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“Didyou do this?” Gavin demanded, louder than I’d ever heard him speak, and Daire’s mouth clamped shut. “Un-fucking-believable.”
Gavin shoved past us, and I reached for him, but before I could offer any kind of advice—don’t ask me what—he was toe to toe with Daire and seething.
“You promised.”
The contrast between dark and light had never been more apparent as Daire glared down into Gavin’s pale face, his dark eyes giving nothing away.
“I lied.”
Gavin shoved him in the chest so hard that Daire stumbled back several steps, but he did nothing to retaliate. He merely angled his chin up in stony defiance as Gavin stormed past him and down the hall without a backward glance.
When we turned back to the group behind us, it was to see a vicious slash curling Joey’s lips as he eyed Daire.
“Good luck fucking him now.”
Daire muscled forward, but luckily Travis and West were there to hold him back as East stepped out.
“How about you go crawl back into whatever hole Gavin dug you out of for the few months he was bored? Or, if you like, I could have someone dig it for you.”
“You threatening me?”
“No…” East flashed a killer smile their way. “I’d never be so obvious.”
“Fucking pricks,” someone in the group hissed.
“Yes,” East agreed, nose in the air, pompous as can be. “ParkAvenuePricks. A lot of fucking comes with the territory, something I’m sure you have to beg or pay for. Now, if we’re done here?—”
“Mr.Eastonhas a paper to rewrite, if he wants a chance of passing my class next semester.”
My mouth fell open as Serena and I turned to see Zac Fletcher making his way past our group to East, and Joey and his crowd scattered.
“Yourclass?” In true East form, not even the new teacher’s assistant to his strictest professor, King, could rattle him. He gave Zac a typical East once-over, and from his unimpressed expression it was clear to everyone how lacking he found the black jeans, grey V-neck shirt, and sports jacket ensemble Zac wore.
Not that it seemed to bother Zac. He merely walked up to East and slapped the papers he held against East’s chest.
“As far as you’re concerned, it is. This is a failed paper. So if you want to spend time with your little friends here somewhere warm over the winter break, you’re going to want to get to class. Now.”
I looked over Serena’s head to see West’s eyes were wide as saucers. No one talked to East the way Zac was, especially in public.
“I can’t look away,” Serena whispered by my ear, and I knew the feeling. It was like watching a train wreck. You knew the crash would be catastrophic, but there was no way to stop it, so you just stood by and watched.
East arched a brow and didn’t even bother looking at the papers now glued to his chest.
“If you think for one second I will be spending my winter break anywhere near this city, you don’t know who you’re talking to. Failed paper or not.”
East went to step around Zac but was stopped by a hand on his arm. He eyed it like one would a peasant touching royalty, but Zac didn’t miss a beat.
“And ifyouthink for one second your money is going to get you out of this, then you don’t know whoyou’retalking to. My classroom, James, now.”
East looked to the rest of us and no doubt saw us gawking at him like a bunch of busybodies with our eyes wide and jaws on the floor. But it wasn’t every day someone put James Easton in his place. Moreover, it wasn’t every day he let someone get away with it. There was a first time for everything, though.
East narrowed his eyes like a snake homing in on its prey, and I hoped to god Zac knew what he’d just provoked, as East yanked his arm free and turned until he was practically nose to nose with the brave—or stupid; jury was still out—TA.
“You touch me again, and Iwillreport you.”
We all held our breath, waiting for the threat to land, but the only indication that East had struck a nerve was the slight twitch in Zac’s angular jaw line as he leaned in even closer and said, “No, you won’t. Now get to class.”
East’s nostrils flared, and just when I thought he’d throw out something to cut Zac off at his knees, he started off down the hall—shoulders straight, head held high, the distinct scent of revenge lingering his wake—as Zac kept watch behind him.
