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“I hope you and Jasper had a good laugh at my expense. When I’m done with you, you’ll wish you’d never heard my name.”
Dread floods through me and my mouth snaps open.
“Save it,” he growls, unwilling to hear me out.
“In my office immediately, Mr. Hawthorne!”
With that, he shoves me away. I stagger before catching myself. If I thought my heart was hammering from my meeting with Mr. Pembroke, it’s nothing compared to the way it now thrashes in my chest, struggling to break free. He gives me one final glare before stepping inside the small room. The moment he’s gone, I wilt against the counter, clasping the edges as if holding on for dear life.
Austin Hawthorne has never frightened me.
But in this moment, he does.
DELILAH
My feet drag as I head to the cafeteria for lunch. The morning started out brutal and has only gone downhill from there. People I’ve known for years now stare at me like I’m chewed-up bubblegum stuck to the bottom of their expensive shoes.
Every step through the richly paneled halls was followed by a loud ripple of whispers and laughter in my wake. Classmates who I once thought were my friends have quickly turned on me. It's exactly what I suspected would happen if Jasper and I broke up. But even I couldn’t have foreseen the lengths he’d go to humiliate Austin and destroy me.
The guy isn’t just a conceited asshole, he’s diabolical.
As much as the situation sucks, it’s a relief to no longer be with him.
It’s the only silver lining I’m able to find.
My spine stiffens as a few giggles erupt from behind me. As difficult as it is to deal with Jasper, the girls are almost worse. Most would turn on their bestie with the least bit of provocation. And I was nowhere near that status.
“Hey, Delilah. Wait up.” Sloane’s voice rises above the din.
I squeeze my eyes tightly closed for a second before hastening my step. Not that I’m in any great rush to reach the caf, but I’d prefer not to get stuck in a conversation with her. She’s the female version of Jasper, and that makes her dangerous.
When I fail to respond, a slender arm gets looped through mine. “How are you doing, girl?” She makes a frowny face as her voice fills with faux sympathy. “Seems like you’ve had a rough morning.”
I paste a plastic smile in place and shrug. “Nope, everything’s fine.”
Even though she’s being all sweet and nice, I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her. Everything with the popular blonde is pretense.
I give her a sidelong glance and watch her sculpted brows rise. “Really? That’s not what I heard. Rumor has it that Jasper dumped you Saturday night because he found out you were screwing Austin behind his back.” She gives me a speculative look.
Without going into detail, I say, “If you want me to confirm that we’re no longer together, it’s true.”
“Wow. I didn’t think you had it in you to be such a ho. Congrats.”
When my brows jerk together, she laughs. “Oh, don’t take offense. We all know there’s a double standard. No one even bats an eye when these guys fuck around or get blowies from other girls. But the moment we step out, we’re the cheats.” She shrugs. “So…tell me about Austin. I’m dying to hear all the juicy details.”
“We’re not together.”
“Hmmm. Seems like you got the raw end of the deal. Lost your boyfriend and side piece at the same time. I’m sure if you beg Jasper, he’ll consider taking you back.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Seriously? You don’t want to get with him again?”
“Nope.”
“No one would blame you for crawling back on your hands and knees.” Her voice drops several octaves as she gives me a penetrating look as if capable of hypnotizing me with her baby blues. “So what are you going to do now?”
I shrug.
