“If she fights half as good as him, you’re fucked,” Jase mumbles under his breath.

“That’s no lie. Jade’s carrying a lot of pain and anger inside her. This thing won’t just blow over,” Noah voices something we’re all too well aware of after tonight.

I get up and place the empty tumbler on my desk. “I’ll just have to suck it up and roll with the punches.”

“The shit part is you shouldn’t have to,” Fallon suddenly says from my open door. “I’m going to get in touch with Brady’s family and find out what really happened that night. We all need closure.”

“Don’t,” I argue. “If Jade wanted to know the truth, she would’ve contacted them herself.” Instead of just blaming me.

Fallon shrugs while letting out a tired sigh. “Well, Jade’s calmed down. She said she’s going to shower, then crawl into bed.”

“Guess I’ll do the same,” I say, and with that, I walk into my ensuite bathroom.

What a fucking day.

And it’s only day one. Still a whole fucking year to go.Chapter 3JADEI stare at my reflection in the mirror after getting dressed for the opening ceremony. It’s a longstanding tradition at the academy, so I can’t miss it.

My thoughts turn back to last night and regret creeps into my heart. It was a nightmare, to say the least. I thought I’d feel better after hitting Hunter, but I don’t. Instead, I feel torn between wanting revenge and feeling guilty.

Why do I feel guilty? Hunter deserved to have his ass handed to him.

Maybe it’s because we used to be so close? After all, I did love him for the first sixteen years of my life.

Mostly, I hate that I upset all our friends. Things will have to change. I can’t keep hurting the whole group and will have to reign in my temper.

I’ve never been good at pretending.

I let out a heavy breath.

You’ll just have to try to be civil around Hunter and not rip off his head.

My shoulders slump, knowing it’s going to be hard to do. I suck in a deep breath before I walk to the door, and opening it, I freeze when I see Hunter’s door is open. From where I’m standing, I only have a view of the side of his bed.

You have to try, Jade. For your friends.

I hear movement, and then Hunter walks to his bed and picks up a jacket. I watch him shrug it on, and just like yesterday, I’m struck by how much he’s changed.

Sure, I’ve seen him a couple of times over the past two years, but I always kept my distance and hardly looked at him to avoid a fall out in front of our families and friends.

Before our fight, Hunter seemed indifferent. The few times we argued, I did most of the talking, whereas Hunter just stared at me. He’s always come across so indifferent and almost cold. But last night, he lost control of his temper. I’ve never seen him that angry.

He even shouted at me. He has never raised his voice to me until that moment.

Hunter turns as he buttons his jacket. Even though I hate him with the intensity of a thousand burning suns, I can’t help but notice how handsome he’s become. He’s taller, and his shoulders have become broader. Just like Jase, Kao, and Noah, Hunter has shed the last of his teen body and grown into a man.

His hair is still the same chestnut brown as before, and his eyes sky blue. The contrast has always been striking.

He looks up and stops moving when he sees me. My gaze is drawn to the cut on his bottom lip.

Damn, why does the small imperfection make him look so hot? Life is totally unfair.

When I lost control, it felt good hitting Hunter. But now… I feel like shit warmed over.

He deserved it.

He did.

I keep repeating the words to myself, hoping it will ease the guilt.

We stare at each other for a moment, and as I start to walk down the hallway, Hunter’s voice carries to me. “Morning, Jade. The dress looks beautiful on you.”

I freeze for a moment, but fisting my hands, I force my feet to move. I do my best to ignore the sadness I heard in Hunter’s voice.

“Jade,” I hear Jase call behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I come to a stop so he can catch up to me.

Jase throws his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his side for a quick hug. He then makes a show of looking at my dress, which is black and nothing spectacular. I’ve never been one for dresses.

Letting out a low whistle, Jase shakes his head. “Girl, you’re looking for trouble.”

Frowning, I ask, “Why?”

His facial expression turns all dreamy. “You’re looking so hot, I might forget we’re just friends and start hitting on you.”

Tags: Michelle Heard The Heirs Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net