Page 3 of Broken Princess

I flip onto my back. There’s no way I can sleep now after the bombshell Bella just dropped. Sitting up in bed, I grab my phone off my nightstand, pulling up Prospectus to see if anyone’s posted updates about my ex. There have been no reported sightings of her. Not at school and not over the break. That means the only way Bella could know she’s back is if she has her spies snooping at the dorms.

My mind flips back to the bet. Our plan was to drive Jordanna away because of her economic status. Or was it because she’s the one who turned in Penn Waldorf, which caused a decline in the annual earnings of 10% of the families in Kingsley Hollow? Or was it she just irritated us all with her stubborn refusal to recognize the campus hierarchy? Shit, I don’t even know anymore, and either way, the reasons don’t seem all that valid now.

We called her a narc, but with all the shit we said and did, we could never prove she actually ratted out any of us. Not even when Patrick’s test business took a hit. And the reprimand I got after the auction doesn’t count, because I outed myself with the sculpture I made.

All students sign a document outlining the school’s ethical code of conduct, and I publicly violated it. I claimed creative license and got a pass, but as my father pointed out, things could have turned out differently.

This is uncharted territory for me. I didn’t plan for what would happen after the bet was over, because IknewI’d win. So, how am I supposed to feel about Jordanna being on campus again? Happy? Pissed our scheme didn’t work? My eyes flick to the door Bella went through moments ago. I think she hasthatemotion on lock.

I played my part perfectly. Betrayed Jordanna in the worst way possible. Publicly humiliated her. She should have been too embarrassed and hurt to come back to school, but according to Bella, she’s here.

The part of me that could be happy about the news is getting its ass kicked by the overachieving competitive side of my brain. If she’s here, it means I failed, and I’veneverfailed at anything in my life.

I can’t let this girl threaten my success rate. I’d lose all credibility with the student body and jeopardize my standing as king, not to mention obliterate any respect I’ve garnered as a future leader of Kingsley Hollow.

Okay, Jordanna’s back. Clearly she was stronger than any of us gave her credit for. I’ll just have to knock her down again, and this time when she picks herself up, it’ll be far away from here.

I spent the last three days at my studio, showering and eating there, so I could think in peace. A small part of me was hoping Bella’s intel was wrong. But now I’ve seen Jordanna with my own eyes.

It took some digging, but I learned Worthless Uwasinterested in her. Nobody knows how she got on their radar or why they tried to recruit her, but we all agree that her being here is preferable to her transferring to our rival school. That would have been problematic.

Jordanna doesn’t know where the VDU bodies are buried, but she could point out a few suspects for those assholes at Worthless U to latch on to. Just one casual mention about anything we’ve done at our parties could lead to a scandal. They wouldn’t hesitate to use that to their advantage. For that reason alone, I’m glad she declined their offer.

Not that I’m sure we’re in the clear. Bella didn’t help things by sending Robbie those pictures. For all we know, he could have made copies to blackmail us with later, or to beat off to. Jordanna looked sexy as hell in them.

The call I made to my friend at Carryville came up empty. Turns out Robbie cut Simone off as soon as Jordy found out about them. I paid her a lot of money to seduce him, but not enough to pursue him while he was mooning over another woman.

Jordy looks the same. That was my first thought when she walked into class. But that’s not quite true. It’s hereyes. When she saw me, they didn’t bounce. They didn’t waver. They were dismissive. Indifferent even, as she made her way to her seat.

It took six weeks to work her out of my system. To bury the memory of her smell, her taste, and the way her body felt sliding against mine. Six weeks to exorcise that feeling called love from my chest. And yet, within thirty-seconds of her walking into the room, it all comes rushing back. She slips her sweater off her shoulders, revealing an ivory lace patterned top that’s so sheer I can see her camisole under it, and I’m not the only one who notices.

Leopold Griff isn’t even pretending not to stare at her tits. “What do you say, Jordanna?” He asks. “How about after class we meet in my room for lunch?”

My knuckles whiten as I grip the armrest of my chair. Any girl I mess with is fair game when our hook ups end, but it’s the first goddamn day of classes. I didn’t expect anyone to act this quickly.

“Depends on the menu.”

“Tube steak.” His buddies guffaw, snort and high five each other. “I hear you like a nice thick cut of steak.”

“Why wait for later when you can whip it out and show me what you’re working with right now?” She says.

I know that’s not the response Leo was expecting to hear. Shit, neither was I. She sounds weird. There’s none of the bite I’d grown used to hearing when she exchanged verbal jabs with people before.

“Here? Now? With everyone watching?”

“Everyone’s already seen my ass. I need someone who's not afraid to show theirs. In the literal sense of the word.”

Leo looks nervously around the room.

“Well… Come on. I’ll get on my knees right here if it’s big enough.”

“You’re joking, right?”

Damn straight she is. She’d better be. Unless I really broke her. Fuck, I wanted to, but not like this. She straightens in her chair, refusing to answer, and his hesitancy to pull his dick out costs him his cheering section.

I see the tension on her face and the way her hands grip her pencil. Of course she was kidding. She was just trying to shut down the comments before they got worse. It was a well-played move. Unfortunately, it won’t buy her more than a few hours before the next asshole approaches her, andhemight whip it out.

Jordanna took a gamble by dating me, and this is the prize she wins. People are staring, waiting to see if I’m going to react to Leo’s proposition. I wanna smash his face into the table for even thinking he has the right to speak to her, but I pretend to be unbothered by what’s happening around me.

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