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She laughs harshly. “Hey, if you want to claim Rockingham, that’s on you. There are better places.”
“Like Weymouth?”
Chapter 9
Asher
We stay side by side by the counter in silence. It isn’t hostile; it’s a relief to be with someone you don’t have to impress. Charlotte leans into my personal space and places her shoulder closer to mine. I look up, and some guy is checking her out from the doorway. He walks off when I scowl.
I look at Charlotte, and it takes all my energy not to lean in and kiss her. “Hey. Do you want people to think we’re a couple?”
“I don’t want to be hit on,” she says, “that’s all.”
Charlotte watches me, but not with big and frightened eyes. Instead, her mouth is pressed into a tight line. She’s a little harder now, not so easy to fool. Eventually, she folds her arms over her chest and looks down at her flip-flops. I wonder why she’s not wearing her boots.
A cute girl walks in and goes to the sink on my immediate left. She rinses out her red cup while checking me out. A blind man could see she is hot, but I don’t feel anything. I place my arm over Charlotte’s shoulder and give the girl an apologetic shrug. The girl smiles at me anyway and then saunters her bubble butt out of the room.
I wait for Charlotte to push my arm away, but she lets it stay there. It’s not because we’re deep into each other. She’s using me as an excuse. I take advantage, pull her closer, and she lets me. She always smells delicious, and it makes me want to lick her soft skin. If I had grown up in Rockingham, things would have been different. I would’ve had her.
“Only tonight,” she pauses and then continues, “You know you could play the hand you have, Asher. Rich girls fling themselves at bad boys, but you must know that because you’re a heartless asshole.”
I scoff. “So is that how I should play it? Run around campus fucking and breaking bitches’ hearts?”
She shrugs my arm off her. “Why do you want to pretend you’re rich?”
“Why do you?” I shoot back.
She glares at me. “I’m not poor, sweetie. I’m broke. There’s a big difference.”
I scoff. “I knew you were a snob.”
“Same as you,” she replies, “You hated me because I was rich.”
“I still hate you,” I whisper. I don’t mean it.
“Then why do you have a huge bulge in your jeans?” she asks.
I look down in confusion, and instantly, I see that I don’t. Charlotte laughs wickedly and walks off toward the dining room. Standing behind her, I watch a chain of chaos unfold in the foul-smelling room. A loud cheer sounds as a beer guy vomits again out the window.
I frown. “This party sucks.”
“Better than one of yours,” she replies under her breath – quietly enough so only I can hear, but loudly enough so that there’s no mistaking the hurt in her voice.
Chapter 10
Charlotte
I don’t want to play nice with Asher. What I want is to tell him to go fuck off and ask how dare he come here. Ivymore is supposed to be my school. My perfect chance to reclaim my old life. But God forbid I cause a scene in front of a bunch of people I barely know. Is he going to ruin this for me? I’m not going to be chased out. This time I’m standing my ground.
But when Asher stands near me, I feel it. My senses pick up his scent as my skin heats up, and the tingles start between my thighs. I want him to touch me. I want to press against his muscular body and feel him go deep.
I must remember what he really is. My idle daydreams disgust me.
I back out of the room where the gross guy is vomiting on everyone’s shoes and head back into the kitchen. Asher follows me out the back door, and we head into the backyard. I take my surroundings in quickly, like animals searching for a safe place to hide in the dark. The yard is shabby—dead grass and broken-down patio furniture. The rusted chairs have no cushions, so I keep on walking toward the tree line all the way in the back. Asher keeps pace with me until we’re hidden by an old shed missing its doors.
“About Monarch,” he says, “You were lucky,”
“Lucky?” I turn on him. “Are you shitting me? How the fuck was I lucky?”
