LaFleur.”
How did she know already? Maybe she’d seen us dancing together. If Matthew was as well-
known as Wes had suggested, our dance might have been enough to alert the entire school.
As I righted myself, I turned to face Veronica. The scrap of clothing she was wearing was barely
long enough to cover her underwear. She had to be freezing. Not many girls would have been brave
enough to wear a dress like that, but she had the build of a model and could pretty much wear
anything. Even now I could see several guys drooling as they watched her. It didn’t matter how hot
she was though; her looks could never wipe away the viciousness that was always present in her
eyes. They were a little hazy tonight. Probably from one too many drinks.
“Imagine my shock when your father introduced himself to my parents tonight and I overheard him
talking about you,” she continued. “But don’t think that changes anything. Just because your daddy
happens to have money doesn’t mean you’re one of us. Once a charity case, always a charity case. We
all know you don’t belong in this school.”
It was hard to argue with that. Ever since I’d arrived at Weybridge Academy, I’d felt out of place.
I’d never be one of them, and I didn’t want to be. Certainly not if it meant becoming anything like
Veronica. It seemed Wes had underestimated her. Finding out who my father was hadn’t dampened her
vendetta against me. It seemed to have reignited it.
“This only serves to prove what a fraud you really are,” she continued. “First you lie about your
mother because you’re embarrassed by her. Next you lie about your father.”
She lifted her hand and tapped her fingers on her cheek, an exaggerated look of thoughtfulness
covering her face. “But why would you lie about such a thing?” she wondered out loud. “Perhaps you
were trying to keep Noah from finding out. Understandable, given the history between your two
families. Still, I don’t think he’ll be very happy to hear he was being manipulated again.”
My breath caught in my throat. Was Veronica talking about the feud Noah had mentioned? What
did she know about it all? I felt the desperate urge to ask her, but Veronica was the last person I
wanted answers from, and I refused to admit my ignorance to her. Instead, I gritted my teeth. “I didn’t
manipulate anyone.”
She glanced down at her nails, ignoring my response as she inspected her manicure like she was
suddenly bored by the whole conversation. “Anyway, I’m sure it won’t be long before Noah learns
the truth and breaks up with you. Then everything will return to the way it should be.”
My eyes widened with surprise. She didn’t already know Noah had broken up with me? How was
that even possible? She had to have seen him when he’d returned to the ball. If she didn’t know the
truth, I was hardly about to enlighten her. I couldn’t bear to witness the satisfaction I knew would light
up her cruel features.
“Are you done, Veronica?” I asked.
She lifted her eyes to meet mine, slowly lowering her hand back to her side. “It depends. Are you
done lying to everyone?”
The girls surrounding her all shared knowing smiles. They were all looking at me like they’d
won. And I had to wonder if they had. Would everyone else at school share their opinion? Was I about
to be outcast yet again simply because I hadn’t shared private details about my family?
“There you are!” Anna gasped, looping her arm through mine. I hadn’t seen her coming, but I
couldn’t have been happier she was here. I didn’t tend to shy away from confrontations with Victoria,
but I was feeling too broken to handle her right now. “We’ve been waiting for you to get here.”
Anna was grinning at me, but when she turned and saw Veronica standing across from us, her nose
scrunched like she’d just been hit by a foul smell. “Geez, Veronica, did your dress shrink in the wash
or something? Seriously, you’ve got to leave some mystery for the guys.”
Veronica didn’t look even slightly bothered by Anna’s comment. “At least my clothes are clean.”
Her eyes dipped to the mud staining the bottom of my white dress. “I guess you can take a peasant out
of the village, but you can’t turn her into a princess.”
She didn’t give us an opportunity to respond as she turned on her heel and disappeared into the
crowd with her friends trailing behind her. Anna growled and started after her, but I grabbed her arm,
pulling her back.
“She’s not worth it.”
Anna let out a slow breath and nodded. “You’re right. We’ll go get drinks and let karma deal with
Veronica.” She lifted her head to the sky. “Karma, if you’re listening, I’m pretty sure I saw some
poison ivy on the path here tonight. If you could help Veronica trip into it, I’d really appreciate that.”
She grinned as she turned to me. “Just think, she’s got all that exposed skin…”
I shook my head at my friend. “That’s brutal, even for you.”
“Eh, she deserves it.”
Anna took my hand and pulled me into the party. We wound our way through the crowd of dancing
students to the other side of the forest clearing. There was a long drinks table set up near the
makeshift dance floor, where Cress and Sawyer laughed as they drank shots.
Wes was there too, holding two bottles of beer. He turned as we approached and smiled as he
offered me one of the bottles. “I was just coming back to find you. You like beer, right?”
“This is great, thanks.” I took the beer, but I didn’t take a sip. My stomach was swirling uneasily
and I wasn’t sure if beer was going to help. Ever since my run-in with Veronica, a wave of nerves had
hit me, and I felt kind of sick.
“You’re here!” Cress squealed, gathering me in a hug as she found me standing behind her. She
was smiling so brightly, but the smile fell from her lips when she took a good look at me. “You look
upset. Why do you look upset?”
I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. I thought I was holding myself together quite well,
considering. But Cress somehow seemed to sense something was off. I didn’t know what to say, and it
felt especially hard when my friends were all looking at me, waiting expectantly. I didn’t think I could
utter the words without breaking down, and that was the last thing I needed right now. All I wanted
was to forget. So, I stole the shot glass out of Cress’s hand and knocked it back.
The liquor burned as it made its way down my throat, and I scrunched my eyes as I shuddered. I
wasn’t a big fan of tequila, and I chased the shot with a sip of my beer.
When I opened my eyes again, I caught Cress wincing. “That bad, huh?” she asked.
“It must be something terrible,” Sawyer added. “She didn’t even have salt or lime with her shot.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said. “At least, not right now. Let’s just focus on having fun.”
Nobody pushed me to explain, and Sawyer happily handed me another shot. “Well, if you want
fun, you’re going to need another one of these.”
I took the drink without complaint before dragging the girls onto the dance floor. If they had been
worried about me before, they would only be more concerned now. I was absolutely terrible at
dancing and normally did anything I could to avoid being dragged onto the dance floor. But tonight,
dancing was the perfect escape. All I cared about was numbing the pain that radiated through me and
fogging my brain so I could stop thinking about the boy who broke my heart.
I danced with the girls for song after song. And for a little while, I was able to forget why I was
so damn miserable. But the pain never totally went away. My body grew tired, and my blood started
to cool. The alcohol no longer ran hot through my veins, and the ache in my heart returned with a
vengeance.
When it grew too much to bear, I left the girls on the dance floor in search of another drink. I
wandered through the dancing crowd to the drinks table but hesitated when I reached it. As much as I
wanted to numb the pain once more, I wasn’t sure alcohol was the answer.
“You okay there, newbie?” I looked up at Luther standing beside me. My body stiffened. Where
Luther was, Noah wasn’t usually too far behind.
“I’m fine. Just searching for a drink.” I gave him a tight smile, trying to hide the tension I was
feeling.
“You don’t look like you’re fine,” he said. “Then again, neither does Noah.”
I tried to ignore the way my heart leaped and then plummeted at his mention of Noah. “Oh, I didn’t
realize he was here.”
Despite the resolve I’d felt when I’d told Wes we should come to the party, I’d been doing my
best not to look for Noah tonight. It wasn’t easy, and I still found myself glancing at people on the
dance floor or by the drinks table. My heart would skip a beat when I thought I saw him, but so far,
there was no real sign of him.
“He’s not here,” Luther replied. “He refused to come tonight and went back to his room after the
ball finished.”
I wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved by this or not. I’d been feeling sick to my stomach all night
at the thought of seeing Noah, but there was still a desire to confront him growing inside me. Another
part of me just desperately missed him.
“What happened between you two tonight?” he asked. “Because Noah was like a zombie all
evening. You should have seen the way he flinched when I mentioned you. He refused to talk to me at
the ball. He said it wasn’t the time, but I know something happened.”
I reached down and plucked the first drink my hand came across out of the ice bucket. I didn’t
intend on drinking it. I just wanted a reason to leave. “I’ve got to go. I’m sure you can talk to him
about it.”
I turned away, but Luther reached out and lightly grabbed my arm, stopping me. “Noah really likes
you, Isobel. I’ve never seen him like this about anyone, or anything. I know it was probably a lot to
see Veronica on his arm tonight, but he really wanted to be there with you.”
I spun back to face Luther. “Veronica is the least of our problems,” I replied. “You should talk to
your friend.”
His eyes widened with surprise, and he opened his mouth to question me, but then he stopped, a
look of confusion and concern crossing his features. Like Veronica, Luther didn’t seem to know Noah
had broken up with me. I was also assuming he didn’t yet know about Matthew. Perhaps I had a few
more hours to savor before the whole school knew about both.
“Enjoy your party, Luther.” I shook his arm off and walked away.
I briefly considered opening the drink in my hand but then placed it down on the nearest table. I
was tired, and the party wasn’t helping to distract me from Noah anymore. Now that I knew he wasn’t
here, the small part of me that had considered confronting him was also done with the party. All I
wanted was to go to bed, so I hunted down the girls to let them know I was leaving.
They were coming off the dance floor when I found them with Sawyer and Wes following closely
behind. I wondered if Cress could sense the pain I’d endured tonight because, as soon as I said I was
planning to leave, she wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
“Okay, let’s get you home then,” she said.
I gave her a sad smile and nodded. Anna wrapped her arm around the other side of me, and the
boys led the way as we headed back through the crowd and started down the track back to the house.
The twins quickly pulled ahead of us as we followed the lanterns that dimly lit the way. I
suspected the guys were giving me some privacy to talk with the girls. As Wes gripped his brother in
a playful headlock, I had to wonder where they found the energy after a night on the dance floor. Then
again, simply breathing felt like hard work to me right now.
“Do you feel up to telling us what happened tonight?” Cress asked, as the noise of the party turned
to a muffled beat. She said it gently, and I knew she’d leave me alone if I didn’t feel ready to talk
about it.
I blew out a breath as I considered my friends. My heart actually contracted in pain when I thought
about Noah and the things he’d said to me. It seemed silly because I’d only known him a few weeks,
but somehow, he’d managed to embed himself deeply into my heart in that short time. His rejection
hurt far more than it should have.
As I looked at the two girls, I remembered Cress was Noah’s cousin. What if she rejected me
because of who my dad was too? The thought was enough to steal the breath from my chest, and I
struggled to get it back.
Cress’s eyes widened, and she rubbed a hand down my back as I started to hyperventilate. I
couldn’t lose both Cress and Noah in the same night. And what if I lost Anna as a friend too? There
was no way I could survive another day at this school without my friends by my side.
“Isobel, it’s okay,” Cress said.
“Take deep breaths,” Anna added.
They shared a concerned look as I tried to calm myself down. I was freaking out, but I did as
Anna suggested and took some deep breaths in and slowly blew them out. I really didn’t think the
drinks I’d had were helping the situation. I’d been blissfully numb for a while there, but now every
emotion felt darker and so much worse. Tequila was not a good friend. She was all false promises
and bailed on you when you needed her the most. Tequila was a bit of a bitch.
“You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want,” Cress said as I started breathing calmly again.
“No, I want to tell you guys.” I knew they’d find out one way or another, and I’d never meant to
keep my father’s identity a secret. I exhaled before I began. “Noah broke things off with me tonight.”
The two girls gasped.
“Why on earth would Noah break up with you?” Cress asked. “He’s crazy about you.”
“My father was at the ball tonight. When Noah’s grandfather found out who he was, he demanded
Noah break up with me.”
“What?” Anna scoffed. “Why does it matter who your father is?”
“Apparently there’s a feud between our families…”
“Well, that’s just ridiculous,” Anna replied. “What kind of medieval shit is he trying to pull? Who
even says feud these days?”
I shrugged. I was as dumbfounded as she was.
Cress had stayed quiet. There was a look of confusion in her eyes, and I could see she was trying
to piece it all together.
“You’ve never really spoken about your father,” she finally said. “Never told us who he is.”
“Only because I don’t have a relationship with the guy,” I explained. “He left my mom before I
was born. Even I didn’t know who he was until a few weeks ago. I wasn’t intentionally keeping it
from anyone. I just don’t particularly like him or want anything to do with him.” Although, after
everything he’d revealed to me tonight, I had to wonder if my feelings toward him were starting to
shift.
Cress nodded, and I could see she believed me. At least she hadn’t jumped to the conclusion I’d
been deliberately lying like Noah had.
“Isobel, I’m just trying to understand… Who is your father?” Cress continued.
My body tensed at her question. This was the moment of truth. The time when I would find out if I
was about to lose both Noah and my friends all in one night.
“My father is Matthew LaFleur.”
After Noah’s reaction, I expected some kind of explosion from the two of them. To see looks of
disgust or to see them shying away. Cress appeared thoughtful though, and Anna gave me a completely
blank look.
“Who?” Anna shrugged. She seemed so blasé about the whole thing I might have laughed with
relief if I wasn’t still terrified to hear Cress’s response.
Cress didn’t immediately react and took her time as she considered my revelation. “Matthew
LaFleur as in The LaFleur Corporation?” she asked.
“That’s the one.”
She bit her lower lip and glanced at Anna who still looked clueless.
“What?” I asked. “What am I missing?”
“Don’t look at me,” Anna said. “Never heard of the guy.”
Cress slowly returned to meet my anxious gaze. “The LaFleur and the Hastings families are
business rivals,” she said. “I remember my parents used to talk about it a lot when I was younger.
There was always some new drama between the companies as one tried to one-up, or screw over, the
other. From what I understand, they’ve been at each other’s throats for decades.”
“This seemed like more than just a business rivalry,” I said.
“You might be right,” she agreed. “You know my family doesn’t have much to do with the
Hastings family anymore, so I don’t know much about it. But I do remember overhearing one
conversation…”
“What?” I felt myself edging slightly closer to Cress as she hesitated. She wasn’t scowling at me
like her cousin had, and there wasn’t anger in her eyes. If anything, she just seemed thoughtful.
“Well, it was years ago, but I remember once when I heard my mom and dad talking about it all.
My dad said that Mr. LaFleur would do anything he could to destroy William Hastings. Something
about the way he said anything stuck with me, I guess.” She paused again when she saw the look of
concern in my eyes. “They were just gossiping though. And it was so long ago. I’m sure your father
isn’t like that.”
She was trying to reassure me, but my stomach plunged. If her parents were gossiping about my
family wanting to destroy Noah’s, then surely there had to be some element of truth to that. I felt like I
was going to be sick. Was my father the villain in all of this? And what did that make me?
“Seriously,” Cress emphasized. “William Hastings is not a nice man. Even if your dad did want to
destroy him, I don’t think anyone would blame him...”
It still wasn’t what I needed to hear, and it left me terrified my friends would want nothing to do
with me. Even if they didn’t hold a personal grudge against Matthew, maybe they would worry that I
was just like him. That this apple hadn’t fallen far from the proverbial tree.
It took me a moment to build up the courage before I asked, “Does this change anything for you
guys?” My heart was in my throat as I looked at my friends. “Now that you know who my father is?”
Cress gathered me in a hug straightaway. “I would never think differently about you because of
who your father is. Never.”
Anna quickly joined in on the huddle. “Your dad could be the devil, and I’d still have no doubt
about the fact you’re the sweetest person ever. None of us are like our parents, and Noah’s an idiot if
he thinks different.”
Tears gathered in my eyes as the two girls held me tight. I didn’t know how much I needed this
reassurance until now. I loved these girls so much.
“Uh, is this hug a girl-only thing, or are boys welcome to join the sandwich?” one of the twins
called out to us from up ahead. Given the cheeky tone in his voice, it definitely had to be Sawyer. I’d
thought he was too busy messing around with his brother to notice us, but the boy seemed to have a
sixth sense that alerted him whenever there was an emotional moment that needed ruining.
Anna and Cress laughed as they drew back from the hug.
“Sawyer, learn to read the room!” Anna shouted at him.
 He simply shrugged, his face lighting in a cheeky smile in reply. “Hey, you don’t get what you
want in life unless you ask.”
“Oh, well, in that case. Sawyer, can you disappear?” Anna fired back.
Even I couldn’t hold in my laughter.
Tonight might have been a disaster for my love life, but it only made me appreciate my friends
more than ever. And I had a feeling I was going to need them if I wanted to survive the rest of the
school year.
 CHAPTER THREE

