The Eden Series: The Complete Collection Read Online Free Page B

you?” She rushed past him, bringing with her some napkins to help clean Aiden off. “I’m so sorry,” she said quietly. Aiden sat there in shock, partly from what had just happened to him, and also because she had never been as close to him as she was now.
    “Don’t help this skinny fool, Mel.” Bentley laughed, disregarding her clear irritation with what he had just done. “Let’s go.” He grabbed her arm, forcing her to stand up.
    “Do not,” she said, ripping her arm out of his hand, “grab me like that! I’m not your property, Bentley. You don’t get to tell me when I can or cannot leave a place.”
    “Whatever,” he said, turning away from her. As him and his friends began to walk away, Aiden heard him say “bitch” under his breath. That was the last straw. Without thinking, Aiden got up from the table and walked up to Bentley, tapping him on the shoulder. As he turned around, Aiden punched him square in the jaw, sending Bentley staggering backward.
    “Yes!” he heard Ethan say from their table.
    Both friends of Bentley’sbegan to rush Aiden when all of a sudden Mr. Beck was there, breaking up the three boys. “Aiden, go to the principal’s office. You boys take your friend here to the nurse.”
    Aiden grabbed his bag and walked off to the front office, covered in food and pulsing with adrenaline. Just as he was leaving, he watched as Melissa ran over to Bentley to make sure he was okay. His heart fell. He had just punched a guy out for this girl, and already she was running back to him. That was so his life.
    “Suspended!” his mother yelled as they drove away from the school. “What is going on with you, Aiden? You just told me last night that nothing was wrong at school, and now I find out that you got in a fight!”
    He sunk lower into his seat, wondering when his mother would run out of steam.
    “Talk to me!”
    “What do you want me to say?”
    “Why don’t you begin with telling me why the hell you’re covered with food,” she said, taking a sharp turn.
    This was not the conversation he wanted to have with his mother. Taking off his glasses, he rubbed his eyes to try to relieve the headache that was now throbbing in his head. That always happened when he had an adrenalin rush and then came crashing down from it.
    “Are you going to tell me what happened, or not?”
    “I really don’t want to talk about it,” he replied honestly.
    She looked over at him with concern now instead of anger. “Come on, Aiden. I’m your mother. You should be able to tell me everything.” He wondered if parents actually believed that.
    Wanting the conversation to end, he said, “Maybe later, okay? Right now, I just want to sit here quietly.” She accepted his lie, and they didn’t talk again for the rest of the ride. He was suspended for three days. That was three days stuck in the house with Eddie and their mom. She wouldn’t let it drop completely, he knew that, but at least he had avoided it for the time being. All he had to do now was figure out what he was going to do at home for three days—besides go crazy.

CHAPTER TWO
    The night sky was pitch black—even the moons were hidden behind clouds. The air smelled like spring showers. She hoped it would hold off until she reached her destination. The city gates were locked at this time, but she had found the secret exit on the south side when she was only eight. At seventeen, she was well versed in all the secrets the Capital City had to offer. Keeping low to the ground, so the guards along the wall didn’t see her—not that they could in this lighting—Elisa kept her bow in hand in case any of the creatures that roamed these parts came to find her. A branch broke in the silence, causing her to crouch lower to the ground, searching the landscape for an assailant. Another crack behind her made her turn around, bow and arrow ready.
    “Mercy!” she heard a voice say. Two figures walked up, the closer one with his hands held up in the air.