“Admit it,” she whispers.
“I’m afraid of getting hurt. I don’t let guys in for a reason and these guys have the potential to cut me wide-open and make me bleed. Especially Saint because he has the ability to get inside me in a way no one ever has.”
“You’re afraid he’ll use it against you? Or you think he’ll see all that guilt and shame you’re carrying?”
Fuck. Maybe I haven’t been so successful at hiding my emotions. “You see that?”
She nods slowly. “I see it, but I don’t understand it, because you’re one of the best people I know.”
“If you knew the absolute truth, you wouldn’t say that.”
She squeezes my hands tight. “There is nothing you could tell me that would alter anything between us.” She smiles, but I can’t return it because I don’t share her confidence. “I’m always here for you, Lo. If you ever want to tell me, I will always listen.”
_______________
Morning classes pass me in a blur. It’s hard to concentrate when my mind is so distracted. I’m quiet at lunch, sitting beside the assholes to keep up appearances, but I’m not in the mood to chitchat.
Saint picks up the untouched wrap from my tray, holding it out to me. “You skipped breakfast. Eat.”
“I’m not hungry, and I had coffee and a doughnut.”
“Leave her alone,” Sariah says, spearing Saint with a look from across the table.
“Butt out. This doesn’t concern you,” Saint replies, twirling a bottlecap between his fingers.
“Listen here, asshole.” Sariah leans across the table, aggression contorting her face. “Anything to do with my bestie concerns me, and I’m not scared of you.”
“Sariah.” Sean tugs on her elbow, pulling her back and wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders.
“You should be,” Saint says. He eyeballs Sean. “Keep her in line.” The “or else” doesn’t need to be said.
“Knock it off, Saintly. Even look funny at Sar and I’ll be happy to demonstrate more of my knife skills,” I threaten.
Galen’s head whips to Saint’s. “What’s she talking about?”
“Fuck if I know.” He attempts to shrug it off. Under the table he pinches my thigh in warning.
“I’m done with this shit.” I stand, my chair screeching in protest.
“I need to speak with you,” Theo says, grabbing his bag and rising.
“Well, I don’t want to speak with you.” I storm off, and he chases after me, catching up to me out in the hallway. A few students loiter in the corridor watching as Theo grabs my arm and forces my back to the wall.
“Stop running away. It’s infuriating.” He cages me in, putting his face up close to mine.
“You’d know all about that,” I huff.
“I messed up, Lo.” His voice softens. “I messed up so bad with you, and it’s one of my biggest regrets.”
I plant a bored look on my face. “So you’ve said. We done here?” Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Parker and Finn lounging against a locker, pretending like they’re not listening.
“We all need to sit down and lay our cards out on the table. It’s the only way we’re gonna get to the truth.”
“What makes you think I’d trust any of you with the truth?”
His eyes scrutinize mine. “That’s fair, but you know I’d never let anything happen to you.”
“I know nothing of the sort, Theo. You dumped me without a second thought. Cut me out of your life like I never even existed.”
He sighs as he takes my hand, threading his fingers in mine. “We both know it didn’t go down like that.”
I shake my head, removing my fingers from his and pushing him back a few steps. “Rewriting history now, Theo?”
A look of fierce determination crosses his face. Then he grabs my cheeks, pulls my head to his, and kisses me hard and fast. He presses my body into the wall, his arms curling around me, his fingers digging into my ass.
I push him away again, staring at him incredulously. “Seriously?”
Un-fucking-believable. Like, “beam me up, Scotty” level of unbelievable.
“Fuck off, Theo.”
I move to walk away, but he holds on to my arm. “I’m not your enemy, Lo. And whether you like it or not, I’m going to prove I’m a true friend this time.”
I don’t dignify that with a response, walking to the bathroom to check my burner cell, shaking my irritation off with every step I take.
I lock myself in a stall and check my messages to see if Darrow replied. He has, and he wants to meet after school, so I tap out a response, power off the phone, and stow it in the hidden secret pocket of my backpack.
Parker is waiting for me when I step out. “Oh, joy,” I deadpan, brushing past her and moving to the sink. “To what do I owe the honor?”
She props her hip against the sink beside me. “Trouble in paradise?” She smirks, twirling a lock of her hair like she’s six.
“As if I’d tell you.” I wash my hands.
“You’re obsolete,” she adds, grinning. “And I’ll be taking that princess crown real soon.”
“Wow, been studying the dictionary lately? Didn’t think you had it in you.” I dry my hands on a sheet of paper towel.
“I can’t wait to knock that smug smile off your face.”
“I hope you’re the patient type, because that won’t be happening any time soon.” I put my face in hers. “Like ever.” I push her back. “And I’m no fucking princess. I’m the goddamn queen.”
She barks out a laugh. “I’ll enjoy taking you down.”
“Bitch, you come near me and the only one getting taken down is you.”
“They won’t protect you forever.”
I fling my bag over my shoulder. “Who said anything about their protection?” I arch a brow. “I don’t need any guy to protect me. I’m more than capable of defending myself. Come at me, and you’ll find out the hard way.”
I ditch school ten minutes before the bell rings so that I can get away without any of the assholes following me.
Pulling into the gas station on the outskirts of Prestwick fifteen minutes later, I park around the back.
Dar is already there, leaning against the side of his truck with his hands in his pockets. I secure the large brown envelope in my backpack and climb out, following Dar around to the shaded side of the building. This is quite a popular meeting spot in Prestwick whenever anyone is up to anything shady because there are no cameras, it’s surrounded by wide open fields, and the owner turns a blind eye to the illegal comings and goings.
“Here.” I hand him the envelope.
He frowns. “What’s this?”
“Information which will get one of your guys out of jail.”
He stares at me for a second before opening the envelope and pulling the papers out. He skims them quickly, before resealing them, folding the envelope in half, and tucking it into the back pocket of his jeans. “This is helpful.”
I scoff. “It’s more than helpful, and you know it.”