male could reject me all she wanted, but by Saturday, she’d accept. Because, by then, she’d know why I was here. At least part of the reason. And she’d be too intrigued to resist.
Welcome to my world, Isabella Cinder.
I do hope you want to stay and play for a while.
Because you’re mine now, sweetheart.
Chapter Three
Ella
Homecoming.
He had to be joking.
Messing with me.
He didn’t even know my name, for crying out loud. Well, he knew my last name. But taking me to a dance? Yeah, no, that wasn’t happening. I didn’t attend school functions, not since freshman year.
I shivered at the memory. Not happening. Nope. The joke was on the new guy. He could find someone else to toy with because I didn’t indulge in these games. Not with him. Not with anyone.
Oh, but he’d certainly made an impression on all the girls. He was the hot topic of the afternoon in the girls’ locker room, despite having missed lunch. Many speculated that he’d ditched the rest of the day after his date with the headmaster this morning, but his car was still in the lot. Some of the others thought he might be loitering on academy grounds.
My opinion? Good riddance.
Closing my locker, I picked up my cap and goggles from the bench and made my way through the doors that led to the natatorium. All students were required to enroll in one physical course every year. I chose swimming because my stepsisters didn’t know how, and it was fun to be able to do something they couldn’t.
Unfortunately, Charlie and Dash were both swimmers.
Which meant they were in this class.
I ignored them as I always did and knelt to dip my cap in the water. Heat blanketed my exposed back when I stood, causing me to sigh. Here we go, I thought, very familiar with this game.
Charlie didn’t even give me a chance to turn around before he nudged me hard in the hip, sending me into the water.
Or maybe it was Dash today.
Who the fuck knew?
I pushed off the bottom of the pool, but rather than shoot up in the lane I’d “fallen” into, I kicked to give myself some distance. I made the mistake once of trying to resurface in the same lane and found my hair trapped in a fist for far too long.
Never again.
I stole a breath and made for the next lane, just in case one of the idiots had tried to follow me, and started sprinting for one of the walls.
Fortunately, I beat them to the starting block and was able to hoist myself up onto the deck again.
Masculine laughs sounded from the edge. I ignored them in favor of putting on my cap, but as I slid my goggles on, I realized there were three guys, not two.
Trayton Nacht.
I narrowed my gaze. Was he the one who pushed me in? Because he appeared rather amused standing there in just a pair of swim trunks.
Several of the females were gaping openly at the rippled muscles lining his torso, as if they’d never seen an athletic male. Like, hello, Dash and Charlie maintained the same physique. All right, sure, Tray had the whole windswept-auburn-locks thing going for him, and those golden-flecked eyes. But he was built just like the other guys. It also seemed he was fitting in with their crowd already by the way they slapped him on the back as if congratulating him.
Why? Because he pushed me in? I wondered, pursing my lips. Yes, let’s all bond over picking on poor little Cindersoot.
Whatever.