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They’re still close enough that I catch her low rumble, filled with annoyance and something close to apprehension. Is she that worried that her relationship could be ruined over such a stupid stunt? I’ve never heard her voice sound so anxious before.
“Don’t start your shit,” she warns him. “I had no idea they were going to be here.”
I trade looks with Hudson but don’t turn back to catch Ash or Eli’s reactions, before focusing back on the couple. Something about her words doesn’t sit right with me.
Carson’s eyes harden as he drops his eyes to hers, and a prickle of unease dances down my spine, but before I can understand why, it becomes abundantly clear. His gaze softens as he looks at her, leaning down to whisper in her ear before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into his chest with a little more force than needed. A small smile spreads across her face as she lets him invade her space.
“It’s only natural for me to be upset when heathens start harassing my girl. You’re too good to deserve this type of treatment,” he soothes her with a smarmy smile in place. “It isn’t your fault they can’t take no for an answer, but this,” he pauses as he looks at the flyers and shakes his head. “It’s just a pathetic attempt at payback for rejecting them.”
I cock a brow at his words, unfazed by his less than flattering assessment of the situation. He speaks his words louder than necessary if he was merely attempting to comfort his girlfriend. It’s all about the stories that will run rampant through these halls even after all the evidence has been discarded. He paints the picture of a kind and caring boyfriend while the rest of us are made to look like petty losers.
It’s okay though. We got what we came for. We got under both of their skin. Enough that they felt the need for this little charade in the hallway.
She nods against his chest as one arm strokes up and down her back while the other grips her firmly at the hip. I squeeze my fists together at my sides as Carson refuses to meet any of our glares, focusing solely on Bri. I know it’s all part of his game though. He thinks he’s winning.
He lifts his arm away from her back and cups her chin, forcing her to look up at him. I can no longer see her face clearly.
“You okay, Darling?”
She doesn’t answer immediately, but he waits, the picture of patience as he meets her eyes, supporting her chin in his grip. She nods briskly, but answers a moment later. “Now, I am,” she confirms, a strange lilt to her voice and he drops his hand away from her. Even the sound of her voice has changed, or maybe it’s just my memories of her that have.
Bile churns in my stomach as they continue to hold their eye contact. I know I should look away, know I’ll only feel a new rush of anger and disgust, a deeper darker pit of despair opening up inside of me if I don’t. Yet I can’t tear my eyes away from the scene in front of me, even as she goes up on her tiptoes and places a chaste kiss at the corner of Carson’s mouth. The same kind of kiss I have felt on my head more times than I can count.
The smug bastard doesn’t waste the opportunity to sweep her back into his arms, pressing her firmly against his body, and stealing a very different type of kiss.
I force myself not to move, not to react, even as I want to puke and punch him in the face at the same time. Brielle isn’t mine, she never was, and I never want her to be. We didn’t come here to win her back, we only came to remind her of who she fucked over. There’s no reason to acknowledge the stomach-turning jealousy that threatens to consume me. None at all.
He finally releases her and she freezes for a moment before letting him maneuver her into his side. “Let’s get you home so you can rest,” he offers. She doesn’t say anything else as they begin to move. The other students that gathered to watch the confrontation slowly start dispersing.
Just as they reach us, Bri’s steps stutter. She looks up at Hudson before locking eyes with me. Her eyes that once used to light up like the sky when she looked at me, now only hold a weariness and fear. “Just go.” Her words are hoarse, as if she had to forcibly push them past her lips, like she can’t even bear to talk to us after what we did. There’s a note of desperation as she pleads with us.
“Leave,” she begs, turning her eyes to Ash before finally landing on Eli. “And don’t come back.”
Her determination to be rid of us strikes a chord that demolishes every ounce of grief and longing I feel for this girl. She doesn't care about us, she never did. Coming back for revenge has proved that more than anything else.
I once craved to see those bright blue eyes filled with joy as they looked at me, now all I want is to see the tears that gathered in her eyes stain her cheeks the way her presence has stained our lives.
Well, if she’s so determined to put on a show for all of us to see, maybe I should return the favor in kind, a new plan of my own forming in my head as her words once spoken taunt me into action.
I bet you can’t.
Oh Brielle, we both know I can.
ChapterSeven
My heart sinksat the looks of disgust on all of the guys’ faces as I pass them. I don’t let myself linger on the thought though. I can’t afford to. Can’t bear to think about the flash of hurt still present under all of their anger. Can’t dwell on the spectacular way my last hopes were drowned in the reality of my situation.
How stupid could I be to think they would come here for anything other than revenge? To think that I was worth believing in despite how flawless my performance has been. No more of that. To them, I’m not a girl worth saving anymore. If I want to be saved, I need to start betting on myself. This was exactly the reminder I needed to focus on what’s really important. Keeping up this charade with Carson until I can get my hands on all the evidence he’s holding against me.
His brutal fingers dig into my arm as he drags me away from everyones’ still prying eyes as he storms us out of the building. The taste of him in my mouth lingers longer than I would like, making each step I take away from the guys feel even heavier.
It’s not my fault they are here, but I am still going to be the one who pays for it. Carson is too proud to let it slide. I keep a solemn smile on my face as we pass people, playing the victim of their prank perfectly as Carson plays his. My chin aches from his harsh grip when I didn’t immediately comply with his silent demands. He needed me to play my part to get a different spin on the rumors that will be rampant by the end of the day thanks to the guys. He took it further than I had anticipated though, making me feel uneasy about what he intends to do next.
I watch him out of the corner of my eye, but he doesn't say a word to me, not yet, not while people are still lingering around us. He doesn’t stop until we are far away from everyone without so much as looking back.
I feel the bite of his anger in the way he stalks us through campus, in the way his hand presses down on my skin so hard I know it will leave a bruise, in the way his deadly silence stretches out until we are completely alone. It's only then he releases my arm, his anger pouring out of him in waves as he paces back and forth in front of me before coming to a halt.
“What the fuck are they doing here, Brielle?” His tone is nothing but ice as he glares at me waiting for an explanation I don’t have.
