Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
FRASIER
I leaned against the entrance to the cafeteria, chatting up some cheerleader. I didn’t know her name, but she was cute, I guessed. Though she hadn’t stopped talking probably since middle school.
“Mmhmm,” I murmured to her, keeping her attention just enough while I scanned the hallways for any sight of her. I brushed my hand against the girl’s hip and nodded along. “Is that right? That’s crazy.”
“Are you even listening?” she asked, crossing her arms.
My lips curled into a smug smirk, and I looked back at her. “Of course I am.”
“Doesn’t seem like it.”
“Chelsea told Nicole, who told Allie about the D you got in History,” I said.
She giggled and looped her arm around mine.
God, sometimes, women were so simple. Just pay attention to them, buy them food, and indulge in their drama when they tell you about it. Too fucking easy.
After another moment of lingering by the door, expecting Astrid to finally walk down the halls because I’d seen her car in the lot last period, I pulled my gaze away from the girl on my arm and narrowed my eyes down the hall.
Cairo hadn’t been in school either all day. Very unlike him.
I swore, if they had been—didn’t matter. I wasn’t waiting for Astrid anyway.
I was here for someone else.
A second later, Cairo turned the corner with Astrid following right after him, a small smile on her face.
And what was that around her neck? Was that a collar? That asshole had put a collar on her? When? This morning? That was what they had been doing all this time?!
If Calix saw this …
“All right, I’ll see you. Go wait for me in there,” I said to the girl, shrugging out of her grasp and gesturing for her to meet me in the cafeteria. Once she was gone, I headed down the hall toward Cairo. “Someone’s walking in late.”
“Class ran a bit over,” Cairo said, scratching the back of his head and lying straight through his teeth.
Astrid stared up at me through huge eyes, tugging at the collar around her neck, as if she wanted me to see, wanted me to say something to her. I relaxed my clenched jaw as best as I could and grabbed her hand.
“Good. I’ll take my girl from here then,” I murmured, pulling her down the hall.
“Frasier,” she said, shuffling after me out Redwood’s double doors, “where are we going?”
“You already missed half the day. Who cares about the rest?”
“I do!”
“Should’ve thought about that before you left with Cairo this morning,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. I didn’t have feelings for Astrid like that, but something inside me had really snapped when I saw her leaving with him this morning.
“Left with Cairo? I didn’t even get to school this morning,” she said.
“I know. You went to get coffee with him earlier, didn’t you?”
When we reached my car, she released my hand and arched a brow at me. “How did you know that? Stalking me now, Crane?” A smirk crossed her lips, and she rocked back onto her heels. “I thought that wasn’t your style.”
“Stalking you?” I repeated in a low chuckle. “You wish.”
“Oh, yeah? Then how’d you know that I was with him, getting coffee this morning?”
I opened up the passenger door for her and stepped closer, tilting my head down slightly. “You know, babe, there is a thing called driving on one of the busiest roads leading to Redwood, where the Dunkin’ you were at this morning is located. Hate to break it to you.”
“You know, babe,” she said, her sassiness finally coming back, “there’s a thing called that same busy road isn’t one that you should be on in the morning. Your house is in the complete opposite direction.”
“How do you know where my house is?” I asked.
Astrid opened and closed her mouth a handful of times, and I seized her waist, pulling her flush against my body, my lips millimeters from hers.
“Hmm? Who’s the stalker now?”
She stared up at me, cheeks reddening, but gaze never leaving mine. “You wish.”
“Baaaabe,” I said, dragging the word out, pushing her up against the car. My gaze dropped down to her full lips, and I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. I swiped the pad of my thumb across her lips. “Don’t start with me.”
After sucking in a sharp breath, she looked from eye to eye, the sassiness leaving her. I stared back, wishing for her to continue the banter, but, God, how I desperately wanted her to be more than just a—no. No, I only wanted her to make Hazel jealous.
Yeah, that’s right. Hazel was one of the reasons The Crew had been at that party. I had dragged them there, flirted with every girl to get some reaction out of her, and then … then Calix brought Astrid over to our section of the house and that was it.
That was fucking it. It had been over.
Over for only that night.
“If you want to make this”—I gestured between her and me—“believable, you can’t be hanging out with Cairo. Don’t want Calix to think you’re so easy that he can have you too. He likes the chase.”
Now? This was a mutually beneficial thing.
She used me to make Calix jealous. I used her to make Hazel jealous.
It definitely wasn’t anything more than that.