Wicked Liars (Windsor Academy 1)

“You okay?” he asks.

My head aches and I feel bruised where Peyton hit me, but other than that, I’m okay.

“Yeah.” I sigh when he places a soft kiss right between my eyebrows. “How’d you get the door unlocked?”

Bentley shakes a key ring. “Master keys. I’ve had these babies since freshman year. They come in handy when you want to fool around in an empty classroom or closet.”

I have no words for this sex-crazed fool.

“Oh my God, Jazz, are you okay?” Ainsley runs into the room, pushing her brother aside. “What the hell happened?”

“They cornered me,” I say. “How’d you know where to find me?”

Ainsley and Kingston share a look before he says, “I installed a tracker on your phone.”

My jaw drops. “You what?!”

He raises an eyebrow. “It proved to be useful, didn’t it?”

I narrow my eyes. “But that doesn’t explain why you did it.”

“Baby girl, let’s not worry about Kingston’s stalker tendencies right now.” Bentley pulls me into a side hug. “We all know you’re not going to get an answer until he’s ready to give you an answer. What do you say we ditch the last few classes? We’ll grab an ice pack for that beautiful cheek of yours and I’ll buy you a big, greasy burger at In-N-Out.” As if on cue, my stomach growls, making him laugh. “See, your stomach likes this idea.”

“Fine,” I mutter. “But only because I’m hungry.”

“I wanna come,” Ainsley says. “Jazz, you can ride with me.”

Bentley glances at Ainsley. “I think Jazz should ride with me. You can take Reed.”

Rich kid problems: driving fancy sports cars that only have two seats.

“Okay.” Ainsley looks at Kingston. “You coming, bro?”

Kingston’s eyes haven’t left me yet. “No. I have something to take care of. I’ll catch up with you guys later.” He steps into me again and presses his forehead to mine. It’s a surprisingly intimate gesture—one I have no idea how to respond to. “Give us a minute.”

Nobody dares to question him. They simply leave the bathroom without a word.

“What are you—”

He presses his index finger to my lips. “Are you really okay? You looked pretty shaken up when I first arrived.”

“Yeah... well...” I shrug. “Being trapped in a small room with ten crazy bitches isn’t exactly the most comforting feeling.”

He runs his fingers over my cheek again. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“I hit the back of my head on the wall, but it’s fine. Peyton landed a pretty solid punch to my stomach, but that’s all she could do before you came barging in.”

Kingston crouches down and untucks my shirt.

I bat his hands away. “What are you doing?”

He gives me his I’m in charge look that I’m beginning to know so well. “Let me see.”

I sigh, knowing that arguing with him on this is stupid. I lift my shirt, holding it up right beneath my breasts. Kingston’s jaw clenches as he sees the red bruise blooming on my right side. I wince when he presses down slightly.

“Does it hurt much?”

I shake my head. “I’ll be fine.”