Page 41 of Fight for You (Flirting with Forever 2)

My heart clenches and claws within my chest. “Okay. But can we talk after school? I want to be as professional as I can be with you during school hours.”

His brows pinch together and he looks at me curiously. “Um, yeah. That makes sense. I’ll—I’ll just go get ready for class.” He gets up, shaking his head to himself. With a lingering glance at me over his shoulder, he leaves the workroom. I wonder if he knows that he just walked out of here with a tiny little piece of my heart.

Jake and Piper chatter behind me, but I’m so caught up in worrying about how to handle Ed I can’t even join in on the conversation. I feel terrible for the way I’m making Sawyer question what’s between us, but he doesn’t know I’m trying to keep him out of trouble. With a disgusted groan, I allow myself to think through everything again.

It figures. Just when I’m about to get everything I’ve ever wanted my world blows up in my face. I wish I could stop breaking my own damn heart. I wish I had never gone out with Ed in the first place. I still can’t fathom why I’d said yes or why I’d stayed with him when I wasn’t happy. And then when he’d taken those photos without my permission? I should have known better. I should have seen him for the creep he truly is. But nope. It’d taken him sending me the same photos weeks later—photos he’d sworn he’d deleted—to know for sure that he’s a complete asshole.

Being with Sawyer, though? He can’t be a mistake. I won’t let him be. Nothing has ever felt as right. It makes my heart ache to know I’m hurting him. But I don’t want to drag him into this. And because I’m trying to hide this from him, he’s confused, and it’s all my fault.

I’m falling for Sawyer and that makes this whole Ed situation that much more difficult. I don’t know which would be worse for us, if Ed were to say something to the administration about me and Sawyer or if he were to do something with the photos he’d taken and kept. I’d put nothing past him.

Ed’s plenty pissed off and it came through in the tone of his texts. The only way I can see to protect Sawyer is to try and stay on Ed’s good side. But how do I do that? I don’t want any part of him, and I don’t want to just give in. I won’t go back to him. I won’t. No way in hell.

Later in the day, when the door to the workroom opens during our lunch period, my heart does a little leap. Screw waiting until after school. We need to find somewhere to talk before I go out of my mind worrying about this. I look up expectantly, plastering a brave smile on my face, ready to skip lunch and talk things through if that’s what Sawyer wants.

Unfortunately for me, it’s not Sawyer standing in the doorway. It’s Ed.

“Hey, Hadleigh.” He rubs a hand over the coarse stubble on his jawline. “I know you’re probably pissed about the text messages, but I want to talk to you about giving us another chance. What do you say we go out for dinner and talk things through?” He’s looking at me the way he used to when I first agreed to go out with him last fall—when he was actually trying to make a good impression on me. Is he crazy? I’m not buying it. Not for a damn second.

I glance up from my papers. “Um. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” He cocks his head to the side and his gaze narrows on me.

I set my red pen down, giving him my full attention. Here we go. “Look, Ed, I’ve already said no to going out again, and I meant it. I don’t want to argue about it with you. I don’t think we are good for each other. I’d hoped you’d understand, and we could part on relatively good terms.” I can’t help the incredulous huff I let out. “But now you’ve threatened me, and I’m not sure how you expect me to look past that.”

He scoffs, staring at me indignantly. “Back up. How are we not good for each other?”

I blink a few times. Is he insane? “I don’t like the way you treat me, Ed.” I expel a huge breath and decide it’s now or never. Conscious of the fact that anyone could walk in at any time, I whisper-shout at him. “I would also really appreciate it if you would stop threatening me, stop holding things over my head, and honor your promise to me.” My teeth clamp down so hard on my lower lip, I’m surprised I don’t draw blood. “Did you delete the photos like you keep saying you will? Because it’s pretty shitty that you told me you’d deleted them all immediately after you took them but then started sending them to me. Taunting me with the fact that you didn’t get rid of them? Really shitty, Ed. So, no, I don’t want to go to dinner with you.”

He laughs—hard—right in my face, and I can’t help but draw back, sucking in a breath as I do. His tone with me does a one-eighty as he spits out, “Let me see if I have everything right—you won’t let me take you to dinner because you’re running around fucking your student teacher. Is that accurate?”

My face pales and my throat goes completely dry.

“I can see I’m right by the look on your face. You forget I know you, Hadleigh. You’ll be lucky if I don’t put your tits and ass in an e-mail and send them to the whole damn school. You want favors now? Fuck that. And fuck you.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Sawyer steps through the doorway, bristling. “What the hell is going on here?” He’s got a good three inches on Ed, is much broader, and his expression is dark and thunderous like a storm cloud. If I were Ed, I’d be terrified. I’ve never seen Sawyer angry before, and I’m guessing it doesn’t happen all that often. He appears to be the kind that doesn’t anger easily, but when he does … Boom.

Ed, though? He’s dense and doesn’t correctly read the anger emanating from Sawyer. “Mind your own business, Rivers.”

Sawyer plants his hands on his hips, glaring at Ed as his chest rises and falls raggedly. “Are you kidding me, man? I walk in here and find you swearing at her, and you think I should mind my own business? Not happening. Even if she’s your ex, there’s no excuse for that.” His eyes bore into Ed, and he asks without looking at me, “Hadleigh, do you have anything else you want to say to him?”

“Yes.” My voice comes out stronger than I thought it would. “Yes, I want him out of here.”

Sawyer steps toward Ed. “You heard her. Get. Out.” His jaw clenches, breath coming fast.

Just then, Jake and Damon walk in discussing the merits of some book by an author I’ve never heard of. They freeze in place when they see they’ve walked right into an argument.

My face flushes red with embarrassment, and I close my eyes briefly, wishing I were anywhere else but here. When I open my eyes again, my gaze flicks over to them and then back to Ed. “Ed, you should go now.”

Sawyer’s brow lifts as he stares Ed down. He looks like he could strangle him.

Before he

walks away, Ed leans close to me and whispers harshly in my ear, “How about if I show your pretty pictures to your new man? I could do that, too.” He edges back, sneers at me, and backs toward the door.

My heart hammers hard behind my ribcage. I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until the door slams behind him and it comes out all sputtery. I try to act normally, like that didn’t just happen, but I’m sweating all over and shaking hard.

Jake’s eyes are big behind his thick glasses. I’m pretty sure the only arguing he’s ever seen in here has been between Damon and Piper, and that’s never anything serious. He clears his throat. “Um. Are you okay, Hadleigh?”

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