Page 37 of Colton

“What’s that?” Sophia’s voice comes from behind me. Before I can hide the book, she’s already peeking over my shoulder, brows narrowing as she inspects the title. In an instant, the book is snatched from my hands.

She walks over to her bed, plopping down and opening the first page. Then, she skims through it, just getting a feel of it. She glances at me, raising a brow.

“Now, where did you get this?” She asks. “It’s not from the library, and this is very old, so it wasn’t a purchase.”

“Well,” I clear my throat, immediately bracing myself for a stupid lie that’s going to fall from my lips. “I found—”

“Try again,” she interrupts, eyes narrowing to slits. Then, they widen ever so slightly, and she pinches the bridge of her nose, sucking in a sharp intake of breath. When she looks at me again, I can’t tell if she’s pissed, or disappointed, or both.

“Listen, it’s not what you think.”

“You went to Saint Valley,” she concludes. Damn her and her smart head. “And let me guess, you went with Grace.”

I frown. “How did you know?”

“She’s the only person reckless enough to go there, and you’re the only gullible person to follow her.”

“Hey!” I protest, huffing. “That’s not nice.”

“It’s not a lie, either. So, what the hell were you two doing there?”

The four of us are very close. However, what Grace did at Saint Valley is her story to tell, and it’s none of my business to spread it around. Sophia won’t mind it, either, because right now, she’s more concerned with the fact that we actually went there, rather than why.

“Grace had some business there… And I randomly ran into the Dean, and he took me to his place to get tea.”

Sophia freezes. She slowly sits up, staring at me as if I’d kicked a puppy. The look she’s giving me is making me feel uneasy — because it’s not judgement. God, how much I wish it were. No, this is something far, far worse.

It’s fear.

“Have you checked your emails there, or since you got back?”

Her voice is barely above a whisper, and I’m surprised I even caught the question. A frown etches onto my face, and I shake my head. My palms start to sweat, because I have never, ever seen Sophia with such an expression.

“No, why?”

“Sinners and Saints posted something.”

As soon as the words leave her lips, I’m scrambling toward my working desk, my part of the dorm, reaching for my phone. It’s been charging, and I grab it, unlocking it with shaky fingers.

I have a couple of emails from shops that I’m subscribed to, and another few from online jobs I’ve been applying to. Given that I managed to find something in my free time, I don’t even care if the emails are rejections anymore.

Then, I find one from Sinners and Saints.

The newsletter was delivered to my inbox on the night Grace and I returned to the Academy. The strangest part? We were in our dorms at nine-thirty. The emails has the exact time stamp as my arrival.

I swallow thickly, opening the email. My hands are trembling, and Sophia rushes to my side. She’s already read this, and seen it, but just having her by my side is immensely helpful. Knowing that she’s always on my side, brings a sense of security and safety that I haven’t always known.

The email isn’t long, but the title does grab my attention.

Did the most eligible bachelor of Saint Valley finally find his one true love? In the form of a student, no less?

My breath hitches, and I’m terrified to scroll down. Sophia squeezes my hand, and I take a deep breath, knowing I have to get this over with sooner or later. So, I scroll down. The first part is mainly related to Colton’s dating history.

It’s fairly new, too.

From a couple of years ago, at most. There’s nothing from when he was a student, or his late twenties, either. It’s impossible for a man like him not to have had at least one serious relationship back in the day, which just means he’s great at keeping his secrets hidden.

The next section is focused on his wealth, the history of his family, and it’s oddly… accurate. This kind of information isn’t accessible to just anyone, and the only reason I know this, is because it’s written in the books he gave me.