Page 27 of Wicked Dreams

“You thinkI’mridiculous?” His voice gets louder.

Riley inches away from me, and I can’t even blame her for it.

“How?”

He takes a step closer, invading my space. His expression… I don’t know who else realizes their school royalty is insane, but I see it. I try not to show any fear, even as it snatches at me the way wind tears at leaves in a hurricane. Endlessly, without remorse for the damage it causes.

His face is carefully blank, all for show, but his eyes can’t hide his inner storm.

He’s angry, unimaginablypissed, and it’s directed at me. His fury, his fire… I’m on the receiving end of all of it. It’s easy to see that when we’re inches apart.

He grasps my chin, twisting my head to the side.

“Look at your friend,” he whispers in my ear.

She’s at the edge of the crowd and won’t meet my eyes. Her gaze is glued to her feet, but everyone else is staring at us.

“She’s the smart one, Margo.”

I flinch when he says my name. Am I so conditioned tolittle lamb—a nickname, by the way, I should rage at—that it’s my actual name that gives me pause? I’m the only one who can hear him this close, and I’m sure he likes it that way. I’m sure he likes to keep me off-balance.

“Let go of me,” I demand.

“You’re not having fun?” He pouts and drops his hand from my chin. Except immediately, he snags my wrist instead. His palm is hot enough to brand itself on my skin. He reels me in closer, his voice pitched low. “You know the rules. First one to flinch loses.”

“I’m not playing games with you.” I half expect him to kiss me again, which would be absolutely ridiculous. He wouldn’t do that in front of all these people. There’s too much at stake. He’s made it his mission to bury me, and that can’t happen if hekissesme.

His lips quirk. “What makes you think we stopped?”

His fingers slide down my hand, falling off completely. I stand totally still, caught between wanting to argue more and simply wishing he’d walk away.

He does the latter, returning to his three friends. They’d paused their game to watch us, but they slap his hand in greeting, or congratulations for a job well done.

Caleb gestures to Savannah, and a stone plummets into my stomach. She’s wearing the same uniform as me, but she could be a model. The button-down dress shirt is form-fitting, tucked into her short skirt. Her long legs are tan and smooth, extending out from under the skirt to the white socks covering her ankles. Her blonde hair is curled.

I shouldn’t be surprised when he kisses her again.

This time it’s savage, open-mouthed. She presses her whole body into him, her hands fisting his shirt at his waist. Their tongues fight, but it’s a one-sided battle. Caleb is in charge.

That should be you, a voice whispers. No—it shouldn’t. Not like that. But itwasme, not too long ago, folding like a cheap accordion against him.

Instead of jealousy or anger, the emotion swarming me isdisgust. His mind games shouldn’t fucking matter, and yet… I can’t stop staring at their mouths. So long, I barely register that his gaze is locked on me.

I cringe.

He shudders, more in tune to me than the girl he’s locking lips with. I don’t know if anyone can tell. But… I am not flinching.

I’m not losing this game.

And I don’t. Time slows to a crawl. He bites and sucks at her lip, the obscenity of it burning my eyes. His friends hoot and holler.

Caleb separates from her just as the bell rings.

The river of students flows around them, and shoulders bang into me on the way past. They don’t get the same treatment—the berth around both of them is wide. I lose sight of them for an instant, and when the path is restored, Caleb watches me. Savannah, on the other hand, gazes at him like he just impregnated her.

It hurts. I’m not quite surewhyit hurts, because everything else he’s done to me has been so much worse.

Savannah scowls, his lack of attention apparent. She follows his line of sight, surprised to see me standing in front of her, and then…triumphant.

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