“W ake Iup!”
groaned as Anna chirped the words into my ear. My head was throbbing, my mouth felt
furry and dry, and my stomach turned uneasily. I’d never had a hangover before, but I was pretty sure I
was experiencing one now. It was enough to put me off alcohol for life.
As much as my body hurt though, the most visceral pain was the one in my heart. I didn’t want to
be that girl. You know the one—the girl that fell hard and fast and then struggled to get over a guy.
That was exactly how I felt right now. Like I would never fill the void Noah had left in my chest when
he broke up with me.
I wasn’t ready to face reality just yet, and the thought of opening my eyes made me bury my head
under my pillow.
Before I could smother myself, the pillow was unceremoniously ripped away from me.
“Anna,” I groaned.
“Isobel,” she replied, mimicking my tone.
I slowly blinked my eyes open so I could scowl up at her. She was already dressed for the day but
not in her normal casual Sunday attire. Instead, she was wearing a floral summer dress. It wasn’t low-
cut, and it actually fell below her knees, so I had to wonder if I was still dreaming.
“What are you wearing?”
Her bright face turned stormy as she glanced down at her dress. “Ugh, don’t remind me. Cress lent
it to me. I didn’t have anything appropriate to wear, and she insisted I’d probably get detention if I
wore my regular getup.”
I stole my pillow back out of her hands and hugged it to my chest. “Appropriate for what?”
“Please tell me you know about the garden party today.”
“Uh…”
“Seriously?” She shook her head. “Well, I guess you know now. Every year, the principal hosts a
garden party the morning after the ball because a lot of the parents and alumni are still in town. It’s
always torture, but seniors are expected to go.”
I let out a sigh and slowly eased myself up. My head spun at the subtle movement, and I knew I
was in for a rough day. “We don’t have to go though, right?” My head wanted nothing more than to
return to the pillow it just left.
Anna shared an understanding smile with me. “Just show your face, and then you can come back
here and bury yourself under the covers again. Cress has gone to get us coffees, so hopefully that will
help.”
I’d probably need a whole lot more than coffee to get through today, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt.
 Anna’s expression softened slightly before she continued. “How do you feel today?”
I knew she was asking about Noah rather than my hangover, and my heart clenched painfully at the
thought of him. My pounding head might be bad, but it didn’t compare to how hard it was to think
about last night.
“It feels like it didn’t really happen,” I said. “Like I experienced some terrible nightmare.” I
shook my head. “I don’t want to think about it.”
“Well, if there’s one benefit to being dragged to an early-morning garden party, it’s that you’ll
hopefully be distracted.”
Unless, of course, Noah was there. Despite my warring feelings about whether I wanted to see
him again, I’d decided it was a blessing I hadn’t bumped into him at the after-party last night. The
thought of seeing him again today caused all the same uncertainty to flow through me once again.
“So, jump in the shower,” Anna said. “Cress will be back with coffee soon, and then we need to
get going.”
I understood why Cress had gone to get the coffees and left Anna to wake me up. Anna didn’t look
like she’d take no for an answer, and I didn’t have it in me to try to convince her otherwise.
I let out a sigh and nodded. “Okay, fine. I’ll be quick.”
“That’s my girl.”
There were so many reasons for me not to go to the event, but as I got out of bed, I began to think
of one that might make it worthwhile: Matthew might be there.
It was the first time I’d ever found myself actually wanting to see my father, but we had a lot to
discuss. Before Noah had brought my entire evening crashing down, my father had opened up to me
about his past relationship with my mom. After thinking he’d wanted nothing to do with me my whole
life, I now knew he hadn’t known I even existed. His parents had prevented news of my birth from
getting to him and tried to pay off my mom.
Despite the shock, I believed my father, and it left me unsure how to feel about him. That
uncertainty had only escalated later in the night when Cress shared what she knew about the decades
of rivalry between my father’s family and Noah’s. How my father would supposedly stop at nothing to
destroy William.
I’d only just met my father, but he didn’t seem like the kind of person who would try to destroy
another person. I had no idea if Matthew would be attending the garden party, but I had so many
unanswered questions after last night I knew I needed to speak with him.
When I entered the bathroom, I was surprised by just how bad I looked. I knew I felt like crap, but
my skin was pale, my eyes were puffy, and my curls looked limp and sad. Even my eyes were a duller
shade of blue this morning. I had hoped a shower would help, but once I was done, I still looked like
hell. I tamed my hair as best I could and even put a little makeup on, but it didn’t seem to make much
difference.
I emerged from the bathroom to find Cress had returned and was waiting for me, coffee in hand.
She was wearing a similar style of dress to Anna, but hers was cornflower blue, making her reddish-
brown hair pop. She smiled as she offered a coffee to me. “How are you feeling?”
“Like death warmed up,” I replied. “Thanks for getting us coffee.”
“It’s no problem. I figured we could all use the caffeine boost after last night.”
“Definitely.” I took a deep swig of the drink, relishing the feeling of it warming me from the
inside.
“Here, put this on,” Anna said, passing me a dress that looked similar to her own. “Of course, it
came from your magical closet that has every outfit a girl could ever need.”
 I took the dress, somewhat relieved I didn’t have to try to figure out an outfit for myself. I had no
idea what to wear to a garden party, and with the way I felt right now, there was every chance, if I
was allowed to dress myself, I’d be leaving the room in sweats.
I slipped into the closet to quickly change. If my closet had been stocked with a perfect dress for
the party, then maybe Matthew did know about the event and would be attending.
“Perfect,” Cress said as I stepped back into the bedroom. She had to be lying because I felt far
from perfect. I looked like a zombie dressed up in an unconvincing disguise.
“We should probably go,” Anna said. “We’re already running late.”
I clutched my coffee cup tightly and followed Anna and Cress from the room. We weren’t the only
ones running late, and there were lots of other girls out in the halls and on the quad rushing to get to
the event.
The garden party was held at the principal’s cottage on the school campus, but when I saw the
gorgeous stone house the principal lived in, I thought cottage was a little bit of an understatement. It
looked like something out of a fairy tale. Vines almost completely coated the façade, and a wide array
of bright and perfumed flowers bloomed in the front garden as though the house had been stolen right
out of a picture book.
The soft sound of a string ensemble could be heard as we made our way out to the lawn behind
the cottage, but it was hard to hear the melody given the chatter and laughter that overpowered the
music. It sounded like the party had drawn quite the crowd, and I wasn’t sure if I was mentally
prepared to deal with so many people this morning. Hopefully, Anna and Cress would handle most of
the socializing. I certainly didn’t feel up to small talk or putting on a happy face.
A marquee was set up on the lawn with round tables covered in white linen dotted beneath the
canopy. The area was already packed with students, parents, and teachers. Everyone was dressed far
more casually than they had been for the ball with the women mostly in bright, modest dresses,
similar to the one I wore, while the men tended toward slacks and button-up shirts.
As waitstaff weaved their way around the area with trays of canapés and drinks held high above
their heads, I scanned the scene closely for signs of my father. I couldn’t see Matthew among the
crowd, and I felt a wave of relief when there was no sign of Noah or his grandfather either.
I quietly followed the girls as we went to grab seats at one of the tables. They were all laid out
beautifully with fine china teacups and towers of sandwiches and appetizers in the center of the table.
I was glad my friends didn’t want to walk about and socialize with the adults. I could think of nothing
worse right now. I gratefully sank in my seat and started to nibble on the end of a sandwich.
Anna and Cress were chatting, but I wasn’t really concentrating on what they said. I was too
focused on trying to make sure I could stomach my sandwich. Even the small bites I was taking didn’t
seem to sit well and swirled uneasily inside me. I wasn’t sure if it was my hangover, the chance of
seeing Noah, or potentially confronting my dad for answers that had me so queasy. It was probably a
combination of the three.
“Hey, Isobel.”
I swallowed the small piece of sandwich I was chewing and glanced up as Lily came to sit next to
me. “Hey, Lily. How was your night?”
“It was pretty uneventful,” she said. “I only made a quick appearance at the ball before I went to
bed. I’m really not a fan of this weekend. It’s all about schmoozing, and I’m absolutely terrible at it.”
“Me too,” I agreed.
“How about you? How was your night?”
“I’ve had better,” I quietly replied. “Noah and I broke up.”
 Lily’s eyes went wide with surprise. “Seriously?”
I nodded.
“Shit, I’m really sorry, Isobel.”
“Thanks.” I shared a sad smile with her. “It sucks, but there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s not like
we were dating long.”
“That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt,” she replied. “I just can’t believe he broke up with you. It was
obvious how much he liked you.”
“Not enough, apparently. He ended things because his family is business rivals of my dad.”
Her mouth opened and closed several times like she was searching for something to say.
Eventually, she settled on shaking her head. “I definitely didn’t expect that to be the reason,” she said.
“I swear, I’m never going to understand these people.”
I couldn’t have agreed with her more. Lily’s confusion mirrored my own so closely, and I
wondered if it was because, like me, she wasn’t from this world of wealth and social climbing.
“Yeah, I don’t get it either. I didn’t have much choice in the matter though.”
Lily reached out and grasped my hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “Well, it’s his loss. He’s an
idiot.”
“A complete idiot,” Anna said, chiming in. “It’s lucky I haven’t seen him here today. I swear, I’m
going to tear into that boy so hard when I get the chance he’s going to wish he didn’t have ears.”
“Please don’t do that,” I said. I couldn’t imagine how embarrassing it would be.
“What? He deserves it. I know everyone at this school thinks he walks on water, but that doesn’t
mean he can treat one of my besties like crap.” She suddenly glanced at Cress. “Sorry, Cress, I know
he’s your cousin, so maybe pretend you’ve got earmuffs on.”
“No need, I’m annoyed too,” Cress said. “Noah completely messed up on this one. Screw the
Hastings family. Isobel is worth a million of them.”
“A billion,” Anna added.
“A million billion,” Cress said, making us laugh.
My cheeks flushed as I looked at my friends. They always had my back, no matter what, and I felt
like I didn’t deserve them.
Cress turned to me. “So, after all the drama last night, is your dad coming today?”
“He didn’t say.” I shrugged. “He always seems incredibly busy though, so it’s far more likely he’s
already left town.” I considered sending him a text to find out, but I didn’t feel all that comfortable
contacting him. The message would likely only get as far as Caldwell anyway.
“Did your parents end up coming last night?” I asked Cress. I’d bailed on the ball too early to
know whether they’d shown up.
“No.” She sighed. “I would have liked to see them too. I suppose I’ll have to try and get them to
come to the Halloween carnival next month.”
“There’s a carnival?” I sat up slightly straighter in my chair. I normally loved Halloween, but I
was usually working at the café, so I wasn’t able to really enjoy it.
“Oh yeah, it’s the best,” Lily said. “The local town hosts Halloween Fest every year. It’s set up on
this creepy farm, and people from all over the area come to it.”
“The money raised from the carnival goes to charity,” Anna added. “So, the school makes sure all
the clubs get involved and help out. As you can imagine, the academy brings in some pretty hefty
donations, so the town is always happy to have us.”
“It’s a blast,” Cress agreed. “Way better than some stuffy garden party.” She lowered her voice as
she said the last part, like she didn’t want to be caught badmouthing the principal's event.
 Someone cleared their voice behind us, and as we all looked back, we saw my English teacher,
Mr. Wagner, standing all too close and frowning in our direction.
“Ladies,” he said before continuing on his way.
As soon as we were out of earshot, we all burst into laughter. I had a feeling Mr. Wagner agreed
with Cress.
I’d been dreading the garden party this morning, but it wasn’t half as bad as I’d expected when I
got to sit in the corner chatting with my friends in the sunshine. We relaxed and talked and drank
plenty of water as an hour or two went by. No one seemed to care I was hungover, and I thankfully
didn’t see Noah. I even sent a text message to my father. I decided to keep it light to give myself the
best chance of getting a response, so I asked how the rest of his evening had been and whether he was
coming this morning. Hopefully he, or Caldwell, would reply before the party ended. But either way,
I actually found I was enjoying myself. It was just the kind of Sunday morning I needed after a
traumatic Saturday night.
When Anna started trying to rank which of our teachers were the hottest, I decided it was a good
time to excuse myself and find the bathroom. There was a long line for the one in the cottage, but I
overheard one of the girls mention people were also using the bathrooms in a school building close
by. I had to leave the party to reach them, but I wasn’t against the idea of a short walk to stretch my
legs.
I cut around the side of the house and was walking alongside the hedge that followed the
perimeter of the property when I heard voices on the other side of it.
“I expected better from you,” a woman said. “Your father and I have been here two days, and the
boy has barely looked your way.”
“I can’t help it if he’s not interested in me, Mother.”
I froze as I recognized Veronica’s voice.
“Clearly, you’re not trying hard enough,” her mother replied. “Where is he this morning?”
“I don’t know. I’m sure he’s around. Noah tends to do as he pleases.”
“With that kind of attitude, you’ll never catch his attention.”
“I don’t know what you expect from me. He has a girlfriend.”
“You should be his girlfriend,” her mother scoffed. “And you will be. You just need to get this
other girl out of the picture.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Now, we should get back to the party. There are still many people I need to speak with. I’m yet
to see that intriguing man we met yesterday—Mr. LaFleur.”
Veronica’s mother practically purred Matthew’s name. Perhaps Wes was right. Maybe the news
about my secret father would be a big deal at Weybridge.
“And you must introduce me to his daughter,” Veronica’s mother continued. “I’m sure she will be
an excellent friend for you to have.”
Veronica didn’t answer, but I could practically hear the steam coming out of her ears. The irony of
Mrs. Cordeaux unknowingly wanting her daughter to be friends with the so-called other girl probably
wasn’t helping.
I heard movement on the other side of the hedge and quickly kept walking so I wouldn’t be caught
eavesdropping. I certainly didn’t want to meet Veronica’s mother, especially seeing as I was the girl
who had, in her mind, prevented her daughter from obtaining the prestigious boyfriend she apparently
needed so urgently. Veronica was calculating and mean, but it seemed like she’d inherited the traits
from her mom, and I was surprised by just how strongly Veronica was being pushed toward Noah.
For a moment, just a moment, I almost felt sorry for her.
I quickly used the bathroom before returning to the party, but as I was following the path back
down the side of the house toward the marquee, I saw Veronica standing with her mother at the end of
the path. It seemed they hadn’t got far before Mrs. Cordeaux had bumped into someone she needed to
chat with. She was laughing away with two other women while Veronica did her best to feign interest
and force out smiles at the right moments. I hesitated as I watched them. I didn’t want to have to speak
to either one of them, but they were standing right in the middle of the path. I also didn’t want to
overhear another conversation that might make me feel any more sympathy toward Weybridge’s evil
queen.
Just as I was contemplating turning around and walking back the way I’d come, a hand wrapped
around my arm, and I gasped as I was tugged from the path and into the bushes. My heart was racing
from the shock, but it started to gallop like a bolted horse when I looked up into Noah’s eyes.
“Noah,” I gasped. “What are you doing?” He was still holding my arm, sending sparks flying
across my skin, and I roughly shook him off. Despite everything he’d done last night, my body still
yearned for him.
He was dressed smartly with a deep navy jacket over a crisp white shirt, but his blue tie hung
loose around his neck as though he had been just as reluctant and rushed as I was this morning. His
hair was a mess, like he’d only recently gotten out of bed, and there were dark bags drooping under
his eyes. He looked as bad as I felt.
“I needed to talk to you.” Despite the drained look on his face, his green eyes still bore into mine.
Their sparkle was missing, replaced by an emotion I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Pain, longing,
anger. It could have been a mix of all three.
“So, you pulled me into the bushes?” The sounds of the party were muffled in the background, and
we were completely shielded from view by the low-lying branches of the trees and shrubs
surrounding us.
“I can’t be seen with you,” he said. “Especially when my grandfather’s here.”
“So, don’t be seen with me then,” I replied. “I’m going back to the party.”
He reached out and grasped my arm again. “Don’t.”
His voice was low and rough, and that one word sent a ripple of emotion pulsing through me. His
word was a desperate tug, pulling me toward him with more power than if he’d yanked me with his
hands. I closed my eyes for a second and breathed in as I tried to forget just how much I still wanted
Noah. How even now, every part of my body hummed with energy, like his presence was the battery
keeping me alive.
It felt impossible to deny my feelings for him. To pretend I wasn’t hurt. That I didn’t still care. My
emotions were at war within me, but I couldn’t give in to any of them. Not if I didn’t want to
completely fall to pieces. I tried to burrow my feelings away, but it felt a little like trying to squeeze
them into a box that was far too small. The lid wouldn’t fit on properly, and the contents simply
spilled out.
Somehow, I managed to calm myself enough, and when I opened my eyes, I had some hope my
expression didn’t display the turmoil that raged inside. I looked down at his hand, which still lightly
gripped my arm, and he quickly let go as though he suddenly regretted touching me.
“Look,” he stuttered. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “You pulled me into the bushes to apologize for breaking my heart?”
“You’re not the only one whose heart was broken last night.”
“I find that hard to believe. You chose to abandon our relationship the moment things got slightly
difficult.”
“Slightly difficult?” Anger flashed in his eyes, briefly overwhelming the other emotions I’d seen
swirling there. “Things between us are more than slightly difficult. And I had no choice.”
“Well, I seem to remember it differently. I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t do anything other
than have the wrong family. And you were given a choice. I watched you decide, and you chose to
cast me aside.”
I’d been hurt and confused by our breakup, and the pain still radiated deep in my chest, but right
now, my anguish and desire for answers was quashed by my overwhelming sense of anger. “Is this
some kind of game you like to play? You reel girls in, make them fall for you, only to turn around and
ditch them when you discover being with them might be more complicated than you anticipated?”
“I wasn’t playing any game.”
“You could have fooled me.” I was breathing quickly, and my heart was racing. I hated this boy so
much in this moment. I hated him for making me fall for him. I hated him for making me believe things
could be different. But mostly, I hated him because, as he stared at me with those deep green eyes, I
still wanted him.
It was so messed up.
“Look, just because we can’t be together doesn’t mean I don’t still have feelings for you,” Noah
said. “That I’m not going to spend every second of this torturous year thinking about you.” His eyes
dipped to look at my lips, and I forgot how to breathe.
The space between us suddenly felt smaller as though we had unconsciously stepped closer
together. We were too close now, and the air between us felt electric, like every breath I took was
charged with furious desire. How could you hate someone—despise them to the depths of your soul—
and still want nothing more than to kiss them?
Noah seemed just as torn. He was scowling darkly at me, but there was a hunger in his gaze that
struck me low in my stomach.
“If you want me that badly, then what’s stopping you?”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then talk to me,” I pleaded. “Explain it to me, please.”
I paused for a moment, pushing my anger and frustration down just beneath the surface. Although it
still bubbled there, I wanted to offer him a chance to give me the answers I needed. The answers I
deserved. But he wasn’t looking me in the eyes, and he had the same hopeless expression he’d worn
last night right before he turned his back on me.
“I have explained, Isobel,” he whispered. “We just can’t be together. It’s impossible.”
My heart sank. I’d thought it was already at rock bottom, but apparently it could still plummet
further. He wasn’t even going to try to help me understand? He was refusing, just like he’d refused to
fight for us last night.
“Okay then, why don’t I explain it to you, Noah,” I started. “I thought you were different. But I can
see now you’re just like the rest of the rich assholes that go to this school—the ones you despise so
much because all they see when they look at you is your last name.
“I would never judge someone based on the actions of their family. And I would never abandon
someone I cared about because someone else asked me to. I might not know the intricate details of
what happened between our families, but I sure as hell know I’m not to blame. And no matter what
happened, it will never change the fact that you didn’t care enough about me to see beyond it.”
“Isobel…” His voice implored me. It was filled with anguish. “If I could be with you, I would.”
“You can’t say that to me.”
 “I know.”
“You made it very clear we don’t have a future, Noah.”
“I know.”
He was still standing so close, and he was looking at me like he wanted to be closer still. He
couldn’t tell me we’d never be together and still look at me that way. It wasn’t fair. I needed to leave
before I forgot the words coming out of his mouth didn’t match the raw emotion in his eyes.
“Maybe you’re right. There’s no way we can be together. Not after this.” I shoved him back and
quickly escaped the bushes before he could befuddle my mind any further with his proximity. A cool
breeze seemed to drive his scent from my nostrils as I stepped onto the path, and I was able to think
more clearly again.
Screw this garden party. Screw waiting around to see if Matthew might show up. And screw
Noah Hastings. I started walking away from the cottage in the direction of the dormitories. I hadn’t
been given the answers I was looking for, but I might have just taken a big step toward finding that
closure.
 CHAPTER FOUR

