REBOUND

THE PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER THREE

The cafeteria was packed when I walked in at noon and every eye turned toward me like I'd announced something over the loudspeaker. I gripped my tray tighter and kept moving even though my hands were shaking, heading toward Kai's table by the windows where he sat with Sebastian and three other basketball players.

The empty chair next to him might as well have had my name on it.

Kai looked up when I was ten feet away and his face transformed from cold mask to something almost warm, almost genuine. "There she is," he said loud enough for nearby tables to hear. "Thought maybe you changed your mind."

"Got held up in class," I lied.

He stood and took my tray, set it down, then pulled my chair out with exaggerated politeness that made Sebastian snort. I sat and Kai dropped his arm across the back of my chair, not quite touching but close enough that everyone watching understood what he was claiming.

"Everyone, this is Iris," he said. "Iris, that's Marcus, Devon, and Tyler."

Marcus looked confused, Devon stared with his mouth open, and Tyler kept glancing between us trying to solve some puzzle. Sebastian just smiled that knowing smile that made my skin crawl.

"So you're the girl who's got Kai acting reformed," Sebastian said, leaning forward. "Interesting choice."

"Eat something," Kai told me, pushing my tray closer. "You look ready to pass out."

I forced down a bite of pasta that tasted like nothing while conversations slowly picked up around us. That's when I saw Emily across the cafeteria, standing frozen with her tray gripped so tight her knuckles were white. Even from here I could see absolute rage burning in her eyes.

"Don't look at her," Kai said quietly. "She's waiting for you to react."

"She looks like she wants to kill me."

"Probably." His thumb brushed my shoulder. "Let her look. Makes it more real."

His phone buzzed and something tightened in his expression before the mask returned.

"Problem?" Sebastian asked.

"My father wants dinner tonight," Kai said, typing fast. "Says he has questions about my relationship status."

My stomach dropped. "How does he know already?"

"Emily's dad sits on the same board. They play golf Thursdays." Kai kept typing. "She probably called him yesterday and he called my father within the hour."

"So what now?"

"Dinner at seven. I'll pick you up at six thirty." He finally looked at me. "Wear something nice but not too nice. He'll look for reasons to call you a gold digger."

"I am one," I said quietly. "Just not how he'll think."

Sebastian laughed and even Marcus smiled. Kai's expression stayed neutral but something flickered in his eyes.

Before anyone could respond, Emily appeared at our table so suddenly everyone went quiet. Her hands shook with rage and her face had gone pale under her makeup.

"Kai, I need to talk to you," she said, voice high and tight. "Privately. Right now."

"I'm having lunch with my girlfriend," Kai said without looking up. "It can wait."

"It can't." Emily's eyes cut to me with pure hatred. "And the scholarship student shouldn't hear this conversation."

The table went silent. My face burned with shame and anger mixed together.

Kai looked at Emily and his expression went ice cold. "You and I have nothing to discuss. We've never had anything to discuss. I thought I made that clear when I turned you down the first three times."

"Your father made promises to mine about us," Emily's voice shook. "About our families and the merger—"

"My father promises things that aren't his to promise." Kai's arm moved to actually around my shoulders, pulling me closer. "I'm eighteen and I make my own decisions. I've decided Iris is who I want. Whatever our fathers discussed is off the table."

Emily's face went from pale to bright red and her hands shook harder. For a second I thought she'd throw her tray but instead she just stood there breathing hard.

"You're going to regret this," she said, looking at me with eyes that promised destruction. "Both of you will regret this."

She spun and practically ran out, and the cafeteria erupted into whispers and pointing. Kai's hand moved to cup the back of my neck, turning my face toward his.

"This is going to get worse," he said quietly. "Can you handle it?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No," he said, and kissed me.

Not like yesterday's quick performance. This was slower, deliberate, his hand firm on my neck and his lips warm against mine. I could hear gasps from surrounding tables and phones clicking pictures, and I hated that somewhere in my mind I was noticing he was good at this.

When he pulled back the cafeteria had gone silent. Emily stood near the exit with tears streaming down her face, devastation clear even from here.

Kai tucked hair behind my ear, leaning close. "Perfect," he murmured. "Keep this up and we might pull this off."

The bell rang and everyone started moving. I grabbed my tray with shaking hands and stood too fast. Kai steadied my arm.

"Six thirty tonight," he reminded me. "Don't be late. My father doesn't do second chances."

I nodded and walked away needing air and space. My phone buzzed as I threw away my uneaten lunch and I pulled it out expecting Kai.

But it wasn't.

Unknown number. The same one from yesterday about Lincoln.

Enjoyed the show. Very convincing. But I wonder what Kai would think if he knew the real reason you left your last school. Meet me after school at the east entrance at 3:15, or everyone finds out exactly what you did in Lincoln and why you're really hiding at Ashford.

My hands went numb and the phone nearly slipped because whoever this was, they knew. They knew about Lincoln and what happened and they were going to use it to destroy everything.

And I had no idea who they were.