Page 29 of Brutal Prince

I ignore Briar, but he refuses to ignore me. The teacher starts taking us through the weekend’s homework — of which I, obviously, did nothing.

Something brushes my hair. I jerk, and spin to glare at him over my shoulder. He sits back in his seat, a smug, crooked smile splayed over his mouth. “Jumpy,” he comments.

“That’s what happens when you almost get raped,” I throw back, but in a whisper so as not to draw attention to myself.

Briar’s smile inches up as he sits forward in his desk. He leans his chin on his palm, studying me intently. “I never heard you say no.”

My eyes and mouth both go wide at the same time. I splutter a weak, “What?” before the teacher realizes I’m not paying attention.

“Ms. Virgo, is it?”

My body goes cold, but I spare a heated glare for Briar before I face the front of the class.

The Psych teacher, Mr. Veroza according to my timetable, is a balding eighty-something-year-old with liver spots.

He moves closer to my table and folds his hands at his waist, tipping his head to the side as if he’s studying something pinned to a goddamn corkboard.

“Yes,” I manage, trying to ignore the feel of Briar’s eyes drilling a hole through the back of my skull.

“I’m not sure how things worked at your previous institution, but we don’t talk during class, Ms. Virgo.”

Institution? He makes it sound like I came straight from the fucking loony bin.

Veroza’s gaze skates over my entire body, pausing for an uncomfortable length of time on my chest, before returning to my face.

“If you’re uncomfortable sitting so close to Mr. Briar, I can arrange for a different seat.”

Does he have every teacher in his pocket? How about moving Briar, who’s obviously the one making me uncomfortable? But no, somehow even this is my fault.

I refuse to give him the satisfaction.

“I’m good, thanks,” I manage, despite the fact that my heart’s attempting to jackhammer through my chest.

Veroza nods as if this was far from the answer he expected. “No talking in my class, Ms. Virgo. Not unless I ask you a direct question.”

“Hey, little virgin.”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I start counting to ten.

But Briar interrupts me with a tap to my shoulder. “Can I let you in on a secret?”

“Shh!” I whisper furiously, without turning. The last thing I want is to draw Veroza’s attention.

“You shouldn’t have run last night,” Briar murmurs.

I know I shouldn’t turn around, but something about the tone in Briar’s voice makes me so curious to see his face that I don’t have a choice.

Briar’s eyes light up when our gazes lock. His smile grows, and for some reason it makes me squirm in my chair.

“Why?” I mutter, casting a quick look to Veroza. But Teach is caught up in one of the student’s questions on the far side of the class; we’re safe for now, Briar and I.

“When you feed an animal, it isn’t hungry anymore.”

It takes me longer than it should have to process those words. I guess Addy’s blunt has something to do with it. I’m not high anymore, but my brain isn’t exactly sparking neutrons at its usual rate.

“Mr. Briar,” Veroza snaps out with surprising harshness for such an old man.

Briar’s smile fades as he faces the teacher. I sit back in my seat, crossing my arms over my chest and allowing myself a smug smile.

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