“Stop manhandling Harper.” Luke flicks his gaze over me. “At least she upgraded from what she tried to wear yesterday.”
“Shouldn’t we go inside?” I ask finally. Not that I don’t appreciate being part of the delinquent gang hanging outside until the last possible minute. I’m just used to being in class as soon as possible.
The parking lot and hallways are practically filled with potential landmines. Of course, the biggest landmines now own me, but I also want to stay on their good side and not end up punished. The less interaction, the better.
“Eager to show off, kitten?” Eli rakes his gaze over me again.
Unfortunately, that captures Luke’s attention. He grabs my chin and tips my face up toward him. “Who are you showing off for?”
I try so hard not to roll my eyes, but these guys are so frustrating. “Other girls. I’ve spent the past three years living in a fashion debt to stay away from your attention. Now I can dress however I like because I already have your attention.”
They all give me various looks.
“If you’re into girls, tell us now,” Caden says.
I laugh. Bet they didn’t think of that before now. They all look a touch worried. I could play it off and maybe that would get them to back off, but somehow lying feels like cheating. At least, lying about that.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. I’m not into girls. How could you know nothing of girl world? There’s a hierarchy. From the top to the lowest. And in girl world, looks matter a lot. Not just if you have the right face, but if you take care of yourself and look good for you.”
“I like your assets.” Jack smiles and starts forward with his hands outstretched.
I back away until I run into Luke. He glances down at me like I’m an irritating fly, but he doesn’t move away. Well, I’m not going to act like he’s on fire and I need to get away as quickly as possible. Even if that’s the way he makes me feel.
His eyebrow rises when I don’t move, so I mimic him.
“Come on, hot stuff. Stop flirting with Death.” Caden wraps his hand around my hip and drags me toward the building. “I’ll walk you to your locker.”
“I don’t use my locker.” I turn to watch the other horsemen fall in behind us.
“Nonsense. Everyone uses their locker.” Caden turns down the hall where the seniors’ lockers are. “Which one?”
“I honestly don’t remember.” I glance along the rows of similar lockers. “All I remember from freshman year is it was way too close to all your lockers, so I figured it was a lost cause.” I shrug. “I just keep everything on me.”
Caden stops and pushes me back against the lockers. His green eyes bear down on me. “You don’t use your locker because of us? That’s ridiculous.”
I roll my eyes.
“Let’s see, since you ‘noticed’ me, I’ve been publicly spanked and publicly humiliated asking for a boyfriend to save me, soyeah, I wonder why I haven’t used my locker in three years.” I press my finger against my lips like I’m thinking it over.
Caden laughs. It’s a sharp but free sound that startles me into a grin. “Come on. You can use my locker if you need to. Just don’t keep girly shit like tampons in there.”
He grabs my hand and tugs me along after him. Frankly I’m in shock. He laughed and offered to share his locker with me. Do I even know these guys at all?
In the history of things the horsemen do, being nice isn’t exactly on top of the list. If it even makes the list. I honestly don’t know what to do with this information. Of course, they haven’t all four publicly claimed a girl before either. Or really dated any one girl that I know of.
Caden tells me his combination and takes half my books out of my backpack to put in his locker for after lunch. I’m so stunned by his actions that I can’t do anything but stand there.
Luke comes over and takes me off Caden’s hands.
Caden winks and says, “See you next period.”
My backpack is significantly lighter. Luke holds my hand and leads me to our class.
When I settle into my desk, I realize this morning they’ve all touched me in some way or another and I didn’t flinch once. I let them pull me around and trade me between one another after only two days of being in their presence.
I’m fucked.
“Looking good, Davidson,” some guy, who apparently has a death wish, calls out from across the class. Where was this guy yesterday when I needed a fucking hero?
