When Sinners Play (Sinners of Hawthorne University 1)

She taps something out on her phone, grinning in satisfaction. Reagan and Gemma peer at the screen from over her shoulder, and they all laugh. My stomach twists, and I make a move to snatch her cell from her, but she flinches away.

“Hey!” She glares at me. “Don’t touch my shit! I don’t want your gross germs all over my stuff. You never know where someone like you has been. I don’t want to catch whatever—” she gestures my way “—you couldn’t get rid of.”

I swipe for her phone again, and this time, she’s not able to dodge out of the way fast enough. I grab it from her, my gaze settling on the screen.

Motherfucker.

It’s a looping video on Instagram, showing me getting dressed in the locker room. She clearly hid the phone while she filmed, which is why I didn’t realize what the fuck they were doing. But despite the slightly awkward angle, the video shows every inch of my body, from my tattoos to my scars to the naked curves of my hips and ass.

The caption reads: Make wise choices, ladies. If you don’t, this fucked-up mess could be you one day.

I get a glimpse of the replies and comments, stupid fucking jokes and strings of emojis, before the phone is snatched back out of my hand and I’ve got Gemma and Reagan on either side of me, pulling me away from Caitlin.

My heart is pounding in my chest, and I lunge against their hold, only to have Caitlin distract me with a vicious slap to my face. Her nails dig into my cheek, probably leaving behind a nasty mark that won’t fade quickly.

“You dirty bitch,” she hisses. “I told you not to touch my shit. You’ve gone and infected it with whatever sick diseases you’ve got. I think you owe me a new phone. How’re you going to pay me back, huh?”

“By smearing your face across the fucking pavement, you—”

“I didn’t realize Hawthorne had recess time now. What the fuck is going on here?”

Gray’s voice comes from behind me, Gemma, and Reagan before he steps around the three of us, putting himself in our line of sight. He’s wearing gym shorts and a criminally tight t-shirt, and I hate myself for even noticing how goddamn good he looks.

Motherfucker. This is the last fucking thing I need.

Gray hasn’t spoken to me once since the assembly on the second day of classes. The last time our paths crossed was in the closet when he manhandled me and stole my key card.

So why the fuck is he sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong now?

Caitlin’s demeanor shifts immediately. The nasty little sneer she sported a second ago is gone. She stands up a little straighter, puffing out her chest as her lips drop into a pout that I assume is supposed to be adorable. She looks up at Gray through thick, fluttering lashes.

Gross.

“We were just having fun,” she purrs. “Weren’t we, Sophie?”

“Speak for yourself, cunt,” I snap.

Caitlin laughs, the sound strident and harsh. “Sophie here just doesn’t seem to appreciate her part in our little social lesson. Here. Look.”

She hands over her phone to Gray, and I clench my jaw.

What a fucking bitch. She’s so pleased with herself, pathetically seeking out his approval for how she’s captured and plastered my naked body all over social media.

It’s not exactly a secret on campus that he hates me. She’s probably expecting him to thank her for this shit. Maybe even to finally ask her on that date she’s been dying for. Jesus. She probably considers this some kind of fucked up foreplay.

But Gray doesn’t thank her.

In fact, he doesn’t say anything for a long moment as he watches the looping video.

He stares at Caitlin’s screen, his expression blank until his eyes flicker with something not so calm, not so tame. It almost looks like… anger.

But one thing I’ve learned about people is that you have to give a shit to get angry, and Gray certainly doesn’t give a shit about me. He’s proven that on more than one occasion already.

So it shocks the hell out of me when he deliberately drops Caitlin’s phone to the ground.

The metallic clatter as it hits the pavement is contrasted by Caitlin’s furious squawk. But her voice cuts off abruptly when he brings the heel of his shoe down hard on the phone. The only sound is the crunch of the screen as it shatters, and he grinds it against the concrete with a twist of his foot before kicking it lightly aside.

Gemma and Reagan’s hold on me loosens as they gape at Gray in surprise. I step back from them, shaking off their hands as confusion ricochets around my chest.