His frown deepens as his eyes flick to mine.
“What she said,” I reply flatly. “It’s been great and all, but I need to get to class.” Ignoring them, I grab the books from my locker and slam it shut before taking off down the hall.
“Hey, Hadley, wait up.” Hayden snags my wrist and I stop, letting out an exasperated breath.
“What, Hayden?” Turning slowly, I meet his concerned gaze.
“What was all that?” He casts his eyes to where Lylah is still standing and glaring at me.
“Just Lylah letting me know she’s in charge.”
“Shit, I thought with Michaela gone...”
“Don’t worry about it. I can handle her.”
“But you shouldn’t have to.” Hayden rakes a hand through his messy hair. Since I arrived at Sterling Prep in tenth grade, Hayden Lincoln has been a good friend. But this year things changed. He no longer looks at me with friendship in his eyes, he looks at me like I’m a puzzle to be solved, a prize to be won... a heart to be captured.
“Listen,” he lowers his voice and steps into me, “about the other night. I wasn’t... I didn’t...”
“It’s all good. I meant what I said, Hayden. I can’t be that girl for you.”
I’m too broken.
Too messed up inside.
“But if you just gave me a chance, I think—”
“Hayden.” I lay a hand on his arm and force a weak smile. “Trust me when I say, I’m not worth it.”
Confusion clouds his eyes, but I don’t stick around. I take off down the hall and don’t look back.
We’re teenagers, we all have secrets. But if Hayden knew mine, he’d run a mile and never look back.
And now, it’s not only my own secrets I carry.
Because my best friend isn’t the only girl tangled up with a Jagger.
“Hey, how are you?” I ask Remi.
After classes, I headed straight for my dorm room. It’s been three days since Homecoming, three days since I held my best friend as we watched her boyfriend beat the shit out of Bexley. That whole night was a mess, and Remi and the Jaggers haven’t been in school since.
“Okay, I guess... I wanted to come back to school today but—"
“Take your time. You went through something huge.”
“How was it?" Remi lets out a soft sigh. "What are people saying?”
“Do you give a crap?” A strained chuckle spills from my lips.
“Not really. But I want to know what I’m walking into.”
“Lylah reigns supreme. The power has already gone to her head. Vapid bitch,” I hiss.
“Whoa, what happened?”
“Nothing really. I just... forget it. You have bigger things to worry about.”
Remi mumbles something, but I don’t quite catch it.