by Laura Lee
She finally meets my eyes, curiosity pouring out of her. “I’m sorry, dear, but your father listed you as Jasmine Callahan on the registration forms. Only he can make any changes, so I suggest you check with him.”
“That won’t be necessary,” I mutter.
The woman—Mrs. Stanford, according to her nameplate—hands me a tri-fold brochure. “Here’s a map of the campus. You can find one stored on your academy issued tablet as well. If you’ll take a seat, your buddy should be here any moment.”
My eyebrows furrow in confusion. “Buddy?”
Mrs. Stanford sighs, as if I’m exasperating her. “Yes, Miss Callahan. Your buddy. All new students at Windsor Academy have one. It looks as if you’re paired with Ainsley Davenport. She’ll show you around campus and ensure you have all necessary course materials.”
Why does that last name sound so familiar?
“I heard my name. This must be the noob.”
I turn toward the cheery, feminine voice to find a beautiful brown-haired girl about my age, sporting a big smile which I can’t help but return. She’s the only person besides Frank who’s shown me any sort of warmth since I stepped into this world.
She sticks out her hand. “I’m Ainsley and I’m guessing you’re Jasmine.”
I shake her hand. “I prefer, Jazz, actually.”
Ainsley nods. “Jazz... I like it. It makes you sound badass.”
“Miss Davenport!” the secretary scolds. “There’s no need to use such crass language.”
Ainsley rolls her eyes and nods toward the exit. “Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”
I smirk. “Lead the way.”
As soon as we leave the office, Ainsley starts peppering me with questions. “So, what’s your deal, new girl? How’d you end up in rich kid prison? Rumor has it you’re Peyton Devereux’s sister. Is that true?”
“Stepsister,” I correct.
Ainsley’s eyes twinkle in amusement. “I’m sure that’s... interesting.”
“I just met her two days ago but so far, she hasn’t left the best impression.”
She laughs. “Yeah, don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen. Peyton’s a stone cold bitch.”
“So you know her?”
She nods. “Everyone knows Peyton Devereux. She makes sure of it.”
“Sounds about right,” I mumble.
“First stop is the library so we can get your Chromebook. All of your course materials will be on that. That’s also where we’ll get your student ID.”
“Everything’s electronic? What about books?”
She shakes her head as she pushes the door open to head back outside. “Yeah, right. Do you think these overprivileged brats would carry around heavy books all day?”
My lips twitch. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you don’t like many people.”
“That’s not true.” I’m caught off guard when she loops her arm through mine, but I decide to go with it. “I just don’t like assholes and Windsor is filled with them.”
I laugh, immediately deciding I like this girl. “Good to know. So, I should probably watch my back then, huh?”
“You should definitely watch your back. Everyone seems to have a motive and nobody cares who they have to step on to get what they want.” She eyes me thoughtfully. “I hope you don’t have any major skeletons in your closet. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these jerks have already run background checks on you to find blackmail material.”
“What?” My jaw drops. “Are you being serious? Why would anyone even know I exist?”
“You’re fresh meat—we don’t get new students very often. Most of us have known each other since kindergarten, or even before. You’re hot too, so just a heads up, most of the guys will probably try to fuck you—the straight ones anyway—and any chicks who want to fuck them will hate you. Not like they weren’t catty bitches already, though. This school has a serious overabundance of them.” Ainsley’s cheeks pinken as she gives me a sad smile. “I have a bit of a confession. I already knew your story before we met—I was just asking to make conversation. I’m sorry about your mom, by the way. Mine died when I was eight, so I know how bad it sucks.”
Her admission causes me to suck in a deep breath, but I don’t get the chance to say anything before we’re interrupted.
“Ainsley,” a growly voice calls, causing us to stop. “A moment.”
“Oh, boy, here we go,” she mutters.
