“It’s not your problem to take care of.” I pushed through the doors, and my eyes found her within a second. She was resting her back along her locker, her raven hair tucked behind her ear. She smiled at Piper, and I felt a surge of jealousy go through my body. A smile from a girl like her was rare—so rare I didn’t know that I’d ever seen one.
“But it’s yours?” Eric moved in front of me and Ollie, no longer trailing us.
I eyed his dark hair and features. His brows were pulled together, his eyes crinkled at the sides. He shook out his hair. “Hear me out; I’m on your side. You don’t want people talking to her, that’s fine. I’ll help ward them off. But what the hell is going on? Are you two a thing?”
I caught Hayley’s eye as she began to walk past us. She narrowed her gaze, those blue eyes sucking me in as they locked onto me. She leaned in close to Eric, s
o close her skirt was touching his pant leg.
“To answer your question, no. Christian and I are not a thing.”
Her words felt like a sledgehammer to my chest, but it was the first time since Saturday night that she’d even looked in my direction. Every time I climbed in and out of her window, she was facing the wall as she lay on her mattress. When she’d get up to shower in the morning, she’d walk right past me, as if I wasn’t lying there on her floor.
Anger clawed up my chest. My words were a bite to every exposed part of her body. “Hayley needed my help with something, but she’s got it all figured out on her own.”
I hated that I couldn’t read her expression. What are you thinking? Was she glad I was throwing in the towel? Did she want to protest? Was there another lie about to rest on those pouty lips?
Hayley was full of little lies.
I knew she felt better with me in her room every night. She felt safer. Yet, she pushed me away every chance she got. She said she didn’t need my help. Well, fucking okay then.
Her tongue darted out to lick her lip. It was as if it were only the two of us. No one else was in the hallway. No one else was on the entire fucking planet. “You’re right. I don’t need your help—or anyone else’s.”
I huffed out a laugh, crossing my arms over my chest. “Fine.”
She did the same. “Fine.”
The bell rang and it startled both of us. We both dropped our fuck-off poses, our arms hanging down by our sides. She brushed past me, and I flared my nostrils, clenching my teeth together.
Ollie and Eric were staring after her and then at me.
Ollie dipped his head in. “That was all part of this game you two are playing, right?”
I ground out. “I’m not playing a fucking game.”
Eric chuckled as his eyebrows shot to his hairline. “Oh, you two are definitely playing a game, bro. She’s just winning.” He smiled mischievously and walked off, throwing his head back. Once he was down the hall, he turned around and cupped his hands around his mouth. “I’m rooting for you, though.” The entire school looked at the two of us, and they were, no doubt, wondering what the fuck was going on. The rumors were destined to start.
What exactly was going on with their king and the girl from down the block?
Their guess was as good as mine.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Hayley
“Hayley Smith got caught banging someone in the gravel from Oakland High at the game last week. Did you see her face?”
“Hayley Smith begged Christian for his help with something. He turned her down.”
“Ben Jennings got his ass beat for fucking Hayley. Christian was not happy.”
“Hayley and Christian are fucking. She’s the new queen of the school. Madeline is losing her hair over this.”
I kinda wanted the last part to happen. Madeline bald? That would surely wipe out all the rumors circulating the school regarding me.
But instead of dwelling on them, I continued to bury myself in homework and papers. Piper tried distracting me during lunch by buying me a chocolate chip cookie, and it actually worked—for a minute. I didn’t dare look at Christian or his table of followers. Piper said he wouldn’t look at me either.
Which was fine. Maybe he wouldn’t climb through my window tonight. Maybe he’d stop feeling bad for poor little Hayley.