Entropy (The Countenance Trilogy 3) (5 page)

“I was with Cooper then Wes came by, and we hung out.” I look to Jen. “That’s the truth.” Sort of.

“Let me guess”—Kres mock gags—“you convinced Wesley that you needed protection from all the scary monsters running around last night.”

“There were zombies on the loose, so, yes, and he volunteered.” But it was Cooper who was protecting me. A sad feeling sweeps over my body. I have a gut feeling that if I had asked Cooper to help me get my family out of the tunnels last night, he wouldn’t have hesitated. I’d be having breakfast with them right now instead of staring at Grayson’s wardrobe malfunction. But, according to Wes, my family wouldn’t have gone anywhere better
—
both Coop and I would be dead, and so would they.

“Those were idiots from
Rycroft
.” Jen points over at me with a pen, and it’s only now I realize she’s taking notes. “And, by the way, I heard half the basketball team is on probation for that little stunt. Ten games. Five for doing it—five for denying it.”

“They didn’t do it.” I shake my head. “There were real zombies here last night. But”—I slap my hands over my thighs—“I doubt you believe me so I’m off to my room.”

Jen’s eye twitches as if she were considering my words. “Hattie isn’t coming back. I’ll be cleaning her things out later today, just so you know.”

“Why isn’t she coming back?” Hattie is the only Celestra I know outside of Coop, and she’s the Tobias sisters granddaughter—all of whom I still might need to free my family.

“Because”—Grayson scowls over at me as if I were too dumb to read the hot pink lipstick scrawled across the proverbial wall—“she hung Kres and me from a tree like we were freaking sides of beef. She’s a
killer
, stupid. She has to be caught and exterminated.”

Jen rolls her eyes. “She took off, and we can’t find her. The police want to ask her some questions. It’s true what Grayson says. The school security camera caught it all on tape. She’s already been expelled. It’s a done deal.” Jen flips back her milky-blonde hair as if it were nothing to lose sleep over, but the fact that poor, sweet Hattie is out there somewhere alone and afraid makes me want to scour the landscape until I find her. “There’s an emergency assembly in an hour down in Carlson Hall. It’s mandatory. I’ll see you there.”

“Then I guess I’d better get ready.” I hit the stairs before Jen can protest.

A school assembly on a Saturday?

This is going to be a shit day all around, I can tell.

I walk into Carlson Hall a little early, hoping Coop will already be there, and he is. My heart skips a beat at the sight of him then sinks like a lead boulder at the thought of those kisses I shared with Wes. It was as if I had lost my mind. A part of me wanted to believe we were back in Cider Plains
—
that we were simply making up after some big fight. The irony is, Wes and I never fought. I suppose the reality is that I never once thought I’d get Wes back, and now I have him. We spent all last night getting drunk off the memory of who we were. But at the end of the day, something was still amiss in my heart, and I’m guessing that something was Cooper Flanders. He’s already created a wedge between Wes and me as wide as the Atlantic. I’m pretty sure there isn’t anything that can fill that gap, except for Coop, and I can’t have them both.

“Hey.” He rises to meet me and pulls me into a deep, strong hug. Coop’s chest warms me for a moment, and I welcome the heat. His cheek bristles against mine, and I let out an involuntary groan. “So”— he pulls back, his hands still digging into my waist
—
“everything go okay?” There’s a reflection of pain in his eyes, and I glance away pretending not to have seen it. If I acknowledge it in any way, I’ll lose it right here.

“It depends on what your definition of okay is.” A moment of silence slices by thick and unwanted, pushing a pin into that high we were on last night. Everything that had become clear between us is muddy again. The Counts had thrown us in the dirt, and Wesley’s newfound knowledge brought the rain. Now here we are, nothing short of a sticky mess. “Wes says he remembers everything. He knew details that only he could know, and I believe him.” I shake my head as a stream of students filter into the cavernous room. He motions for me to take a seat while he hops into the row behind me. Coop leans over my backrest as I twist into him. I feel so guilty, so horrible at what I’ve let happen. I wish I could evaporate in a cloud of dust and be forgotten once and for all.

“He said we can’t just rush in and get our families,” I continue. “He said there would be serious consequences—death might be involved.” It was hard to push out those last few words. I can’t stand the thought of my little sister dying.

“He’s right.” Coop doesn’t hesitate with the answer. He shoots a look to the entrance as if he were keeping an eye out for Wes. “There’s no way the Counts are going to let us walk in like it’s a bank heist and take off with a handful of prisoners.” His cheeks flex, no smile. “They’d kill us without thinking twice.”

I give a slow, circular nod. “Wes said he’d help.”

Coop drills his sad, pale eyes into mine. “You need to be with him, Laken.” He swallows hard. “It needs to be real—hell, let it be if that’s what you want.” His shoulders sag in defeat. “It’s the only way he’ll help us. I know it is.”

“That’s not true.” I pull him in by the wrist and glide my hand down over his until our fingers interlace. “He loved my sister. He cares that my mom is down there—your mom, too. He’s going to help us free Casper.”

Looks like Wes didn’t waste any time morphing into a saint.
Coop flicks his eyes to the corner. “Sorry.” He gives my hand a squeeze. “Is everything okay between you, two?”

There it is. Coop wants answers. He didn’t beat around the bush, and that’s what I like best about Coop. He’s all about the brass tacks
—
getting things done. Nothing ever has to wait to happen with Cooper.

“I was kind of hoping to see the two of you tonight.” Just the thought of having Wes and Coop in such close proximity guts me. “There’s something I need to say.”

