Hunter smiles and drapes an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “Your war with Riley ends tonight. Unless you want to go to war with me, too.”
Valerie glares at him, her eyes burning with resentment, but she doesn’t say a word.
Raising his voice, Hunter turns toward his audience. “That goes for all of you. The shunning is over, we’re moving on. This was never your fight, but if you want to go to the mat for her,” he says, with a sweeping gesture in Valerie’s direction, “feel free. Just know she wouldn’t do the same for any of you.”
There’s a low murmur in the crowd. Valerie’s gaze darts to them, a flash of fear in her eyes before she looks back at Hunter. “Why are you doing this to me?” she asks lowly.
“I haven’t done anything to you. Not yet,” he says deliberately. “If you quit your bullshit and let this blow over, we can keep things friendly. Defy me, and see what happens.”
She swallows, her shaky gaze shifting to me. “I really hate you, you know that?”
“Same,” I tell her, not flinching.
I am tempted to feel bad for her in the moment, but I remind myself of her baseless malice over the years and manage to overcome it.
Valerie didn’t feel bad for turning Sara into a social outcast for absolutely no reason. She didn’t feel bad for spreading malicious—and completely baseless—gossip last year about me and a teacher. He could have been fired over those rumors. Sara could have felt so alone, maybe she wouldn’t have been able to handle it without me.
Valerie’s a mean girl. She picked a fight, and she didn’t win.
That’s no one’s fault but hers.
I refuse to feel bad for her because for once in her life, there were consequences to her bad behavior.
Valerie turns around and looks back at the mess smothering her car. Right when she does, the crowd moves again. This time Anderson bursts through and stops on the sidewalk, his jaw falling open.
“What the fuck,” he says dimly, staring at his tarred and feathered car.
Honeyed and feathered?
I cringe, because while I can’t muster much sympathy for Valerie, Anderson didn’t deserve this. It was just mean of Hunter to do it to him, too.
Anderson looks over at us, mouth agape. “What the fuck?” he says again, his gaze locked on Hunter.
“You called Riley a whore,” Hunter states, unapologetic, as he reaches into his suit pocket and draws out Anderson’s keys. “And, honestly, you just piss me off.”
Anderson scowls as he takes the key ring. “How did you even get my keys?”
Hunter doesn’t say, but I have an idea. I look back over my shoulder and locate Sherlock. He’s hanging back away from the crowd, leaning against a brick wall and just observing the chaos. When our gazes lock, he winks at me.
Pickpocket.
I smother a smile and turn back around.
“Now,” Hunter says, looking over at me. “You’re gonna need a ride, and a spot in my limo just opened up.” Hunter turns back toward the crowd, still with his arm around me. “If you rode here with me and you’re not on Team Valerie, gather your things and get your asses back out here. I think the dance is pretty much over, and that means the after party starts right now.”
There’s a cheer from the crowd. The jocks and the popular crowd get to go to Hunter’s parties all the time, but for the majority of senior class, Hunter’s parties are the stuff of legend, completely inaccessible. Tonight they get to be a part of it, and if the cost of admission is dethroning the evil queen… well, it’s a price they’re willing to pay.
There’s a buzz of excitement as everybody heads back inside to gather their things. Hunter grabs his scepter and puts his crown back on his head, then escorts me back out to the sidewalk.
Like we’re real royalty instead of the homecoming kind, the limo driver opens the car door and gestures for us to climb inside.
“Ladies first,” Hunter murmurs, his hand sliding down the small of my back and coming to rest on my butt.
My heart does a flip. Instant arousal stirs between my legs.
I probably shouldn’t get into this limousine with him, at least not until the other passengers are out here. He’ll behave if we’re not in the car alone, but until then…
Hunter pushes me forward. I sigh, climbing in and making my way down to the end. He climbs in after me.
He places a hand on my bare thigh as he takes his seat beside me. His hand only behaves for a moment, then it slides inward and he squeezes.
I grab his wandering hand, shooting him a look. “Behave yourself, Mr. Maxwell.”
He smiles, leaning in to kiss my neck. “Never.”
“We are not together,” I inform him, trying to shoot him a look even more severe than the last one.
“Mm-hmm,” he murmurs, ignoring me as he starts to nibble on my ear.
Shit.
A shiver passes over my whole body and my eyes drift closed.
I jump as someone suddenly enters the limousine. On instinct, I start to pull away guiltily, but while Hunter stops trying to melt me with his kisses, he keeps his hand on my thigh and gives it a reassuring squeeze to calm me down.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I am ready to get my drink on,” Melina Eggers says as she drops onto the seat a few empty spaces from Hunter.
“You and me both,” says Angelina Adkins as she piles in after her.
“Well, you are heading to the right place then,” Hunter says with an easy smile, welcoming them to the fold.
“Did it hurt when you fell from heaven, Hunter Maxwell? Because you are clearly an angel.”
I glance over at Hunter, somehow surprised by Melina’s exuberance to prove just how Team Hunter she is. Considering she was basically Valerie’s best friend, I expected a little resistance, but I don’t really know why.
I knew that’s what these people were like. I even told Hunter that. If he lost all his money and status and somehow fell from grace, they would step over his bones just as quickly to ingratiate themselves with their new king or queen.
“Oh my God, Riley, I forgot to tell you earlier, but the way that dress sparkled on stage when you were being crowned princess?” Angelina Adkins shoots me a look, like we’ve been friends since kindergarten and we’re always celebrating each other’s successes. “Yes, girl! You looked killer.”
What?
Hunter pats my thigh subtly, telling me without words to just go with it.
“Thanks,” I say a little uneasily. This faux-friendliness doesn’t come as easily to me. “Honestly, I was shocked to get a crown at all.”
“You should’ve got the big one,” Hunter says, leaning in and softly kissing my neck, right here in front of everybody. “Anyone who thinks she’s a queen and you’re a princess clearly shouldn’t have voting privileges.”
Melina jumps in eagerly. “Valerie had that whole thing rigged, anyway. You should have totally won, Riley.”
I am deeply uncomfortable by this sudden sycophantic behavior. “Oh. No, I…”
“You should come shopping with us tomorrow,” Angelina says, nudging Melina.
“Yeah, totally,” Melina says, flashing me an excited smile.
“I can’t, sorry. I have to work. But thank you for inviting me,” I say, flashing a small, apologetic smile of my own.