So Into You [The Jane Austen Academy Series #2] (4 page)

"You don’t know your own strength? Is that so?" the hall monitor asked.

"Yeah," Edward chimed in. "Woke me up. He’s a pretty insensitive roommate."

"The worst," Josh agreed.

"I could use a switch," Edward said. "If you’re up for the paperwork."

The hall monitor groaned. "Just keep it down."

Ellie and Emma waited for the door to shut and pushed open the wardrobe.

Josh—wearing a shirt this time along with gray sweatpants—looked down at them with his trademark flirtatious smile. "Now what do we do with you?"

Emma climbed out of the wardrobe. Ellie shuffled after her, ducking to avoid hitting her head. "Let’s get back to our room before we get into trouble," she said.

"We just got here." Emma gave Josh a charming smile. "And Josh is figuring out what to do with us."

"I’ll walk you back to your room, Ellie," Edward offered.

Ellie shot Emma a look—one she hoped clearly conveyed how much they had to leave now.

"Go with Edward," Emma said instead.

"If you’re caught in this room—"

"Who said we’re staying in the room?" Josh interrupted with a wink. He slid open the picture window that overlooked the woods behind the school.

"We’re not wearing shoes," Ellie said.

"I’ll meet you back in our room," Emma said. Josh set his hands around Emma’s waist and lifted her to sit on the windowsill. She spun around and jumped, landing softly on the ground outside. Josh leapt out behind her.

Ellie looked helplessly at Edward.

"If you want to join them . . ." he said.

"No, no," Ellie said. "I need to go back."

"But do you
want
to join them?"

Ellie stared longingly out the window at the clustered trees. A soft breeze fluttered into the room and brushed her hair from her temple. In a week, she’d be gone. In a week she’d never see these woods again. She did want to go running in the woods. She did want Edward to hold her close, lift her up onto the windowsill.

She did want to make that leap.

But instead she shook her head. "I should go back to my room."

* * *

Edward ducked out as Ellie waited in his room and peeked through the slightly open door. He faked left, then right, then tucked into a forward roll and popped up. Ellie covered her mouth with her hands to stifle a laugh.

Edward glanced back, expression stoic, and gestured for her to join him. She tiptoed out of his room and closed the door. He held his palms up as a stop.

She froze, glanced around. No one was behind her. She looked back at him with a puzzled expression.

He pointed to the floor and then spun his hands around each other.

He wanted her to do a forward roll?

She shook her head.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest.

She bit back a smile.

Edward found a way to make everything fun. With a nod of acquiescence, she crouched and rolled forward. But instead of a graceful spin, she was all arms and legs and thumped down on her butt.

Edward’s muffled laugh made her laugh out loud. She slapped both her hands over her mouth to stifle the sound, but someone stirred from inside the hall monitor’s room.

Ellie scrambled to her feet and dashed toward Edward, who was already making a run for the academic corridor. He opened the door to the hall and gestured her toward him. Just as the hall monitor’s door opened, she blasted past him and he closed the door behind them.

They silently ran down the academic corridor, turning the corner to enter the girls’ wing. By the time they made it to her bedroom, they were panting hard and collapsed back on her bed, hands on their stomachs.

"Do you think he saw us?" Ellie gasped.

Edward shrugged. "He heard us, for sure."

"Will he check your room?"

"Not again, I don’t think. He’ll assume it’s someone in the bathroom."

"I don’t want you expelled because . . ." Because Emma had been using him to emotionally blackmail her.

"Because what?" Edward turned his head to face her.

"Because Emma felt the need to be criminal."

"Yeah, Emma I expected, but . . . you? What’s going on?"

Ellie, already warm from her run, grew hotter. "You know Emma. She’s fun and crazy and spontaneous and always coming up with cool ideas and fun to be around and—"

Chatter alert.

"So this has nothing to do with why Bergie wanted to talk to you at the picnic," Edward asked. "There are rumors—"

"That was nothing," Ellie said hurriedly. She didn’t want to tell him, to say good-bye—not yet.

Edward leaned in. "Well, if you’re good here . . ."

"Yeah, I’m good." She felt a pang that he was going to leave. "Thanks for coming with me."

"You want to return the favor?" he asked.

He was so close—whisper close—lying on her bed that if one or both of them turned an inch they’d be in each other’s arms.

"What do you mean, a favor?" she asked, her heart palpitating beneath her breastbone as thoughts of how to repay the favor flitted through her mind. "Walk you back?"

He laughed. "No, that would defeat the purpose of me getting you here safely. But you owe me now, right?"

"If you say so."

He dipped his head, so his lips were right by her shoulder. She could smell his shampoo and wanted to bury her face in his hair.

"I’ll think of a way to collect."

"Okay," she said, her breath hitching.

He lifted his head, their eyes inches apart. His lips hovered above hers. All he had to do was make the slightest of movements, but he held himself still.

Ellie couldn’t stand it. Her whole body was a jumble of nerves and energy. She leaned in—but just as she did, he pushed up to his feet.

"It’s settled," he said. "A favor. To collect. At a later date and time."

She was so stunned by him pulling away she didn’t answer, could only nod, and the next moment he was gone before she could tell him she wouldn’t be around for a later date and time.

* * *

Ellie breathed a sigh of relief when Emma snuck back inside an hour later wrapped up in Josh’s oversized sweatshirt.

"You didn’t have to wait up," Emma said, dancing her way back to her bed with a spin and a twirl.

"Of course I did," Ellie said, exasperated as she pulled the covers tighter around her. "What if you hadn’t come back?"