I look in the direction of the voice and come face to face with the three hot guys from earlier. Holy shit, they’re even better looking up close. I quickly glance around and see all eyes on us. I’d bet anything these three are at the top of the food chain around here. They not only have that air of superiority, but the way the other students seem to cower down to them speaks volumes. It’s not just their unmistakable physical dominance—these guys have that ineffable factor that demands attention. Their intense stares make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Ainsley stops in front of the middle guy. “What do you want? I’m busy.”
Well, I guess not everyone cowers down to them. It only makes me like Ainsley more.
“What are you doing, Ains? They pay people to take out the trash.” He glares at me as he speaks to her.
Oh, no he didn’t.
My adrenaline is flaring as I level him with a matching glare. “What’s your problem?”
The dickhead completely ignores me and continues talking to Ainsley. “Are you going to answer my question?”
Ainsley rolls her eyes. “Back off, Kingston. You may be two minutes older, but you’re not the boss of me.”
Wait... what? They’re twins? Is this the guy Peyton was talking about? It has to be—that name isn’t very common.
Kingston’s stupidly square jaw tics as the guy on the right looks like he’s trying not to laugh. “There are rules, Ainsley.”
I’m about to hand this guy’s ass to him, but Ainsley beats me to it.
She pokes him in the chest. “I can hang out with whoever I want and Jazz here, is my girl, so we’ll be spending lots of time together. If you have a problem with that, too bad.”
His jaw tics. “No. You. Won’t.”
I throw my hands up, officially fed up with his bullshit. “Seriously, what the fuck is your problem? You don’t know me. How dare you make assumptions about me!”
His gold-flecked eyes—I’m now noticing are identical to his sister’s—hone in on me. “That’s where you’re wrong, Jasmine Callahan. I know everything I need to know about you. And I suggest you keep your mouth shut or I will make your life a living hell.”
I park a hand on my hip. “It’s Rivera, asshole, so you obviously don’t know everything about me. And if you think your threats are going to intimidate me, think again. My life is already a living hell.”
He actually looks taken aback by that, but he masks it within seconds and focuses his attention back on his twin. “We’ll discuss this later.”
Ainsley scoffs and grabs my arm to lead me away. “Don’t hold your breath.”
I have to practically run to keep pace with her, all the while I can feel Kingston’s wrath from behind us. “What the hell was that? That asshat is your brother?”
She stops in front of one of the outbuildings and steps to the side. “Yes. And believe it or not, he’s not usually that bad. Don’t get me wrong; he’s an asshole by nature, but not usually that much of an asshole. It must be you.”
I shake my head. “Lucky me.”
Ainsley sighs. “Just ignore him. He’s probably on his man period or something.”
I laugh, grateful for the break in tension. “Let’s hope. So... first up, library?”
Ainsley smiles and nods. “First up, library.”
CHAPTER THREE
JAZZ
My assigned buddy and I didn’t have any morning classes together, so we agreed to meet up at lunch. My jaw drops when I step foot into the dining hall because it is not y
our average high school cafeteria. It’s more like an upscale restaurant. Round tables that seat eight apiece are scattered throughout the cavernous space, each adorned with crisp white tablecloths.
I don’t see Ainsley yet, so I head over to the buffet set up against the walls. According to my handbook, lunches are included in tuition so thankfully, I don’t need to worry about scraping up money I don’t have to pay for it.
“Miss.” A man wearing a white coat hands a tray to me with a plate, cloth napkin, silverware, and a glass on it already.
“Thank you.”
I check out the selection, which has several different types of soups and salads along with an assortment of dishes from around the world. Italian, Mexican, Asian, American—you name it, it’s probably here. I choose some teriyaki chicken with steamed rice and an iced tea.
Tray in hand, I scan the room and finally spot Ainsley. Oh, hell no. There’s an empty seat right next to her, but you couldn’t pay me to sit at that table. Three of the chairs are taken by her brother and the other two guys he hangs out with. My wicked stepsister and her cronies occupy the other three. I spot an empty table across the room and make a beeline for it. I have no choice but to pass them on my way, so I keep my head down, hoping Ainsley doesn’t notice me.
“Jazz, where are you going?”
No such luck.
