His deep voice cuts through the silence of the car. “No more hiding out in the library. I expect to see you at lunch.”
My fingernails dig into the leather as resentment builds in my chest.
Why can’t he leave me alone?
Rather than argue and potentially cause a scene, I jerk my head into a tight nod. I’m not in any condition to fight him. Even though I woke up thirty minutes ago, my ass is still dragging. All the stress from Dad’s death and the situation with Kingsley and Keaton has driven me to the breaking point.
It’s a relief when he shifts away, dismissing me without another word before stepping from the Mustang. Unlike yesterday, he doesn’t bother waiting for me to exit the vehicle before walking toward a crowd of friends in the parking lot. Sloane separates herself from the same group before rushing toward him and looping her arms around Kingsley’s neck. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were together.
For all I know, they are.
The thought of him fucking both of us at the same time makes me sick to my stomach. I want to curl up on the leather seat and pretend this isn’t happening. Rather than give in to the impulse, I pop open the door and force myself to step onto the pavement before hurrying toward the front entrance of the school.
If Kingsley thinks he can inflict more damage by flaunting Sloane in front of me, he’s got another thing coming.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“How are you holding up, girl?” Everly asks as we head to the cafeteria.
“I’m fine.” The smile I paste on my lips takes effort. School is the last place I want to be. I dread seeing Kingsley because I know exactly what I’ll find and that’s Sloane clinging to him like a barnacle. If that girl could fuck him in front of my face, solely to stake her claim, that’s exactly what she would do.
Does she really think I care?
Or that I’ll fight for him?
Ha! Nothing could be further from the truth. As far as I’m concerned, they deserve each other. The self-appointed king and queen of Hawthorne Prep.
Even though I keep my attention focused in front of me, Everly’s concerned gaze flits over me, probing for details I’m unwilling to share.
“Are you sure?” She pauses for a beat, most likely waiting for me to spill my guts. “You look tired.”
“I didn’t sleep well last night.” I shrug, not bothering to add the reason for it. My new friend hasn’t asked many questions about Kingsley, but I have the feeling that it’s only a matter of time.
“The last two weeks have been brutal,” she adds softly.
Every step that brings us closer to the dining hall has my nerves ratcheting up. I haven’t felt this anxious since the first day of school. In a strange way, it feels as if I’ve come full circle. The only difference is that I now understand what to expect. The students of Hawthorne Prep are more vicious than barracudas. One word from Kingsley and they’ll rip me to shreds without a second thought.
What did he tell me the other day?
Queens can be cast aside.
I’m waiting for him to do exactly that in a spectacularly public fashion.
As if sensing my growing unease, Everly loops her arm through mine. When I glance at her, she gives me a firm nod along with a stoic smile. It’s like she knows we’re going to battle, and her unwavering support is enough to bring tears to my eyes. Everly has no idea how grateful I am for her friendship. She came into my life when I needed her most. There’s no way I could get through this without her.
“Thank you,” I whisper, wishing there was a better way to convey everything that’s in my heart.
As we step into the cavernous space, I tense, unsure how the situation will play out. It takes a moment to realize that no one is paying us any more attention than usual. The relief that floods through me is almost enough to weaken my knees. Unwilling to make eye contact with Kingsley, I focus on the floor as we walk to our normal table. I need to make it through the next thirty minutes unscathed.
That’s it.
That’s all I care about.
When Everly grinds to a halt, my gaze slices to her in question. Anger flashes across her face before she grumbles through stiff lips, “Let’s sit somewhere else today.”
My belly twists. I can only imagine what’s prompted her to make the suggestion. I try to swallow down the thick lump of nausea that has settled in the middle of my throat.
Whatever you do, don’t look!
Even though I tell myself not to do it, my gaze arrows to the table crowded with all the usual suspects. In the middle of the group is the king himself and perched on his lap is none other than Sloane. It’s so reminiscent of the first day of school that I blink my eyes and tell myself that it’s not déjà vu.
