Julie was about to ask me something, but I had to catch Julian before he was gone for good.

“I’ll be with you soon. I just need to talk to someone for a minute.”

Before either of them could say anything, I was already past the crowd of students all streaming outside.

Chapter 18

Julian

I had just stepped through the open archway of the east wing when I heard her call my name.

“Julian! Wait!”

My steps quickened.

I had lost all desire for any social contact after today.

First, there had been Nash and his friends, and then, these DeLoughrey guys.

I knew them. I had never met them in this part of town, let alone anywhere else, but their reputation preceded them, as did their name.

Their sudden arrival here on campus had not only triggered an everlasting spiral of thoughts in my head but also caused quite a turmoil.

I wonder what must be going on at the Copelands, now?

I grinned gleefully, but then another shout snapped me out of my thoughts. I became even faster.

In general, I wasn’t one to talk to anyone in this miserable small town. Just the thought of all the problems I had already avoided this way made me groan inside.

“Julian, I want to talk to you.” 

That was clearly Bay’s voice, not Emely’s. 

How had I been able to confuse them?

Abruptly, I stopped on the sidewalk and turned to face her. As I did so, another girl bumped into me, giving an annoyed “Watch it!” before finally hurrying on.

“I’m sorry,” Bay said, slightly out of breath. She had apparently run all the way just to catch me.

“Sorry for what?”

Now, I was curious.

Very briefly she seemed to hesitate, but then she looked at me with determination.

“I had been shitty to you the last few days...and...maybe that was because I had been biased.”

I was beginning to understand. Somehow, she must have felt guilty.

“I’m not used to anything else from you guys,” I said, trying to make it sound as casual as possible, when I remembered that she didn’t know anything at all about the other Quatura, let alone that she was one of them herself.

To my luck, she didn’t go into it any further. The scene in the seminar just a moment ago must have confused her quite a bit.

I turned around again so that I could walk to the parking lot, where I still had the rest of my things that I had left in the car yesterday. As I did, I caught sight of Emely sitting under the tree with a couple of Nash’s guys, looking around campus like an eagle.

Nash was probably still stuck at his daddy’s house, having a good cry just because a couple of Ruisangors had shown up on their territory. Like they didn’t have any bigger problems... 

Although I did understand that it had to mean something. The clan and the pack had a very long history. These two species on this campus... This could end badly.

I felt myself being watched and indeed Emely’s gaze was on me. To be more specific, on Bay, who continued to follow me. 

I wonder if Emely was able to smell her?

“Wait...”

“Is there anything else?”  I turned back to her, only to bump into people again who looked at me with devastation. Bay had to laugh, which almost made me grin too, however I suppressed it in time. 

“Yes.”

I looked down at her expectantly. 

She was a bit shorter, but I wasn’t exactly the tallest on campus either. That meant she was pretty short, and I got the urge to pat her head.

I quickly pushed that strange thought aside.

“Thanks again for finding the necklace. It means a lot to me.”

If I hadn’t found it, would she have come to me at all? That was a good question. I didn’t need her apology. But she was my neighbor, after all, and I didn’t want to antagonize her further. For Ms. Adams’ sake.

“You don’t have to apologize. I was the idiot.”

Okay, maybe that was too much on my part because something was searching in her different-colored eyes. Did she not believe me?

But then she said, “At least you admit it.”

“What?”

Now, I had to grin. She was being cheeky.

“Yeah, you really were an ass. But I wanted you to figure it out for yourself.” 

Unbelievable, this girl.

“Oh, and don’t you dare watch me through your window again. That’s really creepy.”

“I’ve never watched you,” I laughed now, slightly amused, and ran my hand through my hair, which was now probably even more tousled than usual. “Why would I do something like that?”

Bay raised her eyebrows.