“Hey.” I jerk my head to the corner table in the back. “I think I’m just going to sit over there.”
Ainsley gives me a sad smile as she takes in the six pairs of eyes drilling holes through me. Thankfully, she gets the hint, grabs her tray, and stands. “May I join you?”
I smile tentatively. “Sure.”
“Ainsley,” her brother growls. “I thought we settled this.”
Of course it wouldn’t be easy.
My new friend scoffs. “Oh, screw you, Kingston. The only thing I settled on was the fact that you can’t tell me what to do.”
His hazel eyes narrow. “I’m looking out for you. Who knows what kind of diseases she’s carrying?”
I fight the urge to punch this asshole in the throat. “Excuse me? First of all, she is right here, so if you have something to say, you can say it directly to me. Secondly, if anyone around here is riddled with disease, it’s probably you. I hear chlamydia is on the rise—you might want to get checked out.”
The mean girls let out a collective gasp. This little showdown has drawn the attention of everyone else in the room. They’re gawking openly—not even trying to hide their interest. Geez, these people need to get a life.
“Oh, I like her.” The gorgeous boy with the darker features winks. He’s a mixture of ethnicities like me, but I can’t quite tell which. Maybe African American and Asian? Possibly Pacific Islander. “The feisty ones are always freaks in bed.”
I’m no stranger to crude teenage boys, so his attempt to shock me doesn’t work. “Too bad you’ll never know.”
His thick veiny forearm flexes as he rubs a hand over his mouth. “We’ll see about that, sweetheart. I’m Bentley, by the way. Just so you know whose name you’ll be screaming out later.”
Before I have a chance to retort, Kingston slams his fist on the table. “Shut the fuck up, Bent.”
Bentley shrugs. “Hey man, don’t be a cockblocker. She’s hot.”
What is it with these douchebags talking about me like I’m not in the room?
I make direct eye contact with Kingston. “I’m done wasting my time on this bullshit. Do me a favor and just stay the hell away from me and I’d be more than happy to do the same.”
With that, I turn on my heels and walk away with Ainsley hot on my trail. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kingston start to rise, but he stops when Peyton pulls on his arm and starts whispering something in his ear.
Ainsley laughs as she sets her tray down and pulls out a chair at our table. “That was awesome, Jazz. I haven’t seen someone put my brother in his place in... well, ever. Besides me, that is.”
I scoff as I take a seat. “Yeah, well, then I’d say it’s long overdue. I can’t believe you two are related.”
“He isn’t so bad once you get to know him. Believe it or not, Kingston actually has a heart deep down. Your sister and her plastic groupies are much worse—I’m pretty sure they sold their souls to Satan in exchange for lip injections and boob jobs.”
“Stepsister.” I laugh. “She and Kingston definitely seem like the perfect match.”
“Ha! Peyton wishes.”
“What does that mean?” I take a bite of my food. Damn, this is good. Definitely not the cardboard pizza lunches I’m used to. I feel like I’ve entered an alternate universe.
“Kingston barely tolerates Peyton most days.”
I tilt my head to the side. “But they’re dating?”
She shrugs. “Sort of, but it’s more about appearances than anything. They’re the reigning king and queen this year. People expect them to be together. They were a real couple but they had a big blowout during the middle of junior year and he dumped her. She somehow convinced him to take her back over the summer, but it hasn’t been the same. As far as I know, they pretend to be a couple in public and she turns her head to whatever he’s doing in private.”
My face scrunches. “What a pig. I can’t believe Peyton puts up with that.”
Ainsley takes a bite from her salad. “Don’t feel sorry for her. She knows exactly what she signed up for. Besides, she’s an untrustworthy cunt.”
I smirk. “Wow, tell me how you really feel.”
“Don’t pretend like you don’t agree.” She grins as she looks over my shoulder. “I’m pretty sure she’s not your biggest fan either. She hasn’t stopped glaring at you since we walked away.”
“Fuck her.” I can feel the heat of her stare, but I refuse to acknowledge it. “What’s the deal with the whole ‘reigning king and queen’ thing?”
