She grinned. “No, you can’t.”
I flickered my eyes over to Allison and saw her staring at Marina. I didn’t know what the fuck that bitch had done, but it had certainly pissed the two of them off. Rae had her hands balled up into fists. Hell, so did Allison. I narrowed my eyes softly—well, my good eye. The other one was still too swollen. I tried to read her, to figure out why the hell she was storming up to me in the cafeteria on a whim.
I mean, I had to give her props for her balls. Especially after the encounter with Roy the other day. But what was her problem?
I licked my lips. “Can I help you?”
Marina giggled. “Yeah, Rae. Can Clint help himself to you?”
Roy let out a bark of a laugh as the rest of the guys around us chuckled. But Rae didn’t bat an eye. She kept staring at me. Glaring at me. With those fists balled up, ready to fly.
Then she pointed her trembling finger at me.
“I’m only going to tell you this once, because I’m done with your antics.”
Marina smacked her lips. “Oooh, scary. Practically a haunted house.”
Roy wrapped his arm around her waist. “I bet her house is one.”
Everyone snickered again. But Rae didn’t move. She stood strong, and I admired her for that. Because my friends could be ruthless when they chose to be.
I sighed. “What is it, Cleaver?”
Her eye twitched. “If this is the kind of bullshit I have to put up with to be friends with you, then it’s not worth it. Do you hear me? I’m not going to be cornered in a bathroom and teased relentlessly for shit I’m trying to do to help you. To befriend you. To see the decent fucking person beyond the shitstain that is the boy that walks into this school every day.”
I watched her shoot a killer look at Marina before her eyes came back to mine.
“So if these are the lowlifes you’re going to hang out with? These stubborn, ignorant, pig-headed, ugly people? Then we’re through. You and me, and whatever this is, it’s over.”
I blinked at her, not knowing what to say. Did she really expect me to make a choice right now? In front of my friends? When our fuckable encounters were nothing more than rumor at this point? I looked over at Marina, watching her practically foaming at the mouth. What the hell had she done to these two girls?
I cast a glare at Roy before my eyes panned back to Rae.
She furrowed her brow. “I guess I have my answer then?”
What the fuck did she really expect me to do? I mean, I knew we had something special. A connection I’d never shared with anyone else. She got me, and I got her. And when I was with her, the rest of the world faded away. But when she wasn’t around, when we weren’t behind closed doors, the world existed. Sure, it was only high school. And yeah, I hung around shitty people. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to spend my senior year—the last glory year of my life—fucking around in the shadows and having spit balls stuck to the back of my head.
She’s the only person who doesn’t make you feel like shit, Clint. Don’t do this.
“Well?” Marina asked.
I kept staring at Rae as I answered her. “Put a cock in it and shut up.”
Everyone snickered again behind me except Roy. He didn’t stand up for her, but he sure as hell didn’t buck up to me. He knew his place.
Like everyone else.
You don’t have to put on a show with Rae.
“Well?” she asked.
I didn’t know what to do. Things with her were so new. I mean, days old kind of new. And it was terrifying. What was I supposed to do? Toss the entirety of my reputation away on a girl I’d fucked around with for a few days? She wasn’t just any girl, though. Even I knew that. But was I ready for a move like that? Was I ready to abandon my post as top dog of this school and attempt something else with her? Something that wasn’t guaranteed?
For all I knew, this was a ploy of hers. A ploy to peel me away from my throne so she could wreak revenge and havoc on my life. I mean, we had a history, she and I. And not simply a sexual one. I’d made her life a living nightmare freshman year. And she’d been my target on and off for the rest of high school.
For all I knew, this was her revenge. Her plan. And with Allison at her side after what I did to Michael? It wouldn't have shocked me one bit.
I’m not ready to take that chance yet.