I avoided Noah like the plague for the rest of the week. After my embarrassing outburst and the letter from my mother, I honestly was too in my own head to process anything else. The letter had been shoved under my mattress, leaving a bad omen reeking in my dorm, but I was also afraid of getting rid of it. I pondered burning it and getting sage for my room, but that would be too suspicious. Kiera would've picked up on it for sure.
Truthfully, I found myself avoiding everyone, even Kiera and Charles. My thoughts were muddled and I was moving on autopilot through my classes. I barely slept, absently spending my free time either in the library or at the athletic department. I only saw Kiera in passing, as I always came back to the dorm after she was asleep and left before she woke. I tried to remind myself it wasn't personal; I just couldn't handle any interrogation from her, and pretending to be fine took too much energy.
"You're a godsend," Seth beamed at me over the counter. "Normally I'm in charge of the guest list, but I have another errand to run."
I gave him a small smile. "No worries. I like organizing things anyway."
He gave me a thumbs up. "I owe ya!"
It was times like this I was eternally grateful for a distraction, and prepping for the social was a big one. The guest list felt like it was a mile long, and all the guests seemed to have really important VIP members. Even the mayor was coming. But of course, a lot of VIP members meant a lot of accommodations, meaning contacting secretaries one by one to make arrangements. The mayor couldn't have shellfish and refused to sit with his ex wife, who happened to be CEO of the main hospital in the city. His ex wife demanded the menu options in advance. The dean of the University expected a front table next to the athletic director. Overall, this felt a lot more VIP than any typical university social.
Mercenaries have wrapped everyone around their finger. If they aren't directly involved with them, the others have learned to turn a blind eye, Noah's voice reminded me.
I shook my head, forcing myself to focus on the names. I didn't have the patience to deal with Noah, whether he was my imagination or not. The mercenaries were going to have the social regardless. If anything, all I was doing was making sure the plan went smoothly. But what plan?
Another thought I had been trying to push back resurfaced. Surely Seth wasn't one of them, right? He was one of the most popular guys on campus, well liked, kind and courteous. It was painfully difficult to pin him as the monster Noah claimed he was. If they wanted to traffic me, wouldn't Seth have done it by now?
I reluctantly closed my laptop, deciding to continue the guest list in the library. I hadn't eaten since that morning, and my stomach was giving me a painfully loud reminder. I could feel eyes on me as I left, but I didn't care. I didn't have the mental capacity to try and decipher the possible things running through their minds about me.
"Fay!" I yelped as I was immediately tackled outside the facility. "You crazy vixen!"
I groaned and steadied both myself and Kiera, who had clung to me mercilessly. "Kiera..." I whined, trying to wiggle out of her death grip.
"You're dating Seth Manson? Is that why you've been disappearing all the time?" she bombarded me with questions. "What about Noah? God, you sneaky little Vixen, having the hottest guys in Uni around your finger!"
"Wait, what?"
"The secret's out, Fay. I can't believe you got a boyfriend before me!" she whined. "and it's the Seth Manson!"
I blinked rapidly, trying to connect the shorted circuit in my brain. Surely I heard that wrong? "I-I'm not dating Seth."
"Come on, don't deny it. I can't believe you would keep this from me!"
"No, Kiera," I caught her arm in hopes of calming her excitement. A wave of guilt hit me. She thought I was dodging her for a nonexistent boyfriend? "I'm not dating Seth. I'm not dating anyone."
She pulled away and looked thoroughly confused. "You're not?"
I shook my head. "I just wanted to join some clubs on campus... like you did," I rambled nervously. "so I asked if I could help out at the athletic social. He just needed some help with the guest list, that's it. We aren't dating."
"But rumor has it he pulled strings to get you on the board," she said. "Some girls saw the two of you leaving the department late last night."
I felt my cheeks get hot. "He did say he would get me on the board in exchange for some extra help... I didn't know he was pulling strings. He said it wouldn't be a problem because he's the president. I was only helping out last night. There were other members too, not just me."
Had I gotten so careless that I led Seth on somehow? I had been fairly aloof most of the week, but I wasn't stupid enough to agree to dating anyone. I just needed a distraction, not more drama.
Kiera let out a deep sigh. "Well then... I suggest we avoid the cafeteria."
"Why?"
"The whole school thinks you have two of the hottest guys on campus," she explained. "Trust me. You won't get out of there unscathed."
