Page 27 of Obsession

Before I could say anything, Harris butted into the conversation.

“She can find her way to the cafeteria, Ortega.”

Zac frowned. “She’s new here, as I’m sure you already know.”

Harris grinned diabolically and looked at me, and that somehow felt more dangerous than his uncontrolled, angry look.

“I know more than you think.”

Again, he spoke to Zac, but his eyes were on me. My body was covered in goosebumps from top to bottom, especially when his breath brushed over my skin again. I didn’t even want to think about what his words meant.

“Denise Lever, Jessica Teen, and Katherine Wrise are asked to come to the principal’s office,” a strong voice coming from the speakers said, and winced as I waited for the information to be repeated so I could make sure I heard it correctly.

Harris and Zac both looked at me, confused.

“Did they just say your name?” Zac asked.

“Guess so.”

“What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

I didn’t do anything, right? I was the reason a fight had broken out in the last hour, but I wasn’t to blame, I was a victim in this scenario. Instinctively, I looked at Harris, whose brow was still furrowed.

“Want me to take you?” Zac offered, and I heard Harris exhale in annoyance.

“No, it’s fine. Go to lunch, I’ll be there right after.”

“It’s not…”

“Ortega,” Harris growled, “get lost.”

I stared at him in shock, and Zac’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“Are you deaf or stupid? She already said she doesn’t need your help.”

“Stop!” I interrupted as I raised my arms between them, though I was only afraid of Harris’s reaction, considering what he’d done to Joshua. “I’ve had enough of this crap now.

You, calm down!”

I dared, placing my hand on Harris’s chest. I did it to keep him from moving, but I had no idea what the feel of his heartbeat on my palm would do to me.

He looked down at where I was touching him, forgetting Zac.

I struggled to remain calm as I scowled at them both to make sure they understood that I wasn’t a lady in distress who needed a knight in shining armor.

“I can find the office on my own,” I replied, not bothering to wait for another answer.

I broke away from Harris before my hormones took over and walked out of class, ignoring the stares that followed me.

In the hallway, I had to stop someone to ask where the principal’s office was, though I didn’t really care. All I could think about was his voice, his eyes, and his heartbeat.

I had no idea how, but I found my way, and I still couldn’t figure out what the principal might want from me. I’d been there for two days, not even I could have caused problems in such a short time.

There was no way I could be blamed for the fight. I didn’t ask Harris to hit him, and even if I had, Joshua deserved it. Of course, there was also the fact that I had skipped class the day before, but by the time I reached the end of the empty hallway, the fight was hypothesis number one.

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