Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Briar
I smile to myself as Indi takes her seat in Psych, looking flustered as fuck. Would never have thought a simple invitation to have lunch would have put such uncertainty in those green eyes of hers, but I guess there’s a lot I don’t know and can’t fathom about her. Like how on earth she thinks her attempts at playing dumb are going unnoticed.
It’s hilarious that she thinks fluttering her eyelashes at me will make me forget who she’s friends with, or how much I’ve told her. How much she knows .
I don’t get the point of this elaborate cat and mouse game, but I’m willing to play along until I grow bored enough to end it. And since I can’t get hold of Addison, Indi might be the only way I can figure out how damning the evidence is against me.
I watch her through the rest of the lesson, and from the way she keeps squirming and doing her best not to look around, I know I’m getting under her skin.
I don’t want to chat with her in class, not unless I know a teacher won’t interrupt us, but it’s taking everything I have to keep my cool until lunch.
By the time that bell rings, I feel ready to run a goddamn marathon. I throw my stuff in my locker, watching for Indi to come down the hall, but I don’t see her. I linger for a minute or two, and then head for the cafeteria.
Fuck it, I’ll wait for her there.
Ten minutes into lunch, it’s obvious she’s not coming.
Chicken shit little bitch. Honest to God, I didn’t peg her for such a coward.
“…haven’t R.S.V.P.’d, Briar?”
My attention swarms back to the present as I turn blank eyes to Dylan. “What?”
“My party, man. You gotta like—” Dylan waves a hand “—RSVP and shit.”
I almost roll my eyes, but manage to stop myself. He always takes these things too damn seriously. “Yeah, don’t think I’ll make it.”
“What? Why?”
I shrug, and start scanning the cafeteria again.
“Looking for someone?” Marcus asks. I glance over at him, and then down at his food. He hasn’t touched it and, judging from the way he’s toying with his fork, there are no immediate plans in his future involving the consumption of that congealing Al Fredo.
I shrug. “Wondering if Addison was gonna show.”
I’d texted him earlier about Addy’s new message, but he’d never even responded. Maybe he meant what he’d said about letting me sort my own shit out. I’d hate to have to remind him that what he did, he did on his volition. He’s been in a pissy mood again lately. Could be more shit at home—wouldn’t surprise me in the least. I have a feeling if I ask after his dad he’ll just fly off the handle. I don’t want to straight-up invite him for a sleepover—we’re fucking dudes, we don’t do that shit—but he needs to know he’s welcome to crash, even if we’re spitting mad at each other.
“Wanna get a drink this afternoon?”
Marcus shrugs, and eventually gives up on his food. He pushes away his tray and leans back, stretching as he surveys the cafeteria. “Sure, why not.”
I slap him on his shoulder, and he gives me a vague smile.
Well, since my little virgin decided to abscond, I might as well dig in to my sandwich. There’s one bite gone when everyone around me suddenly goes quiet.
I finish chewing, swallow, and turn in my seat.
Indi’s standing a few feet behind my side of the bench, her eyes flittering across all the guys seated around me.
Chicks are trouble, so I don’t make a habit of keeping company with them anymore.
Until now.
Until Indi .
I’m breaking all my fucking rules for her, and I still have no idea why. She’s a liar, friend of the enemy…and the most interesting person I’ve ever met.
Even now, inches shorter than every guy at this table, completely out of her element, there’s nothing approaching uncertainty in her eyes. Instead, she’s looking at my crew like she’s trying to pinpoint who will crack the first joke at her expense, and take him to task before he opens his mouth.
But no one does. Because I stand up, climb over the bench, and walk up to her.
This wasn’t part of anything I’d planned. I’d invited her over here to get her guard down, to see if I could ferret out any juicy morsels Addison might have mentioned in passing.
Now all I want to do is taste her again.
Indi’s my new coke. One kiss was all it took to get me hooked, and now I can’t go a few hours without experiencing withdrawal.
Fuck that.
Indi
That’s a shit load of eyes on me all of a sudden. I shift my feet a little, and do my best to stare down every guy at the table. I can’t wither up like a wallflower now—if I don’t show them some backbone, they’ll walk all over me.
Briar stands and comes over to me. There’s a soft light in his eyes like he’s thinking back on some fond memory, and I don’t like it. It’s not what I’ve come to expect from him. Then again, he’s about as predictable as a goddamn tornado.
Before he can reach me, I take a step back. “I have to study,” I blurt out, lifting a hand as if I would stand any chance at stopping him.
But surprisingly, he does. A frown touches his face, but in an instant his smug smile slips back on. “So why the fuck did you come all the way over here to tell me that?”
The condescending tone of his voice brings heat to my cheeks.
Motherfucking prick.
I turn on my heel, but his voice halts me a second later. “You know what, forget it. You weren’t that good a fuck anyway, virgin.”
I whirl to face him, eyes almost popping from my fucking skull. “What?”
All around me, students start laughing. Most of the guys at Briar’s table are openly smirking at me, and he turns back to them to accept a round of high-fives.
I stumble over my feet in my rush to back up and get the fuck out of this place. Why the hell would he say that? We never?—
But he probably told all his friends we did. That’s what dickheads like him do, isn’t it? They lie and they exaggerate…
And they rape and they murder.
I stop in my tracks. My cheeks are on fire, blood pumping so hard through my veins I barely hear the laughs and the catcalls. I haul in a huge breath, fist my hands, and turn back to Briar.
He’s about to sit again, but when he happens to glance over his shoulder and spot me, he pauses and then slowly straightens again.
All that smugness melts from his face, leaving only wary anticipation behind.
Congratulations, you fucking psycho. You landed yourself a wild card.
I cross my arms over my chest, and cock my head. My cheeks are still warm, but I ignore them just as hard as I ignore the murmurs around me.
They grow quiet, and it seems like the entire cafeteria is straining to hear what I’m about to say.
Better make it good.
“Really? You didn’t enjoy it?”
Briar’s head dips. Now there’s open challenge in his eyes, a tiny smile teasing his lush mouth.
He’s waiting to see where I’m going with this.
I’m filled with an overwhelming sense of pride in myself. Fuck you, Prince Briar. You don’t scare me.
I shrug expressively, even lifting my hands a little. “Maybe next time you should be on top. Might last longer than a minute.”
I drop my eyes to his junk long enough that everyone can see where I’m looking. My heart’s pounding like a fucking drum, but I feel more alive than I have in a week.
Briar smirks at me and opens his mouth, but I pivot and head for the cafeteria door before he can get a word in.
The hushed silence lasts all of one second before the entire cafeteria erupts into gales of laughter. That sound puts a swagger in my step, and I’m even tempted to whistle a little as I step into the hallway.
But my excellent mood dissolves in a second when I see Mr. Denard heading in my direction. I turn around, but I’m not fast enough—he’s already spotted me.
“Ms. Virgo.”
Dammit.
I turn and give him a measly little smile. “Sir.”
“Don’t forget about detention this afternoon.” His smile is wide and full of joy. I bet he jerks off to the thought of handing out detention slips.
I hitch up my frosty smile until it feels like my face is gonna crack. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
His eyes narrow at my open sarcasm but he doesn’t call me out for it. Lifting his nose into the air, he strides past me without another word.
Two in one day? Damn, Indi, you’re on fire.