Graduating (Covenant College Book 5) (11 page)

It took two days for the campus to reopen after the blizzard. Even then, more than half of the scheduled classes were cancelled because the professors were unable to make it to campus.

On Wednesday, caught in a lull, I found myself with nothing to do and questions on my mind. Unfortunately, there was only one person I could ask them of right now.

I was standing outside of Sam Blake’s second-floor office, my hand poised to knock, before I gave what I was doing a second thought. Once my hand hit the hard wood, it was too late to turn around.

I had some questions, and I needed some answers. He was my best shot right now.

“Come in.”

I pushed the door open, meeting Blake’s surprised countenance with an even stare as I hovered in the doorway. “Do you have a minute?”

“Office hours are posted,” he said. “Come back tomorrow.”

“I’m not here about class.”

Blake sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Then what are you here for?”

“I think you know.”

Blake motioned for me to enter. I shut the door behind me to ensure our privacy, and then settled into one of the open wingback chairs across from his desk.

Blake steepled his fingers together, resting his chin on top of them, and waited. He wanted me to make the first move. Since this wasn’t about a power play for a change, I acquiesced.

“What do you think about the bodies found on campus?”

“I think it’s a horrible tragedy.”

“Did you know I was the one who found them?”

“I’d heard rumors of that nature.”

He was being purposely distant. I guess I couldn’t blame him. “Did you know they were arranged in the form of a pentagram?”

Blake straightened. “That wasn’t made public.”

“I thought you had sources in the police department?”

“Those sources are being especially tight-lipped right now,” Blake said. “They don’t want to share information, not that I expected them to in this particular situation. What happened at the library is heinous.”

“And you didn’t do it, right?”

Blake balked. “Excuse me?”

“Hey, I have to ask,” I said. “You can’t be shocked.”

“Of course I didn’t do it,” Blake said. “I fight the monsters. I’m not one of them.”

“Your sister was a sadistic monster who got off on causing pain to others,” I said. “You protected her.”

“If you think I don’t know that Caitlyn had … limitations … then you’re wrong,” he said. “She was still my family, and now she’s … gone.”

“She was gone long before that night,” I said.

“Perhaps.”

“Why do you think the names of the victims haven’t been released?”

Blake mulled over the question. “Are we sure they haven’t been?”

“I’ve been watching,” I said. “I wanted to see if I knew any of them, even in passing. I wanted to know the specifics of each student, so hopefully we could narrow down how they were taken and why they were targeted.

“The problem is, there’s absolutely no information out there regarding the victims,” I continued. “No one is saying anything.”

“Maybe that’s an investigative tactic,” Blake suggested. “Maybe the police want it that way.”

“Maybe,” I agreed. “How can the police control the families, though? Even if they could get most of them to agree, there’s no way they could get all of them to agree. Why aren’t they out there on the news screaming for justice? It’s been weeks and … nothing. Something about this doesn’t fit.”

“And what do you think happened?”

“I think that someone – probably more than one someone – killed them and put them on display for everyone to see,” I said. “I think this is only the beginning.”

“And what do you think will follow?”

“Death.”

“Can you expand on that?”

“What always happens on this campus?” I asked. “This place is a Mecca for death and destruction. It breeds hate and animosity. Have you ever considered that the college is the real killer? That everything that draws the supernaturals to this place – and those who want to destroy the supernaturals to this place – is part of some dark scheme by the college itself?”

“Now you’re affixing emotions to an inanimate object?”

“Is it inanimate? I mean, can a place be evil?”

“No,” Blake said, shaking his head. “People are evil. Places are places.”

“I’m not sure I believe that.”

“Well, I believe that’s something you’re going to have to deal with on your own,” Blake said. “As you have pointed out yourself, we no longer have any ties to each other.”

“I don’t want to be tied to you,” I agreed. “I have no interest in you, or what you’re doing on this campus. I do want to know what happened behind that library, though. The sooner we find out, the sooner we can put an end to it.”

“Then I guess you’d better try and figure that out on your own,” Blake said. “My interests are varied, but I’m trying to keep them away from your interests.”

“So, you don’t care about ten dead students?”

“Of course I care.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

“What I’m going to do – and what I’m not going to do – are none of your concern.”

