Page 42 of Iced Out
Elise jutted out her chin. “He doesn’t need someone damaged the way you are. Broken. Used and discarded.” Sheleaned close. “Guys like Luke? They stick to their own, and that isn’t you.”
I leaned against the sink, slow and steady, arms crossed. “You came at me with words. Opinions. Do you expect me to flinch?” My mouth curved—no humor in it. “I’d have to care about your opinion, or that of strangers for that to work.”
Elise’s nostrils flared. Nina stiffened beside her, that smug expression slipping just a fraction.
I straightened, dropped my arms to my sides, letting my voice cut low and lethal. “As for Luke? Been there, done that. He’s all yours.”
Tori looked away, her posture faltering for half a second before she caught herself and mirrored Nina’s stance.
Elise didn’t flinch, but her silence was louder than anything she could’ve said.
I gave them one last look. “Strange—you keep calling me beneath you, but you sound terrified.”
Elise’s bloodred lips thinned. “We’ll see how long you keep running your mouth when things fall apart.”
I tilted my head. “Can’t wait.”
They turned, Tori yanked the door wide, and the three of them stalked out, heels echoing off the tile. The door slammed behind them, the dull thud vibrating through the space. The silence they left behind didn’t rattle me—it charged me. One thing was for sure; I wasn’t bored.
I waited until their footsteps faded down the hall before glancing at my reflection. My eyes shone, and color highlighted my cheeks—I looked alive. A devious grin curved my lips, and I inhaled deeply. My heart thundered, but my hands were steady. They wanted fear; I gave them fire. With that last thought, I exited the bathroom into the hallway.
My mouth pressed into a line when I caught sight of Chase’s arm draped over Avery’s shoulders, protective as ever. Fraternaltwins, they didn’t look identical, but they were both striking, blond, and blue eyed. His features were more chiseled to her heart-shaped face.
Tightness spread through my shoulder blades to my stomach. Where he was, the others weren’t far—and I was in no mood for another run-in with Luke. It was hard enough when I’d walked into calculus and witnessed him run his hand through his hair, in frustration, his shirt raising an inch for a glimpse of rock-hard abs. I had to check to make sure I wasn’t drooling over the sight. Instead, I was avoiding him. Nothing good could come of us acting on what he’d confessed at the bonfire.
Avery’s head snapped up when she noticed me, her gaze crawling over my face. She jerked to a stop, forcing her brother to as well. “What happened?”
Chase gave me a once-over, grunted, then left without another word. Avery ignored him, her focus still locked on me.
I shrugged, doing my best to shake off the adrenaline still humming through me. “Bathroom drama.”
Jasmine skidded to a halt beside Avery, tawny eyebrows raised.
“They cornered you, huh?” Avery narrowed her eyes. “What’d Elise say?”
I sighed. “Charity case… stepping on their turf… they want Luke back.”
Jasmine’s lip curled. “Annoying.”
Avery’s eyes softened. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” Only I wasn’t. I was spoiling for a fight but also sick of the drama. “Can we just… not do the gossip thing today?”
She pursed her lips. “I get it, but you need to know that Elise is tracking your every move. She overheard something last night.”
Last night—the almost-kiss and the charged tension between Luke and me. I suppressed a shiver at the memory. “I’m not thesame girl she thinks she knew,” I said with more heat than I intended.
“She’s dangerous.”
Not really. Not to me. And not compared to what molded me into who I was the past year. “I can handle it.”
Lunch was blessedly uneventful. I even made it through three classes before the rumble began. Whispers—dozens of them drifting through the space. It was laughable. No one mentioned the almost-kiss, as I was sure Elise wouldn’t want anyone believing he was interested in me. Among the top three were Mila was crying after the bonfire, Luke told her to leave town, and she threw herself at him, and he rejected her.
I didn’t give any of the rumors power. None of it bothered me. I think if they knew he’d almost kissed me, I might have felt something. Instead, I didn’t stop in the hall on the way out. Just kept walking. Or I’d planned to walk out before Avery fell into step beside me before I reached the parking lot.
She bumped her shoulder into mine. After glancing around to see who was near us, her smile fell. “I heard something today.”
“Yeah, so did I. My favorite rumor was Luke telling me to leave town.”