I woke early on Monday morning. I’d had a rough night, struggling to sleep as I’d been plagued by
thoughts of Noah. I was still in so much pain after our breakup, but my body betrayed me because
I still wanted him despite everything that had happened.
I was exhausted, and I considered rolling over to try to get back to sleep again. The thought was
tempting, but given how active my mind was, I knew it would be useless. Whenever I closed my eyes,
I saw Noah and the way he had looked at my lips yesterday. I didn’t want to lay here and torture
myself thinking about him.
I groggily pushed myself up and smiled when I saw Anna and Cress both asleep in Cress’s bed.
They’d escaped from the garden party not long after me and taken it upon themselves to distract me
from the breakup for the rest of the day. We spent all of Sunday afternoon watching movies and eating
ice cream, and we’d stayed up late into the night painting our nails and applying face masks. Anna had
ended up crashing here, and it warmed my heart to know that, despite everything that happened with
Noah, I still had some pretty amazing friends at this school.
I reached over to my bedside table and picked up my phone. There was a notification splayed
across the lock screen. I had a message, and although the contact name said Caldwell, it was from my
father. Judging by the timestamp on the message, he had sent it the day before. I must have missed it
while spending time with the girls.

HELLO, Isobel, I hope you’re well. Please accept my sincerest apologies for my absence at the
principal’s garden party today. I had to get back to New York for urgent business this morning, and
I’m afraid it will keep me here for a couple of weeks. I know we still have a lot to catch up on, and
I promise we will do just that as soon as I can get back to Weybridge.

IN THE MEANTIME, if you need anything at all, please feel free to reach out. Matthew.

IT WAS HARD NOT to be disappointed. It felt like he was avoiding me just when I needed to talk
to him most. I was completely in the dark about what had happened between him and the Hastings
family. It must have been pretty bad considering Noah had to break up with me. I was also still
wrestling with how to feel about my father after hearing the history of his relationship with my mom.
Now was just about the worst time for him to disappear to New York for a couple of weeks.
I considered calling him right back but then thought better of it. It was too early in the morning,
and I needed to try to clear my head as much as possible before I spoke to him. I slowly eased myself
from bed, trying my best to be quiet, and changed into my running gear. I was tiptoeing to the door
when I heard movement, and I glanced over to find Cress propped up in bed.
“Where are you going?” she whispered.
“For a run.”
“Now?” She struggled to keep the disbelief from her eyes.
“You know I like to run in the mornings.”
“But it’s not even light out.”
I rolled my eyes. “The sun will be rising any minute. I’ll see you when I get back.”
She shook her head, muttering something about how crazy I was before burrowing back under her
blanket. I felt a twinge of jealousy but knew I wasn’t going to feel any better if I went back to bed. I
left the room before I could reconsider. The last thing I felt like doing was exercising, but I
desperately needed the peace I always felt when jogging.
The morning was crisp, and my skin prickled from the cool air as I emerged from the dorm. The
sky was overcast with darker clouds gathering across the horizon. I was somewhat grateful I couldn’t
see the sun rising to greet the new day. I didn’t need its happy face mocking me today.
I set out at a brisk walk, hoping to warm up my limbs before I started jogging. I’d barely made it
across the quad when my phone started to ring. The sound made me jump as it broke through the silent
morning air and my chest tightened as I wondered whether it could be my father. I hadn’t replied to
his message from the day before so perhaps he had decided to reach out directly. My shoulders
relaxed when I checked the screen and saw it was my mom.
“Hey, Mom,” I answered, slowing my steps so I could focus on the call.
“Oh great, you’re up,” she said, sounding far more chipper than I felt. “I was hoping to catch you
before school started for the day.”
“You know it doesn’t start for a couple more hours, right?” This was early, even for her.
“Yes, but I know you rarely sleep past sunrise, and I’m starting work early today because I’ve got
to spend time later training the new waitress.”
“Ah.” I couldn’t help feeling guilty when she mentioned my replacement at the café. The new girl
had been working there for a little while now, but Norma had said she'd been struggling, so maybe
she was in need of a little extra training. I felt bad because my mom had more than enough to worry
about already. It should be me helping her with the café. But I was never going to convince her to let
me ditch school and come home no matter how hard I tried.
“So, how was it?” Mom asked, her voice filled with anticipation.
I knew she was talking about the ball, and it took all of my self-control not to give in to the
emotions battling their way to the surface as I recalled the evening’s events once again.
“Noah and I broke up,” I said.
“What?” Confusion colored my mom’s tone. “I can’t believe it. He was so clearly lovestruck by
you.”
“Well, whatever he felt for me mustn’t have been strong enough because we’re over.
“But why?”
“Apparently there’s some bad blood between Matthew and Noah’s families, and Noah’s
grandfather told him to break it off with me.”
 “And he did it?”
“Yeah.” I was really struggling to keep from crying now. I’d managed not to shed a single tear
yesterday, but speaking with my mom made it all suddenly feel real.
“What happened between their families?”
“They’re business rivals, I guess. I’ve been wanting to talk to Matthew about it, but I haven’t seen
him since the ball. Whatever the issue, it was enough for Noah to just cast me aside. I guess you did
warn me.”
“Oh, Isobel. I’m so sorry. I really thought he was different. I wish I could be there to give you a
big hug.”
“Me too,” I said. “But I’m about to do the next best thing. I’m going to go for a run to clear my
head.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Mom replied. “You always feel better about things after running.”
“Yeah.”
The other end of the line went silent for a few seconds before my mother spoke again. “Have you
had a chance to talk to your dad about anything else?” I knew she was referring to Matthew’s side of
the story about their past relationship.
“Yeah, we spoke at the ball.”
“And...”
“He told me that his parents stopped him from finding out about me. He only learned I existed
after his dad died and he found your letter.”
We both fell silent again. No matter how many times I recalled what my father had told me at the
ball, it always seemed to take a few moments to digest.
“How do you feel?” Mom finally broke the silence. “I know it’s a lot to take in.”
“Well, I believe him, if that’s what you mean,” I replied. “I feel like he really does want to get to
know me.”
“He does.” My mom’s voice cracked as she spoke, and she took a couple of deep breaths.
“Mom, are you okay?”
“Yes, yes.” She sniffed, clearly holding back tears. “I just… I just feel so bad that you’re going
through all this on your own. Everything with your father and now Noah. I should be there to help you
through it.”
“It’s okay, Mom,” I reassured her. “I’m okay. You’ve got to look after the café. My replacement
isn’t going to train herself.”
I heard her splutter out a laugh on the other end of the line. “I guess that’s true,” she said, though
her voice was still rough with emotion. It had been sounding a little scratchy the whole conversation,
so I wondered if she was coming down with a cold.
“I just want you to know how proud I am of you,” she continued. “I know there’s a lot going on,
but you’re going to come through all of this stronger than ever.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“And I’ll do my best to come and visit you as soon as I can.”
“Okay.” I smiled. “I’ll hold you to that.”
Silence fell over the phone call once again. Neither of us wanted to hang up, but I wasn’t sure
what else there was to say. I needed to get running, and my mom needed to get to work
“I’ll let you get back to it, Mom.” I finally said. “Plus, it’s cold out here, so I better start running.
“Okay,” she agreed. “But call me anytime. I love you, Iz.”
“I love you too, Mom.”
 I hung up the phone and took a moment to gather myself. Hearing my mom’s voice made me feel
better, but the moment the phone call ended, I felt the gaping void of her absence. She’d been the one
to get me through my last breakup, and I knew it was going to be a battle trying to get over Noah
without her hugs, optimism, and pecan pie to keep me going.
I had no choice in the matter though. Mom was back in Rapid Bay and I was here at Weybridge. I
was just going to have to muddle through this breakup on my own—as hard as that might be.
As I set out on my jog, I considered heading into the forest that surrounded the school. The idea of
disappearing among the trees was quite appealing to me right now. But as I neared the worn dirt path
that led into the trees, I decided not to take it. The woods reminded me too much of Noah. We’d had
our first proper conversation there—yes, I’d wanted to kill him at the time, but looking back, I knew
I’d misjudged him then.
It almost brought a smile to my face, thinking of how he’d gotten so thoroughly under my skin, but
I started to scowl instead. Noah being under my skin was the whole problem. He was like a splinter I
couldn’t get rid of, wedged so firm and deep within me that I suffered from an almost constant ache.
I turned from the forest, determined to leave thoughts of Noah back in the woods where we met.
Instead of following the trail through the trees, I chose to follow the path that bordered the lake. The
water was completely still this morning and mirrored the dark clouds gathering above. The rumble of
thunder thrummed across the horizon, and its soft growl whispered a promise of rain. I probably
should have turned back, but I didn’t care whether I got wet or not. Not when the alternative was
sitting back in my room with my thoughts.
My runs were normally calming and therapeutic, but today I couldn’t seem to find any rhythm.
Every breath I took was painful, and my body felt far heavier than normal. I kept waiting to feel the
peaceful bliss I usually experienced once my legs found a steady beat, but my mind refused to focus
on the repetitive thud of my feet against the ground. All I could think about was how much everything
hurt. Both my body and my heart were in agony. I pushed myself to run harder, hoping the physical
strain might distract me from the pain I felt inside. It was no use though, and even once I was
practically sprinting, it only seemed to be making everything worse.
I finally gave up, slowed my steps, and stared out at the lake. A cold breeze had started to pick up
as the clouds above grew even more ominous, creating ripples that shattered the usually glassy
surface of the water. My breath was ragged, and I put my hands on my knees, bowing my head as I
tried to keep myself from heaving. I scrunched my eyes shut as I waited for my breaths to stop coming
so quickly. No matter how fast I ran, I was never going to lessen the pain I felt inside.
I stood there for several minutes as my breathing slowly came under control. I was sweating like
crazy, and my head was throbbing from exhaustion. This morning’s run had to be one of the worst
ideas I’d ever come up with.
When I finally caught my breath, I turned and slowly started jogging back the way I’d come. The
chill in the air gave me goose bumps, and the increasing wind whipped across the lake. Just when I
thought I might be finally finding a steady rhythm, my focus was broken by the sound of pounding
footsteps coming up behind me.
I didn’t look over my shoulder. Whoever was running behind me was moving fast, and I knew they
would overtake me in a matter of moments. When they didn’t come tearing past me and fell into step
at my side instead, I glanced across the path to see who it was.
My racing heart tripped as I found Noah running alongside me. Of course, it was him. I couldn’t
escape him even when I tried. I’d followed this route to make certain I wouldn’t see him, but fate had
other ideas.
 He didn’t look my way. He kept his focus straight ahead, and his feet slapped against the ground
in perfect unison with my own. I had no idea what he was doing. Why didn’t he overtake me? Why
didn’t he turn and run the other way? Why, oh why, did he have to run just inches from me? My body
buzzed at his proximity, and I had to believe he was doing this to torment me.
I was so tempted to stop. Either to shout at him or to let him carry on without me. My legs refused
to cease moving though. They appeared to have a mind of their own, as if they wanted to help give me
the space I so desperately needed from him.
As my irritation at Noah’s presence grew, my speed increased and my breaths came in quicker.
Before long, I was again sprinting as fast as my legs would carry me. Noah kept pace easily at my
side, which only angered me more. He was tormenting me on purpose. He had to be. And I didn’t
want any part of it.
Just when I felt my legs couldn’t move any quicker, I slammed to a halt. Noah stopped just after
me. Thunder rumbled from somewhere in the distance, almost as if the sky was warning me to stay
clear of him. Noah’s eyes were pained and heated, and I wondered if he was as tortured by my
presence as I was by his. Did he enjoy the pain?
“I told you to stop messing with me,” I growled at him. “I don’t want to play this game anymore.”
“I’m not messing with you.”
“How is this”—I waved between us—“not messing with me? Is this some kind of payback for
who my father is? Are you trying to torture me?”
“I’m not. I…” He huffed out a hard breath and paced away from me before he turned and quickly
closed the distance between us once more. “Can’t you see how much I’m struggling with this? How
hard it is to stay away from you? You may think I’m torturing you, but I can assure you I’m the one
who’s tortured.”
Mere inches separated us, and those inches were only getting smaller with the rapid rise and fall
of our puffing chests. We were both breathless from running so fast, but I thought maybe my emotions
were just as much to blame for the way I was panting. Fire and lust surged through me as I stared into
his green eyes. They were lit with so much desire, and I could see he wanted me just as much as I
wanted him. That he wished for nothing more than to eviscerate the small gap between us.
It would be so easy to reach out to him. To pretend for just one moment he wasn’t Noah and I
wasn’t Isobel and our families didn’t exist. That we were simply two people who desperately wanted
one another.
Would it really be so bad to give in to the temptation? To kiss him one more time, like my body so
desperately wanted. Like I desperately needed. Noah must have been considering the same question
because the longing in his eyes was mixed with obvious indecision.
“Maybe it doesn’t have to be this way,” he murmured.
“And how would it be?” I whispered.
He reached out to touch me, but his fingers stopped just before they caressed my face. They
hovered there a moment before they dropped to his side, and his gaze turned more serious. “I can’t go
against my grandfather, but what if he didn’t know...”
I swallowed a heavy lump that had formed in my throat. I thought I knew what he was suggesting,
but I needed him to be clear. “What are you saying, Noah?”
“I’m saying what if we stayed together, but in secret?”
“Noah—
“It could work,” he said. “No one would have to know. We might not be able to sit together in
class or in the cafeteria, but we could go for morning runs and watch the sun rise before anyone
wakes up. We’ll spend our weekends down at the old boathouse or disappear completely and fly to
Rapid Bay so we can lay together on the beach.”
I clenched my eyes shut as the images he was conjuring up overwhelmed me. It sounded like bliss.
Just Noah and me, shutting out the world so we could be together, just the two of us. I wanted to be
with Noah so badly, but was I willing to have him no matter the cost? Deep down, I knew his dream
would actually be a nightmare. My life would turn into a lie, just so I could be with him. I’d already
made the mistake of hiding parts of myself, as though I was ashamed of who I was, and I couldn’t do
that again. The stupid part was, even if I did what he was asking, I wouldn’t have all of him. I’d only
get the fragments of a relationship he threw my way behind closed doors. I deserved so much better
than that.
“It could work,” he repeated. “As long as my grandfather doesn’t find out.”
I opened my eyes to look at him again. “You want me to be your dirty little secret?”
“I just want you.” He moved closer to me as he spoke. His hands gripped my waist, and he pulled
me against him. I pressed my hands on his firm chest to stop us from colliding, but we were just a
hairbreadth from each other as he looked down at me. “I know this isn’t fair, but I can’t imagine my
future without you.”
I shook my head and lowered my gaze from his. “Can you really see a future with someone you
have to hide?”
“Yes.” He sounded so sure of himself as he gripped me tighter, but I didn’t share an ounce of his
certainty. “It wouldn’t be forever. I—”
“I’m not going to be with you that way,” I said, lifting my head to lock eyes with him once more.
“Isobel...” His gaze pleaded with me to reconsider.
“No. We’re either together or we’re not. I deserve better than some half-assed secret
relationship.”
He suddenly loosened his grip on my waist, and the distance between us seemed to grow, like the
conviction in my words had struck him in the chest and forced him to take a step back. Ever so
slowly, his shoulders sagged and his arms fell back at his side.
“Please, Isobel,” he murmured. “I’ll do anything to make this work.”
“Anything?” I challenged him. “Can you tell me what happened between your grandfather and my
father?”
His lips tensed into a firm line as he glanced away. I guessed that was all the answer I was going
to get.
“Is it really so bad my father is Matthew LaFleur? Can’t you get your grandfather to reconsider?”
I asked.
“Yes. It’s that bad.” He sounded completely defeated. “And no, I can’t do that.”
“I can’t try to fix things if I don’t know the problem...”
“It doesn’t matter what happened. There’s no fixing things.” His reply was abrupt. He seemed to
be pulling further away now, and a look of hopelessness had fallen over him. The desire and longing
I’d thought we’d shared was nowhere to be seen. He’d finally found his restraint.
“Right.” I took another step back. “Then you won’t do anything to make this work, will you?”
"Isobel...”
I shook my head. He clearly didn’t want to talk about why his family despised my father so much,
but he couldn’t just expect me to accept that. To just let it lie when he continued to tease me with his
presence. I certainly wasn’t going to give him a free pass to keep that up by agreeing to a secret
relationship.
 “Just stop messing with me, and leave me alone, Noah.”
I took off running again, and this time he didn’t come after me. I could feel his eyes on me, but I
didn’t look back. I wasn’t sure what game Noah was trying to play, but I wanted no part of it.
There was still so much pain in my heart from our breakup, but the more I saw Noah, the angrier I
was becoming. Every time he got close to me, he played with my emotions, reminding me how much I
wanted him but also how what we had was gone forever. And now he had offered to have a
relationship with me in secret. He wanted me enough to keep seeing me on the side but not enough to
stand up to his grandfather and fight for me.
I was starting to prefer the anger over the sadness. Sadness only made me feel helpless, but my
anger gave me a sense of power. It urged me to keep moving. To run harder and faster and put Noah
so far behind me he became nothing more than a distant memory.
 CHAPTER FIVE