“You know, you really are a piece of work,” I said. “You pretend to be all high-minded and out for everyone’s greater good. What you’re really about is yourself. All you care about are your own self-interests. People call me selfish. You put me to shame.”

“Oh, well, coming from the girl who killed my sister to protect an animal, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

I bit the inside of my lip. He knew. Either he remembered, or someone had told him.

“Was there anything else?”

“What makes you think I killed your sister?” I asked.

“Well, my memory may be full of holes, but there were other people there that night,” Blake supplied. “I’ve been questioning them.”

So, maybe Mark had been innocent in the whole dinner thing after all. “And what did they tell you?”

“They told me you burned her alive,” Blake said. “Using nothing but your hands – and a lot of malice.”

“Anything else?”

“What else is there?”

“Nothing,” I said, getting to my feet. “There’s nothing else.”

“Zoe, I understand you think you have to take control of this situation,” Blake said. “Previously, I would have applauded this change in your personality. For you to worry about something other than your shoes or your love life, well, it’s just remarkable. I don’t believe you’re the one who can fix this campus, though. Not anymore.”

“I’m guessing you think you’re the one who can fix this?”

“I know the difference between good and evil,” Blake said. “The only mistake I made was thinking you were a force of good. I now understand how mistaken I was.”

I snorted out a laugh. “Excuse me?”

“You’re not part of the solution, Ms. Lake,” he said. “You’re part of the problem. You’re part of the evil.”

I realized just how far gone he was now. How had I missed this before? Or, had Caitlyn’s death just pushed him too far? It didn’t matter. I was done here.

“Have a good life, Professor Blake,” I said. “Try really hard not to show up in any of my classes next semester. If you do? I’ll lodge a stalking complaint. And, no, I’m not joking.”

“If you try anything of the sort, I’ll make you pay,” Blake said. “You’re already on a short leash with the cops. I can make it shorter.”

“Bring it on,” I said. “Let’s see who wins in this scenario. I’m going to give you some pretty long odds. Don’t mess with me. I’m not going to put up with your crap.”

“Don’t mess with me,” Blake shot back. “I can make you a very unhappy, young lady.”

We were at an impasse – and there was nothing left to say.

“Goodbye, Professor Blake.”

“Good riddance, Ms. Lake.”

Finals were over, and the last party before Christmas break was upon us. The day after tomorrow, I was scheduled to travel to Lansing with Aric and spend Christmas with his family.

I was nervous. No, I was really nervous.

Aric’s father wasn’t a normal guy. He was a senator, for crying out loud. He was a senator who had helped me from afar more than once. There was no way he was going to like me now. Oh, who was I kidding, he already hated me.

“What are you thinking about?” Aric sidled up to me, slipping a cup of beer into my hand. “You look like you’re having deep thoughts, and not the type of deep thoughts I like.”

“I was just thinking about how glad I am that finals are over,” I lied. “One more semester and then I’m out of here.”

“That’s not what you were thinking,” Aric prodded. “Don’t lie to me.”

I made a noise in the back of my throat. “Fine. I’m worried about meeting your parents.”

Aric smirked. “Why?”

“Because your father is a senator,” I said. “I don’t think he’s going to like my hoodies and my Converse.”

“It’s Christmas break. He doesn’t expect you to wear a ball gown.”

“He’s not going to like me.”

Aric ran his hand over the back of my head, lowering his mouth to my ear. “He’s going to like you. Even if he doesn’t, though, I don’t care. I happen to like you a lot. That should be enough for you.”

“Aren’t you nervous for me to meet your parents?”

“No,” Aric said. “My mom has wanted to meet you since the first time I mentioned your name, and that was three and a half years ago.”

“Wait, what? You told your mom about me even before we started dating?”

“I told my mom that your sassy mouth was driving me crazy, and you wouldn’t do what you were told,” Aric said. “I told her I was trying to keep you safe, but all I really wanted to do was gag you.”

“Wow. I bet she’s thrilled to meet me.”

“She told me that the reason you bugged me so much was because I was attracted to you,” Aric said. “I, of course, told her she was crazy.”

“You think your mother is crazy?”