My eyes widened. "But I don't! I don't 'own' anyone... we aren't dating."
"It doesn't matter what the truth is," she said. "I mean, even I was convinced, yanno? Not gonna lie, very anticlimactic."
Guilt washed over me again. "I'm sorry."
"So you were working on the social all this time?" she asked, her shoulders slumped slightly. "You weren't... dodging me?"
"No, of course not!" I insisted. God, was Kiera... insecure? Had I done that? "I've just had a lot on my mind, so I kept busy. I'm sorry..."
"Don't be," she gave me a small smile and just like that, any signs of insecurity faded. "We should probably lay low for a few days though, at least until we can get Seth to debunk the rumors."
Only we realized quickly that the dorms weren't a safe haven either. The RA on our floor, a petite soccer player, was already standing outside our door, hands on hips as we approached. I suddenly realized why she was there.
'WHORE' in bright red was spray painted in capital letters over our door. I didn't realize I was trembling until Kiera wrapped a protective arm around my shoulders.
The petite girl sighed. "I'll talk to the housing director, but it won't be easy to find who did this. Don't get your hopes up."
Kiera was the one who did the talking, which I was grateful for. "I'll find somewhere else for Fay to stay for a bit," she said. "They aren't after me, so I should be fine."
"We'll send out a notice, but I'll see if we can find you both an open room to stay in until things calm down. I'm sorry I can't do more," she said. "For the love of god, you'd think they'd grow up sometime..."
"You okay?" Kiera soothed once the RA left. She wiped my cheek, which I realized was stained with tears.
"I-I didn't do it..."
"Oh honey," she hugged me tightly. "It's not your fault. Girls can just be... brutal. Contrary to popular belief, the transition to adulthood isn't immediate. For some it'll never come."
"Fay." A deep voice sent shivers down my spine. I hadn't heard that voice in what felt like ages.
Kiera pulled away to acknowledge the new arrival. "You heard, I assume?"
I turned to see Noah. His eyes were dark and his posture was rigid. When he stared back at me, it felt like he saw directly into my soul, cutting me. "Is it true?" his words were low, menacing.
It took all I had not to let out a sob. I shook my head furiously. "It's not, I'm not, I didn't!"
Kiera stroked my hair gently. "Real smooth, Pierce," she snarked. "A little empathy, ever heard of it?"
"It's not safe here," he murmured. "Come on."
"Maybe you should date Seth," she grumbled to me as we followed, making sure Noah could hear. "At least he has manners."
Noah scoffed, guiding us to his dorm room. The familiar smell of Noah seemed to calm some tension in my shoulders, and I was able to fully relax once he locked the door behind us.
"Does she know?" Noah finally asked me.
My eyes widened. "No, I didn't say anything, I swear."
"Know what?" Kiera demanded. She looked back and forth between me and Noah. "Are ya'll fucking?"
"No!" we both snapped in unison.
She held up her hands. "Ok, ok I surrender," she said. "What don't I know?"
Noah pinched the bridge of his nose. "This mission is a fucking dud."
"She won't tell anyone!" I insisted. "She's a good friend, I promise."
"Your judge of character is not something trustworthy," he retorted. "I told you to stay the fuck away from Seth Manson, did I not?"
"Woah, hey," Kiera intervened. "Who are you to tell her who she can and can't talk to? You may be insanely hot, but that doesn't mean you have a free pass to be a dick."
"She could help," I spoke softly. "Please, Noah, it's killing me not to tell her."
"Tell me what?" she demanded.
"You're not leaving me a choice," he snapped. "Are you willing to sacrifice her safety for your own comfort? I'm not going to be responsible for the both of you."
"What the fuck is going on?" she roared, and I quickly muffled her mouth with my hand, shushing her gently.
"You said it was better I didn't know, but I still almost got taken anyway," I told him. "I don't want the same thing to happen to her. I was lucky. I can't let her be one of those girls."
The room fell quiet, and Noah pondered in deep thought. He sighed. "I guess I don't have a choice," he said. "But be warned, no one can know that you know anything, ya hear? Even my colleagues, because they'll kill you on the spot. Loose ends need to be cut, and you two are big ones, got it?"
Kiera looked at me and I nodded to her. She sighed. "Why do I feel like I'm joining the mafia?" she groaned. "Fine. Lips are sealed. Go on."