I pushed through the door she had run through and instantly scowled. She was pacing with her books splayed all over on the shiny floor as if she had thrown them the second she was alone. Her tiny feet stomped back and forth, lingering echoes reaching up the stairwell and down again.
“I told you I don’t need a hero, Eric!” she shouted when she pierced me with those blue eyes. I ripped my backpack from my shoulders and dropped it to the ground with a loud thud. It was like we were getting ready to step into the ring. Fists up and all.
My hands went to my hips as I dropped my head in a low chuckle. Dark strands of my hair fell into my eyes. My words were cool coming out of my mouth. “Well, you surely fucking act like you need one.”
“I don’t need anyone!” she shouted again. I could hear the rising panic in her voice that she was desperately trying to cover up with anger.
Her legs carried her over to where I stood, and my heart thumped hard. I could hear it pounding viciously in my eardrums. “Now everyone is going to be suspicious! I hate you for bringing that unwanted attention to me!”
My head snapped up fast, and her eyes widened. I put my hands on her waist and flipped her around, backing her up to the door behind us. Her back hit it with a soft bump, and I bent down into her face. “You don’t want me to be your hero, Maddie?”
Her strong facade started to slip just slightly, like a veil being dropped just far enough that I could see the girl behind the blind rage. “No. I don’t need you or anyone else.”
I chuckled, still caging her in with my body. My hands flexed on her hips, and her lush, baby-doll lips fell apart just enough that I felt myself burn on the inside. “Good,” I seethed. “'Cause it’s the last thing I want to be.”
Her eyes dropped to my mouth, and something inside of me was bending in unimaginable ways. If there weren’t that tiny voice in the back of my head, reminding me of what she’d been through, I’d rip off every last article of her uniform and fuck her.
Shit. Panic clawed at me, and I was seconds from dropping my hands and leaving her pressed against the door, all out of breath, but her words stopped me from doing anything. “Then stop acting like it.”
I can’t fucking help it.
My hands slowly left her slender hips, and I watched her breathe a sigh of relief.
“Fine,” I blurted out before reaching down and snatching up my backpack, unable to look her in the eye. She had her wall up again. And it was thick. Madeline’s features were coiled together, small divots on her pretty skin. But I couldn’t get those sad eyes out of my head. I couldn’t stop hearing her racking sobs that I somehow felt in my own chest.
“Fine!” she snapped back.
I gave her one last chance. One longing look. She knew what I was saying without saying the words. I’d protect her if she needed me to. I’d be a hero for the day, or night, if it meant she’d stop being so fucking wrecked. It was a contradicting lapse of judgment. A minor dip in my own personal beliefs when it came to her, but either way, I couldn’t make myself move without giving her one more chance.
My heart stood at attention when her eyes fell to the ground. I caught her lip trembling as she hid herself from me. There you are, Maddie. The air cracked with a high-strung energy when her blue eyes caught back up to mine. Her attention shifted from my mouth to my eyes several times before she gingerly walked past me and began picking up her books.
I kept my back to her as the words came out strong. “Last chance, Maddie.”
What the fuck was I doing?
She softly answered, “I have no clue what you’re referring to. You said you’d go back to hating me…and you’re doing a poor job of it. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you still had a thing for me.”
I spun around fast, catching her off guard. Her blonde strands shot past her high cheekbones as she leveled her shoulders. I scoured my gaze across her flawless features. “You’re not fooling me, Madeline. You can’t hide from me. I know why you act this way. The second someone gets close to you, and they start seeing past all your barriers, you start pushing them away. You treat people like shit so they can’t get close to you. But I see you. You do need a hero. You’re just too fucking stubborn to admit it.”
Her little body quaked with anger. Or maybe embarrassment. I wasn’t sure. I only knew that I’d struck a chord when a breath left her mouth, cutting through the tense air. If I stayed near her any longer, I was certain the entire school would blow up. I was angry, and she was angry. And the fact that I wanted to devour her mouth with mine was a pressing issue too.
“I don’t need a hero!” she spat between her perfect, white teeth.
A snarky grin etched on my lips. “Well, have fun with your nightmares tonight.” I cocked an eyebrow before lazily spinning on my heel and walking back out into the hall.
A heavy sigh clamored out of my tight chest as I closed my eyes. I had no idea what had come over me.
One second, I was hating Madeline, and the next, I was begging her to let me in. I was blaming it on the girl I saw two nights ago. The weak part of her. The version that made me want to pick her up and press my lips to hers, coaxing her into believing that she’d be safe with me.
I was hot and cold—and obviously completely fucked up in the head. But that was Madeline. She was always fucking with me, even if she didn’t mean to.
Once I opened my eyes and regained my composure, I was met with two familiar faces.
Ollie and Piper.
They both had shit-eating grins plastered on their faces.
Fucking eavesdroppers.