A nna was gone by the time I returned to my room, but Cress was still in bed lightly snoring. She
was absolutely terrible at getting up in the mornings. I knew if I didn’t try to wake her there
was a chance she’d snooze her alarm past breakfast, so I went over and gave her a nudge.
“Cress,” I whispered, gently shaking her arm. “You have to get up.”
“No,” she groaned into her pillow. She was generally a pretty positive person, but only after her
morning coffee.
“We’ve got to go to breakfast soon,” I said. “And I need to jump in the shower.”
“But it’s so warm and cozy in here.” Her voice was muffled by her pillow. “Please tell me it’s hot
outside.”
“It’s hot outside.”
“Really?” She sounded surprised, and one of her eyes finally opened to glance up at me.
“No, not really.”
Her eye scrunched shut again. “You’re supposed to lie about the weather until I’m out of bed.”
“I’ll remember for next time.”
She groaned but finally started to push herself upright.
Happy to see she seemed awake, I made my way into the bathroom and jumped in the shower. I
was sweaty and gross from my run, and I worried about the fact Noah had just been so close to me
when I looked like this. I threw my head under the cascading water and ran my hands through my hair
trying to wash away any further thoughts of him.
Again, I’d failed to get any explanation out of him. I wasn’t sure if understanding the feud between
our families would change anything, but I felt like I had a right to some answers. My life had been
upended. My heart broken. Telling me the reason why seemed the least Noah could do.
When I emerged from the bathroom, Cress was thankfully still awake.
“Something came for you while you were in the shower,” she said, nodding at my bed.
I looked where she was indicating and found a small package waiting there for me. “What is it?”
“Beats me.” She shrugged and walked past me into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
I slowly approached the box, completely uncertain what could be inside or who it could be from.
It was small and square, and the packaging was simple and white, giving no clue what it contained. I
hoped it wasn’t some sort of apology gift from Noah. If it was, it might be about to get thrown from
the window.
There was a short note on top of the box that read: “I believe you will find this useful. Matthew.”
Although it wasn’t from Noah, my confusion didn’t ease. My father was sending me gifts now?
After everything he’d revealed on the weekend, I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. A week ago, I
might have felt the urge to throw his gift out the window too, but now I wasn’t so sure.
I slowly opened the lid on the box and gasped when I saw a set of car keys inside. He bought me a
car. A car? What on earth was he thinking? Cars were expensive, and given the Mercedes logo on the
keyring, I had to assume this one was no exception. I knew it was probably pocket change to my
father, but I didn’t want to accept something so lavish from him.
I immediately took my phone out and did the one thing I thought I’d never voluntarily do: I called
Matthew.
His butler, Caldwell, answered after several rings. “LaFleur residence.” He sounded like even
more of a pompous ass on the phone. The guy really needed to loosen up a little.
“Hey, Caldwell, it’s Isobel. Isobel Grace. Uh, is my father around?” I wasn’t sure why I sounded
so awkward. It was probably because I’d never called this number before. I still couldn’t believe I
was actively seeking my father out.
“Hello, Miss Isobel. I’ll see if he’s available to talk. One moment, please.”
The line went quiet as I was put on hold. A jittery kind of nervousness pulsed through my veins,
and I paced back and forth in my room as I waited for him to answer. I barely knew my father, and I
didn’t know the first thing about how to have a conversation with the guy—especially when we had
so much more to talk about than just the new car.
Just as I was starting to think about hanging up, my father’s voice sounded on the other end of the
line. “Isobel, this is a nice surprise.” Matthew sounded genuinely happy I’d called, but I wasn’t
planning for pleasant small talk.
“You bought me a car?”
“Ah, it finally came,” he replied. “It was supposed to be with you on your first day at school, but
there was a delay. I’m glad it arrived.”
He’d obviously missed the unimpressed tone to my voice. “You shouldn’t have done that. I don’t
want you buying me expensive things.”
“But you don’t have a driver at school, so it’s necessary to have you own form of transportation.”
He responded calmly, as though it was the most normal thing in the world
“We clearly have different definitions of what constitutes a necessity,” I said. “I have friends who
can drive me around. I really don’t need one.”
“I understand,” he said. “The vehicle is bought and paid for now though, and it’s in your name. It’s
up to you what you do with the car, but I would feel comfortable knowing you have it if you ever need
it.”
I let out a sigh. I had a feeling there was no way I was going to win this fight with Matthew. “It
really is too much,” I murmured.
“It’s not even a fraction of the things I’d give you if you’d let me,” he said. “I know I can’t make
up for lost time with expensive gifts, but it makes me feel slightly less useless if I can help provide
for you now. Especially when I can see a need of yours I can fulfill.”
I knew he was trying. That he wanted to build a relationship between us. Material things really
didn’t matter to me, but the fact he’d got me a car because he thought I might need it did make me feel
slightly less annoyed. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him I could barely drive. He clearly had no idea
I’d refused to get behind the wheel of any car since I’d crashed my mom’s one day after getting my
license. I’d almost hit a dog that had darted across the road, and I swerved into a fire hydrant. By
some miracle, I hadn’t been hurt, but my mom’s car never looked quite the same, and I’d completely
lost all confidence in driving. Matthew’s car was probably going to sit in the parking lot all year, but
he didn’t need to know that.
 “Well, thank you for thinking of me,” I said. “It was unnecessary but very kind.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied.
I drew in a breath as I tried to gather the courage I needed for the next part of our conversation. I
still had so many questions about why Noah’s grandfather had reacted the way he did at the ball. What
had happened between our families? I didn’t think I was going to get the answers I needed from Noah,
so Matthew was my only hope of getting any closure.
“There was something else I wanted to ask you,” I said. “About Noah Hastings. You and his
grandfather wanted us to end our relationship. You said that we could never work. What happened
with you and the Hastings family?”
The other end of the line went silent, and I wondered if the call had somehow dropped out.
“Matthew?”
“Sorry,” he said. “I was just trying to gather my thoughts.”
He went quiet again.
“And?”
“This isn’t an easy conversation,” he said. “Our family shares a troubled past with the Hastings.
They are terrible people.”
“Funny, that’s what Noah said about your family.”
Matthew let out a long sigh. “We’re not without our flaws. But there are some things that can’t be
looked past.”
“Can you tell me what happened?”
“I can tell you. But it’s complicated. This is a conversation best had in person.”
“Oh.” My shoulders slumped in response. “Well, will you be back in town anytime soon?” His
text this morning had indicated he wouldn’t, but I hoped he’d relent and give me the explanation I
wanted when he realized how long I’d have to wait.
“Not for a while,” he said. “I’ve got a busy time with work at the moment, and I’m going to be in
New York for the next couple of weeks.”
I let out a sigh. “Surely you can tell me something?”
He went quiet for a moment, taking his time as he considered his response. “Only that the more
distance you have from that family the better. They’re dangerous, and I don’t want you getting caught
up with them.”
“Dangerous how?”
“Just... Dangerous. I promise I’ll explain in more detail as soon as I can.”
“But I know Noah’s not like that.”
Matthew slowly exhaled, and I could tell he didn’t agree with me.
“He’s not,” I insisted.
“I’d still like you to keep your distance,” my father said. His voice was calm, but I felt like he
was holding back. Maybe if he wasn’t wary of my feelings, he would have given a more damning
response. I got the impression he was struggling to stop himself from ordering me to never even look
at Noah ever again. Matthew clearly had a very poor opinion of him.
A part of me wanted to argue with him. To try to convince him Noah wasn’t anything like his
grandfather. But what would be the point? Noah had made it clear he was done with me.
“Well, that won’t be hard,” I said. “He did what his grandfather asked and broke up with me.”
“I’m sorry you’re hurting,” Matthew replied. “But I think once we’ve had a proper talk you’ll
understand why it has to be this way.”
That proper talk was weeks away. Did he really expect me to sit here clueless for all that time?
There had to be another way I could get the answers I needed. Clearly it wasn’t going to happen on
this phone call right now.
“Have you thought any more about the other things we talked about on Saturday night?” Matthew
asked.
He must have been talking about the revelations he’d made as we’d danced at the ball. About how
he’d never known I existed and how he wanted to build a relationship with me.
“A little,” I admitted.
“Do you have any questions?” I could have sworn he sounded nervous.
“Not that I can think of right now, but we can talk some more about it all when you’re back in
town.” If I was being honest, there were too many questions rolling around inside my head; I didn’t
know where to start. He was probably right about it being easier in person.
“I’d like that,” he replied.
It felt strange to talk to Matthew like this. When I’d first met him, all he’d done was order me
about. He still spoke with the same formality and rigidness, but I could clearly see he was making an
effort to connect with me. Even though he hadn’t told me what I needed to know, it still felt like we
were communicating better. Mom had told me to give him a chance. Perhaps I needed to listen to her
advice and give him the benefit of the doubt.
Cress emerged from the bathroom, and I knew I needed to bring the conversation to an end. “Well,
I should probably go and get ready for school.”
“Yes, and I have work to get back to.” He paused. “Isobel?”
“Yeah?”
“Feel free to call at any time.”
As I hung up the phone, I felt an unusual warm feeling in my chest. I hadn’t totally hated that
conversation with my father. He was always going to be far too posh for my liking, and I doubted he
was ever going to be the kind of dad I went to whenever I needed a heart-to-heart, but despite the fact
I was still in the dark about so much, it felt something like progress.
 CHAPTER SIX

