Only The Goode Spy Forever

Chapter 104: The Old Friends

"Mercy to you and peace and love be multiplied." -Jude 1:2

Annalise Goode knew that she made a mistake. She slipped up. She had been caught. Anna turned her head to the boy next to her and stifled a cry. Why did she always hurt the people she loved?

                                                                                     7 weeks earlier

        "Anna," a voice said. An almond hit Annalise Goode in the head and she focused her eyes on her beautiful friend Diana Winters. She was grinning as she held her 100 calorie pack of almonds.

       "Yes D?" She said with an eye roll. Anna, Diana, their third suitemate Caroline, and Anna's brother's girlfriend Bree were all in the library. They were meant to be studying.

       "A little distracted there are you Anna?" Caroline asked with a chuckle. Anna gave her a confused look. The girls burst out laughing at her. Anna cocked her head at them, still unsure what they were on about.

        "Angel I hate to break it to you but you haven't been writing your essay at all. You've been writing down Annalise Newman for the past 15 minutes," Bree laughed. Anna looked down at her notebook and let out a shriek. She slammed it shut and blushed fiercely. What was wrong with her? She had loved Cason once and he broke her heart. He didn't want a spy. He wanted normal. Anna had been immune to all boys since. Plus, he was an old family friend, they were like siblings.

      "Don't tell Chase," was all Anna could mutter. She silently cursed herself for not denying she had feelings for him. The Blackthorne boys had only been at her school for 2 weeks. In that time, literally nothing had happened between her and Peyton. That first day she had grabbed his hands and he hadn't looked at her straight since. It wasn't all his fault. Anytime he would nod to her in the halls she would stutter and then say something awkward. She wasn't cool and collected like her brother, she was just too awkward.

       The girls finished their studying and waved goodbye to Bree as they made their way to their Covert Operations class. Anna tried not to think about how Bree and her brother would be graduating in 6 weeks. The thought made her sick to the stomach. She couldn't imagine life without seeing them every day. She walked through the door and found her grandfather Joseph Solomon giving her a mischievous look. She took her seat and blushed as Peyton Newman, son of Rebecca Baxter and Grant Newman, sat next to her.

       "Students," Mr. Solomon began. The purpose of this program is to build relationships and make allies. You can't do that without a little trust. Your assignment is to spend one on one time together, talk about your lives not your legends, and trust. Partners will be Diana and Radly, Millicent and Jaccoby..." The names trailed on and on. Anna dozed off while her grandpa assigned partners. She practically threw up as she reengaged and heard "Anna and Peyton." Anna looked at the boy next to her and gulped. 

       Anna lead Peyton through a passage that lead into a small room. She had hauled up a bean bag with her mother years before when Cammie introduced it to her. Anna often went up there when she wanted to be alone. Peyton plopped into the bean bag chair and Anna sat on a pillow next to him. 

        "So," Peyton started.

         "So," Anna repeated. 

        "So do you want my life story or what?" Peyton asked. Anna shrugged, so he proceeded. "Well I was born in Birmingham and my parents as you know are Rebecca Baxter and Grant Newman. My sisters are Adalind and Amelia. I'm 15, but I totally pass for older. My favorite color is a deep green and I go to Blackthorne."

       "I already knew all of that," Anna said with an eyeroll.

      "I know," Peyton agreed. "But if anyone else was my partner then they wouldn't have known that. It's the truth, not my cover legend. I'm simply following the instructions, Anna."

     "Well I was born in D.C. Your parents were both there, actually. My parents are Cameron Morgan and Zachary Goode. My sibling are Chase, Riley, and Jaycee. I'm 16, but I look my age. My favorite color is blue and I go to the Gallagher Academy," Anna finished with a smirk.

     "And your townie boyfriend is Cason," Peyton added. Anna froze. She paled. How did Peyton know about Cason? Did the whole world know?

     "How did you..." She trailed off. She looked to her shoes. Anna couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. Peyton cupped them bottom of her chin with his massive hands and tilted her head up so that she would finally meet his eyes.

      "I'm a spy, Anna," He explained. He wasn't joking or being mean. He was looking at Anna with the most intense, soft gaze she had ever witnessed. She took the moment to really study him. To anyone else he would appear to live in South America. Peyton Newman was tan, but Anna knew it was from his mother's black genes. His hair was brown, not as dark as Chase's, but more like chocolate. He was much shorter than Chase, but clearly more muscular. Peyton's muscles bulged at every inch. His face was incredibly chiseled and his brown eyes reminded Anna of puppies. In that moment she thought she could laugh. Here was this jacked 15 year old in front of her, a kid who looked like he should have a mortgage, yet he had puppy dog eyes. She let out a small laugh. 

      "We're not together anymore," she said as she pulled her chin out of his grasp. He must not have liked that, because he inched closer to her. 

      "Oh," he said with no expression. "I'm sorry" Anna peered up at him expecting to see a smirk or sarcasm, but he was sincere. A piece of her hair fell forward. She left it because somehow it made her feel unseen. It made her feel more like a chameleon. Peyton touched the hair and brushed it back behind her ear, forcing her to be seen again. 

     "The assignment," she began. Peyton's gaze was so intense she thought that he might kiss her. 

     "The assignment is bull shit," he finished for her. His gaze didn't leave hers. "We already know each other. Solomon knows that. He's playing games and it's bull shit." Anna finally snapped out of her trance. Peyton wasn't acting like the kid who she used to spend time with. He was acting like the boy at Blackthorne that nearly ruined their mission and put them all in danger. 

     "What happened at Blackthorne?" She asked, letting her thoughts get the best of her. "My freshman year. Why did you try and stop us?" Peyton seemed taken aback by the question.

     "Because it was against the rules," he said casually. Anna burst out laughing. 

     "Your mom is Bex Baxter. You haven't followed the rules a day in your life," she spat. Peyton cocked an eyebrow at her.

     "You know what CJ," he muttered. "You should spend less time worrying about something that happened a year ago and more time thinking about what happened weeks ago when Chase came back to Blackthorne. I saved his life. Did he deserve it? I'm still trying to decide."

      "Peyton, Chase is your friend! You've known him for years; you can trust him."

      "I can't trust anyone!"

       "You can trust me! And I can trust you," Anna said, She grabbed his hands for reassurance. Peyton ripped them away.

      "No, you can't."

Author's Note:

Hi friends! I am back! Stay tuned, this next chapter is my FAVORITE!