“I thought she was crazy,” Aric said. “When I finally admitted she was right, things just kind of snapped into place for me.”

“And that’s a good thing, right?”

Aric reached over, gathering me to him and rubbing his face against mine. “I like it when you’re all nervous and insecure,” he said. “It makes me feel all manly.”

“You’re sick.”

“I have my moments,” Aric agreed, straightening up. “So, how long do we have to stay here?”

“Do you want to go? We can go,” I said. “These college parties must bore the crap out of you now.”

“I’m not bored,” Aric said. “I just thought we could spend some time alone together.”

“Isn’t that what we’re doing tomorrow night?”

“Yes. Is there a rule that says we only get one night alone together a week?”

“No,” I said. “This is just the last time I’m going to be able to see my roommates until after the first of the year. I think they would be upset if I just bailed.”

“You just want to play euchre with your little buddy,” Aric said, inclining his head in Scott’s direction. “Admit it.”

“I’ll play euchre with you if you want,” I offered.

“I’d rather watch you,” Aric said. “I find it fascinating.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re so serious,” Aric said. “I’ve come to the realization that you don’t like to lose, and when you do, you’re a poor loser to boot.”

“I am not!”

“You are so.”

“I am a gracious loser,” I replied. “It just so happens that I don’t lose very often.”

“And there’s your competitive streak,” Aric said, smiling. “Your buddy is over there waiting for you. I’m going to go and get us some drinks and then I’ll be back.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Now, when you say you’re going to get drinks, does that mean I’m going to find you in a corner in the basement with Kate in two hours?”

Aric chuckled. “I think I learned my lesson on that front,” he said. “I’ll be back in five minutes.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

A HALF HOUR
and two wins later, Aric was still missing. I gritted my teeth. I wasn’t surprised that I hadn’t seen Kate in that time either.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Scott arched an eyebrow. “Are you going to track down your boyfriend?”

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” I repeated. “Just take a break.”

I navigated the busy party, searching for one handsome face, and the perky one that constantly seemed to be shadowing it. Instead of the basement, I found both of them in the kitchen. Aric was leaning against the counter, trying to keep some distance between himself and Kate.

She wasn’t picking up on his overt hints.

“I just think it must be so cool to know all of those politicians,” Kate enthused.

“It’s pretty boring actually,” Aric said.

“Will you go to the big senators’ New Year’s Eve party?”

“I think Zoe and I are going to be having our own party that night,” Aric said pointedly. He still hadn’t looked up, and I was fairly sure he didn’t know I was standing there.

“Oh, Zoe is going to be at your house for part of Christmas break?” Kate looked disappointed.

“She’s going to be there for all of Christmas break,” Aric countered. “We’re leaving the day after tomorrow.”

“And your parents are okay with that? With you bringing a girl home? You’ve probably done it a lot of times, huh?”

“They’re okay with me bringing
this
girl home,” Aric said. “And, no, she’s the only girl I’ve ever brought home.”

Well, that was kind of sweet.

“So, you must think she’s pretty special, huh?” Kate pressed.

“Pretty much.”

“Can I ask why?”

Aric’s smile was thin and tight. “Because I love her,” he said.

“Are you sure?”

Well, I’d just about heard enough of this. “Hey.”

Aric glanced up, his eyes darkening when he saw me. “Where have you been?”

“Waiting for my beer,” I said. “How about you?”

“Kate was curious again,” Aric said. “I tried to get away, but she’s just … relentless.”

Kate plastered a fake smile on her face. “I just find Aric fascinating.”

“I’ve noticed,” I replied dryly. “Trust me. I’ve noticed.”

I moved in closer to Aric, slipping around Kate so I could position myself between her and my boyfriend. We were going to have a discussion when we got back from break. Kate was going to learn about boundaries – even if it was the hard way.

“I hope you don’t think I’ve been monopolizing your boyfriend,” Kate said. “We just have so much in common.”

“Really?” I glanced at Aric. “Do you have a lot in common with Kate?”

Aric’s smirk was playful. “She seems to think so.”

“And you?”

“Hey, I wanted to go back to my apartment and get naked,” he said. “You’re the one who left me alone to fend for myself. You know that I can’t help it. Women are just drawn to me.”

Kate frowned. “It’s not like that.”

