Queen of Hawthorne Prep

“Carmichael,” another guy cracks, “you don’t mind if I bone your cousin, do you? She’s one hot piece of ass.”

Duke jerks his broad shoulders as he resettles on the bench. “I don’t give a fuck what you do. Although my advice is to be careful. That girl is like a praying mantis. She’ll fuck you and then bite your head right off.”

Cousin?

Well, I certainly didn’t see that one coming. I never realized they shared the same surname.

It’s almost a relief when the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch and the beginning of a five-minute passing period before the start of fifth hour. I dump my uneaten food into the garbage can before falling in line with Everly. Kingsley stays behind to talk with a couple of the guys.

“Do you have any plans after school?” Everly asks as we head out of the spacious dining hall and into the corridor. “If you’re not busy, we could get started on the AP psych project.”

“Sure, that sounds good.” Maybe we can work at my house. It might be a nice distraction for Mom.

Every day that passes by, Mom seems more and more like her old self. She’s still adjusting to our new normal, but each morning she gets out of bed and dressed, putters around the house, and takes care of the bills that were piling up.

As we turn into the hallway where our lockers are located, someone rams me between the shoulder blades. With a yelp, I stumble. My arms pinwheel in an attempt to regain my balance in the sea of students who surround us. The force is enough to send me pitching forward.

“Summer!” Everly gasps, reaching out to grab hold of me, but it’s too late. There’s nowhere to go but down.

I trip over my feet as the floor rises to meet me. Or maybe it’s the other way around. A hand flattens against the top of my shoulder, pressing me down instead of assisting me up. My hands and knees take the brunt of the fall as I slam into the unforgiving marble before rolling to my side with a grunt.

Everly drops down as a pointy shoe connects with my abdomen. A scream tears from my lips as I curl into a tight ball, attempting to protect myself from the attack. The one thought that fills my brain is the tiny embryo growing in my belly.

My harsh breath fills my ears as my arms wrap around my head. People surround me, pressing in. Panic floods through me at being trapped on the floor. The moment seems to stretch forever until firm hands wrap around my body, scooping me off the cold tile as Kingsley gathers me into his arms.

“Are you all right?” His concerned gaze searches me for obvious signs of injury. “What happened?”

Tears prick my eyes as I blink them back, unwilling to let them fall in front of everyone who now crowds around us. “I don’t know.” It takes effort to keep the wobble from my voice. “I was shoved from behind and tripped.”

He growls, searching the crowd of blue blazers with suspicion. I do the same, looking for one in particular, but don’t see her gloating face in the vicinity. Still…I know who’s responsible, and there’s no way it was an accident.

Chapter Thirty-Four

I twist onto my side as a lightning strike of pain shoots through my lower abdomen, jolting me from a sound sleep. A moan slips free as a vicious cramp grips me.

“Summer?” Kingsley’s groggy voice penetrates the cloud of agony that surrounds me as he lays a hand on my shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

It’s only when I try to pry my eyelids open that I realize they’re screwed tightly shut. It takes a moment to find my bearings and separate my dreams from the reality unfolding around me. The bedroom is swathed in darkness. Through the unadorned window, I’m able to make out splashes of pink and purple color as the sun peaks over the horizon.

“I’m not sure,” I whisper as another spasm twists my insides. “My stomach hurts.”

Those words have him jackknifing in the bed. Almost tentatively, his hand settles on my belly. “Do you think something is wrong with the baby?”

Fear slices through me, right down to the marrow in my bones. “I don’t know.” Barely can I force out the response. Releasing it into the eerie silence of the room is frightening.

My belly seizes again, and I fold in on myself as pain ricochets through my womb. This feels like the cramps I get with my period. What I don’t know is if this normal or something to be concerned about.

“Where’s the number for the doctor?” Kingsley throws off the sheets before exploding into motion.

“There’s a card in my purse.” I point to the dresser, a grimace twisting my expression as a moan falls from my lips.