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My gaze flickers to the food. “Guess I wasn’t very hungry.” It’s kind of hard to enjoy my meal when there’s a giant pit taking up space at the bottom of my belly.
“After you grab the keys, come back and finish.”
Yeah…that’s not going to happen.
“I don’t think there’ll be enough time.”
As I reach for the tray, Jasper says, “Leave it. That’s what the staff is for.”
There are times when I wonder if he remembers that my mother works at the school or if he’s just being a passive aggressive asshole.
Although, let’s face it…there’s nothing passive about him.
“I don’t mind dumping it in the trash,” I murmur, heat burning the tips of my ears because I know everyone is watching our exchange.
The way Jasper treats people he perceives beneath him is yet another black mark against his character. Unfortunately, it’s one of many. I wasn’t born or raised with servants to wait on me hand and foot. And even if I were, I can’t imagine believing that the status of my bank account somehow makes me a more valuable human.
Unwilling to argue in front of an audience, I swing away, darting from the sun-splashed room. As soon as I rush over the threshold into the large corridor, air escapes from my lungs.
With any hope, I won’t run into him again for the rest of the day.
Once I leave the dining hall, my pace slows, and it takes a couple of minutes to wind my way through the hallways. Much like the cafeteria, there are wooden beams crisscrossing the high ceilings and elaborate chandeliers that hang suspended from the ceiling. More black and white photographs framed in gold strategically line the walls.
When I first stepped foot inside Hawthorne Prep, I was infatuated with the elaborate architectural features. I studied every photo and poured over the yearbooks, learning every detail of the history. I felt fortunate to be one of the chosen few accepted to such a prestigious institution. Someone who gets to walk these halls and sit in on lectures with guest speakers on a variety of interesting topics.
Three years later and the blinders have been ripped away. I’ve been forced to see this place for what it is. There’s an ugly underbelly to Hawthorne Prep that no one talks about.
If I could do it all over again, I’d stay at the local public school. Maybe I wouldn’t get the same top-notch education, but I wouldn’t be made to feel as if I’m a second-class citizen simply because my parents don’t preside over a multi-million-dollar company.
My feet slow as I reach the copy room where Mom can be found this time of the afternoon. The door is usually wide open, and I’ll catch a glimpse of her standing in front of the machine from the hallway.
Instead, it’s partially closed, leaving just a two-inch crack.
Which is…strange.
I step closer and push the thick wood just a bit before peeking inside. When I catch movement from within, the words gather on the tip of my tongue. I’m about to call out her name when I realize she’s not alone. My voice dies a quick death as air clogs my lungs, making it impossible to breathe.
My eyes widen, bulging from their sockets. I give my head a little shake, needing to dislodge the image of her wrapped up in a man’s arms. Even though I’ve only been staring for a few seconds, the mental snapshot has been singed into my brain for all eternity.
“Mmm, I’ve been waiting all morning to get you alone,” he groans before his lips settle on hers.
My hand flies to my mouth as I falter a few paces before slamming into a hard chest. Strong fingers curl around my upper arms before I’m spun around to face the person who now holds me captive.
I’m almost afraid I’ll find Jasper. His threat from earlier continues to echo in my brain. Instead, I find the dark-haired boy I’ve been unable to stop thinking about since he showed up two months ago.
It becomes necessary to lift my chin to hold his eyes. Even though I’m wearing my blazer, the tips of his fingers burn the flesh beneath the thick material as electricity sparks in the air. My mouth grows cottony as the woodsy scent of his cologne teases my nostrils.
It’s so tempting to inhale a big breath of him and hold it captive in my lungs.
“Are you all right?”
That’s when I remember what’s going on in the copy room, and a jolt of panic slides through me as I jerk my head into a nod. “Yes. Sorry for bumping into you.”
“It’s not a problem.”
When his grip tightens, I clear my throat before pushing out the words. “You should probably let me go.”
His gaze bores into mine. “Is that really what you want?”