T here was way too much attention on me as I made my way into the dining hall for breakfast. I’d
caught a few people glancing in my direction and whispering about me in the quad on the way
here. But that was nothing compared to the obvious curiosity I received as I walked by people’s
tables and they turned in their seats to watch me pass.
I kept my head down and tried to ignore the strange looks. Word must have finally got out about
my breakup with Noah. The kids at Weybridge Academy were all obsessed with him and loved
nothing more than to gossip, so I guessed I was the day’s big news.
I should have thought about that before coming to breakfast on my own. Cress was running late
today, but I really wished I’d waited for her. I did my best to ignore the attention as I headed for the
buffet and began to load my plate with whatever I could find. I was hoping that the sooner I got my
food and sat down the sooner people would find someone else to gossip about. At least I could be
grateful Noah wasn’t in the dining hall too.
“Hey, you’re Isobel, right?”
I glanced up from my plate to look at the girl standing next to me in the line for the buffet. I
recognized her from my chemistry class, but she’d never bothered to speak with me before. She was
always too busy flirting with her lab mate or complaining loudly about whatever homework was set. I
didn’t think she even knew I existed.
“Uh, yeah...”
“I’m Mandy, and this is Trish.” She nodded to the girl beside her who gave me a smile. “It’s so
crazy we haven’t run into each other yet. How are you liking Weybridge?”
It seemed like a strange thing for her to say considering we’d been in the same class for weeks
already.
“We should hang out some time,” she continued.
“Definitely,” Trish agreed.
“Uh...”
I was saved from having to answer as Anna appeared at my side.
“Everything okay here, Isobel?” she asked, linking her arm through mine.
“Oh, hey, Anna.” Mandy didn’t wait for me to reply. “We were just introducing ourselves to
Isobel and welcoming her to Weybridge.”
“How nice.” Anna’s voice was thick with sarcasm. “But you know she’s been here for over a
month now, right? What could possibly have sparked such a random act of kindness from you girls?”
The girls shared a look, and Trish scoffed. “What are you talking about?”
Anna didn’t answer. She just raised her eyebrows and cocked her head at the pair as though she
was waiting for Trish to answer her own question.
“Whatever, Anna.” Mandy shrugged before focusing back on me. “Seriously, Isobel, if you ever
want to hang out with me and my friends, you’re always welcome. We have a lot of fun, and it would
be nice to have someone like you in our group.”
“Someone like me?”
She tittered a laugh and waved a hand at me. “Oh, you know what I mean.”
I was about to tell her I actually didn’t, but she kept talking before I had a chance. “It was nice to
finally meet you, Isobel” she said, before turning and walking away with Trish close behind.
I glanced at Anna. “What was that all about?”
“Ugh.” Anna rolled her eyes as she reached past me to grab an apple. “I think word about your
dad finally got out. I heard some girls talking about it on the way here.”
“They were only talking to me because of my dad?”
Anna nodded. “I’d say there’s probably a ninety percent chance that’s the reason. Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I thought it was weird they were talking to me.”
“They probably won’t be the only ones,” Anna said. “I'm sure you’ll have plenty of ‘networking
opportunities’ today.”
“Sounds fun,” I groaned.
“Oh yeah.” Anna matched my lack of enthusiasm. “There’s nothing better than people only talking
to you because they want to use you.”
“And I thought my biggest problem today was going to be people gossiping about me and Noah,” I
said as we made our way to our usual table.
“Actually, I haven’t heard anyone talking about it.” Anna shrugged.
“But I thought that was why I've been getting so much attention this morning.”
“No, I’d say that’s all thanks to Daddy Dearest,” she explained. “A secret LaFleur heir in our
midst is quite the scandal.”
“Great,” I muttered. I wasn’t sure if that was better or worse than people gossiping about Noah
and me. It was probably worse since apparently it also meant people like Trish and Mandy thought
they needed to try to befriend me because of it. Was this what it was like for Noah? He was used to
people talking to him with the sole objective of getting more closely connected to his family. I could
see why he was so shut off because of it. I didn’t want any fake offers of friendship either.
Cress arrived just as Anna and I sat down at our table. She looked a little winded and was still
scooping her hair back in a ponytail. She’d clearly rushed to get here this morning.
“Sorry I’m running so late,” she said.
“You’re always running late.” I smiled at her.
“Yeah, but I wanted to be here in case you saw Noah again for the first time. To support you.” She
landed in the seat beside me and stole a hashbrown off my plate.
My cheeks flushed because I knew it wouldn’t be the first time I’d seen Noah since the ball. It
wouldn’t even be the second. I hadn’t told Anna or Cress about either of those encounters though.
“Actually, you already missed the first time,” I said.
“What?” Cress sat up a little straighter. “Did you see him already this morning?”
“And yesterday...”
“Wait you’ve seen him twice?”
I nodded.
“And...” Anna prompted.
“And it was a disaster. I ran into him at the garden party yesterday and then again on my run this
morning. He refused to give me a proper explanation and said we needed to stay away from each
other. But then he kept looking at me like he wanted to kiss me and suggested we stay together but
keep it a secret.”
“Seriously?” Cress asked.
“What did you do?” Anna added, her eyes wide.
“I walked away. I still have feelings for him, but I’m not going to kiss someone who broke my
heart, and I’m definitely not agreeing to a secret relationship.” Although, a part of me still wondered
if that was the right choice. Maybe I’d acted too hastily. Surely getting some of Noah was better than
nothing?
“That’s good,” Cress said. “I know how hard it must have been, but I think you made the right
choice.”
“Yeah, well, I hope he’s going to keep his distance now. I’m not sure I can handle another one of
these encounters.”
“He needs to leave you alone,” Anna huffed. “Why does he think he can try and kiss you? And I
can’t believe he asked you to be with him in secret. That’s so unfair. He should be shouting his love
for you from the roof of the school.” She was getting so agitated I was worried she was about to jump
up on the table and do some shouting of her own.
“Agreed,” Cress nodded. “What was he thinking?”
“I’m not really sure he is thinking clearly right now,” I murmured. “And, I mean, he didn’t actually
try to kiss me, but I felt like that was what he wanted.” I shook my head. “You’re right, though. He’s
not being fair, and it makes me so mad. I guess the small blessing is that when he makes me angry, I
feel like I might one day be able to get over him.”
“Yes, you should definitely focus on moving on,” Cress agreed.
“What you need is a rebound,” Anna said.
“Anna…” Cress hissed.
“What? Isobel needs to get over Noah, and rebounding is the quickest way. Not to mention it’s fun
too.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
“I’m not sure that’s such a great idea.” I was completely with Cress on this one. I couldn’t even
picture kissing another guy, and the last thing I wanted at school this year was any more emotional
entanglements.
“It’s a great idea,” Anna said. “I can start brainstorming candidates in class this morning.”
“Please don’t make a list for me,” I groaned.
Anna waved my complaint away “You’ll thank me later. Trust me.”
I lowered my head onto the table and groaned again. Not only did I have to handle a broken heart,
but now I had to deal with Anna throwing boys at me.
The sound of scraping chairs made me sit up again. The twins were taking a seat at our table and
throwing curious looks in my direction.
“Don’t tell me you’ve already given up on the day, Grace,” Sawyer said.
“The day, the week, and maybe the year,” I replied.
He looked sympathetic as he shook his head at me. “Don’t let Noah get you down.”
I shared a smile with him and nodded though following his advice was easier said than done.
“She won’t be down for too long,” Anna piped in. “I’m going to find her a rebound.”
Sawyer started to grin and sat up a little straighter in his chair. “I know this is a very important
assignment, so I volunteer as tribute.”
Wes slapped a hand across the back of his brother’s head. “Dude!”
 “What?” Sawyer looked baffled. “I’m just being a good friend, and if making out with Isobel will
make her feel better, I’m all in.”
Wes cuffed him across the back of the head again and gave me an apologetic smile on behalf of
his brother
“Thanks for the offer, Sawyer, but I’m not looking for a rebound—no matter what Anna thinks.”
Sawyer let out a long dramatic sigh and shrugged. “Okay, well, the offer is always there if you
need it.”
“Uh, thanks.” I thought he was joking, but he seemed completely serious. It was totally weird to
offer to be my rebound, but I actually believed him when he said he was doing it because he wanted
to be a good friend. Also, he seemed to have no problem kissing girls and it meaning nothing. He was
probably a good rebound option if I wanted one—and I didn’t.
“So, can we talk about something other than my miserable love life?” I said, hoping to change the
topic before anyone else could make unhelpful suggestions for boys I should kiss.
“Uh, how about the new car you got?” Cress squealed. With everything that had happened this
morning, I’d almost forgotten about the car.
“You got a new car?”
“What’d you get?”
“Can I drive it?”
Wes, Anna, and Sawyer all seemed to be talking at once. They were far more excited than I was
about the car, and I worried I was going to sound ungrateful if I didn’t match their enthusiasm.
“Yes, I got a new car. No idea what kind it is. And no, Sawyer, you can’t drive it,” I answered
everyone in turn.
“You’re no fun,” Sawyer grumbled.
“How do you not know what it is?” Anna asked.
“My dad just got it for me, and I haven’t seen it yet.” I wasn’t in a rush to go looking for it out in
the parking lot. It wasn’t like I planned to drive it.
They all started guessing what type of car it might be, but I stopped listening because Noah
entered the cafeteria.
My heart leaped to my throat and lodged itself there, making it impossible to breathe. He usually
looked so impossibly handsome, but this morning, he looked like hell—worse even than when I’d
seen him on our run. The circles ringing his eyes seemed to have grown darker, and it made me
wonder if he was suffering as much as I was with our breakup—not that I should be concerned by
that. He’d made this decision for us. This was what he wanted. He shouldn’t get an ounce of sympathy
from me.
He didn’t look my way as he walked over to his usual table. He didn’t even try to sneak a glance.
He seemed resolute to pretend I didn’t exist, and as much as I didn’t want that to hurt, it did. I’d gotten
used to him sending me subtle smiles, to seeing his face light up whenever we were in the same room,
and it was painful to know those stolen moments were gone forever.
As if it wasn’t hard enough to see him again, I had to watch as Veronica went bounding over to
him. Her whole face brightened as she started chatting to Noah, but he’d turned away so I couldn’t see
his response. He’d told me plenty of times he wasn’t interested in Veronica, but it was hard to see him
with her after they’d attended the ball together on Saturday night.
I felt a hand at my shoulder. Wes was waiting at my side. “Hey, I was wondering if you could help
me with one of our econ problems before classes started for the day?”
“Oh, ah, sure.” I shot him a grateful smile before turning to the others. “I’ll catch you guys later.”
 I happily hurried from the dining hall and followed Wes outside. Although it hadn’t rained on my
run, there were still dark clouds overheard and the air was heavy with moisture. Wes sat down at one
of the benches, and I took in a deep breath of the fresh morning air as I went to join him.
“Just so you know, I don’t actually want you to help with the homework,” he said. “It just looked
like you really wanted to get out of there.”
“Thanks,” I murmured. “Seeing Noah was harder than I was expecting. I wasn’t prepared for what
it would feel like to be ignored by him.”
“Noah’s an idiot,” he murmured.
“I know. It doesn’t make it any easier though.” I let out a long sigh. “I’m going to have to get used
to seeing him every day, aren’t I?”
“Probably,” Wes agreed. “It will get easier though.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I hoped he was right. At least when Levi and I had broken up, I’d had the summer
without him, and I didn’t have to see him every day at school. I’d been devastated when we’d broken
up, and yet, despite the fact Noah and I had barely dated, this felt so much worse. People always said
time healed all wounds—but that didn’t mean you weren’t left with a deep scar.
 CHAPTER SEVEN

C lasses that morning were strange. Several students I’d never spoken to before came up to me to
say hi, and even one of the teachers I passed greeted me as Miss LaFleur. He wasn’t even my
teacher. Wes had predicted this on Saturday night. He said people were going to view me
differently now they knew who my father was. I couldn’t understand why it made a difference. I was
still the same person I’d been last week. It was crazy to think who your parents were could change
people’s whole perception of you.
The increased attention was only made harder when I still felt broken over Noah. I wanted to be
curled up in a corner somewhere—not trading fake smiles with people I had no interest in getting to
know.
While students I didn’t know were suddenly interested in me, I assumed Noah’s friends would
start to ignore me now we were no longer together. But when I walked into math class, Luther didn’t
give me the opportunity to avoid them. I made my way toward a free desk at the front of the
classroom, but Luther grabbed my arm and dragged me to the back of the room before I had a chance
to pull out the chair.
“Sit, newbie,” Luther said, nodding at the free chair and returning to his desk right by it.
I slowly lowered myself into the seat. “I thought you wouldn’t want me to sit with you now Noah
and I aren’t together”
“You kidding, newbie? Math with you is practically the highlight of my week.”
I glanced at Kaden, trying to determine if Luther was joking. Kaden just gave an easy shrug.
“So, you get your kicks out of disrupting my learning?” I asked, focusing on Luther once more. He
tended to talk throughout every lesson, and it was a miracle I was managing to keep up with my math
homework.
He gave me a bright smile. “I happen to think I make your learning more enjoyable. We all know
you’re top of the class.”
“Except, I’m not. Even if I was, it would only be because I have to study my butt off outside of
class.”
“See?” he replied. “I’m a great influence.”
I rolled my eyes at him but laughed. Luther was absolutely terrible to sit by in class, but I was
secretly glad he still wanted to be friends.
As I sat with him and Kaden, I itched to ask them about how Noah was doing. Perhaps they had
some small insight into the inner workings of his mind. I couldn’t bring myself to ask though. Not
when I was trying to put the past behind me. If my interaction with Noah this morning was anything to
go by, he was struggling to cope as much as I was.
 “There’s going to be a party this Friday night at the boathouse,” Luther said. “You should come.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I immediately replied. Surely Noah would object to me being
there. Plus, I wasn’t stupid enough to willingly go to a small, intimate party where I’d have no choice
but to see him.
“It’s a great idea,” Luther replied. “Kaden and I both want to challenge you to a beer pong
rematch.”
I looked between the two of them. “So, you want to get me drunk?”
“I intend no such thing.” Given the way Luther’s eyes sparkled though, he was totally lying.
“I still think it’s a bad idea.”
Luther’s expression dimmed, and he let out a sigh. “Look, Noah’s got issues. I’m one of his best
friends, but even I know he can be a total stubborn idiot sometimes.”
“Whatever happened between you two, he’ll come round,” Kaden added.
I frowned as I looked between the two of them. “That’s why you’re still talking to me? Because
you think he’ll change his mind? Did he even tell you guys why he broke up with me?”
Luther shrugged. “He just said the two of you could never work because of your families, but I’m
a firm believer that love always finds a way.”
“And we’re still talking to you because we like you,” Kaden added with a soft smile.
“Yeah, you can’t get rid of us that easily even if you are a LaFleur.” Luther ruffled my hair with
his hand, and I swatted it away with a smile.
It was kind of awkward talking about Noah with his friends, but I was somewhat glad we’d
cleared the air, and that the boys still wanted to be friends with me despite my father’s surname.
I didn’t believe Noah would ever come around like the boys suggested. And I refused to devote
even the smallest crumb of hope to the idea. Hope like that was dangerous, and I’d wasted far too
much time hoping Levi would realize his mistake during my last breakup. No, my time was far better
served focusing on moving on—no matter what Luther or Kaden said.

NOAH DIDN’T corner me again that week at school. Not like he had at the garden party or on our
run. That didn’t mean it was easy when I saw him. He didn’t speak to me, and yet he was always
around. Every meal he was in the dining hall, and it felt like I was constantly passing him in the
corridors. Even in the class we shared, he continued to sit behind me. He made every minute of that
class a living hell because all I could concentrate on was the feel of his eyes against the back of my
neck.
I wanted to pretend he didn’t exist. But Noah was almost impossible to ignore even when he
didn’t say a word. It was hardly surprising. Noah had always been difficult to turn a blind eye to even
when we hadn’t been dating.
Despite the obvious distance between us, no one else mentioned our breakup to me after I spoke
with Luther and Kaden. I’d been so caught up in all the attention I’d received because of my father
that it took me a while to realize that no one seemed to be gossiping about the fact Noah and I were
over.
I'd told my friends and Noah had told his, but it seemed that was as far as the news had travelled.
I did overhear a couple of girls speculating about it in the locker room after PE on Tuesday though.
“Do you think something’s up with Noah and Isobel?” one girl said, drawing my attention.
“Yeah, Noah’s always sending her those dreamy little smiles of his,” another girl replied. “He
didn’t even talk to her in class today though, and no one’s seen them together since the ball on
Saturday night.”
The girls were standing on the other side of the lockers, so I couldn’t see who was speaking, and
their voices weren’t familiar.
“You’d think the fact she’s a LaFleur would only cement the relationship,” the first girl said.
“Really? I heard their families are like total rivals...”
I’d heard enough and quickly grabbed my bag and rushed from the room. It was one thing to know
people were gossiping about you, but another thing entirely to have to overhear it.
Cress and Anna were waiting outside the locker room for me, and they frowned when they caught
my expression.
“Everything okay?” Cress asked.
I shrugged. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
My friends had been so supportive of me since the breakup, and I really didn’t want to off-load
my problems on them again. I should have known people would start to theorize about Noah and I
when we weren’t being seen together. And it’s not like the girls had said anything malicious. If
anything, they’d simply stated the facts.
“You sure?” Anna asked.
“Positive.”
Those two girls were just the beginning, and as the week wore on, I overheard more and more
whispers from people wondering if Noah and I were still together. One girl was even brazen enough
to ask me outright.
“What’s the deal with you and Noah?” she said as I made my way to English on Thursday
morning.
I cleared my throat. “Excuse me?”
“You and Noah. What’s happening with you two?”
Her friends standing behind her started to giggle, and I folded my arms, clutching my laptop to my
chest. The girl looked too young to be in my year, and I got the impression she was asking me just to
impress her friends.
“Look, I don’t know you, and my relationship is really none of your business.” I wasn’t trying to
avoid the fact Noah and I were over; I just didn’t particularly want to have to talk about it with some
kid who was trying to be a smart-ass.
“So, does that mean you’re broken up?” She continued to pry.
“It means I’m late to English.” I walked off before the girl could hound me any further because she
looked ready to fire more questions at me. Thankfully, I was right by the classroom, and I escaped
inside before she could respond.
I was more than ready for this school week to be over, and I collapsed into the free chair beside
Cress. “I swear, some people have zero boundaries in this place,” I complained.
“Mmm.” Cress murmured a sound of agreement though she didn’t look up from her phone, so I
wasn’t sure she’d actually heard me. It looked like she was trying to draft a message, but whenever
she wrote something, she deleted it right away.
“What’s up?” I asked.
She let out a sigh and placed her phone down on the desk as she looked up at me. “I was supposed
to go to a social committee meeting about the Halloween carnival this morning, but it was so damn
early, and I arrived late. I swear, no one should ever have to arrive anywhere at 7:00 A.M. It’s so
uncivilized.”
 I frowned because it didn’t explain why she seemed so bothered. It wasn't exactly unusual for
Cress to arrive late to something. “Are you in trouble about it or something?”
“No.” She sighed. “If only.”
“So, why do you look so down?”
“Because they were assigning booths for each club to run at the carnival, and because I was late,
all the good ones were taken.”
“Shit.”
“I know.” She nodded. “Not only that, but the cheerleaders got the booth we wanted. The girls on
my dance squad are going to be so disappointed.”
“Surely, it’s not that bad. What did you get stuck with?”
“The kissing booth.” She gave such an exaggerated shudder I couldn’t help but laugh.
“That sounds okay.” I tried my best to sound convincing.
“Not when you realize that anyone can buy a token for a kiss. It’s the worst booth in the fair...”
“Oh, yeah, that does suck.” I was suddenly grateful I hadn’t joined any clubs at school.
“Tell me about it,” she said. “Quite a few of the girls on the squad have boyfriends too, so I think
I’m going to struggle to find volunteers to man the booth.”
“Well, there’s always Anna. I’m sure she’d be more than happy to help you out.”
“Yeah, I’m sure she will.” Cress laughed, but her expression dimmed as she glanced down at her
phone once more. “I’m trying to figure out how to break the news to the squad. Everyone is asking in
the group chat what happened at the meeting.”
I shrugged. “I’d just be honest. Tell them the cheerleaders stole your booth and that they’re going
to need to pucker up.”
“I don’t think that’s going to make them feel any better about it.”
I smiled as an idea came to me. “Or, you could tell them you got stuck with the stand but you’re
going to change it to a kiss or scare booth. When people come up for their turn, they don’t know if
they’re getting a kiss or a scare from the girls.”
“Oh, I like that,” Cress said. “Definitely more fitting for Halloween. Maybe I’ll create some kind
of coin that can be flipped with kiss on one side and scare on the other so it’s a game of chance.”
“That would be so fun,” I agreed. “You could also get some cute guys to volunteer so the girls
wouldn’t have to do all the kissing.”
“Like who?”
“Well, a certain twin who loves kissing comes to mind.”
Cress looked thoughtful. “Yeah, I’m sure I can rope Sawyer into it.”
“I think it would be harder trying to keep him away.”
Cress giggled, her familiar bright smile fully restored. “Okay, I think this might go down better
with the team. I guess we’ll just have to convince a few other guys to help us out.”
She grew quiet as Veronica entered the room and took her usual seat in front of me. Veronica
slowly turned to Cress and flashed her a fake smile. “Sorry the dance team missed out on the photo
booth this morning. I know you girls were thinking about doing it, but I’m sure you can understand that
I didn’t have a choice. I was just doing what the cheer team wanted. They have all these ideas for
different backdrops, and I’d hate to disappoint them.”
Cress returned Veronica’s smile with one that was just as empty. “Oh, I understand,” she said.
“But you don’t need to worry, we’re pretty excited to be doing the kissing booth.”
“Seriously?” Veronica scoffed. “You can’t actually want to kiss all the losers who are going to be
lining up.”
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
lentonsa ja liukui liikkumatta alaspäin nopean vauhdin synnyttämän
ilmanhengen suhistessa sen jäykissä sulissa, litteä, julma pää
ojennettuna alaspäin ikäänkuin valmiina iskemään. Kiilan pitempi
sivu lyheni vähän, kun takanapäin lentävistä linnuista jotkut
levottomina vetäytyivät kumppaneitaan lähemmäksi. Mutta johtaja ja
muut vanhemmat linnut eivät kiinnittäneet uhkaukseen mitään
huomiota, käänsivät vain lennossaan vakaan, tarkkaavan katseen
ylöspäin.