"What if Josh had his evil way with me?" Emma raised an eyebrow as she slipped beneath her covers.

"Did he?"

"Not like he wanted to," Emma said. "But don’t worry about Josh. I’ve got him handled. What about you and loverboy?"

Ellie blushed, remembering how close he’d lain, how he’d almost kissed her shoulder.

"Ohmygod, tell me right now what happened," Emma said, reading her face.

"Nothing happened."

Emma groaned. "Of course it didn’t. Edward is just too . . . he’s too . . ."

"Too what?"

"Too wimpy."

"Emma!"

"What? He is! It’s obvious he likes you. So painfully obvious—and what does he do about it? Nothing."

"He doesn’t do anything because he likes me as a
friend
," Ellie said, noting how bitter she sounded.

"He isn’t going to get anywhere with you if he isn’t more risky, more exciting."

"He’s not trying to get anywhere with me." But Ellie realized Emma wasn’t paying attention. Emma had pulled her knees into her chest and she was staring into space, her eyes glowing with excitement. She dug her nose into Josh’s sweatshirt and breathed deep.

"If only he were more like Josh."

"But then he wouldn’t be Edward," Ellie said.

"Josh is just . . . he’s so . . ." Emma hugged herself tighter. "Everything he says is interesting. He knows cool people—cool things! He
lives
life—an amazing life."

"He’s at the same school we are," Ellie pointed out.

"And still manages to lead this cool lifestyle on the side."

"I don’t get you. I thought you snuck us into Edward’s room to convince me to stay for him, but now you’re telling me he’s not good enough."

"If he would just make a move, then we wouldn’t have to do all the work of sneaking in. Besides, you like each other. More important, you like him. That’s good enough for me. Even if you could do better."

"Better how? He’s funny and cute and so nice."

"You sound like you’re describing a puppy."

"And what does it sound like when
you
describe a boyfriend?"

Emma’s eyes sparkled as she leaned forward on her knees. "A boyfriend is sexy and adventurous. A boyfriend has a bit of mystery, but not too much. A boyfriend is . . . is . . . like Josh. Someone who makes you feel like your souls just entwine."

Ellie almost fell off the bed. "Josh is irresponsible and a troublemaker and his soul has entwined with every other female soul on the planet."

"That’s unfair," Emma said. "When have you ever seen him with another girl?"

"Dante mentioned Josh was hitting on his sister."

"She’s younger! And his classmate’s sister. Josh wouldn’t. There’s a bro code about it or something."

"But supposedly he did."

"Rumors," Emma said. "Don’t believe them."

"Speaking of rumors . . . Edward doesn’t know that I’m leaving. I just . . . I couldn’t tell him."

Emma smiled. "Good."

* * *

Ellie knocked her knuckles against the door to Headmistress Berg’s cottage. The gold plaque hanging on the brick exterior sparkled with her name—Katherine Berg. The year before, Anne’s mother’s name had been on the plaque, but mysterious new owners had made changes—a new headmistress, adding boys, and now an upcoming Academy name change, which Lizzie was protesting.

Maybe leaving wouldn’t be so bad when the school would be unrecognizable after all the changes. At least that’s what Ellie told herself.

From inside the cottage, something shuffled then scuffled, before the door opened to reveal Headmistress Berg in a skintight puce pantsuit that constricted across her thin ribs.

"A visit from a student so early on a Saturday morning?" Bergie adjusted her lime-green glasses higher on the bridge of her nose. "How unusual. But not, I suppose, in your case."

"Did my parents contact you?" Ellie asked as she was welcomed inside and stepped around the umbrella stand in the foyer.

"Guatemala," Bergie said. "What an amazing opportunity. Although, I wish we had been informed in a timely manner. I understand your first month’s tuition is delayed because of the foreign wire transfer, but should clear soon so you will be paid through next Friday."

Ellie hadn’t expected any warm and fuzzy sentiments from Bergie, but still, she wished she had worn a sweater or a wrap so she could pull it across her shoulders. Instead, she hugged herself at her elbows. Bergie was not known for being comforting—not when she had been the guidance counselor and especially not now that she was headmistress. Ellie didn’t understand why Bergie even wanted to work at Jasta.

When they reached Bergie’s office, Ellie slumped down in the chair while Bergie walked around the oak desk and stretched back into the seat like a cat, crossing her legs at the knees. She steepled her fingers and studied Ellie over manicured nails.

"Why are you here, Miss Dvorak?"

"Lizzie was thinking I should figure out how my credits will transfer, and whether I’ll be taking the SATs?"

"Miss Egmont advised that, did she?" Bergie narrowed her eyes. "She isn’t planning on mounting a counteroffensive?"

"Um . . . no." Ellie ignored the stab of disappointment. She shouldn’t rely on Lizzie to fix her problems, and she didn’t want Lizzie to cause a scene, yet she was surprised she hadn’t. Just as she’d been surprised when Lizzie hadn’t fought for them to room together at the start of the year.

"Interesting, that."

"What is?" Ellie felt her defenses rise.

"I suppose Miss Egmont is busy now that she has a new roommate . . . Anne. And a new boyfriend."

Ellie’s shoulder blades drew back and she straightened in her chair.

"It’s just so unlike Miss Egmont to go down without a fight." Bergie brushed the thought away with a sweep of her fingers in the air. "But it doesn’t matter what she thinks, does it?"

"What do you mean?" Ellie always felt as if a conversation with Bergie was like a game of cat and mouse. And she was never the cat.

"What matters is what you think. Do you want to move to Guatemala? Do you want to leave your friends behind?"

"Of course not!"