Page 46 of Pucking Obsessed

Hayden doesn’t bother saying goodbye. He ends the phone call and grabs me by the hand. Without another word, he starts pulling me across campus at a pace that makes my thighs burn.

When we get to the dining hall, Tristan is already standing near the entrance with Kirsten and Callum. Tristan’s face is hard, his jaw tight as he grips a newspaper in his hands. Callum is stomping between tables, snatching up copies of the paper and tossing them into the trash. I watch as he rips one out of a student’s hands. Whatever is happening isn’t good, and I can’t even imagine who the target could be this time.

“Where’s Winter?” I ask Tristan as soon as we approach.

“She’s in class,” he says curtly. His grip on the paper tightens, the edges crumpling under his fingers. “And not one of you is going to say anything about this to her. Do you understand?”

I nod quickly, my eyes dropping to the newspaper in his hands. The headline jumps out at me immediately. I feel the air leave my lungs as I read the horrifying details below. Tristan and Winter’s family were carjacked. Their mother was killed. Their father was beaten within an inch of his life. Tristan was forced to hurt Winter or watch the men do it themselves, though the article doesn’t specify how. The bile rises in my throat, and I have to look away, my heart breaking for them both.

Hayden’s voice breaks through my haze. “It’s hard to tell who’s behind this because they’re coming at all of us equally,” he says, his arm sliding around my waist as if he knows I need him.

Tristan doesn’t respond, just nods stiffly, his gaze locked on the paper like he’s reliving that day.

Hayden leans down, his words soothing in my ear. “You okay?” he asks, his arm tightening protectively around me.

I nod, swallowing hard because I don’t know what to say. He brushes a kiss against my temple.

“What should we do?” I ask, glancing around at the group.

Callum answers without hesitation. “We need to bait them. Get them to show themselves. It’s gotta be more than just the guy we lost the night they played their stupid little game in the woods.” His usual humor is replaced with a seriousness that doesn’t sound like him.

“I have a sick feeling that this is only the beginning,” Kirsten murmurs, her voice trembling slightly.

Deep down, I know she’s right.

MADISON

The bridal dressing room is nothing short of breathtaking. The walls are painted a soft ivory with intricate gold trim and massive crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow over every surface around me. A full-length mirror with a gilded frame reflects the room’s elegance, and the plush carpet feels like clouds between my toes. I’ve been in here for what seems like forever helping Mom get ready. She’s finally in the other room, getting her makeup done, so it’s time to finish getting myself dressed.

My light pink, almost silver, silk bridesmaid’s gown clings to my curves in a way that feels both elegant and a little too revealing. The fabric shimmers as I move, catching the light and making me feel like I stepped out of a dream. My long hair is styled in loose waves, the ends dusting the bare expanse of my lower back, exposed by the deep scoop of the gown. My makeup is soft, with flushed cheeks and a hint of shimmer on my eyelids, but my lips are bare because Hayden will be here. I don’t need his grandmother gawking at him because my bright pink lipstick is smeared all over his face.

I glance at myself in the mirror one final time before I walk over to the oversized chair in the corner to put the lid back onthe box my dress came in. I glance down and see a white sheet of paper folded over, and there's a hint of ink that has bled through. I assume it’s a note from my mom, thanking me for being in the wedding, but as soon as I flip it open my stomach drops.

Your choice. Who’s next, princess?The words stare up at me. A perfect lipstick print is pressed to the paper in the same shade I almost wore today. A sickening chill crawls up my spine as I process the message. I look around, trying to think of who could have gotten in here. I don’t know if the church was locked up overnight or who may have had access to a key.

“Madison?” my mother calls as she enters the room, and I’m jerked out of my thoughts. “You look disturbed. What’s wrong?”

I blink rapidly, masking my horror with a wide, bright smile. Folding the note quickly in half, I tuck it into the top of my dress, the paper cool against the swell of my breast. “Nothing,” I say, feigning nonchalance. I don’t need her finding out what’s going on or screaming at me for ruining her day. “I was just trying to remember if I turned in an assignment before I left campus.”

My mother rolls her eyes as she adjusts her veil in the mirror, her diamond earrings sparkling like little beacons of disapproval. “This is my wedding day, Madison. The last thing I want to hear about is some assignment. You’re here for me today and that should be your focus.”

“I know,” I say quickly, keeping my tone bright and accommodating. I’m not in the mood to fight with her, not today. She looks stunning in her wedding gown, the intricate lace and satin flowing around her like a queen’s regalia. Her makeup is flawless, her lips painted a daring red, and she’s radiating the kind of joy that makes me happy she’s finally found what she wants in Mr. Lockwood.

She glances at me, her sharp gaze softening slightly. “And Madison,” she adds, her voice dropping to a quieter, moreconspiratorial tone. “I know there’s something going on between you and Hayden.”

My stomach twists into a knot.

“Keep it to a minimum in front of the guests. Hayden will walk down the aisle alone and stand next to his father, and you will walk down solo as well,” she continues, smoothing an invisible wrinkle from her gown. “Your stepfather has enough on his plate with the sideshow your stepsister put on with that grotesque sex video that was shown all over town.”

I bite down on my lip to keep from snapping back, but her words sink in and I’m… confused.All over town?Could she be exaggerating, or was that video somehow spread farther than we realized? Kirsten hasn’t said anything about it being shown anywhere else, that I know of anyway. Hayden tunes her out any chance he gets, so I need to ask him if he remembers anything about this.

As if she knows my mother is talking about her, Kirsten strides in, her lips pulled back into a tight smile. She’s definitely here for an argument, which is going to end well for me, I’m sure. I really just need everyone to get down the damn aisle so this fiasco can be over and I can show Hayden the note that’s currently digging into my cleavage.

“There isn’t a bouquet for me.” Kirsten glares at me first, and then her gaze settles on my mother. “I asked the wedding coordinator, and she wouldn’t give me an answer. What’s going on?”

“Kirsten,” my mother begins, and I already know this is going to be the start of a knock down drag out fight if I don’t figure out how to keep everyone calm, “after everything you’ve been through recently, you don’t really want to walk down the aisle with everyone staring at you, do you, dear?”

I glance at Kirsten, and though she doesn’t flinch, her hand tightens around the light pink clutch that matches our dresses.Her face is calm, but I can see she’s not far off from a screaming fit. Kirsten isn’t always the nicest to me, and sometimes her words seem needlessly mean, but right is right. My mother shouldn’t be punishing Kirsten for a private video being leaked without her consent.

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