Chapter 11

 

Jacob

The moment Kenny’s voice cut through the silence in the dining hall, my stomach twisted.

“Where were you last night, Couz?”

 

I froze, and my hand tightened on the fork. He knew about me and Daniel.

I was right.

He was in the woods last night. The way he was looking at me… grinning from ear to ear like he’d figured out my biggest secret.

It made my skin itch.

 

“What are you talking about, K? I was in my room.” I tried to keep my voice steady, but the words came out sharper than I’d expected, but I maintained my composure.

This wasn’t the time to start shaking, or else he would see right through me, through the fake confidence I’d put up.

Kenny smiles, stabbing the peas on his plate with his fork. He stared at me like he was waiting for some answer. “You weren’t in your room last night. I came back but you weren’t there.”

 

My heart pounded so loudly, that I feared everyone in the hall would hear. “Fuck! No no no!”

Why did he have to come back? Why?

 

Pretended I didn’t hear and just continued with my meal. Daniel didn’t come to breakfast. His seat was empty, as was his friends.

 

“Were you in the woods last night?”

 

My throat suddenly went dry as I coughed out the food in my mouth out of shock. “W… why would…” I cleared my throat, trying to swallow the lump that was stuck in it. “Why would I be in the woods.” The words finally came out as I’d intended.

 

“Could’ve sworn I saw you and D…”

 

Dropped my fork faster than lightning and covered Kenny’s mouth before he said any more words. He kept kicking, raising both his hands to show that he wouldn’t say a word about the woods again.

 

l let him go but my lungs seized to produce air. Couldn’t breathe. It felt like the walls were closing in on me and Kenny’s smug didn’t help matters. He’d seen us.

 

Fuck!

 

Kenny laughed, shaking his head and I could see he was enjoying taunting me. “Come on Couz, you don’t have to keep things from me.”

 

I wanted to punch him hard in the face. To scream but I couldn’t because if I did, it would just make everything worse than it already is.

 

Managed to get up from my chair and walked away. It was the only thing left to do.

 

My body began trembling as soon as I left the dining hall.

 

Lunch was awful. Glad I’d escaped. Sat in class, surrounded by those judgy familiar faces but I couldn’t hear a word they spoke. All I could think about was Kenny. About Daniel. About how one wrong reckless move could ruin every single thing. The scholarship. What I have going on with Daniel. Not seeing Mr Richard ever again.

 

Someone was suddenly trying to make a conversation but I was barely responding. My eyes drifted to Daniel, sitting close to the window and just looking outside. He suddenly looked in my direction and I looked away immediately, my heart making weird sounds.

 

He started laughing at something Reggie said, completely unaware that our little secret could be out in the open any second from now.

 

I should tell him. But how?

 

If Kenny decides to talk. To tell everyone what he saw in the woods… what then? It wouldn’t be just a rumor anymore.

 

“The charity case caught locking lips with the prince of New York City.”

 

Found Daniel outside after class, he was leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone, and for a minute, I just stood there and watched him.

 

The way the first two buttons on his shirt were left open. The way his tongue moved over his lips.

 

He looked up to see me and I wanted to run back inside. He’d ignore me anyway like he always does. Turned to go back inside when he spoke.

 

“Hey.”

 

I turned to see him smiling.

 

The kind of smile that makes my chest ache. Every part of my body.

 

“Hey,” I replied, trying to sound normal.

 

Maybe Daniel knew me more than I thought he did. His beautiful smile suddenly fades. “Are you okay?”

 

The question had come as a shock. Daniel Cobbs was asking if I was okay. Never thought I’d leave to see this day.

 

Glanced around to make sure no one was coming before stepping close. “We need to talk.”

He nodded and followed me to a quiet spot just at the back of one of the buildings.

 

“Kenny knows,” I said, my voice shaking.

 

Daniel’s expression changed from confusion to what seemed like concern. “What are you talking about?”

 

“About us. The woods last night.” I tried to catch my breath. “He saw us.”

 

Daniel went still for a minute before speaking. “What!?”

 

He cornered me at lunch, asking questions.

 

Daniel let out a loud breath, running a hand through his hair and just walking around in circles. “Fuck! Fuck!”

 

We stood there in silence for a while, the weight of what might happen if Kenny decided to talk pressing down on us.

 

“What are we going to do,” I ask.

 

“Right now? We do nothing. I’ll take care of it.”

 

That was very reassuring. He was Daniel Cobbs after all, he could take care of everything. I exhaled before slumping down on the bench close to the wall.

 

The rest of the afternoon passed by very slowly.

 

Kenny would casually just walk past me every chance he got and my skin would itch. He didn’t say a word to me but the look he gave me was enough.

 

I tried so hard to focus in class but my mind had plans of its own. It kept circling the same question. “What if uncle jack finds out?”

 

A notification came on my phone. A text… from Uncle Jack.

 

“Fuck!”