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Leo’s calloused hand grabs firmly around my own as he tugs me to a stop. I turn quickly to face him, but misjudge how close he is, bumping straight into his hard chest. My hands automatically rest against his pecs as I try to steady myself, and the heat of his bare skin under my palm burns me in the most delicious ways. I pull back sharply, but his touch remains firm, not letting me get further than a foot away from him before he captures my other hand and holds them against him.
“I’m sorry about before. What you saw, it’s… ugh, not what you think it is. She texted saying she needed to talk. I wouldn’t have let her take things further.” Despite his fumbling, his words are steady. It’s also good to know that he wasn’t about to drive her into the wall on his cock while I slept within eyesight.
But jealousy is a fickle thing and strikes even when you have no claim to someone. I shut my eyes as I try to tamper down my hormones at his closeness. Complicated. Everything in my life is complicated. And my reaction to some of the men that go here is something I’ve never experienced before and just, complicated.
I don’t know why he’s explaining himself to me. Maybe, he’s worried that I’ll tell Peyton. Is there even anything to tell? The last thing I think she’ll want to hear about is the exploits of her brother’s best friend.
Outside of the forced dinners, Leo and I only share the one class together, and we don’t talk while we are there. Other than occasionally seeing him in the hallways, I wouldn’t see him outside of those activities. If I were a more insecure girl, I would think he were avoiding me, but truthfully, I’m nothing more than a blip in his radar, nothing to concern himself with. I remind myself that is exactly how things need to remain.
“It’s none of my business what you do with Blakely, Leo. You don’t have to explain yourself to me.” My voice is soft, and I offer him a small smile, but with how he steels his spine and drops my hands, you would think I slapped him.
Looking at me for a long moment, he mustn’t see whatever he was looking for in my expression as his eyebrows furrow and he gives me a curt nod before turning towards the boys’ dorms. I watch him until he disappears around the corner before continuing my journey to the dance hall.
I don’t re-emerge from the hall until my limbs are shaking with exhaustion and my brain is so fired that I can’t mull over that strange dream, the dream that is now nothing more than dull images and heat of a fire. What a strange start to the day this is becoming for me. Luckily, my first class isn’t until late morning, so if I can manage it, I’ll be able to squeeze in a nap after my shower. Thank God for small graces.
I didn’t get my nap and I’m cranky as hell when I make it to dance class that afternoon. To make matters worse, I got my period so now I’m tired, bloated, and in short supply of tylenol. Last year I caved and got the implant to help with my cramps and it works mostly, skipping months at a time, but the months I do get it are legitimate torture. And now I have to dance.
Ms. Taylor ended up putting me in a group with Milo, Gianna, and Bradford, and for the first few weeks all we did was argue on routines and songs until Milo suggested that we split into partners, leaving me with him and the other two to pair up. It was unanimous and things have been going better since.
Milo is so obviously still in love with Peyton, even as he tries hard to not show it. It’s clear in the way he’s always watching her and sends her these longing looks when her backs turned. I want to tell them to sort their shit out, but I know the only reason they’re staying away from each other is because of hisarrangement. The whole thing is fucking bleak and I kind of wish that Juniper would just disappear so they can be together. I could make that happen. I shouldn’t, but I could.
Peyton’s been a bit standoff-ish since the whole thing went down at dinner last week and I’m trying to not let it bother me. I understand, but it freaking sucks to see her questioning our friendship and I’m so damned brainless when it comes to this sort of thing that I don’t know how to fix it. I’ve been trying to give her space, but I miss my friend.
Milo and I are walking back to the dining hall, in a passionate discussion about our routine, when a sharp pain laces through my shoulder. A hiss slips out of my lips as I’m knocked back a step. My eyes fly up to see a wall of girls ten yards in front of us but it’s not until I see a girl on the far side pull her arm back before launching it forward that I realise what’s happening.
The rock splits my lip, and it takes everything in me not to cry out from the shooting pain, my hand coming up to wipe the blood pouring from my mouth. I’m more prepared for the third rock, managing to catch it inches away from my face. I don’t look before a haul it back at the group. Milo tugs on my upper arm and is hauling me in the other direction away from the group.
A mixture of shouts and laughter builds as we try to escape that seems to grow louder with each landing hit. Milo’s grunt in pain is telling that he’s been caught in their assault, and I look over to see a trickle of blood coming from the back of his head. We don’t make it more than a few steps when the rocks begin to rain down on us harder and faster, hitting my ankle and sending us both sliding across the pavement.
My thigh burns from where the skin has ripped, and another stone finds its target against my back. Milo, who’s fairing a bit better to the blessing of long pants, quickly moves to uses his big body to shield me from the worst of their attack. Blood is pouring freely from his head wound now, pooling on the collar of his shirt and I just about lose my fucking mind. I see red as Milo is tittering on the edge of unconsciousness, his eyes fluttering as he tries to hold himself together. I worry that the damage may be more severe than it looks.
It takes considerable effort to move him off of me without hurting him further, and with how dazed he is, he barely puts up a fight. I quickly strip off my blazer and lay it over his head just as another rock hits just below my eye. My vision whites out completely and I go into a full-blown rage, targeting that fucking bitch in the center of the group. I feel the exact moment that I am no longer in control and survival takes the helm. Blakely looks manic, a glint in her eyes telling of how much she’s enjoying this. It’s not until I run into a sprint at her that she has the decency to look scared. She should be.
