“Callum, you need to exert better control over your son,” Beringer orders.

Dad’s not having any of that. “I wouldn’t be here if the school actually enforced its rules.”

“I agree. You interrupted a seven-figure real-estate deal because you’re not capable of handling these kids,” Rose’s mother speaks up. “What are we paying you for?”

Ella and I exchange an amused look as Beringer turns bright red. “These aren’t teenagers. They’re wild animals. Look at how many fights Reed has been in.”

“I’m not going to apologize for standing up for my family,” I say in a bored voice. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure me and mine are safe.”

Even Mark, Jordan’s dad, grows impatient. “Name calling is hardly helpful. Clearly the students have had a disagreement about something and took care of it amongst themselves.”

“A disagreement?” Ella echoes in outrage. “This is not a disagreement! This is—”

“It’s called growing up, Ella,” Jordan interrupts. “Which is what I suggest you do. And please, don’t even try to tell me that if some girl looked sideways at your man, you wouldn’t take her down.”

“I wouldn’t tape her up,” Ella retorts.

“You’d just shove her face in the locker? That’s so much better?” Jordan snipes.

“Don’t try to compare us. We are nothing alike.”

“You’ve got that right! You’re from the gutter—”

“Jordan!” Mark booms. “That’s enough.” He looks warily at Dad, whose previously blank face is now sporting a deep frown. Mark presses his hands on his daughter’s shoulders, as if to keep her in her chair, or maybe to remind her who’s in charge. “We’re all sorry an event happened at school that isn’t becoming of the conduct code of Astor Prep. The Carringtons are prepared to make it right for everyone.”

Beringer hems and haws a bunch of bullshit about how we should all be punished, but when no one else steps up, he sniffs. “Everyone is dismissed, then.”

“Finally,” Rose’s mom exclaims. She darts out without even a backward glance to her daughter.

After a short silence, Ella walks over to Rose and lays a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Come on, Rose. I’ll walk you to your locker.”

Rose gives her a weak smile but follows her out.

“Your ward has certainly changed you,” Mark Carrington says stiffly.

Dad and I exchange a mutual look of pride.

“I hope so,” I answer, even though Carrington was probably addressing Dad. I stand up and shrug at Jordan’s father. “She’s the best thing to happen to the Royals in a long time.”

29

Ella

“This place is way too fancy,” I hiss to Reed on Thursday evening. He insisted on taking me out tonight, but when he said “dinner” I hadn’t expected such an extravagant restaurant. My black dress is much too plain compared to all the cocktail gowns I’m seeing everywhere. “I’m underdressed.”

He clasps my hand tighter and practically drags me to the hostess station. “You look hot,” is all he says, and then he tells the black-clad hostess that we’ve got reservations—Royal, table for two.

She guides us past secluded tables that are tucked away between huge planters of sweeping ferns. There’s a fountain in the middle of the room with spouting arcs of water, and what looks like a waterfall behind the bar. It’s the fanciest restaurant I’ve ever been to in my life.

Reed pulls out my chair and settles across from me at the cozy table. A waiter comes by with two leather-bound menus and a wine list, which Reed waves away. “Water’s fine,” he tells the guy, and I’m grateful, because I hate wine. It tastes gross.

When I flip open the menu, I’m confused to find that there aren’t any prices listed. Crap. That’s never a good sign. It means everything here costs more than most people’s college tuition.

“We should’ve just gone to the seafood place on the pier,” I grumble at him.

“For your first date? No way.”

I suddenly wish I’d never made that confession about how I’ve never been on a date. I should have known Reed would go overboard. This guy never does anything halfway.

“Why is it so important to you that I have a real first date?” I ask with a sigh.

“Because you have some shitty memories of me and I want to replace those with good ones,” he says simply, and I melt right along with the wax that’s sliding down the sides of the thin white candles in the center of our table.

The waiter returns with our water, and we skip the appetizers and order our main course, then sit there staring at each other for a moment. It’s kind of surreal being out on a date with Reed Royal. When I told Val about our plans for tonight, she teased me about how I’ve done everything backwards. I guess the first date is supposed to come before all the fooling around, but hey, my life has never been traditional, so why start now?

“Have you heard any updates on Rose?” he asks.

I shake my head. Poor Rose hasn’t been back to school since Jordan tortured and humiliated her. “No, everyone’s left me alone except for Val. I think they’re scared of me.”

“If you asked, someone would cough up the details.”

“I kind of want to call her, but maybe she just wants to forget Astor exists.”

“I think you should call,” Reed encourages.

“I feel like we’re always fighting some huge battle,” I say glumly. “Like, yeah, people have stopped acting like psychos at school, but everything else is still a mess.”

A furrow appears in his forehead. “We’re not a mess.”

“Not you and me,” I agree. “But…”

“But what?”

I draw a deep breath. “Brooke and Dinah will be back next week.”

His expression clouds over. “You really want to ruin your first date by talking about those two?”

“We have to talk about them eventually,” I point out. “What are we going to do about them? Dinah’s blackmailing Gideon. Brooke’s marrying your dad and having his baby.” I bite my bottom lip in dismay. “I don’t think they’re ever going away, Reed.”