He snorts, and it gives me a wave of relief. “Weasels.”
“Because that’s what he is,” I say as I squeeze his arms. “He was projecting his insecurities onto you, and that’s his issue, not yours. You know who you are, Finn Thompson.”
He focuses on my face as he inhales deeply with recognition. “Yeah, I know who I am.”
I nod sternly. “Good. Come on, let’s go.”
“Maya,you can’t drop him as a partner if your professor said it’ll ruin your grade,” Finn huffs as we walk back to the car after a day spent together studying, talking, and laughing. “That’s just stupid. I know you want to get a first.”
I narrow my eyes as I look up at him. “Do you know what else is stupid? Spending a single breathing second around him. I don’t care if I lose this grade, it’s only a small portion of my entire degree, and it’ll be worth it.”
Finn’s face falls slack. “I don’t?—”
“It’s my choice,” I say over him. “And I’m never speaking to him again.”
He sighs. “What did your professor say?”
“That I can try and play catch-up if I do it alone, but I still have to present in two weeks. I can get it done, Finn. I know I can.”
I practically had to beg him to let me do it by myself, and by a miracle, he agreed, but said he’d be deducting a portion of my grade, but I couldn’t care less.
“Okay,” he says eventually.
When we get back to Finn’s car, my phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to find Alfie’s name on the screen. I almost chuckle at the text and the nasty words he’s decided to call me after finding out I’ve dropped him as a partner.
“What?” Finn’s brows pinch.
I screenshot the message. “Well, I think this might just help with my cause.”
My head tilts upwards to find Alfie’s car still parked up in front of us. I poke my tongue into the corner of my mouth as my blood starts to boil. God, I wish I could deck him one, but this will have to do.
Mess with my family? I’ll fucking destroy you.
I rummage through my bag before removing my comb with a sharp metal end.
“What are you doing?” Finn asks, sounding alarmed.
“Something I’ve wanted to do for months.”
I pop open the car door and glance around the car park to find no cameras. My feet hurry towards Alfie’s car before I take the sharp edge of my comb and slam it into his front tyre.
The second I hear the air start to seep out, a triumphant laugh bursts from me. The adrenaline that rushes through my body is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. God, it feels liberating, and empowering, and fucking fantastic.
I hurry back towards Finn’s car as he stares at me wide-eyed.
“What the hell did you just do?”
“He had it coming.” I shrug casually.
Finn’s mouth opens as his eyes roam my face in shock, but then he starts to laugh.“Why was that the hottest thing I’ve ever seen?”
“Oh, you think that was hot?”
He buries his teeth into his bottom lip as I lean forward. “Incredibly stupid, but incredibly hot.”
“Well, maybe next time, he should learn to stay away from me and my family.”
Finn releases a low sound before he grabs the back of my neck with his hand and smashes my lips to his. I sigh into the ferocity of it and how alive I currently feel.
