Old Darling Hill had never been her home, but it would always be mine. It would always be the thing driving a wedge between us.
Just then Mom chose to call me again. She’d been calling ever since she found out I’d skipped out on last period. Her last voicemail had been a shrill diatribe about how irresponsible and reckless I was behaving.
I’d deleted it and ignored her next three calls. She probably thought I was acting up because of the volunteer gig at the center. Either way, she wouldn’t want to hear the truth.
“Who’s that?” Chloe whispered, and I glanced up at her.
“No one.” I shoved my cell back in my pocket. “I’m going to find the bathroom.”
“Want me to come?”
I gave her a wry smile. “I think I can manage.”
A couple of people gave me a strange look as I headed for the counter.
“Excuse me, where are the restrooms?”
“Down the hall, last door on the left,” the waitress said.
“Thanks.”
“Watch your step. The lights can be temperamental.”
I nodded, taking off down the hall as the celebration went on behind me.
Coach Farringdon did this for his team and the few fans who had made the journey out. He gave them something a lot of them didn’t have—family. And it made me ashamed to sit there, probably with more money in my trust fund than the entirety of everyone’s bank accounts sitting around me.
I peed quickly and washed up, avoiding my gaze in the mirror. Overhead, the lights began to flicker, dropping in and out and sending my heart into overdrive. Hurrying back into the hall, I didn’t expect to run straight into someone.
Not just anyone.
Zane.
“Watch it,” he said, glowering at me, his demeanor as cold as ice.
“Sorry, I’m going.” I went to move around him, but he stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
“Are you crying?” he sneered.
“No, I’m not—”
His hand snapped out, cupping my face, his thumb brushing a single tear off my cheek. “Poor little Einstein. Must be such a hard life for you living in your Ivory Tower with your endless trust fund and everything handed to you on a silver platter.”
“I get it, okay. You hate me. You hate everything about me.” I inhaled a shuddering breath as I went to shove him away, but Zane stepped closer, crowding me against the wall.
The hall was empty, nothing but the gentle whir of the faulty strip light and the frantic beat of my heart filling the space around us. He leaned in, glaring down at me with such intensity my breath caught in my throat.
“Z-Zane?” I choked out when he didn’t say anything, just stood there looking at me.
“I—”
“Shh.” His finger slid to my mouth, dragging over my bottom lip. “You’re fucking under my skin, Einstein. And I don’t like it. I don’t… fuck.” His hand collided with the wall beside my head, making me flinch.
“We should go.” Panic flooded me because Zane looked at me like he either wanted to murder me with his bare hands… or fuck me right out from under his skin.
“You need to move.” I gently shoved at his chest, but he caught my wrists, pinning my hands in one of his and anchoring them above my head. “What are you doing?” My voice quivered.
“I need to try something.”