Page 120 of Boys Who Hunt

She places her hand on my arm again. “You can always come to me if you need help, okay? Don’t be shy.”

Her warmth radiates through her voice, and it reminds me of my mother so much tears actually well up in my eyes, but I push them away. “Thanks. I feel much better now. Honestly.”

At least now no one can see the ravage those boys left me in.

Océane walks me to the front door.

“Oh, and if you see Heath Preston, tell him Mavis Rivera was looking for him.”

The mere mention of his name makes all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “Why’d you think I’d see Heath?”

“I’ve seen you enter the Skull and Serpent Society. Aren’t you friends? People have seen you talking in the school hallways, so word got around.”

I swallow away the lump in my throat. I don’t even know what to say. He’s not my friend, but I know him in ways I never thought I would. But I can’t deny I know him either.

“I’ll … tell him,” I mutter as I walk away feeling numb.

“Great. Thanks.” She closes the door, but the only thing that roars through my head is how the whole school must already know more than I thought they did.

Everyone’s seen me talk with them.

They don’t know what was said, but it doesn’t matter.

Word gets around.

And everywhere I look, people are gawking at me, whispering, gossiping.

She’sthatgirl.

The girl those popular boys are obsessed with.

The girl who put a target on her own head.

Might as well shoot me now and get it over with.

I swiftly headhome and knock on Mrs. Schwartz’s door with the bills still in my hand. She immediately opens up and snatches them from me.

“That’s not enough for that hungry gremlin, and I’m not talking about the cat.”

“I’ll give you more soon, I promise,” I say as I take Cora’s hand and leave.

“I didn’t clean the litterbox, so there’s poop all over the floor.”

I sigh. “No worries, I’ll take care of it.”

“You’re welcome,” she snarls before shutting the door.

“She was not nic—”

“Cora, not now,” I interrupt.

I can’t have her slandering the only person who’s willing to help me on a daily basis.

I head into our home and close the door behind us before I go to eye level with her. “It is what it is, okay? I’m trying my best to get us out of this.”

“But how much longer do we have to stay here?”

Her little pouty face makes me feel guilty. “I know you miss your old home. But we can create a new one here. Together.”