Page 24 of My Brother's Best Friend

I averted my gaze to anywhere but her.

She placed both hands on her wide hips. “You’re the one who brought me here.”

“I brought you in here so I could fuck you,” I snapped, coming up with any type of excuse for her to leave. I could barely breathe and didn’t want her to see the hives on my neck. I clasped my hands together so they wouldn’t shake. “But you had to start bitching, so leave.”

Instead of stomping out of the room, Maddie stared up at me. I peered down at her, hoping that she’d hit me across the face again rather than be devastated at the words that had just left my stupid mouth. But tears were trembling in her big eyes.

She opened her mouth, lips twitching. “I … I hate you.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, grabbing her face with my shaky hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

“Yes, you did.”

“No, I didn’t. Please …” My heart was beating rapidly, only speeding up. “Maddie, don’t cry.”

Tears raced down her cheeks. “I hate you!” she sobbed, tearing herself away from me and running to the door. “I hate you so much, Alec Wolfe.”

CHAPTER13

MADDIE

After flying out of fourth period for lunch, I yanked my phone out of my pocket and scrolled right to my group chat with Vera and Piper. I didn’t want to even step foot in the same room as Alec for the rest of the freaking day. Calc had already been too much for me.

Me: Meet me in the library for lunch.

Me: I cannot deal with certain people right now. ??

I turned the corner, nearly smacking into Jace Harbor, who tossed around a football between his hands. He and some guys from the football team continued walking toward the cafeteria to eat. My phone buzzed.

Vera: ??

Me: pls. ??

Vera: I’ll be there in five.

Once I grabbed my lunchbox from my locker, I slammed it closed and shoved my phone into the back pocket of my jeans. While waiting for Piper to respond, I walked through the hallway toward the library with the sandwich that I had made this morning.

Why’d Alec have to be a total asshole to me? He had been the one to yank me into the dark classroom this morning, all just to touch me? To get me off?! What kind of messed up bullshit was that dickhead on? Then, he’d had the damn audacity to tell me to leave.

My hands balled into fists by my sides. “I hate him.”

But mostly, I hated myself because I had punched him straight in the jaw and then easily given in to him while we were alone. Like I had absolutely no control of my body when I most certainly did. I just wanted him to like me.

And, boy, did he like me, but not in the same way that I wanted him to.

Passing the Computer Science classroom, I peered into the door’s thin window and spotted the new teacher that Redwood had hired after the last professor had hacked into her students’ parents’ bank accounts and nearly cleaned them out. Freezing, I widened my eyes when I spotted Piper crawling out from underneath his desk.

Oh shit!

I quickly returned on my hurried walk to the library, noting that I’d have to tell Vera that Piper probablywouldn’tbe spending lunch with us today. My lips curled into a small smirk. Piper had been getting better at coding and hacking, and I guessedthiswas the reason why.

“Like the new glasses, Astrid,” Calix said behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder, spotting good-girl Astrid Khatri blushing and pushing up her glasses as one of the billionaire bad boys from The Crew threw a smirk in her direction.

She pulled her books to her chest, muttered a, “Thank you,” and scurried to the cafeteria.

Damn, today just keeps getting weirder and weirder. First, Piper. Now, Astrid?

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