I hear the whole group startle at my fast approach, some girls running off immediately while others continue to fling rocks at me, but I don’t stop until I’ve taken Blakely to the ground, straddling her so she’s pinned beneath me. She struggles and fights against me like a rabid dog, scratching at my arms and jaw, whatever she can reach in an attempt to escape. I feel nothing. Blood drips down my face, landing on her as she begins to scream and howl for help.
“Get off her!” A scream draws my attention over to Gianna who is running at me, a rock still in her grip. My hand shoots out and I thrust my palm directly against her nose, listening to the sickening crunch, and the deafening wail that she lets out is music to my fucking ears. Blakely continues to flail, tears smearing her mascara as she bucks and hits at me. My hands wrap around her throat and squeeze, digging my own nails into the tender flesh. Juniper grabs at my arms and tries to pull, but I push her with all my strength, sending her sailing on the pavement. When I look at her, her fear is palpable as she cowers away from me on her ass crying and looking around her. I see her eyes glance over at Milo who lays motionless where I left him, and my anger resurfaces tenfold.
I squeeze until I can’t feel the pressure of her gasping for air, the whites of her eyes turning as red as the blood on my hands. I reach beside me, fumbling until I find one of the rocks she had planned to use on me and lift it above my head. I’ve never seen her look so terrified, and the sick part of me is preening at her pathetic state. Clarke’s voice sounds from my memory, provoking me.Finish this, Briar. Nasty little fucks don’t deserve to live.I bring the rock down when strong arms band around my waist and rip me away from the sobbing mass beneath me. A frustrated growl leaves my lips as I try to fight my way out of Jack’s hold, twisting, turning, and kicking out.
When my head knocks back into his chest, he grunts and lets out a string of murmured curses. I see Leo sprinting towards us, bending to catch my eyes in his moonstone irises, moving so close that I can see nothing but him, taking up my whole field of vision. He clasps my face in between his large hands, not even slightly deterred by what can only be an alarming amount of blood and rubs his thumbs back and forth in a soothing gesture. My breathing is still erratic, but I can’t pull my eyes away from his.
“Shhhhhh” he whispers softly. “Calm down, Briar. We’ll take care of it. Let us take care of you.”
My heart stutters in my chest, which is not good for my already chaotic state, but I shut my eyes and let myself lean into his soft touches until my breathing returns to normal. I slump back against Jack, the tension finally dissipating from my now weary and achy body, but he tightens his hold, and drops his head to the crook of my neck like he’s relieved. When I open my eyes again, Nash is sitting on his haunches beside Blakely who’s loudly sobbing into her hands. I can’t focus on what he’s saying but I can hear the sharp hiss in his voice and whatever it is, I know he’s furious.
Peyton has dropped to her knees beside Milo who’s gently rocking her in his arms as she quietly cries into his chest. His eyes are closed tightly, and his head is tucked into her hair, like the very essence of her is what’s keeping him going. The blood is still shining from where the rock hit him but is no longer dripping down his neck. Holy. Fuck. What a fucking mess of a day this has been, easily topping the hellish experience that I’ve been subjected to since coming to this godforsaken academy.
Gianna’s nose is still satisfyingly pissing out with blood and her eyes are already showing signs of purple bruises. Yep, definitely broken. I want to smirk at that, but the horror of all this keeps it at bay. Nash is making his way over to us when I pull myself out of Jack’s arms. My hands clasped to my chest as I meet their eyes one by one, and I know I’m visibly trembling now that the adrenaline has worn off. Jack is staring at me, rubbing his hand over his chest like his heart has taken direct impact and the others are all looking at me with varying degrees of wariness and concern. “I don’t know what happened. I didn’t mean to…”
A sob cuts off my words and Nash steps forward at the sound, his hands out like he wants to grab me. I flinch away from his touch, shaking my head. “I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.” Then I turn on my heels and sprint away from the only people I’ve truly cared about. I can hear their shouts, calling my name and telling me to stop but I don’t, I keep running with one thought on my mind. I’ve ruined everything, and now everything is going to ruin me.
Chapter Eleven
I make it back to my dorm room before I realise I don’t have my bag, I don’t have my key, and I really don’t want to be here. I have no idea what waits for me on the other side of this door, if Blakely is here or if they took her to one of their dorms, but I don’t stick around to find out either. I turn and walk away, at a much slower pace now that I don’t know where to go.
Every part of me aches, and with every step the throbbing in my head becomes more pronounced. I truly start to believe I’m going to collapse when I turn around a corner, walking straight into Leo’s chest. A pathetic whimper leaves my lips as my whole-body lights up in pain. Leo’s hands grasp around my shoulders to steady me before he looks at me with that assessing gaze of his.
I let him see. There’s nowhere for me to hide and I’m too exhausted to try. I simply hold his eyes in my own and without asking he knows exactly why I’m wandering the halls instead of curling into the fetal position on my bed. His calloused hands slide gently from my shoulders down my arms until he covers my own hands, then without turning around he starts walking, pulling softly on where he holds me.
