Half an hourter, Cameron arrived at the city''s busiest za.


    Even from a distance, she spotted Austin sitting alone at the edge of the fountain.


    He wore the school''s gym tee and dark blue sweatpants, his posture calm and still.


    The neon lights overhead tinted his blond hair in streaks of green and pink, making his pale skin appear even lighter.


    His sharp features and pensive gaze gave him an almost statuesque loneliness- quiet, brooding, older than his years.


    A couple of girls had already approached him, but he simply shook his head in silence.


    Behind him, jets of water leapt into the air in sync with music pulsing from nearby speakers.


    But Austin didn''t seem to notice any of it-his amber eyes fixed on some invisible point far off in the distance.


    Cameron walked over, one hand in her pocket, and stopped in front of him.


    Austin looked up, and when his eyesnded on Cameron''s androgynously sharp face, a soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "You carne."


    Cameron dropped into the seat beside him. "Want to head back now, or do you need a little more time?"


    She didn''t pry.


    If Austin had been thrown out of his home, it had to be serious. No need to dig the knife in.


    Austin turned to her. "Cam, are you sure it''s okay if I stay at your ce?"


    Cameron''s gaze flicked over his face, pausing for half a second on a scratch just below his ear. She nodded. "Yeah. It''s fine."


    Austin smiled, a little more rxed. "Thanks."


    Cameron stood up. "Come on. Let''s ride back."


    They found two bikes at a nearby rack. Cameron unlocked hers through the app and swung a leg over the seat.


    Austin stayed frozen in ce, looking hesitant.


    "What is it?" Cameron asked.


    "I can''t pay for it," Austin admitted, clearly ufortable.


    Cameron didn''t say anything.


    She just gave a short nod and then unlocked the second bike for him.


    Cameron understood. Some parents controlled their kids through money.


    Martin had done it to her more than once, and Austin''s family probably wasn''t much different.


    "Thanks," Austin said again, more sincerely this time.


    "No problem," Cameron replied.


    They pedaled side by side through the evening streets.


    On the way back, they stopped by a corner store where Cameron grabbed a set


    of pajamas, slippers, and toiletries for Auns


    Austin took the bag from her, lips curled in a grateful smile. "Thanks, Cam. Seriously."


    He hadn''t expected Cameron to be this thoughtful.


    Most guys weren''t.


    When they arrived at Cameron''s house, Austin paused on the front step, eyes scanning the modern, tastefully designed exterior.


    "You live here...alone?"


    The house was huge. Luxuriously renovated. Easily worth several million.


    Austin had heard Cameron didn''te from much, but clearly, there was more to Cameron than met the eye.


    Inside, Cameron gestured casually.


    "Make yourself at home. Pick whichever guest room you want. I''m going to bed. Night."


    She turned away and waved over her shoulder.


    "Goodnight, Cam," Austin called softly.


    Cameron''s first move after shutting her door was locking it.


    After what had happened with Bradley barging in unannounced, locking the door


    had be a habit-no matter who else was in the house.


    Austin took the guest room closest to Cameron''s.


    After showering, hey on the crisp white sheets, staring up at the ceiling. His


    face, usually calm and charming, was now stripped of its mask. In the dim light,


    his eyes gleamed with something dark and tightly coiled.


    He was sick of this. All of it.


    AB


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