Chapter 38

Ollie’s POV

I’m so stunned to see the brothers here that for a moment, I just stare at them. They seem just as surprised to see me.

“What are you doing on campus?” Conrad asks. “Exams should be done.”

I try to quickly recover from my shock, before I can make them too suspicious. Though I could technically ask them the same thing, they would have more reason to be on a college campus than I would on a high school one.

As I’m still suspicious that they might have had something to do with my missing application, I can’t tell them that I’m here to get another one. If I do, this one might go missing too.

“I just had some last minute paperwork to fill out,” I say.

Wes narrows his eyes. “What kind of paperwork?”

“For graduation,” I say, keeping it vague.

Declan gives me a cold stare.

“You’ve been lying to us a lot lately, Ollie,” Hugh says. “It’s been noticed at we don’t like it.”

I am fortunate to have Ella beside me. While the brothers cast me suspicious gazes, she stands a bit taller. While I’m trying to make myself small, she’s getting ready to defend me.

At Hugh’s comment, she speaks up, “Why are you guys here? Aren’t classes over for this semester? Shouldn’t you be on summer break?”

Hugh turns his annoyance on Ella, but, even though I can tell she’s annoyed with them, she asked the question nicely enough, coming off as more curious than anything. Her methods at saving me in this case are based solely in distraction.

Any of them could tell her off and return to interrogating me, but with a sigh, Conrad takes the bait.

“We were asked to come here,” Conrad says. “We are overseeing the high school graduation this year. I’m sure you know that Sylvia is graduating. It’s important that everything go perfectly.”

Yes, Sylvia is graduating. Sylvia is the only one they care about. Forget that Ella and I are also graduating. I don’t even remember seeing Sylvia on the student rankings, but they don’t care about that with her. She doesn’t have to be top of the list to have their affection. Even at the top of the list, I still don’t have their good graces.

And I never will.

“We expect you to put in extra effort, Ollie, to make sure the day is special for Sylvia,” Wes says. “We hope you learned something with your new ranking, and that you will take that lesson to heart.”

Bitterly, I wonder what that lesson could possibly be. My entire future is in shambles now… because I exist? Sylvia has been the one bullying me, not the other way around. Not that the brothers would ever believe me. I could show them video evidence of her putting out cigarettes on my arms, and they’d still make it my fault.

“You’ve been cruel to her for some time,” Conrad says, clearly agreeing with his brother. “It’s time you fixed that.”

“Do you think you can do that?” Declan asks, his probing eyes watching me closely, seeing everything.

In the moment, I just want them to go away. I’m still very aware of the paperwork I’m holding like a lifeline to my chest. They could see it at any time and pull it away from me. They could mock me for wanting to better myself, like the woman at the guidance office had done.

Maybe they could even refuse to let me go.

I can’t let that happen, so I have to agree with whatever I need to, to stay in their good graces.

Sylvia has been a thorn in my side for a long time, but if being nice to her for just a little while will help me in my cause of getting out of here, then so be it.

“I’ll do my best,” I say.

“Do better than that,” Hugh says. “None of us will stand for you attempting to ruin her day like you tried to ruin the coronation.”

“She didn’t –” Ella starts.

“Don’t,” I tell her softly. Clearing my throat, I tell Conrad and the rest, “You’re right. What happened at the coronation won’t happen again.”

Wes seems pleased. Hugh has already turned to leave. Conrad nods, his face somewhat suspicious but he doesn’t call me on it. I’ve said what he wanted me to say; he can’t punish me for that.

Declan, though…

His gaze continues to stare straight through me, his expression unchanged. Even as the others start to walk away, dismissing me without words, he lingers behind, watchful.

Then, without a word, he silently comes closer to me. I force myself not to back up a step or to grip my application more firmly. I don’t want to draw any attention to it.

He doesn’t look at the paper, even as he stands right in front of me. Tension hangs in the air. I have no idea what he’s about to do.

And… as nervous as I am, I also feel a bit of excitement…

This feeling of being on edge, of watching him control the entire situation while I am just waiting for what happens next…

It’s exhilarating.

I start to feel hot as my body reacts kind of strangely. Why is this… turning me on?

“You are not going anywhere,” Declan says, his voice low and dangerous.

A shiver ran through me, starting at the base of my spine and traveling upwards.

I don’t know what he meant, but the words rooted me to the spot. I wouldn’t move an inch with that command, with those eyes on me.

Too soon, he looks away and starts walking after the brothers, leaving me confused and out of breath.

Ella looks at me with a lifted brow and my cheeks burn.

“Let’s just go,” I say, once I’m certain the brothers are out of earshot, including Declan, though it still feels somewhat wrong to move without his permission.

What is wrong with me? Do I actually enjoy getting bossed around?

I need to get my head together.

Ella and I rush to the library, where I hastily fill out the application. Luckily, we already remembered what we would need for it and I brought along a copy of everything.

Once it’s all compiled, we go straight to the post office.

No more games. No more leaving letters around.

I wait in the long line to speak to an actual postal worker and then I put the envelope directly into their hands. I should have done this to start with. I never should have left any of this to chance.

With the envelope off and paid for, I turn back to Ella.

“We made it,” I say in relief. With time to spare! There’s a half hour yet until the post office closes for the day.

Relief fills every square inch of me and for a moment, standing there in the entryway of the post office, I finally allow myself the deep breath I’d been holding in since that morning.

There’s nothing else I can do now. I’ve aced my exams. I sent off my application.

I just need to survive until the acceptance letter comes.