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A better person would feel bad, pull away and let her digging in the trash be enough to get the point across.
He’s mine.
“We worked all four years toward this!” she shrieks, shifting forward but freezing in place when my glare intensifies.
The smell of burnt plastic fills my nostrils, and I inhale deeply. It only takes another second for a napkin to catch and in an instant, the entire thing is on fire.
There’s shouting and screeches across the room, but I simply put the lighter back in my waistband, wait another minute until the crackling of the metal zipper can be heard as the flame fights its way through her bag, and then step aside.
She darts forward, but she can’t do anything, it’s as good as ash.
“Should have said, please,” I mock her, and she growls through her angry tears behind me.
She knows it wouldn’t have mattered.
Principal Perkins bounds around the corner as if he was already close by and watching, headed right for me, but to my surprise, he drops back when he sees Collins step up first, not even flinching when Collins is gripping my upper arm hard enough to leave a bruise. “You’re gonna pay for that, Carver.”
“Kiss my ass, Graven.”
A hostile chuckle leaves him, and he hisses in my ear, “Oh you’ll be kissing something, in seconds in fact. I know what the fuck you just did and why. Reassurance is needed now.”
“I don’t—”
I’m cut off when I’m shoved into the lockers and a hard right hook shoots across Collins’ jaw.
He falls back, banging against the metal beside me.
Collins spits and rushes for Maddoc who holds his hands out, inviting him in.
Students hear the commotion and rush into the hall, but Captain and Royce create a brick wall, forcing them back and slam the cafeteria doors closed.
When I hear a deep groan, my eyes snap back to the two.
Collins nails Maddoc in the gut, but he laughs and bends slightly, gripping Collins under the leg and behind the shoulder. He lifts him, slamming him sideways into the wall before letting him crash to the floor with a loud thud.
“Grab her like that again, motherfucker and I’ll break your arms.”
Collins’ eyes fly to mine quickly, and it’s written across his face.
Fix this.
Damn it.
I bite through the soft flesh of my cheek, hard and quick, until blood trickles down my throat. My cheeks will be raw by the time this is all over.
Maybe if my body bleeds, my heart won’t.
“He can grab me however he wants,” I say, and I’m surprised it’s come out so strong when in my own head it feels like a filthy fucking whisper.
Maddoc swings around, his eyes wide and wild. He has to convince himself I’ve just said what I did.
Royce and Captain are now taking slow steps closer, deep frowns directed at me, and I didn’t miss Perkins slide in on the other side of the hall.
I’d swear he wears a smirk.
Maddoc’s shoulders tense, but he moves toward me.
Anger and uncertainty.
God, what am I doing? This wasn’t supposed to hurt them like this.
I release a deep breath and take a half step toward him, but Collins jumps to his feet and steps forward.
Maddoc glares down at me, his hands twitching at his sides.
Students have shuffled in now.
“Rae...” Collins calls, the fakest tenderness I’ve ever heard ringing through loud and clear for all these fuckers to witness.
Can I do this in front of all their people? With the enemy?
Do I have a fucking choice?
I drop my eyes from his, unable to look him in the eyes this time, and step past, but of course, his hand shoots up and he stops me at his side, shoulder to shoulder, my front facing one way, his the other.
We both shift to look at each other.
His grasp shakes against me as his nostrils flare.
I see in his eyes what I feel.
This is torture.
“Madman,” Royce says quietly.
It works, Maddoc snaps out of it, a shield suddenly hiding his eyes from me, and I’m released. He storms down the hall.
Collins steps forward and I grind my teeth discreetly as he grips my hand and feathers my fingers over his lips. He pulls me away with a gentleness he fights hard to keep.
Fake ass bitch.
As soon as we’re around the corner, he shoves me into a dark classroom and gets in my face.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” he growls, slamming his hand against the wall beside my head like he expects me to jump.
I don’t.
“Why do I keep having to remind you to keep your ass in line?” he seethes.
“Because I’m shit for a listener.”
“Well you better fucking learn, or else the video will end up not only on the damn school website but on the evening fucking news.”
“You don’t have the balls.”
“If you believed that, you wouldn’t be here.”