Muutaman hetken perästä ja ilman näennäistä ponnistusta tuo

mainio rosvo kiiti joutsenparvesta edelle. Kahdessa minuutissa se oli
saavuttanut matkaavat hanhet. Hyökäten perimmäisen kimppuun se
tarttui tämän kurotettuun kaulaan voimakkailla kynsillään ja melkein
repi siltä kurkun auki. Mutta se oli liian raskas lintu ilmassa
kannatettavaksi, ja haukka, piestyään vimmatusti suvillaan hetken tai
pari, päästi sen, putoamaan. Siivet levällään se syöksyi alas tehden
useita kuperkeikkoja ilmassa, kunnes raskaalla ryskeellä saapui
tuuhean vanhan seetripuun latvaan. Iso haukka, vedettyään siipensä
puoleksi kokoon, putosi raskaana kuin kivi sen perässä ja tarttui
lujasti siihen kynsillään sinä hetkenä kun se kosketti puun oksia.
Taajaan hakaten siivillään se johti saaliinsa oksalle, missä saattoi
sitä rauhassa nauttia. Joutsenet lentäessään yli tuon
taistelunäyttämön tuijottivat alaspäin kylmäkiskoisin katsein.

Pian läpäistyään ruokoviljelysten, petäjäkankaiden ja

sypressisoiden vyöhykkeet ne lensivät yli Tennesseen vuorten
jylhien, luoksepääsemättömien harjanteiden ja joutuivat villien
vuoristolaisten pyssynkantaman piiriin. Kolme ne menettivät
parvestaan tällä vaarallisella taipaleella, mutta johtaja joudutti toiset
eteenpäin antamatta järjestyksen häiriytyä. Muutaman
silmänräpäyksen seisaus tuli kuitenkin, kun muuan voimakas lintu
lähellä kiilan kärkeä saatuaan kuolinhaavansa kamppaili vimmatusti
pysyäkseen matkassa. Vielä hetki, ja se syöksyi alas; rivi sulkeutui
jälleen.

Mutta nyt ei taivas joutsenten yläpuolella enää ollutkaan niin

säteilevän sininen, vaan useammin yksitoikkoisen harmaa tai
mustista, tuulenrepelemistä pilvistä synkkä. Lintuja kohtasivat jäiset
sadekuurot ja ne hillittömät myrskyt, jotka pyrkivät karkoittamaan
pohjolan arkailevan kevään ensi sanansaattajat. Virrat, jotka niiden
alapuolella kohisten kiiruhtivat eteenpäin, olivat kylmät ja tulvillaan,
liejusta sameat. Niin kauaksi, kuin silmä kantoi, ja vielä
etäämmällekin ulottui laajoja tasankoja, mutta ne olivat omituisen
täplikkäitä harmaista, sulavista lumikinosten jätteistä. Pian hävisivät
ruskeat, paljaat kohdat, ja kaikkialla oli vain lunta, valkoista, rajatonta
‒ siellä täällä vain sysimustia, vyöryviä vesiä jää- ja hirsilauttoineen
ja tummanvihreätä raivaamatonta kuusimetsää. Joutsenet tuskin
huomasivatkaan etäällä toisistaan olevia kaupunkeja, joiden yli
välistä lensivät, paitsi milloin oli ilta ja kaupunki suurenpuoleinen.
Silloin veti kauaksiheijastuva valomeri ne aina puoleensa, ja
nuoremmat linnut osoittivat halua laskeutua alas tutkimuksille, mutta
johtaja ehkäisi sen aina jyrkästi ja vei parvensa joskus entistä
korkeammalle.

Matkaten näin päivä päivältä yhä karumpia maita ja synkempää

taivasta kohti ne vihdoin saapuivat noille tuulensuojattomille,
uskomattoman alastomille kangasmaille, jotka ulottuvat pitkin
Hudson-lahden koillisrannikkoa. Sokaisevassa lumimyrskyssä ne
tulivat pienelle järvelle, joka oli muutaman penikulman päässä
merenrannasta ja joka oli ollut johtajajoutsenen päämääränä siitä
asti, kun oli lähdetty Floridan aurinkoisilta lahdekkeilta. Mutta se oli
liian rohkeasti ennättänyt hidastelevan kevään edelle, eikä tuo pieni
järvi vielä ollut avoinna.

Kierreltyään sen yläpuolella päästäen äänekkäitä pettymyksen

huutoja, joutsenet lensivät eteenpäin seuraten matalaa, vallatonta
virtaa, joka pulppusi esiin jään alta ja laski mutaisten, aaltojen
jäytämien jäälaikkojen keskelle, jotka reunustivat lahden rantamia.

Melkein kolmen viikon ajan parvi pysytteli koossa noilla

rantavesillä. Sen turvapaikkana oli kapea, matala lahti, jossa kokoon
ajautuneet jäälautat sitä jonkun verran suojasivat purevilta tuulilta.
Täällä oli ruokaa runsaasti, joten joutsenet jaksoivat hyvin, vaikka
rauhattomina odottelivat pesimismahdollisuutta.

Koska tuuli kävi rannalta poispäin, oli vesi kasautuneiden jäiden

takana kohtalaisen tyyntä. Täällä joutsenet nukkuivat keinuen hiljaa
laineilla. Täällä ne olivat enimmäkseen turvassa kaikilta vihollisilta.
Mutta eräänä yönä, kun tuo aavemainen, kalpea parvi nukkui
himmeänvarjoisilla vesillä, tuli toinenkin vaalea olento ääneti liikkuen
kuin savu veden reunalle ja pysähtyi sulloutuneiden jäälauttain
keskelle. Liikkumatta se silmäili nukkuvia joutsenia. Sitten vetäytyen
varovasti taaksepäin se laskeutui veteen noin viidenkymmenen
yardin [1 yardi = 0,914 m. Suom.] päässä, ui rannasta ulommaksi
ehkä toiset viisikymmentä yardia ja lähestyi nukkujia mereltä päin,
siltä puolelta, mistä nämä vähimmin odottivat hyökkäystä. Uiden niin
syvällä, että vain terävä musta kuono näkyi vedenpinnan yläpuolella,
tuo vaaniva olento pääsi arvaamatta, varoituksetta joutsenten likelle.
Kohoten nyt puolella pituudellaan vedestä esille se tarttui yhtä
nukkujista niskaan ja tappoi sen yhdellä ainoalla murhaavalla
ravistuksella.
 Silmänräpäyksessä joutsenlauma oli täysin hereillä ja lennähti
ilmaan päästäen hurjia säikähdyskirkaisuja, sillä välin kun iso
valkoinen karhu roiski rantaan päin voittosaaliineen. Joutsenet
lensivät ulos merelle, kohosivat huimaavaan korkeuteen ja kiertelivät
melkein tunnin kalpeassa aamuhämärässä, ennenkuin taas
tyyntyivät. Sitten ne äänettöminä laskeutuivat jälleen maahan joka
silmä valppaana ja asettuivat uudelleen lahdelle parinsadan yardin
päähän vanhalta lepopaikaltaan. Vielä puolisen tuntia ne
uiskentelivat pää pystyssä tarkastellen joka jäälauttaa, jokaisen
loiskivan aaltosen harjaa. Tämän jälkeen, niin kauan kuin parvi
pysytteli yhdessä, se ei koskaan nukkunut, jollei valvomassa ollut
joku uneton vahti.

Noin viikkoa myöhemmin tapahtui muutos ‒ muutos niin äkillinen,

että se yhdessä yössä karkoitti kaikki talven jäätävät voimat. Kevät,
niin kauan kahlehdittu, tuli kuin lempeä, vieno tuulahdus. Eivät enää
tuulet ulvoneet ja aallot raivonneet ulkokareilla, vaan lauhat
tuulenhenget toivat lionneen sammaleen tuoksua, ja aavat, hiljaiset
vedet kimaltelivat aution, mutta tyvenen taivaan alla. Pitkiä,
pilvettömiä päiväkausia aurinko tuhlaillen loi valoaan, lumi pakeni
kuin haihtuva usva, ja jää murtui hopeahelähteisin ryskein ja
soinnuin vaipuen jälleen aaltoihin, jotka sen olivat synnyttäneetkin.
Vihreä, korkea, hento, sanomattoman hellä humaus pyyhkäisi
yhtenä päivänä yli rajattomien, autioiden suomaiden. Vielä päivä, ja
tuo vihreys kimalteli täynnä kukkia.

Joutsenparvi oli heti hajaantunut lentäen parittain yksinäisiin

pesimäpaikkoihinsa. Johtajalla ja sen kumppanilla ei ollut pitkää
matkaa kuljettavana, sillä niiden piilopaikka oli jo katsottuna. Useita
vuosia ne olivat pitäneet hallussaan pientä saarta läheisessä
järvessä, minkä soiset rannat tarjosivat niille turvan enimmiltä
vihollisilta. Talven tuulet tietysti aina tuhosivat niiden pesän, mutta ne
ryhtyivät mielellään uutta rakentamaan.

Pikku saari ei ollut kuin kourallinen sammalta ja pajupensaikkoa,

joka oli tarttunut rosoiseen kariin, ja kohosi vain jalan verran
järvenpintaa ylemmäksi. Joutsenpari työskenteli yhdessä ‒ komea
koiras yhtä uutterana urakassaan kuin kumppaninsakin ‒ ja kokosi
kuivia risuja ja oksia kaikkialta järven rannoilta laahaten ne väkevillä
nokillaan esille rämeistä, minne myrsky ne oli ajanut. Ne kutoivat
lujan perustuksen ja rakensivat pesän kolmatta jalkaa korkean, jotta
sen kallisarvoinen sisällys säilyisi kaikilta tulvavesiltä.

Tuskin oli pesä valmis, kun jo emälintu alkoi munia sisustaen

samalla pesän runsaasti untuvilla. Munat olivat suuria,
tummanvärisiä, hyvinkin kaksitoista tuumaa ympärimitaten
pitemmältä puolelta, pinta himmeän säämiskän kaltaista. Kun niitä oli
kuusi, joutsenilla tavallinen määrä, alkoi se hautoa.

Tähän pitkälliseen, vaivaloiseen työhön ei koiraslintu ottanut osaa.

Tämä ei kuitenkaan johtunut sen puuttuvasta harrastuksesta.
Lakkaamatta se oli vieressä valvomassa ja aina uskollinen
huomaavaisuudessaan kovasti puuhaavaa kumppaniaan kohtaan.
Koskaan se ei ruokaretkilläänkään eksynyt pesästä kauas. Aina, kun
emälintu tuli syömään, pysytteli toinen pesän vieressä munia
vartioimassa. Jos silloin jokin utelias lokki ohilentäessään ahnaasti
tähysti pesän houkuttelevia palloja, kohotti joutsen uhkaavana
siipiänsä ja hätyytti sen pois vimmatulla, sotaisella rähinällä.

Viikon, parin aikana tämä lakkaamaton vartioiminen ei kuitenkaan

kysynyt muuta kuin kärsivällisyyttä. Mikään todellinen vaara ei
uhannut. Suolla, noin puolen penikulman päässä, pesi pariskunta
pohjolan suuria harmaan ja valkean kirjavia tunturipöllöjä, melkein
kotkan kokoisia ja paljon julmempia. Näitä kamalia rosvoja ei
joutsenten pesä kuitenkaan toistaiseksi vetänyt puoleensa. Ne eivät
kuten lokit himoinneet munia, ja vain kalvavin nälkä olisi kyennyt
ajamaan ne voimainkoetteluun saaripesän varjelijoiden mahtavien
siipien ja nokkien kanssa. Kun munista kehittyisi joutsenenpoikasia,
silloin kenties pesä alkaisi miellyttää pöllöjäkin; toistaiseksi ne eivät
koskaan tulleet kyllin lähelle houkutellakseen edes varoitushuutoa
valppaalta vartijalta.

Paitsi pöllöjä tuolla suolla eleli kärppiä, muutama näätä ja

runsaasti pohjoisessa eläviä pieniä sinikettuja sekä jokunen isompaa
ja paljoa vaarallisempaa punaista ketturotua. Mutta mikään näistä ei
päässyt pesälle muutoin kuin uiden, ja joutsenet tiesivät, ettei näistä
pedoista ainoakaan, jollei kenties jokin kovin uskalikko punainen
kettu, huolisi lähestyä saarta, niin kauan kuin jompikumpi sen
haltijoista oli lähettyvillä. Susia ei tarvinnut pelätä, sillä ne inhosivat
näitä järven puoleksi uiskentelevia rantamia ja olivat sitäpaitsi
seuranneet kulkuriporon jälkiä kaukaisille seuduille. Iso harmaa ilves
tosin näkyi silloin tällöin varovasti hiiviskelemässä suon kuivempia
kohtia, ja joskus se pysähtyi nälkäisenä veden yli kiiluilemaan pesän
juhlallista valkoista vartijaa. Mutta joutsenet tiesivät, että tähän
vuodenaikaan, kun riistaa oli runsaasti, ei ilveksenkään ollut niin
nälkä, että kastelisi hyvin hoidettua turkkiaan saareen uimalla.

