“While I appreciate the warning, I don’t have time to stand here listening to a girl who bullied me for over a month.”
“You bitch!”
Before I can even react, she’s on me, clawing at my neck and trying to rip off the necklace. Just as I’m about to start fighting back, she’s ripped away from me with a powerful jerk. I watch in shock as she’s practically thrown against the classroom door, the impact making it vibrate.
“Rhett...” I breathe out.
He’s glaring down at her, a fire blazing in his eyes. I’ve never seen him this enraged before. “If you touch her again, I’ll have to resort to doing something I’ll regret, Catalina.”
“You’re coming toherdefense? How come you never defended me against Rachel when she hit me?” Catalina’s chest heaves as she struggles to catch her breath.
“Obviously, that tells you he didn’t really fucking like you if he never told me to protect you. Read the room. It’s never going to be you.”
“What’s going on?”
My back straightens at the sound of his voice.
“Mr. Adams.” Catalina immediately switches to her puppy-dog eyes, pretending to be innocent as she raises her tone to a higher pitch.
“Why aren’t you guys in class? I told everyone to write a short paper on a fashion history topic until I made it in.”
“She hit me! And him too,” she whines, pointing at Rhett. “Make them get in trouble. Please, sir.” She bats her eyelashes,and I take a deep breath, trying to calm down. She isnotplaying this card when her crazy ass attacked me first.
“Amelia...” Mr. Adams turns to me, his voice stern and tinged with disappointment. “I can’t believe you—”
I squint my eyes shut, not ready for another verbal attack after my dad’s. I wait for him to lay it on me, but it never comes.
“Is there a fucking problem here?” Blade’s deep, booming voice makes my eyes fly open. Rhett stuffs his hands in his pockets and walks away, whistling the whole time. “What is this, two against one? You guys ganging up on my wife?”
Wife? Why does he keep using that word? He used it that first day in his room too.
“Wife? I didn’t know—” Mr. Adams pauses, his eyes dropping to my neck. “Oh.” His gaze lingers there, and I suddenly want to cover up.
But I don’t have to because Blade slams him against the wall, a knife appearing out of seemingly nowhere. He licks the tip of it, then presses it against Mr. Adam’s throat. Catalina gasps, and my eyes widen. Is that the same knife he used last night to…
“Yeah, oh. And your eyes lingered there for quite too long.”
“Look, I—”
Blade shakes his head, cutting him off. “I don’t want to hear your excuses. If you give her any more trouble, I won’t hold back next time,” he grits out. “Now leave.”
This is kinda hot.
But Ishouldn’tbe thinking that when he’s threatening someone with a knife. A knife!
Mr. Adams quickly nods and beelines it into the classroom, even dropping a paper on the way. Catalina is the only one left now, and she steps closer. “Wife?! You’re ma—”
“Leave,” he barks. The roughness in his tone makes me jump a little, and it’s not even aimed at me. When we’re finally alone, Blade stretches out his hand towards me. “Tote bag.”
I furrow my brows but hand him the bag on my shoulder. He rummages through it for a few moments before giving it back.
That was weird.
“Any store you go to on campus for the rest of the night won’t let you get anything.”
“What?! I’m going to the dining hall with Skye and Frankie for dinner. And I need other stuff for my dorm from the dorm store.”
“I’ll go with you.”