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My fists clench, the skin stretching over my knuckles.
The bell rings, cutting through my swirling thoughts. I gather my stuff and follow the rest of the class into the hall as our teacher shouts after us about a possible pop quiz.
Marissa finds me at my locker five minutes later as I’m stuffing books inside. Alarm bells go off in my head. I am not prepared for even more bullshit to cap off the day.
“Hey, baby,” she says in a husky voice that carries across the hall as she approaches.
I sidestep the baby pet name. “I’m really not in the mood.”
Undeterred, Marissa slips into my personal space, wedging between me and the locker. Her arms lock around my neck and she pouts at me.
Tensing, I snap, “Marissa, what the fuck?”
“Are you ready to come back to me? You know you’ve got it good when we’re together. You can have this,” she takes my hand and presses it to the front of her skirt, “anytime you want.”
I open my mouth to tell her I’m never getting back with her. A strangled scoff to my left draws my attention.
Fuck. This can’t be happening.
What karmic god did I piss off?
Alec and Gemma stand there, probably on their way out to their car. Gemma props her hands on her hips. She studies us with a hard expression, eyebrows raised.
“Not a liar, huh? Yeah. I thought so.”
After she spits those words, she turns her back on me and rushes off.
“Goddamn it,” I grit out. “Gemma, wait!”
“Why are you bothering with plain Jane when you have me?” Marissa’s persistence crumbles my patience.
“Gemma! It’s not what you think!” I shout. Marissa gets in my way as Gemma rounds the corner. I take her by the shoulders and move her aside. “Marissa, get the fuck out of the way!”
Marissa lets me go. She knows how to work a crowd in these halls. She’ll only make a scene when it works in her favor.
I don’t care about any of that, I only want to get to Gemma.
Alec stops me in my tracks with a hand on my arm, blocking me from following Gemma’s hasty retreat. “That’s enough. Leave my sister alone, man.”
The protective challenge in his eyes puts a bitter taste in my mouth. I don’t want to hurt Gemma. I’m worthy of protecting her. Or, I will be again, after I clear up the mess I made.
“Look, I just want to tal—”
“It looks like she’s done talking to you. Back off.”
With a shove, Alec releases me and stalks off in the same direction as Gemma. Stunned, I stand in the middle of the hall as people give me a wide berth. Their whispers fly freely as I try to make my legs move.
It’s like I’m encased in cement, unable to drag myself to fall on my sword for Gemma—because that’s what it will take to get her back.
I have to choose, my mask or the girl that holds my still-beating heart in her palms?
By the time I reach the parking lot, the silver CR-V is gone. I blow out a ragged breath, dropping my head back.
Flurries drop from the overcast sky.
This is why my life is easier when I play up what people want to see me as. If I shroud myself in my god-like persona as the golden king of Silver Lake High School, I don’t have to deal with this fear and pain.
* * *
