Someone grabs Callum before he can respond. As he leans away, Val nudges me. “So everyone is happy family at the Royal palace again?”
“I don’t know. It seems like we’re getting along?”
“This is the first time since Maria died that Callum Royal’s attended one of his son’s games,” she says pointedly. “I can’t be the only one who noticed. Everyone’s kind of looking at the two of you differently, too.”
“In what way?” I study the crowd, but beyond the stares that I usually get, I’m not sure what’s different.
“Just that you’re so easy with each other. He clearly likes you, and not in a gross way that people gossip about. But you’re laughing and he’s pretty talkative. It’s just different. Callum’s a big deal and lots of adults want his approval.”
“Or access to his bank account.”
She shrugs. “Same difference. Maybe it’ll help at school. If these assholes’ parents knew that Callum Royal’s ward was being mistreated, a lot of allowances would be suspended.”
“It’s already dying down,” I admit. “The worst thing this week was my missing underwear.”
“Yeah, I heard that was a real problem for you.” She rolls her eyes. “Maybe you should look closer to home for the perpetrator behind that theft.”
I grin. “Reed doesn’t need to steal my clothes to get his hands on me.”
“You’re disgusting,” she says with clear affection.
“You’re still the best I’ve had in my bed,” I assure her. “How’s things on the Hiro front?”
“I don’t know. He’s hot and all but he doesn’t really get my engine running.”
“What about Wade?” According to Val, they’d skipped fourth period today and fooled around in a supply closet, but she hadn’t offered any more details than that.
“He’s too practiced. Everything that comes out of his mouth is completely unserious. Like, I don’t know what he’d do if a girl told him she loved him. That might be his worst nightmare. Like yours and mine are spiders crawling into our mouths”—I shudder—“but his are legions of girls standing up and saying, Wade, I love you. Let’s be serious. I bet he wakes up at night, sweating in fear.”
“You’ve given this a lot of thought.”
“Better than dwelling on Tam.”
“True.”
The stands rise in unison as the band begins to play the national anthem, interrupting our conversation. Callum stands beside me, rigid at attention. I guess some habits die hard. Val’s to my right. My man’s on the field. On my back, the word Royal is emblazoned on my borrowed jersey.
I’ve never felt this accepted before. It’s weird and wonderful and I can’t keep the smile off my face. The game is an utter blowout, and once it’s over, all anyone can talk about is the playoffs that are rolling around the corner.
On our way out, Callum stops about two bleachers from the landing and reaches across a few people to tap a small, wiry man on the shoulder.
“Mark, how are you?” Callum says politely.
A spot of tension starts spreading across my shoulders at Callum’s suddenly cool tone.
“Could you step down for a minute? I wanted to have a word with you.”
It’s not a request, but a command. Everyone around us gets it, because the row stands as one to make way for Mark.
“That’s my uncle,” Val hisses in my ear.
I’ve never met Jordan’s parents before, and Callum doesn’t introduce us. Instead, he holds out his arm, almost as a barricade, forcing Mark Carrington to descend in front of us. Mark stops at the bottom of the bleachers, but something in Callum’s face has him whipping around and walking quickly toward the stairs leading to the ground.
“What’s going on?” I mutter out of the side of my mouth.
Val gives me a baffled look. Since Callum hasn’t told me to get lost, I follow him with Val on my heels.
“That’s far enough,” Callum says once we’re about twenty feet away from the bleachers.
“What’s this about, Royal?”
Callum reaches behind him and manages to clasp onto my wrist without even looking. He drags me forward. “I don’t believe you’ve met my new ward. Ella Harper. She’s Steve’s daughter.”
Mr. Carrington pales, but offers his hand. Bewildered, I shake it.
“Nice to meet you, Ella.”
“Nice to meet you too, sir. I’m friends with Val.” I haul her next to me much like Callum pulled me to his side.
Val gives a weak wave. “Hey, Uncle Mark.”
“Hello, Val.”
“This is nice, isn’t it?” Callum remarks. “My ward and yours being friends?”
Mark nods uncertainly. “Yes, good to have friends.”
Val slips her hand into mine.
“Ella is very important to my family and I’m glad she’s being welcomed with open arms into the Astor Park community. It would disturb me greatly to hear that she was being mistreated in any way. I’m sure you wouldn’t stand for that, would you, Mark?”
“Of course I wouldn’t.”
“Your daughter is quite popular at Astor, isn’t she?” Callum’s tone is so mild he could be discussing the weather, but something about his words makes Mark’s face go pale.