“Summer,” Everly’s fingers dig into my arm in an effort to shift my attention away from the scene, “let’s go.”
The image has unfortunately been singed into my brain for all eternity. “Sure. Where do you want to sit?”
Everly scans the area until she finds a table with a few open seats before pointing. “How about over there?”
Honestly, I don’t care where we go as long as I don’t have to look at Kingsley and Sloane. The smell of mass-produced food assaults my nostrils and my belly churns with a pang of discomfort. Maybe this isn’t stress at all, but a case of the flu. I’ve spent most of the morning fighting nausea.
It’s a relief when we finally settle at the end of the table on the outskirts of the cafeteria. Everly strategically positions herself so that she faces the football players and my back is to Kingsley. She sets her bag down before pulling out her drink, sandwich, bag of pretzels, and a fruit snack.
Her brow furrows. “Didn’t you bring a lunch?”
With a grimace, I shake my head. The thought is enough to make me vomit.
Everly pushes a small prepackaged bag of pretzels toward me. “Here, take this. I have more than enough.”
Her gaze slides from me to something over my shoulder. After finishing off the last bite of her sandwich, she leans forward, closing the distance between us. I know what’s coming and I brace myself for it. I’m surprised it took her this long.
“I haven’t wanted to be all up in your business, but you gotta throw me a bone here.” She pauses for a heartbeat before blurting out the question I’ve been dreading most. “What happened between the two of you?”
“It’s a long story.” Where would I even begin?
“I’m sure it is, but I don’t understand how your relationship unraveled so quickly. You two seemed solid.” Scorn fills her eyes as her upper lip curls. “It’s unbelievably shitty for him to do this right after everything with your dad.”
A humorless chuckle slides from my lips as I shake my head. “It’s so much more complicated than that.” As much as I’d love to let Everly believe this is entirely Kingsley’s fault, I can’t do that. Yes, he’s proven himself to be a total jerk, but the ownership for this particular fallout lies with me. I’m the one who fucked up.
When she raises her brows, I shrug, struggling to put it all into words. “There’s a lot of bad blood between our families and it’s been that way for eighty years.”
Surprise flashes in her eyes. “So, there’s a whole Romeo and Juliet situation going on here?”
“Not exactly.”
“Minus the suicides?”
Even though there’s nothing to laugh about, a snort of humor escapes. “Along with a few other details.”
“Hmmm...star-crossed lovers,” she adds dreamily, “that’s kind of romantic.”
She couldn’t be more wrong about that.
“Trust me, there is nothing romantic about our situation.” We were doomed for failure from the very beginning. It’s almost painful to remember how hard I fell for Kingsley the day we spent on the boat. No matter how much I grieve, moving on from that feels impossible. I don’t think I’ll ever get over him.
Everly opens her mo
uth before snapping it shut as something snags her gaze behind me. She sits up straighter before muttering, “Incoming.”
Please don’t let it be Kingsley.
I can’t deal with him right now. If he’s looking to throw me to the wolves or slap a red bullseye on my back, this would be the perfect time to do it. I flinch when a finger taps my shoulder. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realize it can’t be the dark-haired boy. There’s no way he would ever be so meek as to hit my shoulder and wait for me to turn around. He’s way more forceful than that.
I swivel and find Sloane. A smug smile curves her pink slicked lips as she cocks a hip. “For some odd reason, Kingsley wants you at his table. So get your ass moving or he’ll move it for you.” She smirks before adding, “Frankly, I’d love to see that happen.”
When I fail to respond, her blue eyes glitter with malice. After all the confrontations we’ve had over the last month and a half, she’s loving that Kingsley is finally hers. What she doesn’t understand is that she won by default. As tempted as I am to tell her, I keep the ugly comment to myself.
She closes the distance between us before whispering, “I knew you wouldn’t be able to hold on to him.”
