I wait for my heart rate to speed up and my palms to perspire with an explosion of pent-up nerves, but it never materializes. I’m calm, cool, and strangely collected. Sloane Carmichael no longer holds power over me.
“What’s wrong, Hawthorne?” Her smug expression morphs into one of malicious delight as she steps closer, invading my personal space. “Has Kingsley finally come to his senses and dumped your pathetic ass? It’s about damn time.”
Austin crowds behind me. He’s more than ready to leap to my defense should I need him. We’ve always been protective of each other. He’s not about to let Sloane get away with disparaging me. He would never get physical with a female, but he sure as hell would verbally cut her to pieces with his tongue.
My mouth snaps open, ready to set her straight. It’s been a long time in coming. Instead, a deep voice cuts in, stealing my thunder.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but Summer is the one who dumped me.”
What?
My head jerks as my wide gaze lands on Kingsley, who now stands beside me. He’s so close that if I reached out, I could wrap my arms around him. But the physical proximity is deceiving. We both know there’s no way to breach the yawning distance that separates us. As tempting as it is to reach out, I tighten my fingers into a fist, so I don’t do exactly that.
Sloane’s arrogant expression falters briefly before she snorts out her skepticism. “Please, as if she’s good enough for you. That girl is a Hawthorne! She’s not fit to lick the mud from the bottom of my shoes.” Her gaze darts around the growing crowd before she raises her voice. “Everyone here hates the Hawthornes and we always will!”
“No, not everyone.” The words might be quietly spoken, but they ring out clearly for all to hear. “And you’re wrong about her not being good enough. When it comes down to it, Summer Hawthorne is way too good for me and you know what else?” His throat constricts. “She’s too fucking good for you!” His gaze narrows before coasting over the sea of curious onlookers that have gathered around us. “Or any of you.”
Kingsley falls silent. His hands tighten and bunch at his sides as he scans the packed parking lot, waiting for someone to step out of line. A muffled cough or two is the only sound that can be heard. It’s almost as if everyone is holding their collective breath.
Thick emotion swells in my chest until I have to blink it out of my eyes.
Even though his voice remains calm, there’s a steely strength buried beneath it. “If anyone touches one damn hair on Summer Hawthorne’s head or even looks at her the wrong way, they’ll fucking answer to me.”
His gaze crawls over the thick crush of students before coming to rest on Sloane. Her face drains of all color beneath the heavy weight of his stare. Her friends, who had been quick to flank her, shrink away, visibly distancing themselves.
When he finally skewers me with his somber gaze, it’s as if the world falls away and it’s just the two of us. Emotion rushes through me, threatening to swallow me whole. Before I can gather my thoughts or even thank him for coming to my defense, he takes off, striding toward the stone building without so much as a goodbye. I can only stare after him in stunned silence, my gaze trained on his broad back.
Now that the show is over, the thick tension permeating the air dissipates and the crowd scatters like rats from a sinking ship. Some escape to the safety of the school while others congregate in tiny clusters with their heads bent together. A wave of whispers ripple around us. People stare at me before glancing at Sloane, who stands rooted in place, looking shellshocked by Kingsley’s public rebuke.
It’s almost enough to make me feel sorry for her.
Almost, but not quite.
“It pains me to say this, but maybe he’s not such a dickhead after all,” Austin grumbles.
A gurgle of laughter escapes from my lips. Leave it to Austin to sum up the moment succinctly.
“Holy shit, did that seriously happen?” Everly pipes up from beside me.
“Sure did,” my brother responds.
“Damn.” Almost speculatively, she stares toward the school. “I just fell a little bit in love.”
My gaze tracks Kingsley’s movements before he disappears inside the stone building.
Yeah, me too.
Chapter Forty
My teeth sink into my lower lip as I stare at the phone lying in the middle of my bed like it’s a venomous snake seconds away from striking.
Should I do this?
Is it really a good idea?
Or am I opening myself up to a world of hurt?
Ten minutes later, I’m still trying to figure out the answer. Almost hesitantly, I reach for the phone and stare at the blank screen. Even the thought of composing a text makes me nauseous.