My gaze shifts to Everly and I hoist my smile, not wanting her to glimpse the turmoil that swirls beneath the surface. “Hi.” I lower my voice before adding, “Thanks again for coming with me to the doctor.”
“It wasn’t a problem.” She flashes a grin. “Who knows, maybe at some point, you’ll have to return the favor.”
I really hope not.
Then I remember that Everly knows nothing about the unexpected pregnancy.
I force a cheerfulness to my voice that feels strangely foreign. I can’t remember the last time I felt any genuine happiness. It’s like I’m in the middle of a shit storm with no way out. “Oh? Is there someone you have an eye on?”
“Hardly,” she snorts. “I’m destined to be a lone, lonely, loner.”
A chuckle escapes from my lips. That’s doubtful. Everly might be oblivious to the way the boys around here look at her like she’s a juicy Big Mac they want to sink their teeth into, but I’m not. The long auburn hair that cascades down her back in a wavy curtain is in perfect contrast to her vibrant blue-green colored eyes and clear porcelain complexion. Add a curvy body to that list and it’s a wonder she isn’t fighting the guys off with a stick.
“But that doesn’t seem to be the case for you.” She steps closer and lowers her voice. “Spill it, sister. What’s going on with Kingsley? I noticed you two walk in together.”
I shrug. “I’m not sure. It’s—”
“Complicated?” she finishes with a good-natured smirk.
“Yeah.” A smile tugs at my lips as I nod. “Sorry for being so secretive. Maybe some day, I’ll explain everything, but I can’t do that right now.”
“That’s too bad,” she says with a pout. “Something tells me it’s a good story.”
She has no idea. And it’s probably better that way.
When I remain silent, Everly reaches over and squeezes my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just being a nosy bitch.”
“You ready for class?” a deep voice interrupts.
Both of our heads whip up.
Kingsley.
My gaze collides with his. It’s all too easy to become trapped within his dark depths as the world falls away and I forget to breathe. For a sliver of a moment, he’s nothing more than the gorgeous boy I met on the beach. The one who made me laugh. The one I couldn’t stop thinking about for months afterward.
If only it were possible for the past to fall away as easily.
Chapter Thirty
“Ms. Hawthorne?”
I glance up from the paper I’m drafting on Wuthering Heights. “Yes, ma’am?”
Normally, I try to avoid conversing with Ms. Pettijohn as much as possible. It’s no secret that the woman scares the crap out of me.
“Would you deliver this packet to Mrs. Baxter in the office?”
“Sure.” I rise to my feet and force myself to her desk at the front of the classroom. “Should I leave right now?”
The older teacher glances at the digital clock on the wall. There are five minutes remaining. “Why don’t you gather up your belongings and take them along. It’s doubtful you’ll make it back in time before the bell rings.”
Ms. Pettijohn hands over the manilla envelope and I collect my books before leaving the room. As I pass by Everly’s desk, I whisper, “See you at lunch.”
She nods and continues to work on her outline. My attention gets snagged by Duke, who sits directly behind her. The blond boy glares at the back of her head with a narrowed gaze. I don’t understand what his problem is. He took an instant dislike to Everly on the first day of school, and nothing since then has swayed his opinion.
Before this, I never paid him much attention. Maybe I was so focused on Kingsley that I never noticed the cruelty in the stern set of his lips. Or how odd it is that he’s always surrounded by classmates and yet remains separated from them.
It takes a couple of minutes to make my way through the intersecting corridors of Hawthorne Prep to the office. I push open the frosted glass door and find the school secretary sitting behind her desk, typing away at her computer. Thankfully, Mr. Pembroke, the headmaster, isn’t here. We didn’t get off on the best of terms when he threatened to expel Austin. Like most people at this godforsaken school, I get the distinct impression he doesn’t care for us simply because of our lineage.