“You must feel vindicated,” I say, unwilling to get dragged into a pissing match, “now he’s all yours.”
A haughty expression settles over her face. “That’s the thing, Hawthorne, he was always mine.”
“So...he was out on loan? Kind of like a library book?” I ask sweetly. There’s only so much of Sloane’s bitchy behavior I can take before losing it. Like Kingsley, this girl knows how to push my buttons to provoke a reaction.
Anger flashes in her eyes.
“Should I let you in on a little secret?” Before she can respond, I continue. “Enjoy him while you can, we both know he’ll slip through your fingers before you can blink.”
Heat slams into her cheeks. “You’re nothing more than a jealous bitch,” she snaps.
“Please, girl, that’s more your MO.”
Before Sloane can slap back at me, Everly cuts in, making a shooing motion with her fingers. “You’ve delivered your message like a good little lap dog. Now run back to your owner. I think he might have a treat for you.”
Sloane’s mouth gapes before she snaps it shut and straightens to her full height, glaring in Everly’s direction. “You better shut your damn mouth before I do it for you.”
Not the least bit intimidated, Everly rises to her feet. “Why don’t you try it and we’ll see what happens?”
Clearly not expecting the snappy comeback, uncertainty flickers across Sloane’s face before she presses her lips into a tight line.
There’s a beat of silence as Everly’s brows rise. “Well, I’m waiting for you to shut my damn mouth.”
Holy shit!
Did she really just say that?
A gurgle of laughter escapes from my lips before I clap a hand over my mouth to stifle it. Sloane turns glaring eyes on me. There is so much hatred blazing from them. It’s enough to singe me alive.
“Fuck off,” she growls. “Neither of you are worth my time.” With that, she stomps away.
I stare after the blonde, enjoying one of the few victories I’ve managed to claim before turning to Everly with a mixture of amusement and awe. “You’re kind of a bad bitch.”
A reluctant smile quirks the edges of her lips. “The best thing you can do with a bully is put them in their place.” Her gaze flicks from me before settling on something over my shoulder. “And that bully has just been knocked down to size.”
Clearly.
“You realize that you’ve made an enemy today, right?” If Everly had escaped Sloane’s notice thus far, that’s no longer the case.
“I have no problem with that.” She shrugs as her gaze settles on mine. There’s not an ounce of regret in her eyes. “That girl can kiss my ass for all I care.”
The image has a slight smile tugging at the corners of my lips. There’s more fight in Everly than I first suspected. It’ll serve her well at Hawthorne Prep. If I’ve learned one thing, this isn’t a place where the weak thrive or survive.
More like the opposite.
I gnaw my bottom lip as my mind turns to the reason Sloane sauntered over in the first place.
Kingsley.
Maybe Everly was able to chase Sloane away easily enough, but that won’t be the case with the dark-haired boy. There’s a cost to defiance, and I’m not sure if I want to pay the price.
“He can’t make you do anything,” she says, as if reading my thoughts. “He doesn’t own you.”
Her words echo hollowly in my head.
He doesn’t own you.
I want to laugh. Or maybe cry. The sad truth of the matter is that he does. Kingsley’s family does own me, but how can I explain that to Everly? I can’t imagine the look of horror that would flash across her face if I were to reveal the truth.
“Fuck him!” she growls when I remain silent.
“I wish it were that easy,” I mumble.
“I’m serious, Summer.” Her eyes darken with impending storm clouds. “He can’t make you do anything. Just ignore the big jerk.”
Not only is Everly new to Hawthorne, she obviously doesn’t understand the social hierarchy that exists here. She doesn’t realize the power Kingsley and his family wield. I’ve had a little taste of it, and it was more than enough to last a lifetime.
Remorse rushes through me. I hate that I’ve dragged her into a situation she’ll likely regret three months down the line. She doesn’t understand how formidable these enemies are or how long these people hold on to grudges. This is not a forgive and forget type of crowd.
