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The Devil You Know

Chapter One

Rosalie

“Rosalie! Hey, Rosalie DeLeo!”

I looked around the open door of my locker and down the wide hall as I heard my name. Noelle, my best friend, held her books tightly to her chest as she quickly walked over with a huge grin on her face, her eyes wide with excitement. Noelle had thick red curls, freckles, and smelled like the bubble gum she constantly chewed.

“Did you see him today?” she asked.

“Him?” I turned to look back at my locker, playing coy.

“You know—him,” she said.

I knew who she meant, but sometimes I liked to pretend I didn’t. The last thing I wanted to do was admit that he was always on my mind.

Noelle leaned against the lockers while I grabbed my books for the next class. I didn’t need to look at her to know she knew I was playing dumb. I’m not sure why I even tried hiding it from her.

“Yeah, I saw him after homeroom this morning. Why?”

“Because he looks so freaking hot today,” Noelle said as she fanned herself. “I think I saw a new tattoo too.”

Hewas Shane Ventana. He started at our high school last year and everyone thought he was hot. Shane had shaggy dark blond hair that fell onto his forehead and piercing green eyes. He was tattooed, mysterious, an honor roll student, and captain of the basketball team. Shane was everything rolled into one and there was no one else like him. And, like most everyone else in school, Shane had no idea I was alive.

“He’s been working on that sleeve for a while,” I said. “My parents would kill me if I got a tattoo. I mean he’s not eighteen yet, doesn’t he need permission?”

“Really? That’s what you’re thinking about? No wonder you’re still a virgin. His tattoos make me wonder if he has any we can’t see,” she said, snapping her gum and raising her brow at the same time. “You know what I mean?”

“Everyone knows what you mean,” I said. “And I am not a virgin. You know that.”

“I know you dated Ben Miller for a while, I know you had sex with him, but I also know he didn’t make you cum. That, in my book, makes you a virgin.”

“Shut up,” I said, laughing.

Looking past her, I spotted Shane coming down the hall. I cleared my throat and widened my eyes as I looked back at Noelle, and then flicked them in his direction, letting Noelle know he was heading our way.

Noelle stayed calm, still leaning against the lockers as I tried to not stare at him. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans with a chain that hung from his belt loop and a dark blue, short-sleeved t-shirt that clung to his chest. As he walked past a group of guys, he lifted his muscular arm and high-fived them.

Stop staring, Rosalie. Look away now. He’s not blind, he’s going to see you staring. Wait...is he looking at me? What do I do?!

I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was close enough that I could see the stubble on his chin that dipped into a dimple. His green eyes were right on me, but more than just on me, they saw into me.

My heart pounded so loudly that I was sure everyone could hear. But he didn’t turn, he didn’t look away. No one had ever looked at me that way. Heat spread over my skin and up into my cheeks. The way he was looking at me was like he knew what I looked like naked.

Relax, Rosalie, you’re not naked. Crap, what am I wearing? Why did I have to wear this stupid shirt? Naked might’ve been better.

“Sup,” he said with the slightest nod as he walked past.

Faints.

Surprised to find myself still standing, I quickly glanced at my locker mirror. Eyeliner not smudged, light brown hair not too limp, and then my eyes dropped to my ugly yellow and black shirt I only wore when I didn’t get to do laundry.

Just my luck that the one time he notices me, I look like an idiot, I thought.

“Holy shit,” Noelle said. “He talked to you! You gotta talk to him.”

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