Page 75 of Brutal Prince

Indi

I’m lost in a fog of jumbled thoughts, moving on automatic as I head for my locker. I’m vaguely aware that Addy’s chatting to me, but I honestly couldn’t have remembered a word she said if she’d held a gun to my head.

There’s a strange smell in the air when I reach my locker, but there are so many different smells inside a school that I don’t think anything of it.

I should have.

My locker opens easily. Too easily.

I yell out in surprise. Red roses spill out and land on my shoes, thorns scratching my bare legs.

Music blares out of my locker, and everyone around me stops to stare as something blue tumbles out and lands on the floor.

Like a virgin, touched for the very first time.

Madonna screeches out to my massive audience.

Like a vi-ir-ir-ir-gin—

The entire school erupts into laughter. Addison pulls up short and throws me a wide-eyed stare before slowly coming closer. She reaches down to pick up the thing on the floor where it lays in a pile of long-stemmed red roses and petals.

“Don’t,” I say in a strangled voice.

But everything moves like a dream, and my warning comes too late. Addison picks it up, holds it out.

Lingerie.

Dark blue, ridiculously sexy, lingerie.

I snatch it from her. Then I fumble around inside my locker until I find the offending Bluetooth boombox, and pluck it out so hard that it stops playing the moment it hits the floor.

But that doesn’t stop the laughter. That does nothing to prevent red-hot shame flooding my face.

I see movement further down the hall.

Briar.

He’s at his locker, the door partly open, but with zero interest for what’s inside.

Instead, he’s watching me.

Waiting for my reaction.

Hey, maybe it’s because I’m still stoned. Or maybe it’s because I have a fucking death wish.

Instead of running away to go sob in the bathroom like anyone else in my position most likely would, I push back my shoulders, take out the lingerie, and hold it up for him to see over the laughing crowd of students.

“How thoughtful,” I yell out. “Guess it’s a good thing I’m the same cup size as Jessica.”

“What are you doing?” Addison murmurs, coming closer and making a grab for the underwear.

I move out of her way and hold the piece of erotic blue fabric even higher. “I mean, it’s not as if she’ll be needing it anymore, amiright?”

Briar’s face turns to stone. He slams his locker so hard it rattles, and storms off down the hall. His entourage breaks away from their lockers and follows him like sheep.

All except one.

I catch sight of Marcus. He’s wearing an open leer on his face, as if he’s picturing how I’ll look in the lingerie. I hurriedly shove it back into my locker.

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