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I exhale. “Yeah, we’re good.”
The two of us spend all of lunch just goofing around, Carter doing his best to make me laugh. It’s nice to be around him and not feel like I’m doing something wrong for once. Thoughts of Knox still manage to plague my mind, but I do my best to push them away.
By the time that the bell rings, I’m somehow feeling a little better. However, I know the second I go back into school, the stares and whispers will bring me right back to my problems. Carter must sense my hesitation, because he comes over and drapes his arm over my shoulders.
“Just stick with me. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I smile up at him, knowing it’s probably a horrible idea, but one I’m not in the position to turn down. Not right now.
26
KNOX
Three weeks. Twenty-one days. Five hundred and four hours. That’s how much time has gone by since I last heard from Delaney. Since the wounded look on her face and the words she yelled sliced right through me. No matter what I do, I can’t get her out of my head.
Every morning, I wake up and hope to find a text from her in my phone. One I’d fight like hell to not answer, but it would still be something to let me know I’m on her mind. I find myself trying to catch a glance of her before I get to school, and when I do, I imagine the times when I was the reason for that perfect smile.
The worst, however, are the nights I dream she’s still in my arms. That we’re still happy together, before everything got so fucked up. When I wake, there’s a split second when I think it’s real—until the truth slaps me across the face.
Will I ever get over her? No, probably not. But do I still think this needs to be done? You’re damn fucking right I do.
I’ll set myself on fire before I ever let Cal lay a finger on her.
I DRIVE TO SCHOOL, the world looking a little less bright every day. As I pull into the parking lot, the urge to leave is strong. I can’t bring myself to care about school. But I need to stay. If I went home every time I felt like it, I’d never graduate.
Walking up to my friends, I watch as Zayn pushes Easton’s phone down and away from me. The looks on their faces show that they’re up to something. Whatever it is, we’re not leaving here until they let me in on the damn secret.
“What’s up?”
Stone plays it off well. “Not much, fucker. What’s up with you?”
I shake my head. “You idiots are hiding something. What the fuck is it?”
“Knox, maybe it’s better if you don’t push this one,” Zayn warns, but I don’t listen.
“Someone better start fucking talking before I make you talk.”
Easton sighs and hands me his phone. “Trayland posted a picture of Delaney.”
I look down at the photo, feeling as pain rips right through me. There’s nothing revealing or provocative about it. It’s just a picture of Laney reading a book with the caption Sunday chills underneath it. However, it’s enough to tell me that they spent yesterday together—and that stings.
“Hey, losers,” Tessa greets us as she comes around the corner.
I arch a brow as I look at her. “What’s going on between your sister and Carter Trayland?”
“No.” She shakes her head. “That was part of the agreement. I didn’t kick your ass for letting Hailey get ahold of that picture, but I will not talk to you about Delaney. No fucking way.”
“Tess,” I groan, but it’s pointless.
“If you want to know something, go ask her.”
“You know I can’t do that.”
She smirks. “Exactly.”
The day that picture got sent around, Tessa showed up at my house and genuinely made me fear for my life. She gave the nickname CBP a whole new meaning as she stood there with an actual fucking Molotov cocktail, ready to burn my house to the damn ground with me inside. Thankfully, I was able to get through to her before she lit the thing.
When she managed to track down Hailey, however, there was nothing anyone could say to stop her from beating that girl to a pulp. My ex is good at fighting, don’t get me wrong, but she didn’t stand a chance against Tessa. A lesson was clearly learned that day—mess with Delaney, and you’ll have her sister to answer to.
