Saint, Liam, and Gabe are sitting in their usual cluster. I can’t help but sweep my gaze over them, but both Saint and Liam firmly keep their eyes away from me. Gabe, however, nods his redhead in my direction and waves.
By the time history class rolls around, it’s become obvious that Saint’s ignoring me. In none of our shared classes today did he so much as glance my way. Even Liam, who has every right to be furious with me, would sneak peeks now and again. But Saint?
Negative.
I can’t decide if his ignoring me is a blessing or a curse. On one hand, I don’t have to endure his cutting remarks and cold glares. On the other, it’s likely sending the message to everyone around us that he’s not going to step in if they decide to gang up on me again. I’m not stupid. I know it’ll be much worse for me if people think he legitimately doesn’t give a shit.
When I walk into the classroom, Dylan immediately snaps my name, as though he’s been waiting for me.
“Ms. Ellis, a word please.”
Startled, I hurry over to where he’s standing by his desk. He doesn’t look happy, but he never does when he looks at me.
“Yes, Mr. Porter?” I ask in a soft voice.
“Where were you yesterday?” he demands to know without preamble.
Every teacher has asked me this today, but none have been quite so pissed off about me skipping the day before as Dylan appears to be. Being such a solid student with perfect attendance up until this point won me a little more wiggle room than I’d anticipated.
I don’t think Mr. Porter is going to let me off the hook so easily, though.
“I, uh, I just needed the day…” I don’t see any point in trying to make an excuse or lie to him. He’s not going to be lenient with me no matter what I say.
“You just needed the day?” he repeats incredulously. “What does that mean?”
I narrow my eyes and clench my teeth. God, I wish I could lay into him. If we were alone, I wouldn’t hesitate, but I can’t really chew his ass out in front of the entire class.
“I’m sorry, sir,” I hiss instead. “What do I need to do to make up for it?”
He glares at me, and I can see he’s struggling to rein in his temper as well.
At length, he answers, “After class, I’ll give you the homework from yesterday. Now go sit down.”
I slowly release a breath through my nose, then turn on my heel and march to my seat. Liam glances at me with a raised brow, but Saint still won’t look at me. His jaw is tensed, though, and I can tell he’s livid. Because I was talking to our teacher? He doesn’t even know why he should be angry about me interacting with Dylan.
Once class begins, I focus on the lecture and my notes, ignoring everything else until the bell rings. I release a sigh, thankful that I can escape back to my dorm room at last, and begin to gather my things. If I can get my work from Dylan quickly, I can get out of here before Laurel or any of her squad can corner me.
Glancing up, though, I see that Dylan is talking to another student and I grind my teeth, knowing I’m going to have to wait. I watch his exchange, and it’s somewhat remarkable how relaxed and at ease he looks. It’s how he was when we first met. Back then, I’d thought he was so cool and attractive, with his dark hair and eyes. He wore fitted button ups that showed off his lean, muscular body, and ties. My poor little idiot heart hadn’t stood a chance back then.
Now, I know him for the asshole he truly is. I recognize him for the predator I refused to see at the time. I understand that losing James hurt him, but it wasn’t the fire that had shown me his true colors. It was my pregnancy.
The classroom empties, and he’s still talking, so I wait because I don’t really have any choice in the matter. When the other girl finally leaves, it’s just me and him.
Slowly, I approach him.
“Can I have my homework?” I ask in a sharp tone.
He turns to me, crossing his arms over his chest. He’s no longer cool and at ease. He’s back to peering down his nose at me, like I’m scum at the bottom of his shoe.
“Tell me about my brother, Mallory.”
Fuck. This is why I avoid being alone with him.
I’m careful to maintain a calm demeanor as I reply, “I’ve told you everything I can, Dylan. The lab blew. It was a freak thing, and James was … he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Bullshit,” he snarls.
“Can I please just have my homework so I can go?” I want to get as far away from him as humanly possible.
“How did you survive?” he snaps. “How did you know not to be in the house before the explosion?”
“I didn’t know,” I insist, sticking to the same story I told the cops a year ago. “Jenn had pissed me off, so I was going out for a walk to burn off some steam. I got lucky, that’s all.”
“I don’t believe that,” he says, shaking his head wildly. “I don’t believe that for a second.”
“Dylan, I wish I could go back and change that night,” I reply with every bit of sincerity I can muster. “I wish I could go back and stop James from going into the house. I wish I could’ve told him I wasn’t in there. I wish I could do that night over as much as I wish I could redo homecoming night.”
His eyes widen slightly, and I think I’ve caught him off guard. I haven’t dared to say a word about our affair until now, but he’s pushed me too far. Homecoming night had been the first time we’d slept together. Dylan had been a chaperone, and I’d gone to the dance with James. Up until then, Dylan and I had been flirting and teasing each other pretty heavily. I’d been blown away that an intelligent, handsome, sophisticated man had been interested in me.
Halfway through the dance, I’d slipped away from James, claiming I’d needed to use the bathroom. Dylan had followed me and pulled me into his classroom. He’d had a sofa in the back of the room. It was supposed to be a chill place for students to relax and talk or some bullshit like that. I gave him my virginity on that couch, and he’d come inside me.
I shudder at the memory of that night. At the consequences of my stupidity and his arrogance.
He meets my gaze as he snarls, “I wish that night had never happened either, but that’s what you do. You ruin lives.”
Except homecoming night wasn’t just my fault. He dragged me to his classroom. He convinced me it wasn’t wrong. He begged me not to tell anyone because they wouldn’t understand and that we’d only get in trouble.
Moving to his desk, he picks up a stack of papers and thrusts them toward me. I snatch them from him without a word and then turn to walk out of his classroom.
I’m so consumed by my thoughts and the shame pummeling me, I nearly run into Saint, who’s standing just outside the door.
I gasp and meet his cold gaze.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, my heart thundering.
He holds my stare for several moments before he flicks a look toward the classroom door. His shoulders tense as he tells me in a gravelly voice, “I figured it out.”
He abruptly walks away from me, and I’m left terrified as I realize he’s now in possession of the rest of my secret.