“Fingers crossed,” I tell her. “You two are so clearly perfect for each other. He’d be an idiot not to give it a try.”
“Damn straight,” she grins.
We walk through the door of Haven Falls Private and make our way down to our lockers, only I don’t quite make it to mine before Candice slams her shoulder into mine, making me drop all my shit on the floor.
I don’t dare dive after it. Before this is over, she’ll be the one on her hands and knees picking them up.
“Watch where you’re going, whore.”
“Oh, how very original,” I smirk, stepping into her to let her know that today, I’m not backing down from anything.
Her eyes widen a fraction and I realize she hadn’t intended for my inner she devil to come out and play. She assumed I’d shrug it off, get down on my hands and knees, and make a fool of myself picking my shit up off the floor. She picked the wrong bitch to mess with today.
“What are you waiting for?” I ask her. “Pick this shit up.”
She scoffs at me with a slight panic in her eyes as she quickly glances around at the crowd of students who are dying to witness the first Monday morning fight, as no doubt, somewhere else in this school, there will be another one.
“Excuse me?” Candice says, propping her hand on her hip and jutting out in a pathetic act of intimidation, but I see through her eyes, she’s petrified of being taken down off her pedestal, especially by someone like me who she doesn’t deem worthy.
Too late, Sista! Little does she know, I’m about to own her ass.
“Oooh,” Tully laughs at my side, already knowing what I know. “I’d suggest you listen to the woman. After all, you wouldn’t want what she knows getting out.”
Candice’s eyes flick back to mine. “What the hell is she talking about?”
“Oh, nothing,” I grin. “Just a little photo of you and Monica having a little too much fun with a double headed dildo that I found in her room on Friday night. You know, just moments before you came storming in with Rowland and Tiffany.”
Her eyes widen in shock before she starts shaking her head. “No, that’s not possible. You’re lying. There was no one in Monica’s room on Friday night and we didn’t take any photos of…that.”
I shake my head and laugh. Even if I didn’t have a photo of it, she’s basically just admitted it. “Well, clearly someone has taken a photo of the two of you together because it’s currently sitting somewhere that you can’t find it. You could have the whole squad come and tear my place apart and you still wouldn’t find it. So, ask yourself this. Am I lying or am I not? Because you sure as hell know that Monica wouldn’t spill that information to me. For me to know something like that, I would have had to go searching for it. Seems little Monica likes a souvenir of your dirty little deeds together.”
Candice’s face turns white, clearly realizing that I’m not bluffing. “What do you want?” she lowers her voice.
I smile sweetly. “A few things, actually,” I tell her. “First, you’re going to get down on that dirty ass floor and pick up my shit. You’re going to make sure it’s all clean and then you can place it nicely inside my locker. Second, and most importantly, you’re going to treat me with respect. If I get even one sideways glance from you between now and graduation, I will blast that picture all over social media. You will be ruined.”
“Decisions, decisions,” Tully teases beside me. “Choose wisely.”
“I…” her eyes flick around at the crowd of students once again. “I can’t pick up your stuff. Not in front of all these people. They’ll know something’s up.”
“Well, they’ll certainly know something’s up when they all see your photo,” I laugh before letting out a heavy sigh. “I’m not usually one for blackmail, but I have a feeling you’d do the same to me if the shoe was on the other foot.”
Candice swallows. “Please.”
I consider giving in, but then I think back to her fist slamming into my face. Her shoes in my ribs, and her nails clawing at my arms. Then I’m reminded of how pathetic I felt having Kaylah and Jackson finding me like that, weak and broken.
That will never happen again.
“On your hands and knees, Candice,” I tell her, stepping in to lower my voice. “Just this one thing and you’re off the hook. I don’t give a shit what you do with yourself after this. You’re not my target unless you do something to make me feel otherwise. I’ll leave you the hell alone if you do the same for me. If not, the photo goes out. Take your pick and make it fast, I have places to be.”