That she was tempted?
Her stomach twisted. If she’d made things worse for him right now with her indecision and stupidity she’d never forgive herself.
‘Can I have one of those?’ Nicole’s French-accented voice startled her.
Allie swung around to face her. ‘What?’
Her voice came out sharper than she’d intended and Nicole shot her a puzzled look.
‘The water,’ she said. ‘Could I have one, please?’
Looking down at her feet, Allie realised she was blocking access to the cooler.
‘Sorry,’ she said, handing a bottle to Nicole. ‘I was thinking.’
The French girl gave her a wan smile. ‘It’s fine – we’ve all got a lot on our minds.’
Hoping not to be asked what she’d been thinking about, Allie let her gaze skitter around the room, avoiding Carter. Only then did she notice someone was missing.
‘Where’s Rachel?’ she asked with a frown.
‘She’s with Dom. Raj has given her a pass on physical training.’
‘Oh thank God,’ Allie said, relieved. ‘At last.’
Nicole looked at her curiously. ‘Raj says Carter’s going with you to the parley now. Is that going to be OK? He doesn’t have much time to prepare.’
Against Allie’s will, her gaze darted back to where Carter stood not looking at her. ‘We start working together tonight. Carter learns fast.’
‘I just hope—’ Nicole started to speak but then Raj’s voice rang out in the humid air, cutting her off.
‘All right, everyone. On your feet.’
Giving Nicole an apologetic wave, Allie hurried back to Zoe, tossing her a bottle of water. Zoe snatched it out of the air with ease.
‘Allie, Zoe.’ Raj motioned for them to come over. Carter stood next to him.
When the girls reached them, Raj spoke quietly. ‘Allie, you and Carter are partnered from now on.’ Zoe’s brow lowered ominously but before she could speak, he added, ‘Zoe can train with Nicole.’
‘Awesome.’ Instantly placated, Zoe ran over to where the French girl waited.
Without discussion, Allie and Carter took their places next to each other. Allie didn’t know what to say. She was glad to be training with him. And she felt guilty for being glad.
She thought it best to say nothing at all.
As Raj called for order, the room hushed. All around them the students paired up, preparing to fight.
Carter squared off against her, taking the first position, arms loose at his sides, feet shoulder-width apart.
He held her gaze. ‘You ready for this?’
Half turning her body in anticipation of the first blow, she met his look with grim determination. ‘I have to be.’
After training that night, Allie hurried up the stairs to the top floor of the darkened classroom wing to meet with Raj and Carter. Her hair, still wet from the shower, dampened the back of her white shirt, which she wore loose over her short skirt.
It was nearly midnight. Her muscles ached a little from the workout and she walked stiffly, trying to loosen the kinks.
Her footsteps sounded hollow in the stillness. Ahead, the staircase was lost in shadows, illuminated only on the landing where the moon cast a pale blue glow through a tall window. When she reached the window she stopped to look out over the grounds – the moon was almost full and she could see all the way to the treeline. Nothing moved out there. The night was still.
The sudden sound of footsteps startled her and she spun round, fists raised.
‘Hey.’ Carter stepped into the moonlight two steps below her. ‘Don’t shoot. It’s only me.’
‘Oh.’ Allie looked at her fists as if she didn’t know how they’d ended up in front of her. ‘Sorry. Instinct.’
He climbed the last two steps.
‘Good instincts,’ he said. ‘Quick instincts. They’ll save your life.’
In the moonlight his dark eyes were impossible to read. Allie hated that she was glad to see him. But she was.
‘Look … we didn’t get a chance to talk earlier. I just …’ He faltered. ‘Are you really cool with this?’ He gestured at the two of them. ‘If you want someone else with you on Friday don’t be afraid to say so. I won’t be hurt. This is important.’
His words left her so aghast, she didn’t stop to think. She just told him the truth.
‘I don’t want anyone else, Carter,’ she said. ‘I want you. Please don’t back out.’ She paused, her lower lip trembling. ‘I need you.’
If her heartfelt plea surprised him, he didn’t show it. His serious eyes held hers for a long moment. Then, as if they were agreeing about the weather or some essay they needed to write for class, he nodded.
‘Good. That’s all I needed to know.’ His voice was steady and strong. ‘Let’s do this.’
34
Thirty-four
After the dark quiet of the stairwell, the little classroom at the top was a hive of activity and light. Dom stood at a bank of laptop computers, typing furiously. She wasn’t alone.
Night School: Resistance (Night School 4)
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