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14
The remainder of my Friday is like any other day, but I’m distracted as I sit through classes, because I can’t stop thinking about what’s happening later. Tonight, I’m supposed to go to Liam’s house, and the thought fills me with equal parts excitement and anxiety. It’s not because I like him (I don’t think), even though he’s super-hot and even a little charming when he’s not glaring at me like I swapped his Seether playlist with Taylor Swift’s greatest hits.
No, I’m excited and nervous because it feels like we could, potentially, be friends.
Best friends?
Unlikely.
Good enough friends that he stops making my life a living hell?
Possibly.
There’s enough of a chance, anyway, that I don’t want to do anything to mess things up between us.
I’m supposed to meet him in an hour, and I’m trying to decide what I should wear. I’ve rejected several outfits already and am contemplating just a casual sweatshirt and leggings combo when a frantic knock on my door breaks me from my concentration.
Frowning, I hurry across the room to see who it could be.
As soon as I open the door, Loni bursts inside in a wild mess of curls and flailing arms.
“You’ll never guess what I just heard!” she shrieks.
I quickly shut the door and spin to face her with wide eyes.
“What?” I ask, overwhelmed by her energy and expression of excitement.
“Someone snitched!”
I furrow my brow, utterly confused. “Snitched? Snitched about what?”
She reaches out and grabs my hands in hers.
“Someone on the football team anonymously reported to the administration that Jon Eric and Fi
My jaw drops. “No fucking way!”
Loni nods. “Yeah, Henry just told me this afternoon.”
“Oh, my God, that’s amazing!” I declare. “What’s going to happen? Are Jon Eric and Fi
When her beautiful face falls, it feels like a punch to my gut.
“So far, they say there’s not enough proof to take any action against them,” she hisses. “Which is a load of shit, but they’ve been suspended from the football team for the rest of the season.”
“Which has, what? One or two more games?”
“Like I said,” she says with a nod, “bullshit.”
It is bullshit, and I’m pissed but at least it’s out there that Jon Eric and Fi
And Saint i The thought pops into my head, taking me by surprise. Why should I care about him right now? This is about Nick and his justice, not Saint. He likely wouldn’t have faced consequences anyway, had it actually been him. But that’s not really what matters, not if he was i I press my hand to my chest and try to suppress the sympathy rising up inside of me for him, as well as the relief at knowing he’s not the true monster I thought him to be. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. “Mal? Are you okay?” Loni asks me, her expression concerned. I drop my hand and paste on a reassuring smile. “I am, I swear. Just a little overwhelmed by everything I guess.” She doesn’t look like she necessarily believes me, but I gaze at her i “Fine, if you say so.” Turning, she skips to my bed and takes a seat, crossing her long legs. “Tell me, what’s up with the fashion show?” She glances around at the clothes I have scattered around my room. “Well, there’s something I haven’t told you,” I confess. She has no idea I’ve been having late-night swim sessions with Liam. I wasn’t sure how she’d react, but it’s starting to feel weird keeping it from her. “Okayyyyy,” she says, her brow furrowing. “So … I’m going to Liam Halloway’s beach house tonight.” Loni’s reaction is instant and loud. “What the hell? Why are you hanging out with Liam? At his beach house? On a Friday? Just the two of you?” I raise my hands, as if I’m warding off a wild animal. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy tiger. We have an English project together, so we’re meeting up to work on it. Remember? That’s why I was in the library last night.” She puffs out a breath, then laughs. “Oh. Is that all?” “Well, not exactly…” Her eyes narrow. “What does that mean?” “So, here’s the thing. For a few weeks now, I’ve been sneaking into the pool at night to swim, and some of those nights … Liam’s been there, too.” “Woman.” Her eyes go wide. “Are you telling me that you and Liam Halloway have been having late-night swim sessions together on the reg? Like, with him shirtless and you in a bikini?” I groan. “I wear a one-piece most nights, but yeah, something like that.” “Whatever.” Loni waves that away. “You’re both still alone, half-naked in the pool.” “It’s not like that.” She gives me a disbelieving look. “Really!” I insist. “Neither of us had any idea the other would show up there, but we kind of just let it be.” She seems to consider that for a moment before she raps her fingertip against her chin. “So, are you like friends now or something?” A more complicated question than Loni could really know. I consider my answer very carefully before I speak. “I-I wouldn’t call us friends just yet. More like, friends adjacent.” Her finger-tapping stops and she simply blinks at me, her lips thi I don’t really either, to be fair, but it sounds better than saying we’re friends. “It doesn’t really matter,” I say, hoping to steer the conversation away from this topic. “There’s nothing going on between us, but I thought you should know because you’re my friend—” “So, if not Liam, what about you and Saint?” I freeze. “What about Saint?” She arches a brow. “That night at the beach, when you disappeared to the parking lot with him, I know you said that was a misunderstanding, but—” “It was!” I cry, too late realizing I’m almost shouting. Lowering my voice again, I continue, “I wasn’t lying. I went to confront Saint about being such a dick to me, but that’s it.” “So, you don’t like him at all? Especially now that we know he wasn’t part of Nick’s attack?” Her question floors me. Like Saint Angelle? No way in hell! Do I think about what his touch felt like at least once a day? Sure. Do I sometimes fantasize about having hot hate sex with him? Fine, yes. But do I like him? “Abso-fucking-lutely not.” My tone is firm, leaving room for little argument on the matter. “Saint Angelle is a sociopath who makes my life a living hell for fun. There’s no way I’d ever like him.” Hate and love are two sides of the same coin. I want to swat away the a At least my vehemence appears to convince Loni. “All righty, that’s a big no on Saint,” she says with a megawatt grin. “Sorry, just had to ask.” “It’s fine,” I sigh. Bending down, I pick up the sweatshirt and leggings I’d been contemplating for my study-date-not-a-date with Liam. “Now, on to more important things than Hot Draco. Does this outfit say there’s no way in hell I’m sleeping with you?”