1
ONE WEEK EARLIER
I owned this school. I was untouchable.
Sauntering down the hallways of Alstone High with my group of friends, aware of the envious looks thrown our way, even the teachers fawning over us. Most of them, anyway. We were at the top, and Kian, Xavier, and I ruled them all.
And that was the way it was going to stay.
Until one girl ruined it.
“See me after class, Mr. Blackthorne.” My English Lit teacher thumped my desk as he slapped my essay down on it. D. Fuck. If I didn’t keep up my grades, my spot as football team captain was gone. Even worse, I’d have no hope of getting into Alstone College. A degree from there opened more doors than one from Oxford or Cambridge, and if I was going to follow in my dad’s footsteps, I needed to take my place there next year. I gritted my teeth. This was the only class I was struggling in, and it had to be with the one teacher I couldn’t control.
Tearing my gaze away from my paper, my attention shifted to the girl sitting at the desk under the window. Raine Laurent. Plain Raine. Mousey-brown hair scraped back in a tight ponytail, a school uniform that should really be burned, it was so ill-fitting…she had “future librarian” written all over her.
My eyes strayed from the small smile playing across her lips to the paper she was clutching in her hand, and resentment burned through me. How did she get an A, again, and I could only manage a D? Again?
As the bell rang for the end of the class and everyone piled out, I reclined back in my seat, casual and indifferent to everyone’s eyes, but inside I felt my future slipping from my grasp.
“Another D. I expect better from you, Mr. Blackthorne. Your entire future is in jeopardy if you don’t buck your ideas up.” Clenching my jaw, I remained silent, tuning out Prof. Patel’s rant as he laid into me. I focused again in time to hear him say, “I expect a B or above for your next assignment, or you can kiss goodbye to any hope of getting into Alstone College. You may have a provisional acceptance, but remember, confirmation is entirely dependent on your grades.”
When I still didn’t comment, he leaned across the desk towards me, holding his thumb and forefinger up in front of my face, his voice hard and uncompromising. “You’re this close to failing. This is your final warning. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir.” I forced the words out.
“Good. You’re dismissed.” He retreated to his desk, and I got the fuck out of there.
The hallway was already empty, most people having left since it was the end of the school day. I headed for my locker to dump my books before I headed over to the field for football training.
Rounding the corner, I saw Raine, closing her locker. Fucking great. The only person around, and the last person I wanted to see. An image flashed in my mind: Raine, holding her A-graded paper, a smug smile on her face.
The simmering anger burned. I stalked up to her, smacking the books out of her hands so they fell to the floor with a crash, and then before I knew what I was doing,
I had her pinned against the lockers with my hands planted either side of her head.
Her harsh intake of breath sounded loud in the corridor, her chest rising and falling against mine. Without any conscious thought, I lowered my hand and wrapped my fingers around her throat.
We both froze for a moment.
What the fuck was I doing?
Her pulse was racing under my grip. Instead of dropping my hand like I meant to, my thumb stroked down the side of her neck.
Her skin was so fucking soft.
I watched with fascination as her chest expanded with a breathy sigh that she desperately tried to stifle. Her hazel eyes widened, her pupils dilating, but she brought up her hands to push me away, swallowing hard under my grip. She placed her palms flat on my chest, barely even putting any effort into her movements. Even if she had, I easily held her in place with my body weight. She was fucking tiny—she didn’t stand a chance against me.