Chapter Eight

This was a disaster.

He had a girlfriend. A girlfriend whose father had connections to his father, which meant their relationship wasn't just personal, it was political.

 A girlfriend who had already slapped me once and broken my father's necklace and was now apparently best friends with Mia.And somewhere in all of that, I had let him kiss me in a bathroom.

Twice, if you counted today.Three times if you counted the first kiss I hadn't been awake for.

I pulled the pillow off my face and looked at the ceiling again.I thought about Mom.

 She called every Sunday and asked how school was and I always said fine and she always said she was proud of me for pushing through. She didn't know about the bullying.

 Not the full extent of it. I kept it from her because she worried and because there was nothing she could do and because the last thing she needed after losing Dad was to also lose sleep over me.

What would she say about Isaac?

I already knew. 

She would panic.

 She would say the McCall family was too powerful and too dangerous for people like us. 

She would say that mate bond or not, boys like Isaac didn't end up with girls like me, not in any world that was good for the girls.

She would probably be right.

I turned onto my side and pulled my blanket up.Somewhere across the school, in one of the larger dorm rooms that the wealthier students used, Mia was probably plotting her next move.

 And Lydia was probably lying awake thinking about the way Isaac had looked at me across the classroom.

And Isaac was probably in his room too.I wondered what he was thinking about.I squeezed my eyes shut.Stop it, Charlotte.

I  forced myself to think about something else. Dad's necklace. The broken pieces of it that I still kept in the small box on my windowsill because I couldn't bear to throw them away. 

Maybe I could get it repaired over the holiday break. Find a jeweler who worked with silver.That was something practical. I tried my best to focus on that until sleep finally came.

****The party was at one of the off-campus houses that the wealthy students used for gatherings the school pretended not to know about. 

Everyone called it the Lake House even though there was no lake, just a wide backyard that backed onto the woods.

I hadn't planned to go.Kate had convinced me again. She had a way of doing that. She said it with such simple logic."You never go anywhere, Charlotte, you need one normal night".

And with that, arguing felt exhausting. 

So I borrowed a dark green dress from her that was slightly too long for me and I went.

The house was already packed when we arrived. Music thudded through the walls and spilled out into the cool night air. 

Students I recognized from class littered the front lawn with drinks in their hands.

I stayed close to Kate. It was nearly as if I wanted to latch onto her for dear life.We found a quiet spot near the kitchen where the music wasn't as loud and the crowd was thinner. 

Kate got us both drinks — juice, because I didn't drink — and we stood there watching the party move around us.

I was doing fine.

And then Isaac walked in.

He came through the front door with Lane and two other boys from the swim team. 

He had changed out of his uniform into dark jeans and a plain black shirt and he looked unfairly hot with his hair tousled and I hated that I noticed.

Lydia came in behind him, her hand immediately finding his arm.I looked away."He's so gorgeous," Kate said beside me, staring openly."Mm," I said, looking at my juice.

"Don't you think?"

“I haven't noticed."Kate gave me a sideways look that said she didn't believe me at all but she let it go.

An hour passed and I stood still where we'd been since. The party got louder.

 Kate got pulled into a conversation with some girls from her chemistry class and I drifted a little further toward the back of the house where it was quieter.

 I found a window seat in a small hallway and sat there with my juice and watched the night through the glass.I was thinking about leaving.

I should leave. I had done the normal night thing. I had come to the party. 

Kate would understand.I was about to go find her when I heard voices nearby. Around the corner of the hallway. 

I recognized one of them immediately.Mia.I pressed myself back against the window and held very still."Are you sure it works?" 

That was Eva's voice."I've seen it used before," Mia said. "One drop in his drink and he won't be able to control himself.

 He'll go to whoever his body is most drawn to."A pause."And you think that's you?" Lola asked."Of course it is." A short laugh sounded. 

"He's just been too stubborn to admit it.

 This will make him stop fighting it."I heard the soft sound of something being opened.My whole body went cold.

They were going to drug him!I pressed my hand over my mouth. I needed to warn him. I needed to get to him before they did.

 I slid off the window seat and moved carefully toward the main room, keeping to the wall, away from where Mia's voice had come from.

The main room was jampacked with bodies, drunk people and noise. I pushed through it, scanning every face, looking for Isaac.

I found him near the far end of the room, standing with Lane, holding a glass.

I started toward him. But I was too slow.I watched from ten feet away as Mia appeared at his side with a bright smile and said something to Lane that made him laugh. 

In the confusion of the moment and so fast I would have missed it if I hadn't been watching for it, her hand moved near his glass….Then she kissed him on the lip and moved away.

I  pushed the last few people aside, muttering quick apologies."Isaac!" He tipped his glass and took a sip.Same time, I grabbed his arm.He turned and looked down at me with surprise. Lydia, standing on his other side, went very still."Don't drink that," I said quietly.

He frowned. "What?""Just...." I glanced at Lydia and back at him. "Don't drink it. Please. I'll explain later."

"But it's already in mouth...." He murmured loudly and reached to touch his lips as if for confirmation. "Please. It might not...." I begged, frantically. "Just don't drink it."He looked at me for a second. 

Then he set the glass down on the table beside him without another word.Lydia's eyes moved from the glass to me to Isaac.

"What is she doing here?" she said, approaching us.I let go of his arm and stepped back. "Sorry. 

Enjoy your night."I turned and went to find Kate.My hands were still shaking when I found her."Can we go?" I asked.She took one look at my face and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

We were about to leave when I heard Lydia scream my name. "Hey, you! You bitch!" She hollered hotly and I felt the hair on my nape rise instantly. "Let's keep moving."

 Kate whispered when I began to still. "Just act like it could  be someone else."I did as she said but somehow I knew it was one of the worst ideas ever....And yes, it was.Lydia raced this time.

And when she caught up with me, we were already at the front of the building where everyone was gathered.

My heartbeat jumped way too high for a moment I thought I'd died.Lydia's strong pull twirled me and next thing, she was gripping me by the hair and pulling."It's you, huh?

 What did you say to Isaac?"I squeaked, a heartwrenching string of pain catapulting up my skull."Let go off me." I cried. "I'm so sorry."The whole gathering of both drunk and semi-sober students turned to look at us."Tell me! What the fuck did you say to him?"

 Lydia screamed like a wild hound and tears filled my eyes, knowing fully well that I had touched the worst side of her tonight. I needed someone, just anyone, to save me.

I was sure Lydia could do anything to me and go scott-freeAnd the first name that came to my mind....Isaac."Leave her alone." I heard a voice say through the blinding hot pain.Kate.