My gaze drops to my tangled fingers. “I really appreciate you sticking up for me, but you might want to reconsider your loyalty.” As difficult as it is, I force out the rest. “People like Sloane and Kingsley, they won’t forget who’s side you were on when this all went down, and I don’t want to see you take the brunt of it. You’re new here and still getting the lay of the land. If you want to back off or distance yourself for the time being, I won’t hold it against you.”
When she remains silent, I glance at her.
Everly pokers up on the bench like someone just rammed a two-by-four up her ass. “Did you seriously say that to me?”
My eyes widen as my mouth tumbles open.
Ummm...
“I—”
She cuts me off as her voice rises. “I don’t give a damn about these assholes! They can all fuck off!” She leans forward and stabs a finger in my direction. “I thought we were friends.”
Stunned by the outburst, I whisper, “We are! That’s why I’m doing this.”
Doesn’t she get that?
Even though it’s been less than two weeks, Everly and I have grown close. Each day I was gone, she called or texted to check in with me. She stopped by the house to drop off a casserole and a pretty floral journal to write in. Every bit of kindness she showered upon me touched my heart more than she’ll ever realize. Which is precisely why I don’t want her getting caught in the crossfire of my bullshit. She deserves a fighting chance at this school, and she certainly won’t get that by befriending me.
It takes effort to swallow down the thick lump that has formed in the middle of my throat. “I just wanted to make you aware of the situation.” I glance around at the sea of unfriendly faces. “Maybe you haven’t noticed, but I’m kind of on the outs right now and that won’t change anytime soon.”
“You know what? That first day of school, you were the only one who reached out and introduced themselves to me. None of these people did that. I would rather have one true friend than a bunch of fake ass bitches who don’t give a shit about me.” Her scornful gaze bounces over my shoulder. “You think I wanna be friends with Sloane?” Disgust fills her face as she shakes her head. “No thanks. I knew plenty of girls like her in New York. I’m not interested in going down that road aga
in. We have less than a year to get through Hawthorne Prep and then we’ll be free of this hellhole. We can do it together.”
Tears threaten to gather in my eyes, and it takes effort to blink them away. I’m not even sure the friends I had in Chicago would stand by me through all this. It’s a sobering realization.
“We got this, okay?” Everly lays a hand over mine before squeezing it. “So, now that we got that straightened out, how do you want to handle this?”
As I gnaw my lip with indecision, Austin plunks his tray down next to me.
“Hey,” he says, unaware of the conversation he’s interrupted.
“Hi,” I murmur.
Everly gives him a smile before her attention drops to his lunch. “Wow, hungry much?”
“All the damn time.” He grins before digging in. Austin has double portions of everything. The overflowing tray of food could feed a small country.
Her brows skyrocket across her forehead. I can’t tell if she’s disgusted or impressed or if it’s a combination of both. “You must have one hell of a metabolism.”
“You have no idea,” I mutter.
Austin shoves a forkful of meatloaf into his mouth before glancing over his shoulder. “Glad to see we’re no longer sitting at asswipe central. I’d rather be banished to no-man’s-land than put up with them any day of the week.”
I shrug, relieved that Austin wasn’t here when Kingsley sent Sloane over to do his bidding. My brother would have lost his proverbial shit. And then it would have all hit the fan. As Everly and him talk about a class they have together, a fresh burst of nausea explodes in my belly before threatening to revolt. When I jump to my feet, their conversation grinds to an abrupt halt.
“I need to use the bathroom,” I blurt before adding, “I’ll be right back.” Not waiting for a response, I hightail it from the cafeteria, down the hall, before pushing through the door to the restroom.
Thankfully, it’s empty. Once in front of the sink, I turn on the faucet and splash cold water against my cheeks. The nausea churning in the pit of my gut continues to roil. I’m half afraid I’ll vomit. I squeeze my eyes closed and focus on my breathing.
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