Page 280 of Boys Who Hunt

“What? But that doesn’t make any sense. They shipped you off to that boarding school, right?”

She shakes her head. “No. I went there because I wanted to.”

All this time, I was so angry with my parents for forcing her to go there and not telling me until it was too late. But it was all her idea, and I don’t know how to feel about that.

My face contorts. “Why couldn’t you just tell me?”

“Because I knew you’d never let me go there,” she says. “It’s Prodigium Academy.”

Damn right, I wouldn’t. That place is filled to the brim with pretentious and rich assholes.

She approaches me and grabs my hands. “I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d try to stop me before I could even try.” She squeezes them softly, looking up into my eyes. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I didn’t want to risk losing the chance.”

“So you had Mom and Dad take the fall,” I grit.

“They agreed to do it for me because they love you. Don’t be mad at them, please,” she says, her eyes tearing up. “Please, I don’t want my decision to be the reason you hate them.”

“I don’t… hate them.” I sigh and look away. “I’m angry that you thought you had to force them to lie to me just to get what you wanted.”

“I’m sorry, Heath. I just know how you are. I know you only want to protect me,” she says.

Screw it.

I wrap my arms around her and hug her so tightly she can barely breathe, but I don’t care.

“I’m sorry,” she mutters again.

“Stop apologizing.”

“But I hurt you,” she says, hugging me back.

“You did it because you thought I would take away your only opportunity at something you really wanted to do,” I say. “And I’m sorry I made you feel like you had to lie.”

We hug for a few more minutes as I soak in the fact that she’s back.

“I missed you, Cece.”

“I missed you too, lil’ bro,” she says, sniffling as she pulls back.

“So … you’re a Prodigy now, huh?” I say, and I mess up her hair. “My fucking sister is studying with the richest of the rich.”

“Heath, stop it,” she hisses. “I’m trying to look good for the rest of the family too.”

“Maybe you should drop by more often so they’d see you more too,” I say.

“Hmm … maybe…”

I cross my arms. “I promise I won’t force you to stay.”

She narrows her eyes. “You swear you won’t try to stop me from going back there?”

“On my life. And his,” I say, pointing at Max over my shoulder because I know he’s watching us.

I could feel his eyes beam into my back.

“Wait, what?” Max mumbles, making Cece laugh.

“I couldn’t ever fucking hurt him, so my promise is solid, trust me on that,” I say.