The moment I step inside the office, the older woman glances up and a friendly smile breaks out across her face. She’s probably the only person at Hawthorne Prep who is genuinely happy we’re here.
“Summer!” she exclaims, “I haven’t seen you in a while.”
Her warmth is infectious, and I find myself returning the easy greeting. “Hi, Mrs. B.” I set the packet on the long stretch of counter that separates us. “Ms. Pettijohn asked me to deliver this.”
“Wonderful!” She rises from her chair and wattles over to the counter before picking up the envelope. “You’ve saved me a trip.”
“No problem.” I point toward the door. “I should probably go before the bell rings. I need to stop at my locker before second hour.”
I almost make it to the frosted glass door when her voice halts me in my tracks. “Summer?”
With raised brows, I pivot to face her again.
“I’m sorry about your father.” The wattage of her natural cheerfulness dims. “I know there’s a long history in this town with the Hawthornes, but your father was never part of that.”
A prick of sadness explodes inside me. Barely am I able to force out a response. “Thank you.”
“If there’s anything you or your family needs, please don’t hesitate to ask. Hawthorne Prep is so much more than a school, we’re a tight-knit family.”
A gurgle of disbelief rises in my throat, but I keep the sound buried deep inside. Unlike the majority of people here, Mrs. Baxter’s sentiments are genuine, and I know she means well. Perhaps she even sees it that way.
“I appreciate that, Mrs. B. I’ll let you know if anything comes up.”
She nods. “Have a good day, Summer.”
Yeah, that’s doubtful. It pretty much tanked the moment I cracked my eyes open this morning.
“Thanks, I will.” I give her a slight wave before pushing out of the office and into the empty corridor.
Once the door closes behind me with an audible click, I inhale a deep breath before forcing it out again. There are moments, little slivers of time, when I forget Dad is gone. When I fail to remember that my world has been blown to smithereens and will never be pieced back together again the same way. Then something happens, or someone makes an innocuous comment, and I’m jarred back to the harsh reality of our situation.
I’m startled out of those thoughts when strong fingers wrap around my upper arms and spin me around until I’m flattened against the paneled wall outside the office. A dark presence looms over me and sends my heart racing.
“Kingsley.” His name is a gasp on my lips.
Silently, he buries his face against the crook of my neck before inhaling a big breath of me. His mouth drifts across the delicate hollow below my ear. No matter how tense my muscles become, it doesn’t take long for my self-control to crumble and then I’m melting beneath the hard lines of his body. When he’s shielding me like this, it’s difficult not to feel protected from everything in the world. I’m the first to admit that it doesn’t make a damn bit of sense. Kingsley is the last person I should feel safe with. He’s the one intent on inflicting pain.
But this morning has brought a shift to our relationship. One I’m unsure how to process.
Silence rains down on us as our harsh breathing echoes off the vacant corridors. A million questions explode in my brain and sit perched on the tip of my tongue. Not a single one escapes from my lips. For whatever reason, I’m loath to ruin the fleeting closeness we’ve managed to discover. If I had my way, I’d stop time and stay in his arms forever.
When the bell rings, the fragile peace shatters. It’s there and gone in th
e blink of an eye, almost as if it were nothing more than a figment of my imagination. He pulls away, disappearing through the hallway before I can think of a way to detain him. Loneliness and despair rush in, threatening to swallow me whole.
And this time, it’s so much worse than before.
Chapter Thirty-One
“Need a ride home?” Everly asks, sidling up beside me as I grab a couple of books from my locker.
Homework is piling up and I need to get my head in the game before I blow my chances of getting into college. “Yeah, that would be—”
“There’s no need for a ride,” Kingsley cuts in, interrupting our conversation for a second time that day, “but thanks for the offer.”
A fresh burst of nerves skitter across my spine. Spending time alone with him requires me to be in a certain mindset with my walls locked firmly in place. After the closeness we shared in the hallway this morning, I haven’t had a chance to erect them again. If I’m being completely honest, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the way he touched me.
