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I wasn’t cut from the football team, but I was benched for half the season, and there’s only one person to blame—Elodie Astor.
“You going to practice tonight?” one of my two closest friends, Aiden, asks as he claps a hand on my shoulder.
I reach into my backpack and pull out my Chromebook before tossing my bag inside my locker. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”
I might not be starting the season on the field, but I’m not giving up just yet. This is my team, and that’s my turf.
“Sweet.” He drops his hand and leans his back against the locker beside mine. “So, how are the new sisters?”
My eyes roll, palms immediately producing sweat as I close my locker. “It’s tortuous, man. I don’t know how you do it with three girls in your house, but I’m barely surviving in mine.”
“It’s a big change. Give it time. Things will get easier.” He shrugs like my father marrying someone so fast and flipping my world upside down is just a normal day.
My head rolls, cracking the tension in my neck. “If one more person tells me to give it more time, I’m gonna fucking snap.”
“Speak of the devils,” Aiden says, and I follow his gaze to see Brogan and Elodie coming down the hall toward us. Their eyes dance from the papers in their hands to the row of lockers.
Brogan says something, which I assume is her saying she’s found her locker because she smiles briefly at Elodie and goes to the junior rows across from ours.
Elodie keeps on coming toward us and each step has my heart thumping faster and faster.
No. No. No. Keep walking. Don’t you dare come near us.
But the universe is not on my side when she stops directly in front of Aiden. Her eyebrows lift to her forehead and she pretends I’m not even standing there as she speaks to him.
“I’m sorry, but I think that’s my locker behind you.” Her voice drips with sentimental charm. Elodie wants everyone to adore her, but I see through the charade. Her eyes are cold and calculating, betraying the true nature behind her innocent act.
Aiden waggles his brows before stepping aside. “Have at it, baby.”
She smiles at him and the idiot can’t tell it’s fake.
My eyes snap to Aiden’s, warning him not to fall for her honeyed games. There’s no way in hell I’m letting this bitch play my best friend with that fake smile and those fluttering lashes.
“Demand a switch,” I tell her, tone forthright.
Finally, she acknowledges that I’m standing right fucking here.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Demand a switch. I already have to see your face every day in my house. I refuse to look at it between every fucking class.”
“Then don’t look.” She flashes me a cocksure grin. “Pretend I’m not here, just like I plan to do with you.”
I clench my hands as I watch her put in the combination to open the door. “No! It’s not good enough.” My fist slams into her locker. “I need you out of my fucking sight, Elodie.”
She’s a constant reminder of everything that went wrong in my life. Not to mention, she moved into my house like it was always hers to begin with. There’s no respect. No boundaries. She does whatever the hell she wants and she gets away with it even when I threaten her.
Not this time. Not with me. She might not believe I’ll follow through with my warnings, but she is toeing a dangerous line today.
Whether she knows it or not, Elodie is about to meet the heartless monster that lives inside me. And I have no plans on holding him back from taking exactly what he wants.
“How about you switch?” She chuckles sarcastically as she twists the last of the combination. “I’m not going anywhere.”
As soon as the locker door pops open, I plant my open palm on it and push it closed.
Chin down, I glower at her, waiting for her reaction.
“What are you doing?” she asks, playing dumb.
