Page 23 of Brutal Prince

Last night I barely got more than a glimpse of the guy; he was all shadows and square jawbone. Now in the daylight, I realize I was tousling with a six-foot-something teenage Adonis. Sandy, windswept hair, crystal blue eyes, and a face that captained those thousand ships launched for Helen of Troy.

Addy grabs my sleeve and rushes for the school, hauling me after her.

“Let go!”

“This is for your own good.”

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just shut up, Indi! Fuck!”

There’s so much vehemence in Addison’s voice, I stop fighting and let her drag me into the school proper. A few students flow in with us — obviously bored now that the morning’s entertainment is over. Addison pulls me into a nearby corner and looks around as if this is a known mugging spot.

My chest is too tight to speak. The fists at my sides are aching how I’m holding myself back. But when Addison finally turns her gaze on me, all my anger — my indignation — melts away.

Her brown eyes are drenched with sadness, frustration, regret; her mouth an upside-down smile.

“What is it?” I whisper. “Addy, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t you ever, ever get close to that guy again. Hear me?”

I open my mouth, but she’s not done.

“I mean it, Indi. If you see him coming down the hall, you go the other way. Got it?”

“Addy, I don’t—”

“Say it.” Addison’s teeth flash white as she grits them at me. “Say it!”

I’ve had just about enough of being bullied by every second person in Lavish. But, at the same time, I’m utterly drained after everything that’s just happened.

I can’t handle this kind of shit. The last thing I want is people treating me different, but holy crap, what happened to just treating someone normally? I’ve never felt this out of place in my life. It’s like I have this massive target painted on my back.

And why? Because I got pissed off that Prince — Prince? — Briar tried to get with me last night in the middle of the woods? That I don’t feel he should be allowed to get away with behavior like that?

I want to fight. I so desperately need to fight, but I’ve got no energy left.

“Got it,” I mutter. “Now tell me what the hell—”

“Later. I have to get to homeroom.” Addison spins away from me, and I glimpse moisture glimmering on her lashes before she strides away.

My back thumps into the wall behind me. I stiffen my legs just in time before I can slide down and sit on the floor like an idiot.

I let out a soft laugh, and run my hands over my face.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

* * *

Briar

“The fuck was that?”Marcus says.

I glance at him, and force my shoulders to relax. “The new girl, I guess.”

“Yeah, but why was she saying all that shit?”

I can’t look at Marcus. I already feel Dylan and Zak’s eyes boring into me, demanding answers. I don’t have their fucking answers. Not back then, not now.

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