“Yeah. You may as well have Property of Zayn tattooed across your forehead.”
I glare at him, even though I'm practically upside down, and elbow his knee. “I hate you.”
“No, you don't,” he counters.
“I want to.”
He shakes his head. “Nope. You can't.”
“No?” I cock a brow. “And why can't I?”
The smirk that forms on his face makes me swallow harshly. “Because you don't know how. You said it yourself. You've had a crush on me for as long as you can remember.”
“I told you. It was the bad-boy vibe. You were basically my childhood rebellion crush,” I whine. “And I thought we agreed we’d never talk about that again.”
“Actually, we're talking about this right now,” Knox chimes in, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees. “What about me? I was around. I'm a badass. Was I not good enough for your high-ass standards, princess?”
I giggle as Zayn bends down to wrap his arms around me. “Mine. You have yours.”
Delaney chuckles and pinches Knox's cheek. “Aw. You offended the narcissist in him.”
Knox leans back and pouts, with his arms crossed and everything. “I was hotter than him.”
“Sure you were, baby.” Delaney soothes him in a mock baby voice. “Sure you were.”
Despite how much I try willing it to slow down, the weekend passes by quickly, and the next thing I know, Knox and Delaney are dropping us off at the airport. I get out of the car and go around to the back, pulling out our luggage. Amelia gives them each a hug before Knox walks over to me.
“Don't do anything stupid, okay?”
I exhale slowly. “You know I can't promise that.”
Being in Rhode Island was a type of calm I didn't realize I needed so much. Not only did Amelia and I not have to hide our relationship, but I also didn't have to look over my shoulder every time we left the house. The thought of Blade going anywhere near her makes me feel sick to my stomach.
Knox nods. “Worst-case scenario.”
“Worst-case scenario,” I confirm.
After giving Delaney a hug goodbye, I grab Amelia's hand in my own and the two of us start making our way back home. Back to secret kisses and dangerous pricks.
I really wish we could have stayed.
YOU WOULD THINK THAT getting home would make me feel good. After all, that's what most people say, right? That they love vacation, but the best feeling is getting home to your own place and your own bed. I, however, cannot fucking stand it.
Easton gets home only twelve hours after us. Amelia distracts him from asking what we did by bugging him about how meeting Kennedy's parents went. He doesn't give her much, but I never expected him to. He's just not that kind of person. All she gets out of him is that it was good.
I'm walking from one class to another when two hands come up to cover my eyes. For a second, I panic, thinking Blade has finally decided to make a move, but then a soft voice meets my ears.
“Guess who,” Amelia murmurs.
I hum. “Jennifer Anniston.”
She huffs and pulls her hands away with a fake pout on her face. “Jerk.”
I look around quickly before bending down and kissing her nose. “Oh, shush.”
The two of us fall in sync as we walk across campus, and it's amazing how just her being near me can make me feel. It's like everything is going to be okay, no matter how much it feels like a chaotic shit show right now. Neither of us say anything as we walk past my next class and I walk her over to hers.
If she were to ask me about it, I'd probably just tell her I want to spend more time with her. It's not exactly a lie, but it's also not my main motivator. The less time she spends alone, the less chance Blade has to hurt her.