“It’s exactly like that,” I said. “You fawn over Aric every time he’s in this house. It’s getting tiresome.”

“I don’t think I like what you’re insinuating,” Kate said. “I am not a boyfriend stealer.”

“Especially since my boyfriend isn’t up for snatching,” I said.

Kate rolled her eyes. “Yes. I get it. You two are in love. Blah, blah, blah. You two are flaunting it all over the house. I get it. I’m not blind.”

I looked her up and down. “How much have you had to drink?”

“How much have you had to drink?”

“Clearly not enough,” I replied, grabbing the cup of beer out of Aric’s hand and taking a sip. “I’m going to need about five more of these if I’m going to have to put up with this.”

Kate scowled. “Whatever.”

A loud crash on the second-floor landing cut off my biting retort. It was followed by the sounds of people yelling.

“Now what?”

I strode through the hallway and then climbed the stairs – the stairs that were strictly off limits to guests. The scene I found at the top of them was … well … baffling.

“What’s going on here?”

Heather was standing in the middle of the hallway, hands on hips, and her face was so red I was worried she was about to have a heart attack. “Your friend slept with my boyfriend!”

Huh. I risked a look in Paris’ direction. She was standing in the archway, her hair tousled and her face was drawn and pale. She wasn’t alone. Mark was standing behind her, and I couldn’t be sure from this distance, but I was almost positive his shirt was on inside out.

“How did this happen?” Aric appeared on the landing behind me, Kate close on his heels (of course).

“I have no idea,” I said. “I’m assuming it’s some kind of accident.”

“Like he tripped and his dick fell into her?”

“Maybe,” I offered, shrugging. “Seriously, what were you thinking?”

“It was just an accident,” Paris said. “We were having a few drinks, catching up, and one thing led to another. You know how that goes. Sometimes you just have sex with your ex.”

“Yeah, I’m never having sex with my ex,” I said.

Aric grunted in agreement.

“I won’t stand for this,” Heather said. “I want her out of this house.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Why can’t I just have one week without any drama? “She’s not leaving,” I said.

“Well, I’m not living here with her,” Heather announced.

“That’s your decision,” I said. “Paris is not leaving, though.”

“She broke the rules,” Heather said. “You don’t sleep with your roommate’s boyfriend.”

“You also don’t sleep with your roommate’s ex,” I pointed out. “That’s also a rule.”

“You guys should write these rules down,” Aric said. “It would probably cut down on the confusion.”

“Thanks.”

Aric wrinkled his nose, clearly enjoying the soap opera playing out on the second floor. “Aren’t you glad your ex is a sociopath and we don’t have to worry about these things?”

“Hey, I have to worry about Kate putting the moves on you every time I turn around,” I said. “She’s breaking the rules every time you walk into this house.”

“I am not,” Kate protested. “You’re making all of that up in your head.”

“Whatever.”

“Can we focus on me?” Heather was at her limit. “This is about me, not about your fake drama.”

“What do you want me to do about it?” I asked. “I can’t go back in time and unring Paris’ … bell.”

“Nice. Thanks,” Paris said.

“I try.”

“Speaking of ringing bells,” Aric said. “Can we please get out of here? I’m starting to get a headache.”

“I have some aspirin in my bedroom,” Kate said. “You can come with me and I’ll get it for you.”

“Over my dead body,” I snapped.

Aric smirked. “I think I’ll pass,” he said. “I’m hoping the headache goes away when we get back to my place.”

“So, you’re basically saying that clothes give you a headache,” I said.

“I’m not sure what that means,” Aric said.

“You just want to go back to your place so we can get naked.”

“Is that wrong?”

“We’re talking about me!” Heather exploded.

“Hey, chill,” I said. “We’ll get back to you in a second. Now we’re talking about me.”

“And me,” Aric said. “And I want to go.”

“Fine,” I said, glancing over at Paris. “Can you handle this?”

She waved me off. “Enjoy your break. I’ll send you a text when all of this is settled.”

“Great. I can’t wait.”

Kate’s face was pulled into a pout as we walked past her. “So, Aric, you’re really going? I thought we could talk some more.”

And, on that note … . “Have a merry Christmas everyone!”