Did it mean anything?
Or was it just another mind fuck?
That’s the question that plagues me most.
“No,” I shake my head, “that’s all right. I’d rather—”
With a flick of his eyes, he dismisses me before turning to the girl at my side. His tone is firm. He’s not asking permission, he’s telling us the way it is. “I appreciate you watching out for my girl, but I’ll take it from here.”
My girl?
Where did that come from?
What I hate most is that the endearment makes me feel all warm and tingly inside.
Everly’s brows shoot up across her forehead as if she is just as surprised to hear him refer to me like that as I am. Her gaze bounces from him to me as if to determine my thoughts on the matter. The last thing I want is to put her in the middle of our skirmish. I like the auburn-haired girl way too much to see her make an enemy out of Kingsley.
“It’s fine.” Much like a magnet, my gaze is drawn to him. “There are things we need to sort out.”
“Are you sure?” Her eyes narrow as skepticism colors her voice. Maybe I haven’t confessed everything going on with Kingsley, but she’s seen enough to draw her own conclusions.
I nod and force a smile to my lips. There doesn’t seem to be a way out of the situation. Instead of walking away, she takes a step toward the dark-haired boy, crowding into his personal space. She’s a couple inches shorter than I am and next to Kingsley’s towering figure, she looks like David to his Goliath. My mouth falls open when she rams a finger into his chest.
“Just know that I’m watching you,” she warns.
I glance at him with wide eyes, afraid of what his reaction will be.
Instead of getting annoyed, his lips curl into a thin smile. “Noted.”
A heavy silence falls over the three of us as she gives him the hairy eyeball before swinging around to face me. “I’ll text you later.”
Unsure how to respond, I shift from one foot to the other. “Umm, okay.”
Was there really a time when I thought Everly was timid?
The idea is almost laughable. The girl has huge balls.
Huge!
With one last narrowed glare at Kingsley, Everly takes off with the strap of her messenger bag slung over her shoulder.
We watch as she disappears down the corridor before he says, “You like her.” It’s not a question, more like a statement.
What’s not to like?
Everly doesn’t let anyone push her around, and she gives zero fucks if she offends the popular people at Hawthorne. For those reasons alone, it would be difficult not to like her.
“Yeah, I do.” She’s turned out to be a good friend. One who is willing to stick by my side through thick and thin. That’s not easy to find. Especially in high school.
I clear those thoughts from my head and make a last-ditch effort to escape his dangerous presence. “Don’t you have football?”
As much as Kingsley enjoys the sport, his life doesn’t revolve around it. In that regard, he and my brother couldn’t be more different. Austin lives and breathes the game. It’s his sole reason for waking up in the morning. Take that away and he would be lost.
“Practice was cancelled for the afternoon.”
“Oh.” Well, damn.
“Your brother is staying after to lift with a couple of the guys,” he adds.
No surprise there.
Football and lifting have always been a physical outlet for Austin. He used to spend an hour or two a day working out. Now it’s more like three or four. His dream is to play in the NFL. In order for that to happen, he needs to keep his grades up and get recruited by a top Division I university. His dyslexia has always made academics a challenge. Being ripped away from his team in Chicago and the starting QB position to move to Hawthorne only made it worse. Layer on Dad’s sudden death and me being forced to live with the Rothchilds and you have the perfect recipe for disaster. I’ve always been the one to make sure that Austin was on track with homework and grades. Without me living at home, it’s not as easy to keep tabs on him.
“Ready to go?” he asks, breaking into my thoughts.
Devoid of any other choices, I jerk my head into a nod. As I reach for my backpack, Kingsley snatches it from the locker.
Why does he do this?
Why does he have to be nice?
It only stirs up more confusion, and that’s exactly what I don’t need. It would be so much easier if he’d be a domineering asshole without a single redeeming quality.
