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VENGEANCE

IMAGINING THE POSITIVE

The sky that early June day was the kind of blue that goes on forever and e of the new Billings House construction site—just to ht—I felt like that particular blue had been conjured just for me

It was all happening Billings was being rebuilt A huge, yellow backhoe was clearing the plot, bringing up the dark, wet earth of spring with each drag of its shovel, releasing the sweet scent of new beginnings into the air Construction workers in hard hats marked off the area, unloaded cement blocks and workbenches, and walked in and out of trailers, letting the doors slam purposefully behind them It was the fresh start I had always hoped for, and I couldn’t stop s around ed tosense that I was exactly where I was supposed to be, doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing

“Reed, are you sure this is a good idea?” Josh asked, squeezing my hand

My sainst the sun as he turned to look at ht blue sweater had a few drops of yellow paint on the collar and his always unruly, dark blond hair was pushed up in the back by the breeze Josh was, hands down, the hottest guy at Easton Acadeuy I’d everon my parade

“It just see,” Noelle added

I gaped at her Her dark hair was back in a low ponytail and she wore a black boatneck dress over black boots Not very bright-and-bold, spring-fashion runway, but Noelle had never been one for color in her wardrobe And, of course, she looked perfect anyway

“Unbelievable This is what you guys finally agree on?” I gestured toward the construction site The two of them rolled their eyes at each other

“It’s justwhen Daddy left you all that money, I don’t think this is what he had in mind”

Noelle looked down at the ground, nudging a pebble of old-Billings concrete with the pointed toe of her boot This had been a habit of hers for the past couple of months, ever since her father—our father—had been ht of my seventeenth birthday She looked dohenever she spoke of him Actually, she looked down a lot more often than she ever had before I kne much she missed him I missed him too, but in a different way Noelle had spent every day of her nineteen years knowing hi him “Dad”

I, however, had never really gotten to know him I missed what I had never had the chance to have Sometimes I wasn’t sure which orse, until I saw the way Noelle’s face fell whenever he came up in conversation At those reater than mine At least the crazy bitch who’d done it, Alyssa Kane—the s sister Cheyenne Martin—had been given a speedy trial and sentenced to life in prison after a mere ten-minute deliberation by the jury Guess that’s what happens when you stab so about ten cops

Of course, the dagger had been meant for me, a fact that I tried not to think about

My phone rang for about thealus aluraduates to the ribbon-cutting ceremony this weekend and had planned a cocktail reception and brunch as well, hoping to show theo back into the world and spread nothing but good PR for Billings But the si into a circus All the wealthy, influential wos’s past had special requirements or demands that they absolutely had to have fulfilled before their arrival in Connecticut, and each ti or beeped or vibrated, my nerves frayed a little thinner

Noelle gavethe stink eye, so I reached inside the outer pocket and hit ignore Whoever it was, I could return the call when I got back to my dorm

“This is our chance, Noelle,” I said gently “Thanks to your dad, we can res into ays knew it could be”

“I know You’ve said all this before,” Noelle re toward the far edge of the plot “But my father—I mean, our fatherhe hated this place Don’t you think it’s a tad crass to be using his money to rebuild it?”