Cy has this ability to make me block out the rest of the world when his eyes are on mine. I don't know what it is about him, but I hate it. I loathe it—because he's fully aware of the effect he has on me and uses it to his advantage. Like he's going to in three, two, one.
Cy bursts out laughing. All his friends quickly follow, as does most of the hallway. My eyes dart around as a blush quickly heats my cheeks.
"Did you think I was going to kiss you?" he asks through his fit of laughter. Then he sobers so fast I'm surprised I don't get whiplash. "I wouldn't kiss the help." The help. That's what I am to him: the daughter of the woman who assists his mother with her business. Maybe if my mom didn’t work for his, I wouldn’t be on his radar. I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing him in grade school, since we only moved to Arrow Falls, Pennsylvania the summer before freshman year.
I close my eyes tight and wish the entire encounter away. When I open my eyes, everyone will be staring and laughing, just as they always are. One thing is certain, though. Cy will be gone. Once he gets a good dig at me, he's off with his friends again as if we never exchanged words.
The laughter dies down. All I hear now is the shuffling of feet on the school floor. A hand lightly touches my arm, making me jump. My eyes open and I come face-to-face with Tasha. She's trying hard not to smile. I'd call her a bitch, but I don't have any other friends. As much as she wants to join Cy's little clan, she stays by my side. I’m grateful for that. At least I have someone.
"I'm sorry," she says, trying to stifle her smile. "I don't mean to laugh."
"Go to hell." I walk away from her. Tasha will brush off my words like she always does. I need to get to class. It's only second period and my day is already ruined. Cy rarely shows up at the same time every day. There are days I’m lucky and don’t see him until the end of the day.
She runs after me, but I ignore her. I can't get the image of her laughing, along with the other jerks, out of my head. We enter history together and take our seats at the far end of the room, next to the windows. Everyone's eyes are on me as they whisper to one another.
Tasha leans forward on the desk behind me when we sit down. "I really am sorry, Eve. Honest."
I let out a long sigh. "Whatever." I don't feel like arguing with her. Her apology is genuine; it always is. However, it doesn't change what she did and will continue to do where Cy is concerned.
She doesn't get a chance to say anything else. The bell rings. Our teacher starts talking in his monotone voice, effectively putting half the class to sleep. I take the time to stare out the window and daydream.
What would it be like if I were rich? Would Cy still make fun of me, or would I finally measure up to the invisible bar he has set for those around him? Only the super-rich can be his friends. I swear he has a list of requirements his cronies must meet before he lets them join his group.
Must have:
2009 or newer BMW
Zero morals
Clothes to make you look like you stepped out of a magazine ad for preppy dicks
Willingness to follow the leader—no questions asked
Ability to laugh when the leader laughs, regardless if it's funny or not
No independent thoughts
Those are only the guy requirements. Thinking about the idiot girls who hover around him is a whole other story. Yes, he's attractive, but then he opens his mouth and his personality drives away anyone with half a brain. Except me. I have a brain. I'm smart as hell but somehow keep getting sucked into his traps. Stupid, foolish Eve.
I spend the rest of class trying to focus on what our teacher is droning on about; however, history isn't interesting to me. Luckily, the bell rings, saving me from any further torture.
Out in the hall, I walk as fast as I can without drawing attention to myself. I want to get to my locker, grab my books, and get to the safety of my next classroom. With Cy gunning for me so early in the morning, I dread what the rest of the day will be like.
****
Somehow, and I'm not sure how, I make it through the day without seeing him again. That is, until I leave the building and start walking to my car. There he is, leaning up against the passenger side of my mom's old Subaru station wagon, with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. He's alone, though. No clan of morons along with him to ridicule me.
I stop when I'm a foot away from where he's standing. "Get off my car."
"Sorry," he says, and turns around to rub his hand over faded red paint his ass was just touching. "Didn't mean to damage the beast." If it were possible to roll your eyes clean out of your head, I would have done it by now.
"Just move. I need to leave." I quickly hit the unlock button on the remote. I need to get out of here. Nothing good will come from me talking to him, especially when I have no clue what he's up to. That thought scares me. He could have anything up his sleeve.
"Your mom doesn't finish working for three hours. We should go do something."
My eyes narrow. What game is he playing? "I'm good, thanks."
"Let me at least walk you to your door."
“Get the hell away from me.” I try to step around him, but he stays by my side as we walk around the rear of the car. He then pushes himself ahead, quickly opening the door for me. I ignore him and throw my bag inside. "Leave."
He smiles innocently, with his white, straight teeth, and closes my door once I'm inside. He backs away with a stupid smile on his face. Prick.
Cy quickly runs away when I start the engine and put my car in reverse. I back out of the spot and shift it to drive. It's then I notice everyone around me laughing and pointing. Pointing right at my driver's side door. A few have also taken out their phones and snapped pictures and videos of me. I throw the car in park and jump out to figure out what's got them going.
Then I see it: a blown-up picture of me leaning in toward Cy like I'm about to kiss him and the revolted look on his face at the thought. Perfect. Just fucking perfect. Plastered on my door for all of Arrow Falls High to see.
I rip the picture from my door as fast as possible and crumple it into a ball, throwing it on the front seat. The parking lot is suddenly too small, and I'm starting to hyperventilate. I need to get out of here.
Slowly, not wanting to go too fast in the parking lot and feel the wrath of the principal for driving over the speed limit, I make my way to the far end where the road to freedom is. It's there, where the parking lot meets Front Street, where I see Cy holding a bright yellow sign with the words, "Not in your wildest dreams" written on it in bold, black, block letters. Standing beside him is Aria Garcia, one of the most popular girls in the school.
Once he knows he has my attention, he clutches her side with his free hand and kisses her hard on the mouth, just because he can. A big fuck you to me, saying he will never kiss me like that. I hate high school.
Available now!
Other Books by Michelle Dare
The Salvation Series
My Salvation
My Redemption
****
The Heiress Series
Persuading Him
Needing Him
Adoring Her
****
The Ray Point Series
Floating
****
The Iridescent Realm Series
The Azure Kingdom
The Pine Forest
****
The Vault Series
Uncuffed
****
Standalone Books
Her Forbidden Fantasy
Daylight Follows
The Unattainable Chief
Pleasurable Business
Where I End
About the Author
Michelle Dare is a romance author. Her stories range from sweet to sinful and from new adult to fantasy. There aren’t enough hours in the day for her to write all of the story ideas in her head. When not writing or reading, she’s a wife and mom living in eastern Pennsylvania. One day she hopes to be writing from a beach wh
ere she will never have to see snow or be cold again.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Prologue
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Epilogue
A Note from the Author
Preview: Where I End by Michelle Dare
Other Books by Michelle Dare
About the Author
Where I Am Page 18