Anguish fills his gaze, but I can’t find it in me to hold back.
“You called me a whore.” I shake my head, more silent tears falling down my face, enough so that Rafael is a blurry shadow in front of me, his features no longer recognizable. “I can’t do this. Just… leave me alone. I think I’ve been through enough.”
I turn and jog home. Thankfully, no one follows.
38
Rafe
She won’t meet my gaze. I try and talk to her at school, but she gives me the cold shoulder, and hell knows I deserve it. I try and catch her eyes in first period, but not once does she look my direction. To make matters worse, Sabrina is waiting for me outside the class and the look on Isa’s face when Sabrina makes an attempt to kiss me sends a spear of self-loathing straight to my gut.
I push Sabrina away, but the damage is already done, and before I can call out to her to wait up, Isa is gone, swallowed up by the crowded sea of people in the hallway.
“Sabrina,” I bite out.
“Yeah, babe?” she purrs, stroking a hand over my chest.
I pull her hand away, my lip curling in disgust. “I’ve had my fill. I’m moving on. I suggest you do, too.”
Her eyes widen before narrowing into slits. “Let me guess, you’re going back to daddy’s little princess?”
I take a menacing step toward her. “Say one more thing about Isa Romero and I’ll make sure you regret it. You’ve already had a taste of what it’s like to be on my bad side. Want to be there again?”
She swallows hard and shakes her head.
“Good. Now make yourself scarce. I’ve moved on.”
I don’t bother waiting for an answer and head out to find Jordy. He’s smoother when it comes to girls. Maybe he’ll have an idea of how I can get Isa back.
* * *
I catchIsa talking to Desmond in the halls as they head to lunch, but as soon as I approach, she takes off and sits at Liu’s table. I try to ignore how gutted I feel at her dismissal, but it’s hard. Des pats me on the shoulder. “She just needs time, man.”
I nod, knowing he’s right, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it. I messed up royally when I pushed her away. I won’t make that mistake again. Won’t give up on her or what we have. I’ve never felt about a girl the way that I do about Isa. It’s why even when I was pissed as hell at her, when I thought she’d moved on with Josué, leaving me in the dust, I still couldn’t get her out of my head. She lives there. Takes up space and refuses to move the fuck out.
At lunch, I sit with my face in my hands, going over all the ways I can win her back. When the lunch bell rings, I track her with my gaze, watching like some love-sick puppy as she leaves the cafeteria, Meiying and Liu close on her heels.
I shove away from the table and storm after them.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Des shouts somewhere behind me.
I shake my head. I have no fucking idea, but I have to do something. Isa slips into her third-period class and I walk past it, my eyes trained on Liu, and just before he reaches the door to his own class, I jerk him back by the fabric of his shirt.
“Hey, man—” Startled green eyes meet my own when he sees who grabbed him. “What the hell, Rafael?” He jerks away, adjusting the collar of his shirt.
“You’ve been hanging out with Isa a lot lately.” I meant it as a question, but it comes out as an accusation and Zheng’s jaw tightens.
“Why do you care? You’ve been a complete asshole to her ever since she came back. Do the girl a favor and leave her alone. She’s been through enough and she doesn’t need your shit.”
I slam my fist into the locker beside him. “I didn’t know!” A few people in the hall turn to look at us and I snarl at them. “Move the fuck along.” Heated faces turn and rush to their classes, effectively clearing the hall of everyone but the two of us. “I didn’t know what happened to her. Not until just recently.”
“And that’s supposed to somehow make this all better? Fuck you, Rafael.”
“Liu—” It’s a warning.
He shakes his head. “No. You fucked up. I don’t know why you’re even talking to me. I’m not going to help you fix your mistakes. I don’t owe you any—”
“Yeah, you do.”
