Pretty in the Dark (Dark and Wild #2)

Chapter 4

4

JUNIPER

S everal emotions went through me all at once. Surprise. Anger. And the tingling awareness of Cade that was always present whenever he was near.

The last emotion I shoved down deep behind the others, glaring at his tall figure as he framed the doorway. A leather jacket clung to his shoulders, breaking open just enough that I could see the dark shirt he wore underneath stretching across his chest, highlighting the muscles that bunched as he moved. Hazel eyes flecked with gold pierced through mine, as though he knew every thought and emotion I was feeling at that exact moment. My teeth ground together so hard that my jaw hurt. He didn’t even have the decency to look sheepish or apologetic for springing this surprise on me.

I turned back to the principal. “Absolutely not.”

Her brows shot up in surprise. “I’m sorry, Juniper, is there a problem?”

I leaned forward, my words coming out short and clipped as I fought to maintain composure. “Hell yeah there’s a fucking problem.” The principal gasped slightly at my language and the sudden change in my attitude. “The problem is, that you didn't tell me that he—” my finger pointed in accusation at Cade, who’d just shut the door behind him, leaning against it with thick arms crossed over his chest and a dark smirk playing across his lips. “...was the mysterious benefactor .” I air-quoted with a side-eyed look of disgust in Cade’s direction. He only gave me a stony, blank-faced response back.

Her confused gaze flicked between me and Cade with a small frown. “I see.” She said slowly, drawing out the words as if she was trying to take the time to piece together the unknown facts, but couldn’t quite make it add up.

“Unfortunately, Juniper, without Mr. Black’s generous donation to the scholarship, the living expenses would have to be paid out of pocket by you.” She tried to smile and compose herself. “I’m assuming that won’t be an issue?”

My smile was tight. It would sure as hell be a fucking issue. A major one, considering the lack of zeros at the end of my bank statement. “Of course not. How much are the estimated costs?”

She opened up a file and pulled out a spreadsheet. “According to the Academy, estimated living expenses for student residents are on average five thousand dollars…” I perked up. That number wasn’t so bad. I could scrounge up enough money, maybe even sell a few custom art pieces, and Dean could still attend the school. “…Per month.”

My jaw dropped. “Excuse me? Did you say five thousand dollars per month ?!”

She reached across her desk to hand me the sheet so I could see the number for myself. “Yes, that covers the cost of food, amenities, residency, and any extracurricular expenditures the students may require.”

“Where are they taking these kids to, France?” My eyes grew wider, my stomach sinking as the number of dollars and cents grew larger the further down I read on the column of listed expenses.

“Why, yes! Actually, there are opportunities for student exchange programs, if that’s something that Dean is interested in.”

“I don’t know—I can’t—” Spots danced in my vision as my rage built up.

“Juniper, if Dean doesn’t go to this school, the only other option is transferring him to the alternative school. I know you don’t want that.” Her voice was kind, but firm. The school board wouldn’t back down on this.

My hands were well and truly tied. I had to choose between Dean going to this fancy-pants school, and Cade once again coming in to save my ass with a monetary donation, or letting my brother go to the alternative school . I opened my mouth to ask if there were any other reasonable options, but I caught Dean staring at me out of the corner of my eye, and I snapped it shut. He hadn’t said a word, but I could see the tension coiled in his shoulders, his eyes a mixture of excitement and worry as they darted between me and Cade. And hope. Hope that I would say yes. Hope that I won't shut this down and tell him no. Hope that Cade could somehow change my mind.

I could see it then. The bond between them. I might not like it, but I couldn’t deny it any more than I could deny the tension and energy that I felt between me and Cade the moment he walked into the room.

I sighed, resigned to my situation. “Fine. We— graciously…” I snuck a glance at Cade, who’d remained a silent sentinel during the entire conversation. “...accept this scholarship.” Dean’s grin was blinding as he let out an exaggerated, “Let’s go!”

‘However—,” I held up my hand and looked between the principal and Dean, refusing to give any more attention to Cade. What I was doing was for Dean’s benefit, not Cade’s. And I was still furious that he hadn’t discussed this with me first. “I’m not saying this is forever, either. If we can find another scholarship or way to pay, I’d like the option to look into it.”

Dean looked like he was about to argue, but swallowed whatever he was going to say when Cade cleared his throat in warning. Instead, he just dipped his head and mumbled a rough, “Thanks, Juniper.”

My heart warmed. It was the first nice thing Dean had said to me since I’d returned to Wild. Maybe this was the start of us rebuilding the relationship that we’d lost. Hope bloomed.

“Great!” The principal stood, grinning. “I’m sure you all have a lot to discuss. We will meet again in a month to talk about Dean’s progress and any concerns that come up.”

