Page 95 of Lightning Angel

Something tumbled to the floor after hitting the teacher on the back. A pink bottle of paint. Alexa’s eyes widened in astonishment again. Her amusement knew no bounds.

Tristan was bent on payback.

She looked back at Mr. Highsmith and saw that the pink paint had stained where it hit him, just above the mischievous writing. Mr. Highsmith stared wildly atwhere the bottle supposedly flew from, where he had been standing in front of the board moments ago, his accusation on Jude or Alexa or anyone else in the classroom now lost.

Mr. Highsmith swiveled around to look about the room, and Alexa switched her expression into one of shock. She exchanged glances with the girls sitting nearest to her, matching the horrified expressions on their faces. If Melissa were here, she would’ve immediately realized it wastheLightning Knight.Alexa was thankful they didn’t have history together.

“Class dismissed!” Mr. Highsmith snapped at no one in particular and snatched his things from the desk before stomping out of the room, grumbling something like he was going to check the cameras.

“What.Was.That?” Niles swiveled in his seat to face the class, his eyes lingering on Alexa with amusement before moving on.

Everyone broke into murmurs, betting and arguing about the possibility. Most of them concluded that the mischief-maker was a ghost, and one of them suggested that the ghost had something to do with Alexa, that it was defending her. Alexa burst out laughing, thinking how close to the truth it was.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” She put her books into the bag and stood.

“Well, do you have any other suggestions?” the boy asked teasingly, just in time the bell rang, announcing the end of the day.

Alexa ignored him and moved toward the exit with a few others. Jude stood from his seat as she passed him, nearly stepping in her way. Niles glanced between themwith an amused smile.

And he was standing inherway. On purpose.

Normally she’d be annoyed. But not today. Not even Jude could wipe off the smile Tristan put on her face. “What?”

“You laughed,” he marveled, like he couldn’t believe it. He stared at her like he was seeing her for the first time.

Alexa smiled a real smile at him for the first time in months. “I know.”

She left him behind in wonder and walked out of the room. The hallways began to crowd. Alexa walked to her locker to keep the books before fishing out her phone and texting Tristan.

Alexa: Where are you?

Tristan: Come to the parking lot.

She went to the parking lot that was bustling with students and vehicles, and searched until her eyes hooked on a breathtaking sight that made the rest of the world a blur.

Tristan leaned against his car wearing a button-down, arms crossed across his chest. His eyes were already on her, watching her with a lopsided grin. He didn’t look like someone who had just caused the biggest mischief in the school’s history.

Alexa’s heart flared to life. She climbed down the steps and walked toward him hurriedly. Her grin grew with each step that ceased the distance between them, her restrained giddiness bubbling to burst forth.

Tristan pushed himself off the car and opened his arms for her. She threw herself into him and hid her smiling face in his chest. “Oh, you mischievous, brilliant, daring man!”

Tristan’s chest vibrated as he chuckled. “You think I’m brilliant?”

“Honestly?” She craned her neck to meet his gaze. “I think you’re unbelievable.”

Tristan’s grin was unrepentant. “Vengefulwould’ve been appreciated.” He leaned close and dropped his voice into a husky murmur. “Admit it, angel, it was wonderful.”

“It was wonderful,” Alexa repeated breathlessly, her eyes briefly dropping to his plump lips.

“And he deserved it.”

“He… deserved it,” she said distractedly.

“That’s what I thought.” He leaned back with a satisfied smirk. “And the look on your face was rewarding.”

She shoved at his chest playfully. “I immediately knew it was you. But of course, it was rather a shocking surprise, quite the unexpected attack.”

Amusement drained from Tristan’s face all of a sudden. He sobered. “No one who insults you gets away with it; he’s the second one in that case. What he did was not fair, humiliating you in front of the whole class. So I wanted to teach him a lesson that his abundance of knowledge in history can’t.”