Page 60 of Brutal Game

I forced a smile on my face. “Everything’s fine. Overslept.”

He gaped at me. “It’s four p.m., Aviva.” His face turned stern. “I’d expect better from you than to be partying so hard on a Sunday night.”

Someone inside the classroom chuckled.

The professor sighed.

“Come on in. There’s been some rearranging I’ll go over.”

There was one free chair by the window. Jack wasn’t next to it like I’d expected; instead, he sat beside another girl.

I did not care. I would not care. Jack Feldman meantnothingto me. Nothing.

Shaking myself mentally, I went to go sit in the only empty seat, pulling out my beat up laptop and paying attention to the professor and only the professor.

He cleared his throat. “Before you got here, Aviva, the class decided they wanted to do some rearranging of partners for the project. Jack and Katie are now working together?—”

Was there anywhere lower my stomach could fall? Through the floor maybe? I inhaled deeply, forcing my expression to stay blank.

“Does that mean I’m working with Sebastian?” I asked, naming the student who’d wanted to work with me before.

Professor Johnathan looked guilty. “Sebastian wanted to stay with his current group.”

“No I didn’t,” Sebastian muttered.

Wait, what?

Professor Johnathan coughed. “You’ll be working alone, Aviva.” He brightened. “But you’re welcome to come to office hours whenever you like if you want to talk through anything.”

I glanced over at Jack. He looked unconcerned. This, if anything, solidified my hunch that he was done with me.

What a goddamned relief. It was over. And hey, I could do my project on power and sexual narcissism after all.

But I wasn’t relieved. That stabbing feeling in my chest? Not relief.

Why wasn’t I relieved?Had that motherfucker wormed his way into my heart, even as he’d tormented and tortured me? I hated him, I refused to be sad he’d moved on.

My phone buzzed. I checked it when Professor Johnathan wasn’t looking at me.

It was Lucy.

tovah said you wanted to talk?

Oh, thank god. I’d meant to reach out to Lucy myself, but I’d felt like such shit this weekend I hadn’t had the energy to. I was grateful Tovah had.

i need your help with something

how much do you know about coach jensen

jensen? the kings coach?

that’s the one

not much, only that blake hates him

My skin tingled. Someone hated Joshua? Someone who knew him?

blake’s tabb’s hockey coach, right

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