Page 125 of Explosive Prejudice

Rubbing his jaw, he slowly got up, eyes pinned on me with pure wrath while he wiped his hands on his pants from the spilled drink. “You’ll regret this.”

“You don’t scare me,” I hissed, then walked toward him. “Not in the slightest.”

“That’s your mistake.”

“Are you going to fire me?” I tilted my head, challenging him, and watched as he did the same.

We said nothing as the tension in the room rose and became so thick I could smell it. But then, in the blink of an eye, his mask returned.

“Wouldn’t you want that?” He grinned. “I’ll see you here tomorrow evening in time for your shift. Now, get the fuck out of my office before I do change my mind and put a bullet through that thick skull of yours.”

Deciding not to play the hero, I listened to him and got out. Punching the son of a bitch was risky, but I’d do it again if the asshole ever spit such crap about Shay-Lee. In no way would I allow him, or anyone else for that matter, to talk shit about what was mine.

Shay-Lee

The party was at full blast when I pulled out my phone to check the time and see if Camilo had texted me back. We’d planned on meeting here, with him coming straight from the club, but so far, he was running late. Since his shifts often dragged on longer, I wasn’t worried. He’d probably be here soon, so I pocketed my phone and grabbed a drink from the table.

Looking around, everyone seemed to be having fun. How weird was it that in two weeks, all of this would be over. Beverly Bay High had been a part of me for four long years, and soon, it would be just another passing phase. Going to BH had always been a wild ride, but nothing had prepared me for my senior year. So much shit had happened in the last few months, and all thanks to those four new kids who came out of nowhere, with my bad boy in the center.

Chuckling, I brought the cup to my lips and finished my beer in one go while thinking back to the first party of the year, where Camilo and I fought after he slept with Chloe and her friend.

Sounds of laughter caught my attention, and I checked to see where it was coming from. On the other side of the pool, gathered around the decking, were Andrei, Miles, Jessie, and Levi. They all seemed deep into a conversation that got them all laughing, and looking at them made me ache for Camilo. He shouldn’t have had to lose his family over me, and that was why I’d insisted on coming to this party tonight. Knowing they’d be here, because that group never seemed to skip a party, I hoped it would give Camilo a chance to talk with Andrei. They were still not speaking, but they’d get over it. I had no doubt. Even if he said otherwise, I knew Camilo loved Andrei and saw him as a brother.

I smiled when Jessie stumbled back and spilled his drink all over himself as the others laughed at him. They were definitely the good guys, and I was ashamed of the shit I’d caused them.

A sudden pause of voices followed by whispering snapped me away from their group, and my heart stopped in my chest when I turned to look at what had grabbed everyone’s attention.

There, in the middle of the crowd, stood another mistake of my past, looking back at me with those lovestruck eyes that often made me wonder what the fuck he saw in me.

He looked good. In fact, Jordan looked even better than I remembered with his broad shoulders, nice muscles, and a face that should be put up on billboards. The only thing that was out of place was the crutch he used to help him walk.

He’s walking.

Swallowing hard, I shook my head to make sure I wasn’t imagining things, and I wasn’t. Jordan was actually here, standing, breathing, and walking.

And while our teammates were already onto him, greeting him back, I remained frozen in place, watching him engage in the conversation until his eyes shot to mine again. The second our stare locked and I saw he still looked at me the same way he had months ago, I realized this was bad.

This is really fucking bad.

Without lingering a moment, I turned around and walked back inside the house in search of something much stronger than beer. Grabbing a bottle of bourbon, I took it with me and sneaked into a room on the second floor, closing the door behind me. After sitting on the bed, I broke the seal, twisted the cap, and brought the tip to my lips. Swinging my head back, I downed three long chugs that burned down my throat before stopping to take a breath and doing it again. Cleaning my mouth with the back of my hand, I squeezed my eyes shut as my brain grew fuzzy and my cheeks flamed hot. I was ready to down the bottle when the door to the room opened and then closed.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw Jordan standing in the doorway.

“Why are you here?” I asked, my voice still hoarse from the burning of the bourbon.

“And here I thought you’d be happy to see me,” Jordan answered, a faint smile on his full lips.

“Why are you here?” I asked again, quickly rising to my wobbly legs.

Jordan stopped himself from taking another step and leaned his weight against the crutch. “I wanted to graduate with the rest of you.”

“Is that really the reason?”

He chuckled, his gorgeous eyes gleaming with adoration I hated. “Of course not. I missed you, Shay-Lee.”

Always so sweet. So forgiving.

Biting my lip, I shook my head. “You need to forget me and move on.”

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