“You don’t have to carry it,” I snap, frustration bubbling up inside me. “I’m not an invalid.”
Hurt flickers across his face before his expression hardens and his jaw tightens. “Did I say that you were?”
As tempting as it is to argue, what would be the point? It’s never gotten me anywhere in the past. No matter what, Kingsley always gets his way. The guy could move mountains if he put his mind to it.
I huff out an exasperated breath, knowing it’s better to get this over with. The sooner we get out of here, the faster I can flee to the safety of my house.
In silence, we head for the exit before pushing out into the bright sunshine. There’s a crispness to the air that feels invigorating. Red and golden colored leaves carpet the ground and crunch beneath the soles of our shoes as we walk toward the parking lot.
Students have gathered in small clusters and are talking and laughing. Blazers have been shed and collars loosened. A handful of people call out greetings to Kingsley as we pass by. When we’re about a hundred feet from the Mustang, he clicks the key fob and opens the passenger side door. I slide onto the black leather as he dumps both bags into the backseat before walking around to the other side.
When he nears the hood, Sloane materializes out of nowhere. I watch from inside the vehicle as she reaches for his arm. Hot licks of jealousy bubble up before I can stop it. My eyes widen when he jerks his arm from her hold. The top of the convertible along with the windows are rolled up, encapsulating me in the confined space. I watch their lips move and hear the light buzz of conversation, but I’m unable to make out what’s being said. Hurt and confusion flash across her face, and I realize that she’s pleading with him. I scrutinize Kingsley’s expression only to find it closed off.
The possessiveness that had flared to life moments ago dissolves into something that feels suspiciously like pity. Kingsley pushes past the blond girl before jerking open the door and sliding onto the seat beside me. Sloane blinks away a sheen of wetness before turning glaring eyes toward me. There is so much hatred swirling through her blue depths that it sends a chill of unease slithering down my spine. If she could knife me in the back and get away with it, she would do it in a heartbeat.
When Kingsley turns the key, the engine purrs to life. Instead of disclosing any details from their private conversation, he remains aggravatingly si
lent. I clamp my mouth shut, refusing to pry.
One second.
I won’t ask.
Two seconds.
I don’t even want to know.
Three—
“What was that about?”
Damn it.
“Nothing.” Irritation wafts from him in heavy waves as he stares straight ahead. “I’ve told her a dozen times that I’m not interested, but she doesn’t get it.”
Reluctantly, my gaze fastens on to Sloane as she returns to her friends a few rows over. She tosses another look full of longing at Kingsley as he backs out of the parking spot in front of the gray stone building. She’s the last person I should feel sorry for. The girl has been a huge raving bitch to me every chance she gets. But for some reason, pity fills me.
It must be the hormones.
“She likes you,” I murmur, almost to myself.
He flicks a surprised glance at me before his expression turns to ice. “That’s not my problem, now is it?”
That is such a guy response, it almost sets off my temper. “I don’t know, it kind of seems like your problem.” I watch him from the corner of my eye. Again, I shouldn’t ask...
It’s certainly none of my business.
But that doesn’t stop the question from popping free. “Did you have sex with her?”
A muscle ticks in his jaw as he stares stoically out the windshield.
When he fails to respond, I snap, “I’ll take that as a yes.” Deep down I knew he’d slept with her. Sloane’s unrelenting possessiveness was the first tip off.
His lips tighten into a thin line. Just when I wonder if he’ll ignore me, the words spray from his mouth like bullets. “Yeah, we did. But it was a year ago. I was clear from the beginning that it was nothing more than sex and she was fully on board with it.”
Seriously?
Are guys really that stupid?
Or do they only hear what they want to?
Unable to help myself, I snort and roll my eyes. “You don’t know anything about the female sex, do you?”
Heat leaps to life in his dark depths as he pins me in place with the force of them. “I sure as hell know how to bring one to her knees and make her beg for more.”
Queen of Hawthorne Prep Page 20