“How did it go?” Eli asks.
“He cracked pretty easily.” Caden’s smug smile is in his voice.
“What did you do to him?” I swallow. The guy was aggressive but not violent toward me. The humiliation should have been enough, but like Eli told the girls, Ethan is popular. He’ll laughit off. Before too long, it will blow over entirely and he’ll be back to normal.
It’s almost not fair. I’ll be called a whore and slut for the rest of the school year whether or not the guys drop me. He might get a nickname that he’ll have to live with but it won’t be accompanied by sneers and ridicule. At least not for long.
“Threatened his future.” Caden squeezes me. “He threatened mine.”
My cheeks flush and warmth fills my chest. Caden has always pulled at my heart strings. I thought most of it was a line, but now I don’t know. Maybe things are shifting because I know he means it. The words aren’t just a line to get me to stay with him. It’s how he feels.
Eli leans in and tells Caden about Brett while Caden tells him about a phone and payments that Ethan received. A little shiver goes through me. Someone paid him for information about me?
Luke straightens next to me and Caden. I scan the room and see Sidney and Ashley heading our way. When I reach for Luke’s hand, he tangles our fingers together. My blood thunders through me. I search for Zach behind them, but he doesn’t seem to be heading this way.
I relax a little, but Luke doesn’t release me.
“Boys.” Sidney stops in front of Luke.
Luke doesn’t respond. Sidney’s gaze goes to our hands. I press my lips together, wanting her to call me their pet. Wondering how they will react.
Her dancing green eyes meet mine. “Harper.”
Okay, change in tactic.
“What do you want?” Eli asks. His gaze flicks to Ashley. Her dark hair flows around her shoulders down her back. Her skirt is short and her shirt is tight, showing off all her toned body.
His eyes are bored when he lifts them to Sidney’s. I release the breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“Can’t we come say hello to our friends?” Sidney smiles.
Caden looks around like maybe there are other people standing nearby. “Did you find them?”
Sidney rolls her eyes. “We were impressed with how your pet did tonight.”
There it is. I almost smile, but I don’t.
Luke squeezes my hand. “Harper did well.”
“We want to help.” Sidney meets Luke’s eyes with a determined look.
“With what?” Luke looks bored, but I can tell he’s trying to calculate five steps ahead of her to figure out where this is headed.
“You’ve got people coming after you and your girl.” Ashley spits out the wordsyour girllike they leave a bad taste in her mouth. “We could help figure out who’s after you.”
“Where’s your boyfriend, Sid?” Luke leans back.
“Zach is around.” She shrugs and gives him a seductive smile. “But we’re not exclusive.”
“Shame.” Luke lifts my hand to his lips and presses a kiss to my knuckles. His gaze never leaves Sidney’s. Her face flushes pink, but she doesn’t lose her composure.
“We know Harper is a target.”
“And how do you know that?” Eli asks.
“People talk.” She arches an eyebrow at Eli. “Are you saying she’s not being targeted? Because there was that photo. Someone said her tire was slashed. And you guys hover around her like she’s made of glass. She was even on the field during your football game.”
“Maybe we just like having her around.” Eli smirks. “She is our girlfriend. Isn’t that something you’re supposed to do with a girlfriend? Oh, wait, you wouldn’t know. You’ve never been one.”
