Page 54 of Brutal Prince

She starts pacing, her long legs barely taking three strides before she’s done the length of the bathroom basins. “I don’t want you to say anything.” Her green eyes narrow, focusing her anger on me like a laser. “I want you to stay away from him. Stop antagonizing him.”

“Antagon—” I splutter before cutting off with a wretched laugh. “Fuck, Addy, you don’t think I want him to leave me alone?”

“What do you mean?” She stops pacing.

“He…”

Fuck. I should have told her yesterday, but I was a chicken shit little bitch.

I shift my weight from foot to foot, holding up a hand when Addy opens her mouth, mentally willing her just to give me a few seconds to get my mind sorted out.

What’ll happen if I tell her about the woods? She’d say I have to file a report with the police.

In a case where a teenage girl ‘killed herself’, they did nothing.

Here, it’s my word against Briar’s. Plus, I didn’t tell anyone, and they’d probably flag that as suspicious.

Why now, Indi? Why didn’t you tell your grandmother, your new friend, your fucking guidance counselor?

Yeah, I tried telling a teacher, and a whole bunch of kids — Addison included — saw how well that shit went down.

Telling Addy will change nothing. She already suspects Briar of having killed Jessica — saying he mauled me in the woods before letting me run away isn’t going to help.

But it might incense her to the point of random violence.

“You’ve seen how he is with me,” I say weakly. “He’s had it in for me since he saw me.”

“Yeah…” Addy plants her hands on her hips, and studies me from the corner of her eye. “What was that about? You made it sound like he’d done something.”

Her eyes widen, and it’s like watching dawn rise over a fog-shrouded hill.

“We’ve met before,” I say, hoping my brain will catch up in time and provide me with enough ammunition to lay down some covering fire.

“You and Briar?” Her knuckle goes back into her mouth. “When?” she asks, the word muffled around her finger.

Yes, when, Indi?

“Sunday night,” I say slowly, my brain still scrambling.

She tilts her head expectantly. “What did he do?”

“He, uh…” I glance away and will myself to form a lie out of nothing. “It was my fault. I, I trespassed. I went onto his property.”

“And?”

“He…chased me off.”

Addy’s eyebrow quirks up. “That’s it?”

“What?” I snap. “It was fucking dark. I was terrified.”

She lets out a little snort, and then shakes her head. “This is what I mean. He’s fucking dangerous. Stay away from him, got it?”

I shrug. “Why wouldn’t I?”

The corner of Addy’s mouth crooks up. “Briar has a way of…getting under your skin. Trust me, it’s best if you just pretend like he doesn’t exist.”

She leaves the restroom with a final glance back in my direction.

Easy for you to say, Addy. But, if anything, I’ve gotten under his skin. And all he seems to want is to destroy me. Kinda difficult to ignore the damn school bully.

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