Dear Love, I Hate You (Easton High)

By the time I totter out of the bathroom, the music is back and louder than ever. I can feel my phone buzzing with texts from Dia, but I’m too far gone to answer.

“Sorry,” I slur when I bump into someone on my way out.

The stranger cracks a throaty laugh in response.

“Don’t worry about it, Vee-card.”

I stop dead, panic suffocating me, and swivel around.

“L-Logan?”

Xavier

“Hey, asswipe. Who’s that?” I stab Theo in the ribs with my elbow, earning a groan of pain. He blatantly ignores me, his eyes nailed to his phone. He’s probably sexting Ashley.

Again.

That’s all the guy does these days. I don’t know what the deal is with those two, but Vee’s sister seems to have become Theo’s new obsession. I can’t stop staring at Aveena and the rando chatting her up outside the bathroom. I don’t know this dude. I’ve never seen him before, but judging by the hostility on Vee’s face, she’s seen him plenty.

My eyes roam her body, and repressed urges burn beneath my skin. I’m not surprised some loser would hit on her. I mean, look at her. She’s wearing a tight little dress again—no doubt I have Dia to thank for that.

Those legs.

Those curves.

That perfect little ass.

Fuck.

I thought I was going to hurl all over the hardwood floor when Vee stood up on that chair, holding the power to rip my life to shreds in the palm of her hands. The worst part is, if she had chosen to expose me, I couldn’t have blamed her.

But she didn’t.

She lied to everyone.

Protected me when she had no reason to.

I never, ever thought I could be happy and feel like the biggest piece of shit to walk the earth at the same time.

“Cox, who the fuck is that?” I insist, smacking the back of Theo’s head to get his attention. Finally, he looks up, tracking my stare to Vee and mystery guy.

“That’s Logan, Axel’s douchebag friend.” Theo shrugs and tips his drink back, finishing it in one go.

“What’s wrong with him?” I question.

“You mean aside from the fact that he’s a world-class asshole?” Theo scoffs. “He’s an abusive, worthless piece of shit, that’s what’s wrong with him. He hit Vee’s sister when they were dating.”

My jaw goes slack.

“Wait. You mean that’s the guy from—”

“From the confessions, yep,” Theo says with a nod. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, the guy who popped Vee’s cherry.”

My grip tightens around my beer bottle, my knuckles so tense I’m afraid my fingers might fall off.

He was her first?

Him?