Surviving Year One (Grim Reaper Academy 1)

“Not before we talk.”

“We have nothing to talk about. Just let me through. I need to change, and I’m hungry.”

He studied me from head to toe. “Why change? You look cute.”

I rolled my eyes. Sure, if in his book, cute meant blue hair pulled up in a messy bun on top of my head, no makeup, and old, saggy clothes to cover my curves strategically.

“I’m not kidding, Paz. Move.”

“You want to change for GC?” He pushed himself away from the door, but when I tried to stick my keys in the lock, he grabbed my wrist and trapped me between the door and his oh-s

o-freaking-hot body. “If you feel like you have to change your clothes for him, then maybe he’s not the awesome boyfriend you think he is.”

“You’re not making any sense. You know that, right? I’m not doing it for him, or for anyone else. I’m doing it for me.”

“Are you just trying to lie to me, or are you actually lying to yourself, too?”

“This is ridiculous. Let me go. What have I ever done to you?”

He looked into my eyes, and I froze in place. I couldn’t move a muscle, I couldn’t look away. It felt like his intense green orbs could see right into my soul, and I had nowhere to hide. A lock of raven-black hair slipped on his forehead, covering his eyebrow and part of his eye, and it took everything I had to resist the urge to reach up and brush it back up where it belonged.

“Everything. You’ve done everything to me,” he whispered. He was so close that I could feel his warm breath on my face. So close, that if I rose on my tiptoes, I could kiss him. “You… exist.” He twirled a blue lock that had escaped my bun between his fingers.

“It’s all in your head,” I managed. “I never tried to seduce you. I never even wanted your attention.”

He smiled. “Yes. Perfect strategy. It worked. Congratulations.”

“No, you don’t get it. For real, I never ever…”

“What’s going on here?”

My heart jumped ten feet out of my body at the sound of GC’s voice. He was standing at the end of the corridor, with his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes fixed on us, brows furrowed.

I made an effort and pushed Paz away. It was a good thing he allowed me to, otherwise, from experience, I knew I wouldn’t have been able to make him budge.

GC came closer, and before I knew it, I was trapped between the two of them. For a minute, they were engaged in a staring contest. When I felt like the tension was too much, I blurted out: “Nothing is going on.”

“Is that so?” Paz asked mischievously. “Maybe you should just tell him now and save yourself the heartache of living with a lie.”

I turned red. Who did he think he was to force my hand like that? To tell GC about the kiss was my decision to make. Also, I didn’t want to do it out on the corridor, where the other students might have heard everything.

“Tell me what?” GC’s ocean-blue gaze moved to me. I turned even redder. “Mila?”

I closed my eyes for a second, pinched the bridge of my nose, and sighed. There was no getting out of this.

“We kissed. I mean… more like Paz trapped me in the library and kissed me.”

“Without your consent?!”

GC uncrossed his arms, his hands coming to squeeze into fists at his sides. He gave Paz a murderous look.

“You scum!”

He took a step forward, and I had to put my hand on his strong chest to stop him from launching himself at Paz. The demon laughed in his face.

“Yes, I kissed her, and she might have not wanted it at first, but trust me, pal, she changed her mind pretty soon. Like, the second I had my tongue down her throat.”

Oh my God! He was making things worse!