Malice

He doesn’t say anything, but why would he? Saint has said and done plenty.

“You two deserve each other,” I growl, though I’m embarrassed that my voice quivers. Damn it. I don’t want him to know how much he’s hurting me. That’s just giving him more ammunition against me.

“Are you done yet?” His tone is impatient.

It takes me a beat to realize that he’s not talking about this discussion. He’s talking about school. That’s what this whole diabolical clusterfuck has been about. He’s been trying to drive me from this place ever since I arrived, and no matter how close I thought we’d become, he’s never stopped trying.

If he stooped this low just to get me to leave, then maybe I should just go. I don’t have to put up with this bullshit anymore. I could just walk away from him, from Angelview, from everything, and never look back. Even going back to Rayfort couldn’t be as terrible as staying here.

What’s left for me here after what he and Laurel did, anyway?

Nothing.

They’ve set all my bridges ablaze, and I’m at the end of my willpower to endure anymore of it.

“Yeah. I’m done, motherfucker,” I hiss, hugging my arms tightly around myself. Just as before, it’s not due to the cold. “Happy?”

He looks surprised, and then relieved, more so than triumphant even. Clearly, he’s wanted me gone a lot more than I really ever understood, and that fact burns worse than anything else he’s done to me.

“Glad you’ve finally seen reason,” he murmurs with a slow nod. He turns to leave without another word, but I’ve got one more question that’s scorching the back of my mind.

“How’d you pull it together so quickly?”

Shoulders going rigid, he gazes back at me with a furrowed brow. “What?”

I swallow, then force the words out. “I only told you about the fire this morning. How’d you manage to organize something so fucked up so fast?”

Once again, his features slip into an expression I can’t read. “I didn’t. I’ve known about the fire and James for weeks.”

My jaw drops and a choked noise crackles from my throat, but he’s already striding away from me. I can’t speak. I can’t stop him.

All I can do is stare after him as he leaves nothing but utter devastation in his wake.