“Laken,” it comes out sad, so sorry for me, for us. He tilts in his chin, his eyes never wavering from mine. “I don’t think I can. I have practice, then a four-hour shift.”

Coop works at a Mexican restaurant downtown—Maria’s.

“We can come to you.”

He shakes his head. “It’s okay
—
save the speech.” A sad smile sweeps over his face.  “Be with Wes. He’s still the key to getting our families.” Coop leans in all the way until our lips are just about touching. “I swear to you on everything that is true, I will love you no matter what you decide. But you are in no way home free with Wes. Promise me something”—Coop pulls my hand close to his heart—“don’t worry about hurting my feelings, Laken. Just focus on getting our loved ones out of those tunnels alive. And if Wes is the direction your heart leads you”
—
the muscles in his jaw pop—“I’ll be right there cheering you on.”

The bell rings, and I groan, slightly perturbed because some small, vain part of me wishes he would have said the very opposite. I wish Coop would start a war, set the whole damn school on fire as a felonious show of affection.

“I call bullshit,” I say as I spin in my seat to face the front. Maybe I’m coming across as a bitch. Hell, maybe that’s what I’ve finally become, but deep down, Coop wounded me with his strange show of support for whatever direction my heart may lead me.

Selfishly I wanted him to fight. Maybe I
did
want a war. The Counts wage one every single day against Celestra. A fight to the finish is in my bloodlines.

I wish it were in Coop’s.

Maybe Cooper Flanders isn’t that into me after all.

Wes strides in with Kres by his side, and his dimples ignite as he beams over at me. He glances back at Coop, and the smile glides right back off. Wes lands in the seat next to me and presses a kiss over my cheek before picking up my hand. It feels like the old days.

But something is still amiss.

Cooper

Ms. Paxton drones on and on about campus safety, but I hardly catch every third word, I’m too busy losing myself in Laken’s hair. My fingers itch to comb through her butter soft waves as they waterfall over her seat.

Wes glances back a moment, miffed for no apparent reason. He shifts and wraps an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. He looks over once more, but I keep my eyes fixated on his mother, pretending not to notice.

He’s on edge, I can tell. That lip-lock he witnessed between Laken and me has him rattled, as it should. I may have played it cool a few minutes ago, but I saw the hurt in her eyes. I heard her loud and clear when her thoughts drifted. Laken wishes I would start a war, set the whole damn school on fire as a felonious show of affection for her. My lips curve at the thought. God knows I’m willing to do just that and more. That was the fuel I needed. Every fiber of my being fucking rejoiced when those words floated through her mind. Her heart dropped just as mine soared on wings like eagles. But I’m not about to let my emotions get in the way of doing what we need to
—
rescuing our families. Wes is still the key whether I like it or not. And I don’t like it, not one fucking bit.

The assembly comes to an end, and bodies stream out of the massive hall in a hurry as if the ceiling were on fire.

Carter pulls Laken off to the side, bubbling with enthusiasm, and now they’re hugging it out, squealing. I wish I were hugging it out with Laken. God knows I’d love to make her squeal.

Wes nods over to me as I rise. “Coop.” He tosses out a knuckle bump, and I meet him halfway. “Are we good?”

Are we good? “Yeah, we’re good.” The words unsettle me as they jet from my lips. I know for a fact Wes and I will never
be good
.

Laken bounces over. Her features go slack when she sees us together.

“Everything okay?” She looks from me to Wes, her eyes alive with worry.

“Everything’s fine.” Wes doesn’t waste a minute before wrapping his arm around her, claiming her as his own. “Coop knows I’m back, and that I’m going to do everything I can to get your families out of the tunnels.” He shoots a hard look over to me that says
I’ve got this handled—step the hell off
.

“Great.” Laken tries to break away, but he yanks her right back and buries a kiss on the top of her head, branding her with his lips. “We should probably get together and figure this out.”

She looks over at me with heavy eyes, an apology written all over her face, and my stomach sinks. The last thing I want is for Laken to feel bad. And, for sure, I don’t want Wes to note one emotion out of tune—ticking him off is nothing short of having a tiger by the tail. Not that I wouldn’t mind pissing him off a little if our families were free.

Laken glances up at him. Her features soften.

Then again, if Wes is what she wants I’ll support her. It’ll hurt like hell until the day I die, but deep down all I want is for Laken to be happy. Wish to God it were me making her happy.

Edinger crops up and injects his ugly mug into our circle.

“Mr. Flanders, since you were the one to rescue the girls, I’d appreciate a quick word with you.”

I helped pull Kresley and Grayson from their respective nooses last night, no thanks to Hattie. I’m still not sure what got into her, but knowing Kres and Grayson, it didn’t take much.

“Sure.” I drag my eyes over to Laken and Wes. “I’ll catch you guys later.”

I hop over the seat and follow Edinger across the hall to the English department. He walks a good clip until we hit his darkened room, and I head in first.

“Take a seat.” He throws his keys over the desk, so hard, the protective sheet of glass splinters into the shape of a bull’s eye. The lights are still off, and it’s dark as shit outside.

“So what’s the big reward?” I lean against the whiteboard. “Let me guess, you’re going to erect a statue in my honor.”

“You like to dream big.” His face disappears like a shadow.

If having Laken all to myself one day is dreaming big, I’d say he’s right.

“Tell me, Cooper”—he relaxes into his seat, his black eyes settle over mine—“did you enjoy yourself at the party?”