Mutta eräänä päivänä liukui yli suon, pysähdellen ja matalien

pensaitten takana piileskellen, kaunis, tummanruskea, uhkaavan
näköinen muukalainen. Se oli pitkä ja matala ruumiiltaan, taipuisa
kuin käärme, pää julma ja suippo. Se hiipi veden rannalle ja seisoi
siinä kiinteästi katsellen pesässään hautovaa emää.
 Pesän valpas varjelija ei koskaan ennen ollut nähnyt kiiltonäätää,
mutta se ymmärsi heti, että tämä oli vihollinen ja vaarallinenkin.
Levittäen mahtavat siipensä, alentaen ja kurottaen pitkää kaulaansa,
kunnes se oli samalla tasolla maan kanssa, sihisten kuin
höyryviemäri se kiersi pesän ympäri, kunnes pääsi kumppaninsa ja
noiden surmaa ennustavien silmien väliin. Veden reunassa se seisoi
komeana, hohtavana, lumivalkoisena. Tuokion aikaa nuo kaksi niin
erilaista vastustajaa seisoivat tarkastellen toisiaan välillään
parikymmentä yardia kirkasta vettä.

Kiiltonäädän ei ollut erittäin nälkä, mutta sillä oli, kuten tavallista,

halu surmata. Sen vitkastelu ei johtunut epäröimisestä, vaan
yksinkertaisesti siitä, että se ei ollut koskaan ennen nähnyt joutsenta,
ja ovelana se mittaili vastustajaansa joka puolelta ennen hyökkäystä.
Vihdoin se äänettömästi luiskahti veteen ja ui aika vauhtia saarta
kohden.

Tavallisissa oloissa joutsen ehkä mieluimmin olisi odottanut

hyökkäystä omalla kynnyksellään, mutta jokin äkillinen vaisto kehoitti
sitä ryhtymään otteluun sillä taistelukentällä, joka sille oli tutuin. Se
painui veteen sileästi kuin öljy ja liukui pitkin pintaa ilman
huomattavaa ponnistusta voimakkaiden räpyläinsä avulla paljoa
nopeammin kuin näätä. Mutta se ei purjehtinut suoraan vihollista
vastaan; päinvastoin näytti jälkimäisestä, kuin se aikoisi välttää
taistelua. Kaartaen se ui eteenpäin kuin epäröiden, miten menetellä
tällaisessa tapauksessa.

Näätä oli melkein sen rinnalla, kun se käännähti vinhasti kuin

salama ja kohoten ylös vedestä syöksyi suoraan uijan päätä kohti.
Uija sukelsi, mutta yllätettynä se ei ollut kyllin nopea, vaan sai
pyörryttävän iskun oikean silmän yläpuolelle linnun väkevästä
nokasta. Hetkeksi sokaistuneena siltä puolen se samalla yltyi
hurjaan vimmaan. Että pelkkä höyhenpukuinen rohkeni sitä
vastustaa, se oli uskomatonta. Näätä kohosi silmänräpäyksessä
pinnalle työntäen puolet vartalostaan vedestä esille ja ilkeästi
narskuttaen pitkillä valkoisilla hampaillaan. Mutta se joutui
käsittämättömään melskeeseen, jossa oli suunnattomia, ruhjovia
siipiä, piestyä vaahtoa, ennen kuulumatonta sähinää ja sokaisevia,
jäykkiä sulkia; eikä sen puolestaan onnistunut saada kuin muutamia
höyheniä murhaavien leukainsa väliin. Hämmentyneenä ja
tukehtumaisillaan se vaipui takaisin suu höyheniä täynnä. Kun se
vielä kerran sukelsi aikoen nousta pinnalle jossakin hyökkäykseen
soveliaammassa paikassa, kenties noin jalan verran pintaa
alempana, kävi sen niskaan kiinni teräksenkova leukapari. Joutsen
oli työntänyt pitkän käärmemäisen kaulansa veden alle kuin
etsiäkseen liljan juuria ja saatuaan lujasti kiinni vihollisestaan puisteli
sitä kuin rakki vanhaa kenkää. Sen kaula ja nokka olivat erinomaisen
sopivat tähän työhön, sillä liljan juuret ovat sitkeät ja vaativat
pontevaa nykimistä.

Maissa tämä temppu olisi tietenkin heti ollut linnun häviö. Ketterä,
jäntevä näätä olisi kääntynyt ympäri ja käynyt hampain kiinni
vastustajansa kurkkuun, jolloin taistelu olisi ollut lopussa. Mutta
täällä vedessä se ei saanut mitään tukea, minkä varassa ponnistaisi.
Se ei voinut muuta kuin potkia hyödyttömässä raivossaan. Sitäpaitsi,
tottumattomana kamppailemaan veden alla, se tahtomattaan avasi
suunsa ja samassa tunsi alkavansa tukehtua. Jos joutsen nyt
todellakin olisi ymmärtänyt asemansa edullisuuden, olisi se ilman
muuta voinut hukuttaa ahdistajansa ja näin vapauttaa erämaan
yhdestä sen pahimpia vitsauksia. Mutta vimmastunut lintu, joka ei
itse tuntenut mitään vastenmielisyyttä pitäessään päätään useita
minuutteja yhteen menoon veden alla, ei osannut aavistaa, että
sellainen koe olisi sen viholliselle ollut kuolettava. Se hellitti hetken
perästä kauhean otteensa ja jäi keveästi peräytyen odottamaan
hyökkääjän uutta ilmestymistä veden pinnalle, torjuakseen sen
uusilla iskuilla suurista siivistään, joihin se alati turvasi.

Tavallisesti kiiltonäätä on viimeinen peräytymään tai masentumaan

minkään rangaistuksen uhatessa. Mutta tällainen kuritus oli niin
salaperäistä, niin aavistamatonta, että täksi kerraksi se tuntui
muuttuneen koko luonnoltaan. Muuten on hyvin luultavaa, että oikein
perinpohjainen upotus jäähdyttäisi sarvikuononkin taisteluinnon. Niin
ainakin kävi näädän. Vaikka sen keuhkot olivat halkeamaisillaan ja
silmissä iski tulta, ymmärsi se heti, kun puserrus niskasta heltisi,
jäädä vielä muutamaksi sekunniksi veden alle uiden samalla
epätoivoisesti omaa rantaansa kohden. Kun sen vihdoin täytyi
nostaa päänsä pinnalle, oli se enää muutaman jalan päässä
rantapensaista, mutta sen vastustaja oli myös siellä. Nielaisten
keuhkojen täydeltä ilmaa, jonka puutteessa se oli menehtyä, se
sukelsi uudelleen ja tällä kertaa niin syvälle kuin suinkin pääsi,
pelastuen kuin ihmeen kautta, kun sen voittaja taas nuolennopeasti
tavoitti sitä nokallaan. Vasta päästyään suojaavien juurten ja
runkojen keskelle se rohkeni kohota jälleen, mutta silloinkin vain
huomaamatta madellakseen niiden välitse, kunnes oli ehtinyt hyvät
kaksikymmentä askelta veden rajasta. Sitten se pysähtymättä luikki
tiehensä miettimään tätä tilannetta, eikä sitä nolompi näätä ole
milloinkaan pitkin suota samoillut. Joutsen näki vilaukselta näädän
pakenevan, kajahutti erämaan yksinäisyydessä ilmoille raikuvan
voitonriemunsa ja ui ylpeänä takaisin pesälleen.

Kun nuo viisi kärsivälliselle emolle pesässään niin pitkäksi

käynyttä hautomisviikkoa lähenivät loppuaan, tuli kangasmaille
ennenkuulumaton kuivuudenaika. Lukuisat vesisuonet, jotka
muulloin huuhtoivat suota, kuivuivat niin peräti, etteivät pitkäikäiset
joutsenet muistaneet sellaista koskaan ennen sattuneen.
Pitkällisessä varjottomassa päivänpaisteessa järvi kutistui
uskomattomasti. Viimein, pesän varjelijain mielipahaksi niiden saari
lakkasi olemasta oikea saari. Kallioryhmä, joka sen muodosti, kohosi
niin korkealle vedestä, että ilmestyi kapeaharjainen kari, joka yhdisti
sen rantaan. Se ei ollut kuin jakso toisistaan etäällä olevia,
epävarmoja astuinkiviä, joita hienoinkin vedenväreily huuhteli, mutta
se riitti valmistamaan kyllin taitavalle kulkijalle kuivan pääsön
saareen. Joutsenet katselivat sitä yhä levottomampina.

Vihdoin koitti se päivä, jolloin kärsivällinen hautoja kuuli liikettä ja

naputusta ja vienoa ääntä kuudesta kallisarvoisesta munasia
rintansa alla. Kerran toisensa perästä se painoi päänsä niiden
sekaan kuunnellakseen lumoutuneena tai vastatakseen pehmeillä,
rohkaisevilla kurkkuäänillä. Kumppanikin lähestyi pesää unohtaen
syömisensä, mutta aina muistaen pitää säihkyvin katsein silmällä
rannalle vievää karia.

Pian yksi pienoisista joutsenenpoikasista, jaettuaan kuoren

kahteen puoliskoon teräväkärkisen nokkansa säännöllisillä iskuilla,
työnsi ylemmän puoliskon pois, ikäänkuin se olisi ollut vain kansi, ja
kieri ulos ihan märkänä emonsa kuumaa, alastonta rintaa vasten.
Emo työnsi kuoren puolikkaat sisätysten, jotteivät veisi niin paljon
tilaa, ja vähän myöhemmin heitti ne ulos pesästä, etteivät painuisi
toisen munan päälle näin tukahuttaen sen asukkaan.

Pian jälleen kaksi pienokaista puhkaisi kuorensa melkein yhtaikaa.

Ihastunut emo oli nyt puoleksi seisaallaan jättääkseen kosteille
sätkyttäjille enemmän tilaa. Juuri tällöin muuan suuri harmaa ilves
kierrellen tavallista lähempänä veden rajaa huomasi astumakivet ja
päätti kulkea niiden yli. Jo kauan se oli himoinnut näitä suuria
valkoisia lintuja.

Tavallisissa oloissa ei joutsenista väkevinkään kykene

mittelemään voimiaan ilveksen kanssa, vaan joutuu poikkeuksetta
tuon julman, voimakkaan pedon avuttomaksi saaliiksi. Mutta usein
villieläimet, poikasiaan puolustaessaan, osoittavat sellaista kykyä ja
urheutta, josta tavallisina aikoina ei osaa uneksiakaan. Silloin ne
ovat täysin välinpitämättömiä kaikista vaaroista, ja tällainen mieliala
saa usein aikaan mahdottomiakin. Sitäpaitsi on toista puolustaa
siltaa kuin taistella aukealla.

Ei kumpikaan joutsen ollut hetkeäkään epätietoinen siitä, että

tässä oli kuolemanvaara. Ne tunsivat ilveksen tavat. Emälintu nousi
seisomaan muniensa ja poikastensa keskeltä ja astui varovasti
pesästä sähisten ja lyöden siivillään. Molemmat linnut ymmärsivät
olla hyökkäämättä tämän vihollisen kimppuun maalla tai vesillä.
Päästäen raivoisia huutoja ne kohosivat vaivaloisesti ilmaan.

Ilves oli saavuttanut astumakivistä toisen, terävän ja kapean, ja

pysytteli sen päällä ennenkuin loikkaisi seuraavalle, varovaisena
kuin kotikissa, joka pelkää kastelevansa jalkansa. Juuri kun se
valmistautui hyppyyn, iski koirasjoutsen sitä raskaasti päähän, niin
että se oli vähällä menettää tasapainonsa. Sen etukäpälät ja
viiksinen kuono tosin painuivatkin veteen, mutta vahvat, hyppyä
varten sovitetut takakynnet pitivät kalliosta kiinni. Kiukkuisesti sylkien
ja hämmästyneenä se kapusi entiseen asemaansa. Mutta
seuraavana hetkenä se oli niin ajattelematon ja ylen rohkea, että
nousi takajaloilleen ja tavoitti ahdistajaansa toivoen siten vetävänsä
sen ilmasta maahan. Juuri silloin, kun ilveksen tasapaino oli
epävarmin, heitti emälintu vaaraa uhmaten koko murskaavan
painonsa sitä kohti. Auttamattomasti ilves kierähti karilta ja joutsen
putosi sen mukana ja päällä, painuen syvälle veteen.

Tuokion verran ilves sokaistuneena kynsi joutsenta repien siitä irti

vahvoja valkoisia sulkia ja viiltäen ammottavia haavoja sen rintaan ja
reiteen. Mutta tätä kesti vain lyhyen hetken. Nolattuna ja
tukehtumaisillaan se hellitti otteensa ja pulikoi pinnalle. Sen
ryömiessä ylös karille molemmat linnut olivat heti jälleen sen
kimpussa. Mutta ilveksessä ei enää ollut rahtuakaan taistelunhalua.
Sen ei ollut ensinkään nälkä, eikä se välittänyt joutsenista, vaan
tahtoi päästä johonkin päivänpaisteiseen, rauhalliseen paikkaan
itseään kuivaamaan. Äänekkäästi sylkien, pää kyyryssä olkain
välissä, korvat luimussa, hännän töpö lujasti painettuna pörröisten
koipien väliin se pakeni häpeällisesti oikeasta siipien, nokkain ja
kirkumisten helvetistä.

Kun ilves lopulta ei enää ollut saavutettavissa, oikaisivat

molemmat joutsenet itsensä täyteen pituuteensa, levittivät siipensä
mahdollisimman laajalle ja toitottivat käheän varoituksen kaikille
rauhanhäiritsijöille. Sitten ne kiiruhtivat takaisin pesälle, jota osasivat
niin hyvin varjella. Emälintu, nähtävästi tuntematta haavojaan, ryhtyi
jälleen hautomiseensa pehmeästi kurnutellen kuoriville pienokaisille,
kun taas koiraslintu tyynenä, kuin ei mitään tavallisuudesta
poikkeavaa olisi tapahtunut tai koskaan saattaisi tapahtua, asettui
puhdistelemaan sotkeutunutta, lumihohteista höyhenpukuaan.

Meren tiikeri.
 Halki laajojen, hiljaisten punavihreiden maininkien, joiden harjaa
lempeä tuulenhenki heikosti väreilytti, uiskenteli emovalas
tyytyväisenä poikasen pysytellessä aivan vieressä. Vähän väliä
pikku valas hankasi itseään emoa vastaan ikäänkuin arkaillen noita
valtameren aavoja ja vaarallisia ulapoita ja etsien suojaa emon
lyhyen, voimallisen pyrstön takaa. Ja vähän väliä emovalas, joka on
villin luonnon huolellisimpia ja uutterimpia äitejä, veti poikasensa
isolla pyrstöllä hyväillen kylkeänsä vasten tai kääntyen puoleksi
ympäri kosketti sitä kysyvästi suunnattomalla pyöristetyllä
kuonollaan.

Tämä iso miekkavalas eli "murhavalas", joksi joku merimies tai

kalastaja, joka olisi sen sattunut näkemään, olisi sitä nimittänyt, oli
hyvinkin yhdeksäntoista tai kaksikymmentä jalkaa pitkä. Sen olisi
kaikista muista valas- ja pyöriäissuvun jäsenistä heti voinut erottaa
suunnattoman selkäevän nojalla, joka ei ollut paljoa alle viiden jalan
korkuinen ja kohosi suorana sen leveästä, mahtavasta mustasta
selkäkaarteesta, ja lisäksi oli sillä tuntomerkkeinä kaksi hyvin
huomattavaa valkoista juovaa mustassa kyljessä ja selväpiirteisenä
näkyvä, kellahtava maha sen laiskasti vieriessä aallokon rinteellä.
Nämä kaikki olivat vaaran merkkejä, jotka olisivat panneet
asiantuntijan olemaan varuillaan.

Valaan poikasella ei ollut juuri syytä tuntea pelkoa, niin kauan kuin
se pysyi emon läheisyydessä. Sillä tämä valaista vinhavauhtisin ja
julmin ei pelännyt mitään muuta uivaa kuin jättiläisserkkuaan
potovalasta. Vaikka vain kahdenkymmenen jalan pituinen, saattoi se
pelkän vimmansa nojalla tehdä hengenvaarallisia hyökkäyksiä
suurta eli "oikeata" valasta vastaan, joka oli noin neljä kertaa sen
pituinen ja monin verroin kookkaampi. Ihmistä sen olisi ehkä ollut syy
peljätä, jos se olisi koskaan joutunut tämän mahtia kokemaan, mutta
kun se oli rasvasta köyhä, ei sen suku koskaan ollut houkutellut
ihmistä näin vaivaloiseen ja vaaralliseen pyydystämiseen. Haikaloja
tosin oli sen kokoisia tai siitä voiton viepiäkin, mutta ei ainoatakaan
sen vertaista julmuudessa, nopeudessa ja oveluudessa.
Huolettoman tyytyväisenä se siis uiskenteli pitkin suloista, rauhallista
merta, välittämättä hyrskyistä keltaisten kallioiden ympärillä oikealla
puolella tai valtameren tyhjistä avaruuksista vasemmalla. Mikäli
aikaa jäi poikasen lapsellisen sulon tarkkaamiselta, sen se käytti
tähystelläkseen läpikuultavaan syvyyteen allaan; siellä piileskeli
suuria mustekaloja ja muita velttoja merenpohjalla eleskeleviä kaloja,
joita sen oli tapana saaliikseen pyydystää.

