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“Oh God, is everything okay? If you wait, I think we’re going to lea—”
“It’s fine, you don’t need to leave on my account. I need to go though, he’s asking questions.”
“See you soon? Maybe you can come over one day after school and hang out at my house?”
“I’d like that,” I said.
Chloe hugged me, then I went over to Nix, Harleigh, and Kye. “I’m going.”
“Already? But the party is just getting started,” Kye said.
“I’m sure you’ll cope without me.” Another smile. Another knot in my stomach.
“Where’s Zane?” he added.
“Beats me.”
“You’ll be okay getting home?” Harleigh stood.
“Yeah, I think I can find my way. Talk tomorrow?”
“Sure.” She hovered but didn’t make any move to hug me.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” Nix offered, but I waved him off.
“Don’t be silly. I can find it.”
Besides, I needed a moment alone to catch my breath after Zane’s verbal assault.
“Okay.” He nodded. “Don’t be a stranger. You’re welcome at ours anytime.”
The lie poured out so easily. Too easily, making my chest tighten.
“Thanks. Night.” I gave everyone a small wave and doubled back toward my car. A few curious stares followed me, but no one approached me.
By the time I reached my car, some of the tears burning the backs of my eyes had slipped free, streaking down my cheeks. I inhaled a shuddering breath, trying hard not to let Zane’s words affect me so much.
Maybe he was right.
Maybe I didn’t belong here. But every part of my life was defined by expectation or unspoken rules. I was to carry on the family legacy. Uphold the longstanding line of Rowe’s to graduate with honors and attend an Ivy League college. One day, my parents would introduce me to some wealthy ambitious guy they hoped I would marry.
My entire life was already decided for me. So was it really that misguided of me to want one thing that was truly mine. To rebel against the gilded cage that had always confined me.
I loved my parents. Sure, they didn’t always get it right and they had made some downright bad decisions of late. But they were still my parents. They had provided me with a solid foundation to go out into the world. But they didn’t want me to live a path of my own choosing, they wanted me to embrace the one laid out by their own design.
I got into my car and gripped the steering wheel, hanging my head in defeat as I inhaled another deep breath.
Cold, cruel, and callous, Zane Washington had been born and raised in The Row, and he was everything my parents would hate. He wasn’t the kind of boy they would ever want me to date. I wasn’t even sure Zane did date. But I wanted to find out.
I wanted to get to know him.
I wanted to find out what made the bad boy from across the res tick.
There was just one glaring problem.
He’d made it perfectly clear; he didn’t want to get to know me.
* * *
