As everyone discussed the menu, Ariana let herself relax. She was looking for problems where there were none. After all she’d been through in the past few years, no one could blame her for that.
“I just asked my mom, and she says they’d be delighted,” Jasper said, tilting his phone. “Of course, she’ll probably text back again to make sure you have enough guest towels to accommodate her. You guys are really going to love her,” he added facetiously.
Ariana and the others laughed.
“I was kind of looking forward to meeting Lillian’s family,” Palmer said. “After how cagey she was about who they are. Kind of sucks that she bailed.”
Ariana glanced at Lexa, who looked back at her furtively.
“Yes, well, if you can’t handle the pressure of APH, I guess you shouldn’t be at APH,” Ariana said blithely. “I can’t wait to meet Maria’s parents. They look so glam in all your pictures.”
“You won’t be disappointed,” Lexa put in, shooting Ariana a grateful look. “They define glam.”
“They do have their moments,” Maria said with a modest smile. “Personally, I’d like to meet Ana’s infamous grandmother. I’ve never known anyone who had to check in with home as often as you do, A.”
Ariana lifted one shoulder, pretending the every-other-day phone calls to Briana Leigh Covington’s grandmother were just a matter of course, rather than sheer torture.
“She’s just trying to honor my dad by looking out for me,” she said. “But unfortunately, you won’t get to meet her. She’s too frail to travel.”
Thank goodness, Ariana added silently. Because if she ever did show up on this campus, she’d notice that I am not, in fact, her granddaughter.
The real Briana Leigh Covington had been cremated in Ariana’s name several months back, after Ariana had drowned her in order to steal her identity. Ariana swallowed hard, resolving not to think about it. That part of her life was behind her. All the unpleasantness. All the death. All of it. From now on, there was no need for any of it. She was really, truly Briana Leigh Covington. And no one would ever know otherwise.
“That sucks,” Palmer said, giving her a squeeze. “I was looking forward to grilling her about your toddler years.”
“Now that would have been interesting,” Jasper added with a smirk.
“Yeah, so not going to happen,” Ariana deadpanned.
The others laughed as the bell rang, signaling the end of the breakfast period.
“Do you want your jacket back?” Ariana asked Palmer.
“Keep it,” he said. “It’s kinda sexy, you wearing my clothes.”
Then he pulled Ariana to him and kissed her. Ariana’s eyes fluttered closed as she sunk into him, the rest of the world completely fading away. Palmer slipped his hand up her arm and over her shoulder until he was cupping her cheek. Ariana heard everyone else file out of the room, but still she couldn’t pull herself away. Then an empty paper cup suddenly hit her in the head.
“Hey!” Palmer protested with a laugh.
“I told you! Virgins are present!” Landon protested, throwing his hands out.
“Yeah, come on, sluts. We’re going to be late for class,” Conrad put in with a laugh.
Palmer shrugged and reached for both of Ariana’s hands, hoisting her off the couch. She had to step over Jasper’s feet to get around the table. He was the only one of their group who hadn’t moved. Ariana glanced back at him as they headed for the door, expecting to find him still furiously texting, but he wasn’t.
Instead he was looking directly at her. And he had a smirk on his handsome face that was completely unreadable.
“Oh, crap,” Tahira Al-Mahmood said, pausing outside as the dining hall door slammed shut behind her and Ariana. “I was going to grab a couple of those éclairs to take back to my room. I can’t study without sugar.”
She started to turn around, but Ariana stopped her, placing her hand on Tahira’s arm. Quinn, Ariana’s favorite sophomore lackey, was walking toward them, her red ponytail swinging jauntily.
“Hey, Quinn,” Ariana said.
“What’s up,” Quinn said with a bright smile. She clutched her books to her chest.
“Tahira would like an éclair. Would you mind running in and getting one for her?” Ariana asked.
Quinn blinked, clearly confused. Ariana knew why. Quinn normally acted as coffee gopher for Lexa, Ariana, Maria, and Soomie, but had never been sent on an errand for Tahira before. Even Tahira looked stunned.