Page 60 of Jolt's Vengeance

I force a smile, hoping it looks more convincing than it feels. "It's just one night. I'll survive."

Leah's brow furrows as she watches me fidget with the hem of my shirt.

Her eyes narrow, and I can practically see the gears turning in her head.

"Hold up," she says, leaning against the doorframe. "Are you actuallytryingto date this Trevor guy? Is this, like, a proper date?"

I can't help but snort, the sound a mix of amusement and frustration. "Christ, no. It's just a party, Leah."

"Then why are you?—"

"Look," I interject, my Scottish lilt becoming more pronounced as my irritation grows. "I'm not dating anyone, all right? So I'm allowed to be at this bloody party with him if I want to."

Leah’s hands fly up in surrender, her eyes wide. "Whoa, I wasn't accusing you of anything, dude."

The fight drains out of me as quickly as it came.

"I'm sorry, Leah. It's just... it's been a rough day. Jolt showed up here, and I wasn’t fuckin’ expecting that."

"Hey, it's okay," she says softly, “We all have those days. You're just trying to get through it, right?"

I nod, grateful for her understanding.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “I’m gonna get back to it, I’ll talk to ye later.”

“Later,” Leah comments as I finally give in and walk over to Trevor.

Trevor’s all smiles as I finally walk up to the beer pong table, and he introduces me to some of his buddies. “Ay, this is my girl, Aggie!”

The pulsing bass from inside the house thrums through my body, but it's nothing compared to the thundering of my heart.

I can't let this go on any longer.

"Trevor," I say, my voice firm despite the tremor I feel inside. "Can you not call me 'your girl'? I don't like it."

The reaction is immediate.

His frat brothers let out a collective "Ooooooo," like we're back in grade school.

Their eyes gleam, hungry for drama that’s about to break out

He throws an arm around me and immediately tenses, his fingers digging into my shoulder.

The easy-going mask slips, revealing a flash of anger in his eyes.

"What'd you say?" he growls, low enough that only I can hear.

I try to step back, but his grip tightens. "I said, don't call me that. We're not together, Trevor."

His jaw clenches, a muscle twitching.

Without warning, he grabs my arm, yanking me toward the side of the porch. "We need to talk. Privately."

Rage flares within me, hot and familiar. I plant my feet, wrenching my arm from his grasp.

"Don't you think for one second you're about to touch me like that," I snarl, my accent thick with fury.

Trevor's eyes widen, then narrow dangerously.

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