Page 117 of Chaos at Westbrook High

When he and Derek finally get back, they come in through the back entrance. Kai jogs right past Wyatt and over to the couch where I’m sitting, dropping to his knees in front of me and taking my face in his hands. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “Please forgive me. I’m so fucking sorry, Hailey.”

Closing my eyes, I grab two fistfuls of his hair and pull him into me, burying my face into the crook of his neck. The familiar scent and feel of him against me has my body sagging in relief, but I’m still so mad I could punch him. I’m mad that he left me when he promised he’d stay. Mad that I was so terrified he’d get hurt. Mad that I care so much. The fact that he knows how much I care about him makes me even madder, which is why I say, “You left me here with him.”

“Fuck, baby,” he groans like he’s in pain. “I know. I know, and I hate myself for it. I’m sorry.”

He repeats those two words again and again, and although I feel bad for making him feel even worse, I don’t stop him, allowing the sound of his voice and his arms around me to calm me.

“I’m sorry I said that,” I whisper. “I just…”

“I know,” he says softly, digging his fingers into my back and squeezing me tight. “It’s okay.”

Of course he knows.

He always knows.

“You suck.”

He laughs in my ear. “I fucking love you.”

I freeze against him. When I pull back to glare at him, he looks genuinely afraid of me.

“Baby…”

Gritting my teeth, I grab his jaw and hold him away from me. “That’s not funny.”

He swallows. “I’m not joking.”

Furious, I shove him away from me and push to my feet, turning my back on him to pace. As I’m raking my fingers through my hair, trying to calm myself down all over again, I find my brother standing with Freya Thorne in the middle of my shop, holding her arms behind her back as she struggles to get free. Everyone is glaring at her, but no one has said or done anything yet. They’re waiting on me, it seems.

Stopping to face her, I run my eyes over her pretty face, taking her in for the first time. I’ve heard a lot about her—so much that I’m sick of hearing her name—but I’ve never met her in person before.

“What happened?”

“She texted Derek to meet him,” Kai says behind me, his voice a little raspy and unsure. “I’m pretty sure she was trying to take him to Maverick.”

I keep my eyes on Freya. “Is that true?”

The question seems to trip her up. I don’t think she knows what to say, whether the truth or a lie is going to get her out of the mess she’s in.

“Is that true?” I ask again.

Looking back at Derek, then at the other Kingstons in the room, she says. “No.”

“She’s lying,” Wren drawls, leaning back on the couch with his wrist resting on the arm.

“How do you know?”

He smiles at me. “Lucky guess.”

Trusting his intuition, I turn back to Freya. “Let go of her, Der.”

His lips tilt up in amusement as he obliges, letting go of her wrists behind her back.

“Wait a minute,” Freya says, scrunching her nose at me. “Der? Are you fucking him too or someth?—”

I swing my fist into the middle of her face, putting all the pent up rage I feel for this girl into it.

She falls back into Derek’s chest, crying out as she brings her hands up to her face. When I see the blood coating her fingers, I almost feel better.

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