Angel in the Courtyard [Book 2]

Chapter 68 - Loyal

The message Khaleel forwarded to Hino didn't interest me in the slightest. I couldn't care less that Falcon Salim was trying to expose more of my secrets. It didn't matter. I wasn't returning to Jackheights. I wasn't even going to graduate from there, so all of it was pointless. The only thing on my mind was paying Findlay back for the emotional trauma she caused my sister. She thought our deal was null and void since I left the academy but I was ready to remind her how wrong she was.

Falcon Salim was as insignificant as they came but I was determined to use him to get what I wanted. When I looked up his name online, I got the feeling that I had seen him somewhere before. It wasn't until I started digging through my own archives that I finally understood what was going on. Findlay and Falcon Salim had been involved with one another romantically when he attended Jackheights as a student.

My intel from a few years ago handed me a picture of them making out behind the school. Taking all that into account, I had a few questions I wanted to ask him. Falcon said he wanted to meet my sister in the school courtyard. Why? Because as a student-teacher he had the home-field advantage on campus. My plan was to lure him elsewhere and have a nice little chat. The logical thing to do was send him the picture from my archives with his face blurred and request to meet me where I wanted to, or I would send the unedited version to the school principal. My plan worked swimmingly.

Hino and I left the Matsunaga home together and made our way to Jackheights. He had Kohaku on standby to expose Findlay's dirty laundry on the school's administrative site, and he texted Khaleel and Zander to meet us by the school gates. From there I figured we could call a ride to Heston Park, the location I picked to deal with Falcon.

Everything was in order. I was ready to handle every situation that might arise..unfortunately, nothing m could have prepared me for seeing Khaleel exit the front gates with Arisa Hoffman. They were holding hands, and even after they saw me looking, they refused to let go of one another.

I was the one who said she was in love with him. I was the one who told her to stop pretending otherwise, she was only doing what I said, so why did it hurt so much? Why did my feelings run so deep for this one girl? What did she have to do in order for me to completely forget about her? Patience. I had to be patient and endure it.  I wouldn't be around much longer. I wouldn't have to see her when I transferred to a different school.

While I was doing everything in my power not to make eye contact with Arisa, Zander couldn't help glare in her direction. "Did something happen between you two?" I asked my friend.

Hino stood beside me and worked on calling us a taxi to Heston Park. "She's a fucking pain in the ass," Zander grumbled.

Khaleel exhaled sharply. "Why exactly?"

"Because I protected Tomasia from him," Arisa offered, beaming at the playboy. "Rejection is hard but try to take it in stride."

"Shut the fuck up," Zander retorted.

Khaleel released Arisa's hand. "Come on, Easton. I don't know the details but you can be pissed at her without cussing."

Zander scoffed and looked away from the couple. I was a little surprised by how obedient he was being. He was not one to take orders from just anyone. I told Tomasia if she thought Zander was the type to blindly follow me, she was wrong. There was no taming his temper or sporadic mood swings. I knew from the beginning I wouldn't be able to mould him. The only reason I recruited him in the first place was that I wanted him to stop being friends with Dobberman and Carter. When I helped him see how disturbed those two were in middle school, the decision to ditch them was all his.

"So, is she coming with us or what?" Zander asked, speaking to Khaleel. "I vote she doesn't."

Arisa kept her composure but I could see through her angry eyes. "I'm trying to steer clear of the trouble you rooftop losers get into."

Khaleel nudged her.

"Sorry, it's a bad habit," she said, clearing her throat. "I just wanted to walk Khaleel here, and now that I have, I should probably go."

Zander moved to stand beside Hino and me, showing zero interest in saying goodbye to Arisa. "See you," I said, turning around to keep an eye out for our ride. Any excuse I could find not to look at her, I was happy to take.

"See you," I heard her reply.