Dismissed, we left the office and made our way to the entrance. I did my best to speed walk as fast as I could to avoid the heavy presence of the man at my back. Until I was sure I wasn’t within earshot of any teachers or students, I didn’t want to risk unleashing my temper on the overbearing asshat.

I made it to my car in the parking lot when a dark shadow fell over me.

“Going somewhere, pretty girl?”

I stiffened at the rumbling voice in my ear, glancing up to see Dean watching us with narrowed eyes.

“Yeah, home. Not that it’s any of your business.” I opened my car door and made to get in, but was stopped with a hand on my arm.

“Wrong. It’s always my business.” He pulled me away from the door and shut it. “We need to talk.”

“What could you possibly want to talk about, Cade?” Sarcasm dripped from my voice as I pulled my arm out of his grasp, glaring at him. Damn the sun for being just behind his tall figure, wreathing him in dark shadows that kissed his skin and turned his hazel eyes more green than gold. “Oh, like maybe the fact that you went behind my back and so generously paid for Dean’s school without even discussing it with me? Do you think that just throwing your money in my face will make your problems go away? Make me go away?” I tipped my chin up as he studied me, his face an impassive mask.

Dean grunted, giving us a disgusted glare. “Really? You guys are going to do this here ?” We both turned to look at him and he just shook his head. “I’m going to the library to study. Pick me up when you’re done.” Then he turned away, with his hands shoved in his pockets and his hoodie pulled low over his face as he stalked off, in that teenage way of saying, I’m too cool to care . I watched to make sure he was heading in the direction of the library, waiting until he disappeared between the double doors before I turned back to Cade. The asshole didn’t even have the decency to look apologetic.

“I didn’t call the principal. Jessica called me .”

I snorted. “And of course we’re on a first-name basis with her. I don’t care how it was done, Cade. You could have given me the respect I deserve as Dean’s sister by asking if I even wanted help! I am his guardian, not you!”

Cade's jaw clenched, revealing his frustration. “And where were you when Dean was coming into my shop, beaten and bloodied by the idiot kids at school who thought it was cool to pick on the Wild boy?”

He took a step closer pitching his voice low. "Where were you when he was left by himself for days on end, with only your housekeeper around?" he asked. “No friends. No dad. No sister. No one cared about him or what he was getting himself involved with.”

Guilt cut through me, sharper than a knife. How many times had I thought the same thing?

“That’s right. While some of us were trapped in prisons, you were out there living it up in your new found freedom. And I'm not talking about the place where they sent me to be locked up. I’m talking about the hell Dean had to go through when your dad realized you weren’t coming back. So if you want to know why your brother turns to me, or why the principal calls me , you need to think beyond what some piece of paper says you are to Dean. Or you’re nothing more than just another version of Edmund Wild. Controlling Dean and his life simply because you can , not because you care.”

My stomach knotted. When I left, I never thought that Dean would be at the mercy of a monster, I thought I was saving him. But what Cade was accusing me of now was completely wrong. I didn’t want to control Dean’s life. I just wanted better for him.

“I’m not trying to control Dean at all. I left to protect him.” I hissed. “Don’t you think it killed me being away from my brother? I hated every minute. But there was nothing I could do. The second I came back, Edmund would have used him against me. Dean was never safe so long as I was here. Leaving was the only option I had.” I spread my arms, pleading.

“Cade, I know I hurt you and others by leaving. But did you ever consider how much leaving hurt me?”

He shook his head. “No, you don’t get off the hook for this. I understand why you did what you did to me. Our families have been at each other’s throats for so long that I should have expected it. I can’t say I’m ready to forgive you yet, but I know what it’s like to be forced to become someone you never wanted to be.” He tipped his chin in Dean’s direction. “But in Dean’s eyes, you abandoned him, and now you have the audacity to come back and think he’s just going to listen to you?”

Sighing, I folded my arms, looking up at the cold mountains which surrounded our city. No matter where you were in Wild, the mountains loomed in the background. Most days, I found their ancient presence comforting, protective even. Other days, they just reminded me that I was trapped by the choices other people had made. The air was heavy with the scent of snow. It wouldn’t be long before we’d get our first dusting and the mountain passes would be too hard to get through, leaving only the main highway accessible. And if it was a harsh winter? Even that would get shut down and we’d be well and truly trapped until the snowplows could dig us out.

Welcome to Wild, where even modernization and the 21st century couldn’t halt mother nature if she decided to be a bitch.

“You’re right.”

He cocked his head, those dazzling hazel eyes bearing into my soul, and I shifted uneasily against the cold metal of my car door.

“It was stupid of me to come back and think that things could go back to the way they were when I left. I just…” I looked up at the mountains again. Was Edmund up there somewhere? Was he watching me even now? My eyes darted towards the doors Dean had disappeared through. Was he watching Dean?

"Hoped," Cade finished for me, and I glanced back at him, seeing that his expression had softened a bit. I nodded.

“Yeah. I’d hoped.”