Riley takes me to school. It’s our first moment alone since I got out of Eli’s car, and we sit in hers instead of joining the masses in the courtyard.
“What happened?” she asks. “All I know is that Caleb burst in on Eli and I—”
Her cheeks turn red.
“He was telling my foster parents lies about me.” I sigh. “So I ran away.”
“To Ian’s house.”
“Well, I couldn’t go to your house,” I answer, sending her a pointed glare.
She giggles. “True.”
“I had hoped that it wasn’t obvious.” I look down at the muffin in my lap. Bribery at its finest. I’m not going to argue with her methods. We haven’t talked about the video that was sent around the morning after the ball. I’d forgotten about it until this morning, when she gave me the muffin.
“For courage,” she had said.
Yeah, right.
“Caleb…” I stop and try again. “We can’t be a thing. He’s toxic. And crazy.”
She nods. “Yeah.”
“He’s not going to like it.”
She throws her shoulders back. “You’ll make him listen, Margo. If anyone can get through to him, it’s you.”
I shift. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“You’re probably the only one who can stop him.”
I sigh. The bell ringing in the school is faint, but it’s there. We climb out and make our way straight to homeroom. I can’t help but keep my head ducked down, wondering when the laughter is going to start. The stares.
Nothing happens.
No one does a fucking thing.
“Is it me, or are we blending in more than usual?” Riley whispers.
“Um…”
My gaze lands on Caleb. He’s leaning against the desk I normally sit at, a shit-eating grin on his face. He did this. I’d bet money on it that he made the video disappear. Still, how he erased it from everyone’s eyeballs is a whole other issue.
“Morning,” he says to me.
I ignore him and take a different seat. Ian’s, in fact.
Savannah glances at me and opens her mouth, then seems to change her mind. A second later, someone leans over me.
“I don’t much like being ignored,” Caleb says.
“I don’t much like being made a fool.”
“They took you back.” He puts his elbows on the desk.
Our faces are inches apart—but I’m not going to back down from this challenge. My gaze goes from his eyes to his lips and back again.
I’ve called him many things in my head.
Demon.
Monster.
Bully.
The most accurate? Devil.
Every word out of his mouth is a damn lie.
“I’m not doing this with you,” I snap.
He smirks. “I think you will.”
“We’re over, Caleb.” I flash him my bare wrist.
Yesterday, I removed it and set it back on the dresser, right where he had first placed it—and where he stole it again. I’m curious to see if he’ll know that I know.
If he’ll think to even look there.
I kept the key. It seemed more valuable than not, and it sits at the bottom of my bag. Better safe than sorry. And who would think twice about a rusted old key?
He grabs my wrist, his lips pressing into a thin line. He’s still wearing his. It doesn’t appear feminine on him. Quite the opposite.
Who knew?
I let him push my sleeve up. Maybe he thinks it’s a trick.
Nothing but skin, baby.
He growls under his breath. It could be an accidental slip because I got to him. Surprised him for once. Or it could be part of the game. Another lie.
This just in: we’re playing my game now.
I smile. “We’re done here.”
He straightens, fingers slipping off my skin. “We’ll see.”
He returns to his seat, and I exhale. One encounter down… just a million more to go. But I can’t help the smile that creeps across my face.
Margo: 1
Caleb: 0
The bell rings, and I stand. Savannah shuffles along behind me, muttering. Her attitude—feigned interest and then an abrupt change—piques my interest. I slow down in the hallway, waiting for her to pass me. Her class is a few down from my next one.
She hesitates next to me. “You’re going to try and take down the golden boys?”
I raise an eyebrow.
“What’s that look for?”
“Who told you that?” I ask in return.
She shrugs. “Amelie mentioned something.”
“Not all of the golden boys need bringing down,” I say carefully. I don’t know what Amelie said. Again, my mind goes to the worst possible place: Trap.
This school is filled with vipers.
“Excuse me,” I say, ducking into my classroom.
Caleb and Liam are already inside. Eli and Theo haven’t arrived yet.
Show of strength.
I take my seat in front of Caleb, ignoring him. After all, we’re done. I said it out loud, spoke the damn words into existence. I’ll go to Hell before I go back on my word.
Be a wolf.
“How was your weekend, Margo?” Liam asks.
I rotate, ignoring the way Caleb’s gaze goes straight to my wrist.
I force myself to smile. “It was great. How was yours?”
He fakes a yawn. “Exceptionally boring.”
“Hmm.” Caleb stretches out, his legs coming into my space. “Well, there was that girl.”
“Which one?” Liam grins.
I move my foot away from Caleb’s.
“The one who put your picture all over Instagram.” Caleb snorts. “Was that number two or three?”
“Man-whore,” Eli coughs. He comes up the aisle and falls into the seat beside me. Ian’s usual seat. “You gonna sleep with every girl who looks your way?”
Liam glances at me. “Nah, not all of them.”
My cheeks heat.
“Good,” I snap, trying to cover my sudden embarrassment. “I think I’d go blind if I saw you naked.”
They all laugh—well, all except Caleb. He just glares at me.
I turn away as the teacher raps her knuckles on the desk, calling us to attention.
Breathe, I tell myself.
Caleb disappears after class, and I don’t see him again. It’s unusual enough to give me chills. He used to wait for me at the door and walk me to my classes. Each time I leave and he’s not there, I throw back my shoulders and remind myself that this is a good thing. I wasn’t sure if Caleb would be able to respect boundaries.
Turns out, he does.
My palms grow sweatier the closer we get to lunch. I’m supposed to meet Amelie in the greenhouse, but I can’t bear to go alone. The bell rings, and I hunt down Riley and beg her to come with me.
“To meet… Amelie?”
“Yes.” I tap my foot. “Please.”
“Why?”
“Because… She doesn’t want Caleb to win, either.”
Riley stares at me. “What?”
“What, what?”
“Margo, when did your relationship become about winning?” She crosses her arms over her chest.
Students stream around us, but we ignore them all.