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“So what do you recommend we do, Sir?” My teeth were gritted together as I spoke, but I knew that I needed to try to be as polite as possible or I wasn’t going to get any help from the man. It’s not that I expected a lot of it from him, but some would be better than none.
He templed his fingers and looked over them at me. “I will make a concession for you so that you’ll see that you, Miss Bennett, not other people, are the problem. There are a few empty rooms on the third floor of the dorm, and you may move into one of them. In fact, I’ll send porters to take care of that while you’re in class today. Of course, the same rules apply. No boys in your room, and you’ll be the only one on the third floor. Is that what you would like?”
The thought of being moved away from Harper and Maggie filled me with dread, but, at the same time, I’d also be farther from the harpies. I nodded before giving myself too much time to think about it. “That is very helpful, thank you.”
He nodded and stood up, planting his hands on his desk as he did and signifying that the meeting was over. Hurriedly, I put my crutches under my armpits and stood, trying to ignore the throbbing in my ankle.
“Is there anything else?” When I shook my head, he sighed. “Good. Then go to your classes, Miss Bennett, and keep your grades up. If I hear from your teachers that you are not taking your time here seriously then there really is no reason for me to allow you to continue to study here. You’re being a distraction, and at Taylor Prep we do not allow or encourage that. Do you understand?”
I nodded. Oh, I understood all right. I understood that only one of us could stay here at Taylor Prep and that I wasn’t going to let it be Amelia. I understood that she was out for me and had her money and the prestige of her name making Mr. Taylor turn a blind eye to what a bitch she was.
Ignoring Mr. Taylor’s secretary, I made my way out of the office, grateful to see Kaleb sitting in the hall, just like he had promised. He stood up quickly, coming to wrap his arm around my shoulders, but before he could speak, Mr. Taylor called to me from his office.
“Remember, Miss Bennett. I do not give chances lightly, and I certainly don’t give second ones. Shape up or you will be removed from campus, no matter how much money your dead dad left you.”
Chapter 8
“So, this is nice.” Harper sat on my new bed and looked around the room, trying to keep a smile on her face. I appreciated it, especially because all I’d wanted to do since I saw the room where the porters moved my things was cry. There were only a few finished rooms on the third floor, like Mr. Taylor had said, but there wasn’t anything about them that made them seem as nice as the ones downstairs.
Rather than a huge floor-to-ceiling window, my room now had a small one that I could force open by pushing on it with my shoulder. The bed was a twin bed on a rickety metal frame, and the bare floor was cold under my feet.
“Do you think they remembered to put in insulation up here?” I hadn’t stopped shivering since I got into my new room. It would probably be blazing hot during the middle of the day with the sun beating down on it, but when the sun wasn’t out, it was freezing.
“I think there’s probably some.” Maggie leaned out from the bathroom. “No claw foot tub, I’m afraid, but you do have a window over the sink so you can look outside while you brush your teeth.”
“That’s…not really what I would choose.” Sighing, I threw myself back on my bed. It groaned loudly under my weight. Great. I could already tell that it was going to be a nightmare trying to get to sleep and stay asleep when it was squeaking all night long.
Not only did changing my room mean that I had to take the stairs up two floors, but my room was tiny, cramped, outdated, and away from my friends.
“We’ll come visit you, we promise.” Harper threw her arms around me and pulled me to her. “But right now I think that you have another visitor.”
I struggled out of her grasp and sat up, gasping when I saw Jackie in the doorway. “What in the world are you doing here? You’re not allowed in my room, you know.”
He grinned and walked in before turning around in a circle. “I didn’t catch on fire, though, so I don’t see the big deal. I wanted to see the girl I love.”
Harper and Maggie giggled and scooted out the door. “We’ll just let you two have some time alone.”
I shot them both a look, but they were gone before I could say anything.
“So, how do you like your new digs? I can’t believe that Mr. Taylor moved you up here all by yourself.” He jiggled the door handle and checked the lock before shutting it and coming to sit next to me on the bed. “You really had us worried, Rosita. What’s with someone throwing a rock through your window in the middle of the night?”
I sighed and leaned against him, enjoying how he pulled me close with his arm around my shoulder. “It was Amelia, Jackie, I’m sure of it. I saw her and someone else running away after they threw the rock, but Mr. Taylor thinks it was some kind of a misunderstanding. Like…how they can misunderstand the treatment I’ve dealt with is beyond me, but…”
I would have kept talking, but Jackie’s mouth on mine shut me up. He leaned me back on the bed, sliding his body over mine. His kisses were scorching hot and I felt each one of them burn through me and settle in my core. After a moment, he pulled back, his lips still grazing mine.
“I was so worried, Rosita. I can’t handle the thought of anything happening to you.” Slowly he traced a finger down my cheek, parting my mouth with his thumb. I squirmed under him, all of my nerves on fire. Being alone with Jackie like this made me suddenly wanted him more than anything.
No, that’s not true. I needed him. I needed Jackie to love me and be with me.
“I love you.” I didn’t want to talk about what had happened to me or how worried he was. It didn’t change a thing about the way his cousin and her friends treated me or the fact that Mr. Taylor himself didn’t really think that I belonged at the school. There was only one thing that I could control right now, and that was being with Jackie.
If he wanted me as badly as I wanted him, that was.
“Oh, Rosita.” He planted scorching kisses down my cheek and neck, tugging on my shirt to run his tongue along my collarbone. I arched my back, pressing my hips up into him, and he responded by leaning back and reaching for the hem of my shirt. “I want you, Rosita. Do you…”
Did I want him? Was he kidding?
“I need to be with you, Jackie.” I practically panted the words, I was so filled with need for him. There wasn’t anything that could stop me from wanting to be with him right then. He was the only person who could fill the void that I felt and make me feel human again.
