Eden

20

My heart stops, I swear to God.

And it takes what feels like an eternity for the life to return to it.

“Je

“Apparently, she was desperate to get you here. Was willing to go to great lengths to ensure your admission.”

I’m having a difficult time processing his words. He’s not working with Nora, but she manipulated him using Je

“What exactly did she threaten you with?” I step closer to him, wincing when he shakes his head and backs away a couple steps. “When?”

“Why does it matter when?” He scrapes his hand through his dark hair and jerks his shoulders up. “She got in touch with me and said she’d fuck up my whole life by revealing our … what happened between us. Said she had all the evidence she needed with your—.” He lowers his eyelids slightly, and I hug my arms around my stomach once I realize that’s what he’s focused on. “Accident,” he snarls at last.

Rage burns through me.

Je

Like blackmail the man whose brother died in the fire that I set.

Dylan opens his eyes again and scratches his chin. “You didn’t know?”

I shake my head emphatically. “No, absolutely not. I swear to God, I had no idea she did that.”

I expect him to scoff or call me names, refusing to believe my words, but he doesn’t do any of those things.

He lets out a weary breath. “This is all so fucked up.”

I think he believes me, which is almost as mind-blowing as the knowledge that Je

An aching hush blankets us. My mind scrambles to come up with something to say. Even one of the million questions I had for him while sitting in class.

Finally, my mouth opens and words just spill out.

“Why’d you come back? After everything that happened?”

He looks at me for a long time without answering. I can’t read his expression, either. He doesn’t look angry, necessarily, but I’m sure he is. He’s always angry when it comes to me.

“I didn’t have anywhere else to go,” he says a few seconds after I give up hope that he’ll tell me anything. “I can’t go back to Georgia. Without James, it’s not … it’s not home anymore. I don’t want to be there.”

I hold my breath at the mention of James, knowing what’s coming next. Whatever moment Dylan and I were just having is over the moment his expression goes bitter. Damn it. I know he’s going to drill me with questions about his brother. I’m not prepared for them today. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to keep my secrets right now.

It all plays out in slow motion. Dylan opens his mouth. I backpedal, desperate to refortify my mind and maintain my composure.

And before Dylan can utter a single word, a barked, “Ellis!” flies through the classroom.

We both turn to find Saint storming through the doorway toward us.

“What the hell?” I snap, though there’s a part of me that’s relieved by his interruption. Because he was right. This was a bad decision.

Saint comes to a stop close to my side, his eyes flashing as they scan Dylan.

Turning his attention back to me, he grinds out, “You’re supposed to report to the head groundskeeper for detention. You’re not supposed to be wasting time playing around with assholes who don’t know how to wrap it up.”

I swear my mouth drops to my knees. I have to back away to keep from ripping into him, reminding myself that it’s not something I want Dylan to witness. I don’t need to give the people who hate me anymore ammunition, and a blatant fight with Saint will definitely make me even more vulnerable than I already am.

“Right,” I say through gritted teeth. “Thanks. I almost forgot.”

I spare a glance toward Dylan. His face is red, his frustration clear, but he motions for me to leave and I trail behind Saint into the hall.

Once we’re far enough away that I’m confident Dylan won’t be able to hear us, I grab his arm and yank him to a stop.

“I told you if I wanted to talk to him I would.”

“Yeah, talk your way right into prison.” He jerks his head back toward the classroom. “You should be grateful. I’m saving you from that gaping maw of yours, and we both know it.”

The bastard is right, and it digs beneath my skin.

“You only came back so you could be in control.”

“I came back because you’re mine.” His voice is hard, his expression thunderous.

“Only when it’s convenient.” I shove at his chest as we exit the academic building. “The rest of the time you’re feeding me bull and going out of your way to mess with my head.”

“That’s not how it is,” he insists in a cold tone, stopping on the bottom step.

I’m so angry that I’m trembling. I need to get away from him. “Thanks, Angelle, for gifting me with such a normal senior year,” I mutter as I go.