Faith Heights

Chapter 40

It seemed that Dominic Payne was in an intense rush to enlighten Rhea to the truth of Faith Heights' undertakings. I was heading downstairs for breakfast the next morning when I saw her in the dorm's common room, sitting with perfect posture in a small armchair across the room. She spotted me crossing the hall, and leapt up like a lion pouncing at its prey. Although, with her size, it was more like a kitten pouncing on a ball of yarn.

She bolted across the room and enveloped me in a breathless hug. Before I could react, she was already pulling away, and socked me in the arm with a tight fist. It felt like being struck by a pillow, but I feigned a little pain.

Rhea grinned. "You could have told me, you know."

I stopped rubbing my arm and took her in with new eyes. Aside from seeing a smile on her face for the first time in weeks, she had a radiant glow about her. Her wide eyes had their emerald flames back, and she stood taller. She looked happy, in the purest, brightest sense of the word.

"So... you know?" I wasn't sure what else I could say.

She laughed. "Yes, I know! Dom told me everything. I can't believe you didn't say anything to me." Her tone wasn't accusatory. It was as if I'd managed to keep the secret of her surprise birthday party.

I let out a breath of relief, and leaned back against the cold stone wall. "I'm sorry. It just wasn't my place. But you have no idea how badly I wanted to."

She tilted her head, her eyes squinting with sympathy. "I can imagine. I don't know if I would have been able to keep it from you and the others. So, you've known the truth since Lucas showed up?"

I coughed. "Uh, actually, I've known a little longer than that."

"How?"

"Jackson kind of spilled the beans." I confessed, and prayed that she wouldn't be too upset. "But he thought he was doing the right thing by telling me."

Her jaw dropped. "Jackson told you? Why didn't he tell me?" Her voice had reached an octave so high, it was like listening to pitchy radio static.

"I don't think he wanted to risk you falling into trouble, in case he was found out."

She raised an eyebrow at that. "And he didn't care about that with you?"

I raised an eyebrow back. "Not in the same way."

Her cheeks flushed at my words, and I could see her mind grasping for a new subject. "Sooo...How is your soulmate treating you?"

She winked with a smirk. All of sudden, it was like we were gossiping about ordinary high school boys.

My mind instantly went to Nick, but I knew she meant Lucas. "He's been nothing but a perfect gentleman."

Rhea made a loud cooing sound, and two boys walking past gave us odd looks.

She quickly asked, "Would you like to move to my room? You probably don't want everyone in the dorm to hear all the lewd details of your new love life."

I didn't really want Rhea hearing any details about them either, but I knew better than to avoid her. And I couldn't deny her this; she'd been kept alone in the dark for far too long.

We went to her room on the first floor, just a few steps back down the hall from the common room. I'd only been in here a handful of times, but the effort she'd put into personalising her space always took me aback. Her room was decorated in white and pink patterns, from lacy bed frills to small photograph frames on her desk. A large rectangular canvas hung just above the head of her bed, with a beautiful cherry blossom painted in the middle. On her bedside table sat a clear glass vase, with baby-pink peonies blooming towards the open window. The pastel colours didn't really meld well with the daffodil-yellow walls, but she'd covered enough of the paint with long, white curtains and wall decorations to hide most of it. Her bedroom looked like something straight out of a fairy-tale dollhouse, and the only breaks in the pallet were the scruffy brown teddy on her bed, and the Audrey Hepburn poster hanging next to the door.