Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
ASTRID
That asshole.
With my nostrils flared, I stormed down the halls of Redwood Academy with my hands balled into fists. The scent of hot dogs and nasty cheese fries drifted through my nose from Culinary up ahead. I stopped in front of my locker and undid the lock.
“Stupid piece-of-shit Arch,” I growled under my breath.
How dare he make me miss my first class! There goes my near-perfect attendance.
My thighs were still coated with his cum. I had gone to the bathroom and tried to wipe as much of it off as I could, but I could still feel him pressed between me, his cock pulsing inside me, his mouth on mine.
Fuck, that was so—
No, Astrid. It wasn’t hot. So, stop thinking about it!
Someone cackled to my left, and I peered over to see Mira tugging at Calix’s collar in front of his locker. I gritted my teeth—because it didn’t bother me—and grabbed my books for next period. I had Calc, and I hated Calc.
That’s why I was pissed. Not because of these irritating boys.
“You’re so funny,” Mira giggled, beaming up at Calix.
They were looking at each other in a way that made my blood fucking boil. All I wanted to do was rip her away from him and tell him to stop ruining Diya’s—and my—life.
“Where were you first period?” Diya asked from my right, looping her arm around mine.
I snapped my gaze away from her brother and forced a smile. “Oh, you know …”
“She was getting fucked,” Ruby hummed, walking by with Seraphina to their next class.
“Don’t listen to her,” I said, rolling my eyes and hoping that Diya didn’t pick up on my jealousy with her brother and Mira. I didn’t need her thinking that I was into him—or any of the boys in The Crew for that matter.
“Mmhmm,” Diya said, a small smirk on her face. “I know what you’ve been up to.”
My grip tightened on my books, my insides twisting. Fuck. “You do?”
“Yep,” she said. “I saw you parked at Dunkin’ this morning with Cairo.”
Oh, thank God.
She playfully smacked my arm. “When were you going to tell me?!”
Cheeks warming, I looked down so some hair fell into my face. “It’s nothing. We’re just friends … I was just thanking him for letting me borrow his shirt the other day. Nothing more than that, promise.”
“Oh, yeah?” she asked, wiggling her brows. “Was that why you got all defensive when I said he was cute the other day?”
“No!” I exclaimed. “When did that happen?”
Honestly, so much had happened in very little time with The Crew that I couldn’t remember it all. Did Diya really think Cairo was cute? I could’ve sworn that Cairo really wasn’t her type.
Diya rolled her eyes at me. “You seriously don’t remember?”
“Okay,” I said, pointing a finger at her. “I don’t wanna hear it, Miss I Wanna Sleep With My Teacher Turned Stepfather. It’s really fitting, coming from you, who can’t keep her tits in her shirt.”
“Me?!” Diya exclaimed, her cheeks rounded and red. “Weren’t you walking around Redwood in a tiny little bikini just the other day?! And you have the nerve to tell your best friend that she’s being a whore?”
“I did not say that.” I giggled, feigning anger at her still. “But you are one.”
Diya crossed her arms and matched my fake anger. “If I’m one, then you are too.”
“Deal,” I hummed, closing my locker as the bell rang.
She stepped a few feet backward and waved me off. “Get to class, slut.”
Once she disappeared into a different hallway, I blew out a breath and turned toward her stupid fucking brother to see Mira running her hands all over him.
God, why is she so annoying? It is almost like she purposefully wants me to suffer.
“Astrid,” someone hummed from behind me, slinging an arm over my shoulders.
I looked to my left. “Frasier.”
A sly grin decorated his playboy lips. “Someone on your mind?”
“What do you want?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
“Relax …” He held up his arms. “I’m just here to help.”
“Help?”
“It’s obvious you have a thing for Calix.”
“I do not.”
“Well, if you ever need someone to help get his attention—”
My gaze cut to him, and I arched a brow. “Why do you want to help me? You’re more into fucking and dumping girls, only to find more, aren’t you?”
Especially after what he had done to me the other morning.
All those sweet little promises for nothing.
“I know what you’re like, Frasier,” I said.
“Do you?” he asked. “I don’t think you know the first thing about me, and you really don’t know how to get the attention from a guy like Calix. But I can help. All you have to do is play along with me.”
“And how do I do that?”
“We make him jealous,” he said, as if it were that simple. “You and I hang out at school, after school. I’ll blow him off and tell him I’m with you. Trust me, he won’t be able to stand it, especially if we make it seem like we’re more than friends.”
I held out my hand for him to shake. “Deal.”
He stared down at my outstretched hand, and instead of shaking it, he pulled me closer until my body was pressed against his and his lips were brushing against mine. “If we’re going to be more than friends, then you have to act like it, baby.”
And right there, in front of Redwood Academy and Calix, he kissed me on the mouth.