“Every year, the graduating seniors pass the torch to three guys and three girls who pretty much rule the school. They’ve been groomed for it since freshman year, although if you ask me, not a single one of them needed help learning how to be an asshole. The other students treat them like royalty, hence the nicknames. Hell, even the teachers won’t do shit to them because of who their parents are. This year, that’s Kingston, Reed Prescott, and Bentley Fitzgerald for the guys and Peyton, Imogen Abernathy, and Whitney Alcott for the girls.”
Jesus. Even their names are pretentious.
“And let me guess... for the rest of us, our choices are to kiss their asses or pay the price?”
“Pretty much. Although anyone who’s chosen the latter usually doesn’t stick around for long.”
“Where do you fit in?”
“I guess you could say I’m next in line for the throne, although if they ever tried to promote me, I’d abdicate the shit out of it. I have no desire to be one of them. Everyone at Windsor knows who I am and nobody messes with me for the simple fact that I’m a Davenport, but I honestly wouldn’t call any of these people my friend.” She points to me. “I have a feeling you’re the exception to the rule, though. We’ve known each other less than a day, Jazz, but I can tell you’re different. What you see is what you get.”
“I have no reason to hide anything. I’m not ashamed of who I am or where I come from. If anyone has a problem with it, screw ‘em.”
She waves her hand dismissively. “Enough about those jerks. How’s your first official day been so far?”
I shrug. “Okay, I guess. I can already tell the coursework will be much harder than my old school but I’m following along easily enough.”
“I can’t believe we don’t have any classes together until last period.” Ainsley pouts as she reviews my schedule.
“Yeah, but it’s not like we can change it, right?” I shrug.
“True.” Her eyes widen. “Oh, shit.”
“What?” I motion for her to pass my phone back to me.
Ainsley winces. “I’m pretty sure my brother is in your next class.”
I reopen the Windsor Academy app and pull up my schedule. “AP Lit with Henderson?”
She takes a long sip of sparkling water before answering. “Yep. It’s not like I have his schedule memorized, but I’m almost positive he’s in that one.”
Against my own volition, my eyes seek out said brother across the room. He’s been staring directly at me for at least the last ten minutes, but I’ve been making a studious effort to ignore him.
“Great.” I stretch the word out. I take another bite of my chicken.
“Damn, girl, keep that up and I might consider switching teams.”
I finish chewing before replying. “Huh?”
“You just moaned. Loudly.” She laughs as she glances over my shoulder again. “Bentley looks like he just creamed his pants.”
I look back, and sure enough, Bentley is watching me with undisguised hunger. My entire body flushes as my eyes roam to Kingston. It feels like there’s an invisible tether between us, crackling with electricity. I’ve never felt anything like it before. He looks like he wants to devour me, but he also looks extremely pissed off about that. As much as I hate to admit it, my body reacts. Ugh, I really need to get a handle on these hormones.
I turn back around and take a deep breath. “There’s not a chance in hell they’ll just let me be, is there?”
Ainsley shakes her head. “Not likely. Prepare yourself, Jazz, because I have a feeling things are about to get really interesting around here.”
CHAPTER FOUR
KINGSTON
That girl is going to be trouble.
When I first heard Charles Callahan’s lovechild was coming to live with them, I didn’t think twice about it. Knowing her mom just died, I assumed she’d be some meek, broken little girl who’d fall in line without question. Instead, she’s this fierce, stunning creature, who seems far too observant for my liking.
I’ve been working on this project for too long to have a wrench thrown in my plan now. No matter how hard the new girl makes my dick, I cannot let that dick rule my actions. I’ve been putting up with Peyton for years trying to integrate myself into that family. She and I may have an agreement that I can fuck whoever I choose, but it goes without saying her new stepsister is the exception to that. Anyone with half a brain can see how threatened Peyton is by her, and I need to keep Peyton in line to keep up pretenses. I’m so close to uncovering the evidence I need to ruin Charles Callahan. There’s no way I’m going to let some piece of ass destroy everything.