Äkkiä se sukelsi päästämättä muuta ääntä kuin kovan, imemistä

muistuttavan kohinan, kun vedet sulkeutuivat sen yli. Kaukana
alhaalla hämärässä se oli havainnut kalpean, sätkivän olennon. Se
oli meripolyyppi, joka älyttömästi oli jättänyt tavallisen kotinsa
pohjakallioiden välissä ja lähtenyt etsimään uusia ruokamaita.
Ennenkuin se ehti yrittääkään paeta, joutui se surmaajan suurten
leukojen vangiksi. Hetken aikaa sen kahdeksan pitkää tuntosarvea
kiemurteli epätoivoisesti tavoitellen vangitsijansa huulia. Sitten ne
hävisivät yhdellä nielaisulla sisään vedettyinä. Tämän jälkeen valas
ui rauhallisesti takaisin päivänpaisteiselle pinnalle, kohdaten
puolitiessä levottoman poikasensa, joka ei ollut kyennyt kyllin
nopeasti seuraamaan emoa tämän salamantapaisessa
sukelluksessa. Emo ei ollut viipynyt kahta minuuttia poissa eikä
hetkeäkään näkymättömissä, mutta pienokaisen vaisto varoitti sitä,
että lempeä sininen alkuaine, missä se asui, oli vaaroja täynnä.

Meripolyyppi, vaikka isoa lajia, oli ollut vain suupala suurelle

tappajalle, vain kiihoitin sen suunnattomalle ruokahalulle. Se matkasi
nyt eteenpäin tutkien tarkemmalla silmällä syvyyksiä. Silloin veden
syvä sinivihreä väri alkoi vaihtua vaaleammaksi kirkkaanviheriäksi,
missä rivi vasta muodostuvia kareja kohosi noin kolmenkymmenen
jalan päähän veden pinnasta ja hohti auringossa. Tässä makasi
päivää paistattamassa leveä, litteä, yökköä muistuttava olento, jonka
siipievät olivat yhteensä kaksitoista jalkaa pitkät ja häntä kuin piiska.
Sen kylmät, liikkumattomat silmät tuijottivat ylöspäin ja huomasivat
surmaajan ruumiin hitaasti pintaa halkomassa. Tuskin huomattavasti
liikauttaen mustia siipiään se luiskahti karilta ja sukelsi turvaa etsien
syvyyksiin.

Mutta tuo jättiläismäinen rauskukala ei ollut osannut kyllin nopeasti

ja liukkaasti välttää vihollisensa silmää. Taas valas sukelsi
välittämättä liikkua ääneti tällä kertaa, ja niin nopeasti se meni, että
sen leveät suoraan ylöspäin kohoavat evät piestessään vettä
synnyttivät äänen, joka kuului koko matkan rantaan asti. Valas painui
alas luotisuoraan. Rauskukala näki sen tulevan ja joutui kauhun
valtaan. Se ryntäsi sivulle ja kohta taas ylöspäin komeassa loivassa
kaaressa. Rajulla voimallaan se sinkautti koko tärisevän ruumiinsa
korkealle ilmaan, missä se kääntyi ja hetken roikkui mustana
lepattaen, ikäänkuin sen silmitön kauhu olisi ajanut sen valtaamaan
uuden alkuaineen. Hermostuneesta valaanpoikasesta se oli kamala
kummitus, joka peitti auringon. Mutta tämä kiivas retki ilmaan kesti
vain sekunnin tai pari ja oli yhtä turha kuin lyhytaikainen. Kun litteät
mustat siivet painuivat hurjasti läiskähtäen takaisin veteen, kohosi
takaa-ajava valas melkein niiden alta, tarttui niihin ja veti ne
syvyyteen. Siitä ei sukeutunut taistelua, rauskukala kun oli voimaton
mahtavan vastustajansa edessä ‒ vain lyhyen hetken sokea
vimmattu temmellys vaahtoavissa hyrskyissä ja sitten laajeneva
punainen jälki vihreässä meressä.
 Tämä oli täysin riittävä ateria sellaisellekin ruokahalulle kuin
valaan, ja monet hylätyt rippeet hajaantuivat ja painuivat ruuaksi
lukemattomille siivousta tekeville ravuille, jotka piileskelivät ruokojen
välissä ja vajonneiden karien onteloissa. Valas jäi noin puoleksi
tunniksi paikoilleen kieriskellen tyytyväisenä kirkkaassa vedessä
salakarin yläpuolella, hoidellen ja hyväillen pienokaistaan ja
sulatellen ateriaansa. Sitten se hitaasti jatkoi matkaansa, mutta
kaartaen rantaa kohden, kunnes ei ollut kuin noin puolen penikulman
päässä äkkijyrkkäin saarten ja rikkonaisten niemekkeiden ketjusta,
joka reunusti tätä vaarallista rannikkoa. Nyt oli ihan keskipäivä, ja
auringonvalo, jota ei pilvikään himmentänyt, langetessaan melkein
kohtisuoraan meren pintaan näytti pohjan olevan hämmästyttävän
kaukana. Noin puolivälissä tätä läpikuultavaa hohtoa uiskenteli suuri
mustekala kaikessa rauhassa. Sen kapea, suippeneva ruumis oli
noin kuuden jalan pituinen ja ehkä kaksitoista tai neljätoista tuumaa
poikkimitaten leveimmältä kohdaltaan, joka oli pää. Muodottomasta
päästä lähti, työntyen ulos melkein kuin lehdenvarret porkkanasta,
kimppu tuntosarvia, kymmenen luvultaan ja melkein ruumiinmittaisia.
Tuntosarvet samoin kuin ruumis olivat vaaleata, likaista
kellahtavanharmaata väriä ruskeaan menevine täplineen, jollainen
väri teki kalan melkein näkymättömäksi auringon läpitunkemassa
meressä. Mustekala eteni takaperoa ja suoritti liikettään, ei
tuntosarvillaan, vaan imemällä suuren määrän vettä laajaan
tuntosarvien alapuolella olevaan lihaksilla varustettuun säkkiin ja
työntämällä sen taas voimakkaasti ulos. Näytti siltä, kuin se
hengittäisi ilmaa, ja käyttäisi sitä puhaltaakseen itseään eteenpäin.

Valaan ei suinkaan ollut näin pian nälkä jättiläisrauskusta

saamansa juhla-aterian jälkeen, mutta niin mehevä pala kuin
mustekala oli kiusaus, jota ei voinut vastustaa. Liukkaasti
käännyttyään tuo suunnaton, mutta kaunismuotoinen musta ja
valkoinen olento ampui suoraan alaspäin välkkyvien vetten läpi.
Mutta ennenkuin se saavutti mustekalan, katsahti tämä ylöspäin ja
näki sen. Silmänräpäyksessä sen kymmenen notkeata tuntosarvea
kietoutui jäykäksi kimpuksi, joka ei tuottanut mitään esteitä sen
kululle eteenpäin, ja vaaleat kyljet vetäytyivät voimakkaasti
kouristuen kokoon työntäen ulos suuren määrän vettä, joka lennätti
sitä poispäin sellaista vauhtia kuin torpeedo olisi ammuttu
torvestaan; samalla se ruiskautti etenemissäkkinsä rauhasesta
suihkun mustemaista nestettä, mikä heti levisi suureksi mustaksi
pilveksi verhoten sen paon. Noin kätkettynä se muutti suuntansa ja
pakeni alaspäin syvää kalliopohjan halkeamaa kohti, missä vihollisen
leuat, kuten se tiesi, eivät sen kimppuun ulottuisi.

Valas hyökkäsi säikkymättä suoraan eteenpäin mustemaiseen

pilveen. Mutta jouduttuaan keskelle hämärää se kadotti kaikki jäljet
tavoittamastaan saaliista. Hetkiseksi se eksyi itsekin. Se heittelehti
sinne tänne vimmatusti rauskuttaen suunnattomia leukojaan, mutta
turhaan. Niiden väliin ei tullut muuta kuin tyhjää väritettyä vettä.
Vihdoin ja aivan odottamatta se pääsi mustasta kehästä ulos
läpikuultavaan viheriään ja katsahtaen ylöspäin näki näyn, mikä pani
sen hulluna syöksymään vedenpintaa kohti valtavien kylkien
meloessa huimaavia kaarteita. Sen vimmatuista iskuista kiehuivat
syvät vedet. Nuo iskut panivat syvyyden kiehumaan kuin
valtamerilaivan potkurien lyönneistä.

Valaanpoikanen oli lähtenyt seuraamaan emoaan syvyyksiin,

mutta oli säikähtänyt mustepilveä, jonne oli nähnyt emon häviävän.
Palattuaan hätääntyneenä pinnalle se uiskenteli ympäri levottomana
ja ilman päämäärää, kunnes äkkäsi harhailevan haikalan.
 Haikala tiesi kyllä hyvin, mikä se oli, ja tähysti ympärilleen,
näkyisikö missään emoa. Se ei tahtonut olla epäystävällinen
emävalaalle; mutta emää ei ollut näkyvissä. Se ei ymmärtänyt asian
oikeata laitaa; mutta sen oli raju nälkä ja tällainen tilaisuus oli aivan
vastustamaton. Se ryntäsi pikkuvalasta kohti ja kääntyi kyljelleen,
niin että lyijynkarvainen vatsa näkyi, tarttuakseen saaliiseensa.
Valaanpoikanen säikähti tummaa, kolmikulmaista, monihampaista
onkaloa, joka äkkiä ammotti sen edessä, luiskahti syrjään viime
hetkessä ja alkoi uida suuressa kaaressa sen kohdan ympärillä,
minne emo oli sukeltanut.

Taas haikala hyökkäsi, mutta sen täytyi kääntyä kyljelleen

saadakseen omituiset alapuolelta jäykät leukansa toimimaan, ja
valaanpojalla oli jo sukunsa notkeus. Taas hyökkäys epäonnistui.
Ennenkuin haikala ehti sen uudistaa, huomasi se emävalaan
kohoavan viheriästä syvyydestä. Vaikka haikala oli noin viisikolmatta
jalkaa pitkä ‒ runsaasti viisi jalkaa valasta pitempi ‒ kääntyi se
ympäri ja pakeni henkensä kaupalla.

Yksi ainoa silmäys selvitti emolle, että pienokainen oli

vahingoittumaton. Sitten se syöksähti ahdistajan jälkeen sellaista
vauhtia, että tämän pako oli aivan turha. Ennenkuin haikala oli
päässyt viidenkymmenen yardin päähän, oli valas sen kimpussa kita
ammollaan. Heittäytyen suonenvetoisesti sivulle haikalan onnistui
täpärästi väistää ensimäinen vastustamaton hyökkäys. Epätoivon
vimmalla se väänsi itsensä kiemuraksi ja puolittain kääntyen
kyljelleen pujahti vastustajansa mahan alle, johon kävi kiinni
kolmikulmaisilla leuoillaan. Mutta valas oli jo väistynyt, eikä haikalan
onnistunut saada lujaa otetta. Se tosin raastoi irti joukon nahkaa ja
rasvaa, mutta ei päässyt kiinni mihinkään hengenvaaralliseen
kohtaan, ja raivostunut murhavalas tuskin tunsikaan haavojaan.
Käännähtäen ympäri niin kiivaasti, että vaahtoa ja kuohua pärskähti
ilmaan, se sai haikalan pyrstön tyven suunnattomien leukainsa väliin.

Mitä tulee varsinaiseen taisteluun, niin tämä oli sen loppu. Useita
minuutteja kesti tuota jättiläistemmellystä, joka pieksi värjäytyneitä
vesiä yardien korkeuteen, mutta se oli vain toispuolista, kun
miekkavalas pudisteli ja murskasi ja repi henkeä irti voitetusta
vastustajastaan. Vihdoin se vetäytyi pois jättäen ruhjotun raadon
hitaasti painumaan syvyyksiin. Sitten se kahmaisi kiihtyneen
poikasen evänsä alle, imetti sitä ja ui hitaasti maata kohden saaria ja
rantaa tällä kohtaa erottavaan syvään salmeen, missä luuli
löytävänsä lisää noita meheviä mustekaloja korvaukseksi siitä, joka
niin arvaamatta oli välttänyt sen lähentelemiset.

Tuulenhenki, joka tähän asti oli saanut toimeen vain heikkoja

väreitä, kiihtyi nyt tasaiseksi viimaksi, vaikkei sekään jaksanut muuta
kuin tummentaa meren pinnan himmeän purppuraiseksi. Vapaana
kiitäen tuulen edellä pitkin rannikkoa tuli pieni purjealus, jonka ainoa
purje kimalteli valkoisena kirkkaassa päivänpaisteessa.

Pienessä aluksessa oli kaksi matkustajaa ‒ mies perässä poltellen

isoa orjantappuraista piippua ja silkkikarvainen ruskea vainukoira
kyyristyneenä maston juurelle. Tuollainen pähkinänkuori joutui tässä
kulkemaan pitkin vaarallista rannikkoa ja väylää, mutta mies oli
taitava purjehtimaan pienillä aluksilla ja tiesi, että matkalla siitä
satamasta, mistä oli lähtenyt, täältä noin viidentoista penikulman
päästä, siihen paikkaan, minne nyt oli menossa, kymmenkunnan
penikulmaa pohjoiseen päin, oli monta turvapaikkaa suojaksi
äkillisen itämyrskyn sattuessa. Nämä vedet olivat hänelle outoja,
mutta hänellä oli hyvä kartta, ja erityistä huvia tuotti hänelle
samoileminen pitkin tuntemattomia rantoja, ainoana toverinaan
uskollinen ja kaikkeen mukaantuva koiransa, joka aina oli hänen
kanssaan yhtä mieltä siitä, missä paikoissa olisi hauskinta käydä.

Mutta vaikka Gardner oli tottunut purjehtija, jolla oli tarkka silmä
huomaamaan kaikki säänmerkit ja herkkä vaisto tuntemaan
tuulenpuuskat ruorinvarresta tai purjeen jännityksestä, oli hän
luonnonhistoriaan vähemmän perehtynyt, kuin oli suotavaa
sellaiselle, joka piti asutettua merta urheilukenttänään. Hänen
käsityksensä valaiden suvusta ja niiden vaihtelevista luonteista
perustui siihen, mitä oli lukenut suuresta pelokkaasta valaanluu-
valaskalasta ja nähnyt iloisesta, vaarattomasta pyöriäisestä. Kun hän
nyt näki miekkavalaan kaarevan mustan selän ja kauhistavan pään
sen verkalleen kyntäessä aaltoja, ei hänen siis juolahtanut
mieleensäkään, että piti olla varuillaan. Jos hän olisi ollut tavallinen
kulkija näillä vesillä, olisi hän heti kääntänyt keulansa toiseen
suuntaan, jottei valas arvelisi hänen haluavan häiritä sen
yksinäisyyttä. Mutta näin ollen hän purjehti lähemmäksi nähdäkseen,
mikä kala tai peto tuo musta ja valkoinen olento oli, se kun ei
näkynyt olevan hänen lähestymisestään milläänkään.

Sivuuttaessaan sitä noin kahdeksankymmenen tai sadan yardin

matkalta Gardner sai äkkiä mielettömän päähänpiston. Tässähän on
hyvä tilaisuus ampua! Tuntematon peto olisi hauska saalis. Hän ei
pysähtynyt miettimään, mitä sille tekisi, jos todellakin saisi sen. Hän
ei huolinut myöskään ajatella, että hänen oli turha toivoakaan
kevyellä kiväärillään saavansa tuolle merihirviölle sen pahempaa
kuin tuskallisen haavan niiden rasvakerrosten läpi, jotka suojasivat
sen sisimpiä elimiä. Hän ei tiennyt sitäkään, että kuollut valaskala
painuu pohjaan, joten ei onnistuneinkaan laukaus tuottaisi hänelle
mitään palkintoa. Siinä oli kylliksi, että tappamisvietti oli saanut hänet
valtaansa.