Page 15 of His Brave Girl

“You girls, okay?” I ask.

Presley’s shaking her head, looking like she wants to charge back into the lunchroom and seek her revenge.

“Cassie’s a bitch,” she states. “And I’m going to castrate her social status.”

“Don’t worry, babe. She’s done. I promise you.” Cassie should’ve been done ages ago, but Chase had to get wrapped up with her.

“You okay, Ruby?” Chase asks. “I’m sorry for what happened back there. For what it’s worth, the only one who looked like a fool was Cassie.” He’s got that right. The entire lunchroom got to see the truth of just how ugly she is.

“Oh…um… Thank you, Chase. That’s nice of you to say.”

The poor girl is as shy as they come. Her cheeks are bright red, and it looks like she wants to go hide. And Chase looks like he doesn’t know what to say now.

“I’m disinviting her to my party tonight,” he adds, giving me a look. “So, you and Presley don’t have to worry about her making an appearance.”

That bitch is disinvited to everything as far as I’m concerned. If I see her try and show her face at another social event, I’m going to tell her to leave because bullies aren’t welcome.

“Thanks,” the awkward girl says again, her neck completely blotched with her nerves. “I need to go do something before class, so I’m going to run.”

And run is practically what she does as she takes off down the hall, Chase’s eyes following after her. “I’m going to go tell Cassie the news,” he states. “Make sure she knows not to show her face tonight.”

He turns and gives me a look, and I’m clear on his message. He’s going to handle the witch. And since he was the one who had to put up with her for a year, I’ll let him take the lead. He stalks his way back in the direction of the cafeteria, and then… it’s just me and my girl.

“That was awfully nice of you, babe, to give her the clothes off your back.”

She shakes her head. “Don’t put me on a throne, Kyler. You’ll be disappointed when you learn the truth.”

“Yeah. So then instead of trying to run, why don’t you try me. Tell me exactly what you think you did that you think I can’thandle.” Because that’s what this about, isn’t it. She thinks that once I learn the truth, I’ll move on.

“I stood by and let my ex-boyfriend destroy an innocent girl’s life. I was so jealous and so hurt that I sat back and did nothing as he bullied her. She begged her parents to move. Every day, she was in tears, and I did nothing. My blood was so frozen with hatred over her betrayal, that I let her suffer.” A tear slips down her cheek, but she’s quick to wipe it away. “Now, does that sound like a girl you want to give your heart to, Kyler?”

She cocks her chin, trying to ice me out again, but I’m not going anywhere.

“It sounds like you were both suffering, babe. And I’d say that guilt riding you so hard proves what kind of person you are.” She may think she’s a monster, but all I see is a girl who was too hurt to defend anyone else. But the girl who showed up and defended Ruby, that’s the Presley I know.

Her eyes waver. A fraction of that ice looks to be cracking. But I think it’s going to take more time before it completely melts away.

“I’m good with being friends, baby. There’s no rush for me.” I’m not going anywhere. If she thought that’d scare me off, it just made me want her more. “But until you’re ready to give me that heart, I think we should keep things PG. I want you to know that it’s more than your body I’m after.”

Since the moment she showed up, I’ve been all over her sexy little ass. It’s time to prove that I’m in this for everything: sex, love, and the whole nine yards.

A smirk starts to lift her cheeks, and I can see more of the ice melting. She steps forward, crowding my space and stealing the air from my lungs. It’s going to be a feat trying to keep my hands off her, but I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge.

“Okay, Kyler. Friends it is.” She slides her hands up my chest and wraps them around my neck. Her lips go right to my ear.

“Tag. You’re it.”

Her body slips away, and she gives me a wink before she turns and starts walking down the hall, putting an extra sway in her hips to tease me further. She stops right outside her classroom door and gives me one last look over her shoulder before she disappears inside. It looks like I’m it. And it looks like she wants to be caught.

CHAPTER 11

Presley

Islip on my little strapless black dress, smiling at my reflection. We’ll see if Kyler can resist when he sees me in this tonight. I’m hoping the answer is no. My body’s been in a constant state of need since this afternoon, only made worse when he came up to me in the parking lot and pressed his hardness against me, whispering “You’re it” before he walked away. We used to play tag all the time when we were kids, but this version is so much more fun.

I thought as soon as Kyler learned what I’d done to Sophie, he’d run. But he didn’t even look disappointed, and that… has me wanting more from him.

“Wow, you look so hot,” Ruby says, coming out of the bathroom. I turn and smile. Hot is definitely what I’m going for.

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