I felt a jolt run through me, my hand jerking up and taking hold of my backpack strap. “How do you know about that?”
He was right, but they hadn’t interviewed kids here. Only in Roussou. The people they were interviewing here were adults, people who wouldn’t connect my parents to me. It was one thing I’d been adamant about—that they leave the high schools in Fallen Crest out of their project.
“My brother and sister go to Roussou,” Blaise said. “I’ve heard all about the project.”
Oh.
Oh, shit.
“So those rumors are true?” I asked. Oh wow! Like, wowza wow. “Is that why you moved here? To get to know your brother and sister? I heard they were twins.”
“Jesus. Shut up,” he hissed, backing away. “That’s personal business.” He looked around, his jaw clenching. “I did my due diligence with you. That’s why I’m approaching you back here, ’cause trust me, I have no problem starting a scene. Started the day that way, and I could end the day that way. It’s no skin off my nose. You got me?”
I sucked in a breath. He was scary when he was like this—scary hot.
“Yeah. Sorry.” I lowered my voice. But it still seemed exciting to find out you have two siblings you didn’t know about. Or I would’ve been excited about it. “What are they like? Who are they? Are you close to them?”
“Shut.” His eyes got all big and mad. “Up. It’s none of your goddamn business.”
I winced. “You swear a lot.”
“I don’t care.”
He looked at me like I was an alien, but that stuff didn’t faze me. I was used to that. Hell, I preferred that. No one could figure me out that way, and this guy had come close.
I didn’t like it.
I might need to up some stalker tendencies, but even as I thought it, it probably wouldn’t do anything. I’d blurted that I had a crush on him, and he hadn’t cared. He took that in stride. Then again, why wouldn’t he? Most girls at school had a crush on him. He got laid daily, or he could if he wanted to.
Man, what would that be like? To know you could merely look at someone and they’d do what you wanted? Sexually speaking. Would I want that? If I looked at him, gave him the eyebrow wiggle, and he’d follow me into a closet?
Wait.
Guys would do that for a girl.
Some guys would.
No. That wasn’t right either.
Guys would do that, but then sometimes they talked trash about the girls they hooked up with. Though, maybe not him? I didn’t remember ever hearing him brag about hooking up with someone. Girls bragged about hooking up with him, not the other way around. And he wasn’t exclusive with Mara, but everyone knew Mara Daniels was a regular with him. He never said a word about it. That was from other people talking about seeing them.
And this morning, I’d heard what he said to Brian Strandling and what else he said to Zeke. Those words didn’t seem like they’d come from a guy who’d hook up with a girl and then trash her for it.
I could feel a definite throb between my legs, and now I was staring at his lips and pulling on my hair, as if I could imagine it was his lips and what I’d want to do with them.
Tug on them.
Pull. Twist.
I was starting to pant.
“You’re not normal.”
I shrugged. “Life goals.”
See? Stuff like that didn’t faze me. Never had. Owen had always laughed at how odd I was. He told his friends— Pain laced my chest.
I got choked up and turned away, ducking so Blaise couldn’t see my eyes.
I blinked back sudden tears.
I hurried forward, and Blaise had to move out of my way.
Then I was inside Maisie and starting the engine. “I have to go,” I said in a rush before I closed the door. A second later, I was out of there, tears streaming down my face.
Not good.
No one, no one, got to see me cry. Ever.
7
Blaise
The girl had issues. That was obvious.
I watched as she tore out of the parking lot, knowing she believed I thought she was psychotic. I didn’t think that. She just seemed like a girl who didn’t want attention. There was always a reason for that. No one grows up not wanting to be noticed; something had to have happened. But whatever it was wasn’t something I had to deal with or think about. I’d confronted her, wanting to make sure she hadn’t taken a video of Mara going down on me. I’d also wanted to feel her out, see if she was the type to blab about it, but she wasn’t.
I’d thrown a ton of shit at her, and the only thing that cracked her surface wasn’t something I said. I called her weird, and she deflected that as if it were air, but then something inside her broke through. I didn’t know what it was, but again, it wasn’t my issue.
I could walk away knowing there would be no collateral damage of her spreading rumors, but why did I care? It wasn’t like people didn’t know. A video would have been a problem. Then I’d have had to do damage to her, and there was something about her I didn’t want to hurt.
I mean, she was hot, but just this conversation told me she wasn’t worth it. No quick dip or taste. The girl had some severe damage.
And again, not my issue.
At all.
Why the fuck was I still thinking about this? I cursed, shaking my head clear and pulling myself out of whatever the fuck I was doing here.
Sick car, though. I wish I knew her better. I’d ask to drive it.
“Yo.”
I looked over. Jamie and Oliver were heading across the parking lot toward me.
“What’s your deal?” I asked as they approached. “Zeke ask you to keep an eye on me?”
They’d been like my shadow all day, and I didn’t know what they were thinking. That made me wary.
They shared a look.
Jamie shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. I was still standing next to the truck beside where Aspen had parked, and Jamie leaned a shoulder against it. “Zeke didn’t ask us to do anything. We’re just tired of how things have been here.”
Oliver nodded.
Both seemed resigned.
Well. Fuck.
I shook my head. “We’re almost out of here. It’s too late to change anything. This ain’t worth it for you guys.”
Oliver grinned.
Jamie laughed. “Exactly.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
He kicked up from the vehicle and shrugged, glancing back at the school, which was starting to empty of students. “Zeke might’ve done something if you’d pulled this at the beginning of the semester. You pushed back against him. He doesn’t forget that shit—or he doesn’t with us. You might be different, but you got pull. I mean, we’re here. We’ve never backed anyone else, and he knew that’s what we did today. We were backing you. He ain’t going to do shit because it’s almost the end of the year, but man, we got summer left. There’s parties to be had, to throw, to crash. Zeke loves you, and he ain’t ever gonna let you go.”
I grunted. “That makes him sound creepy.”
Oliver shook his head, shrugging. “No offense, but Allen is a bit creepy with you. He always has been. He really does love you, and not like he wants to fuck you. He’s got unconditional, agape-type-shit love for you. He won’t do anything to you, but us he might’ve fucked over. He won’t now. We’re heading into party season. He just wants to go along to get along, ya know?”