Page 41 of The Prom King & The Ice Queen

This guy knows where I’m from. He saw my mom drunk and stumbling in the middle of the afternoon.

I hope he didn’t hear what she’d been saying, rambling on about how I’d snagged a rich kid. I think I got her far enough away that he wouldn’t have been able to hear.

But it was what she’d said when we’d gone inside that had killed me. Take my advice, kid. Tie him down while you can. His family won’t want him anywhere near you if they find out he’s dating a girl from the gutter.

She won’t remember it today. But I can’t get her cynical tone out of my head. She’s always leapt to that conclusion. When she catches me going out in my new-to-me clothes or overhears me on the phone. She’s so sure I’m playing them to get ahead.

She doesn’t get that that’s not what it’s about. It was never about hoping to actually become one of them.

So what was it about?

My hand hovers over my spoon but I can’t bring myself to eat the yogurt that always makes up half of my pathetic lunch.

The other girls think I pack a light lunch to stay thin. Ha! As if not having enough money to buy food is a new diet fad.

I hear Leo’s voice. He sounds bored as April and the other girls pester him about something. The next football game, maybe? A party?

I don’t care. I’m too busy trying to figure out what I’m even doing here.

I’m sitting with a bunch of girls who would have gladly laughed as my future crumpled because of their stupid prank. I’m sitting with a table full of guys and girls who don’t know the first thing about my life.

About me.

And the only one who’s gotten close enough to catch a glimpse is the one guy I can never be friends with. The one I can never get close to. Because while his family might have secrets, he’s safe. Their wealth and their good name will protect him from anything.

But me…?

I’m on my own. Like always.

My throat is way too tight. My skin feels raw, and I swear Leo’s gaze just scrapes and claws at me every time he looks my way.

Without even meaning to, I leap to my feet.

All eyes are on me. Belatedly, I play it cool, reaching for my bag. “I’ve got to get some work done before next period.”

I head out before anyone can ask questions, my heart racing like I just went for a run. I pause outside the cafeteria doors to catch my stupidly uneven breath and…that’s a mistake.

Leo comes bursting out of the doors behind me a second later.

“Hey,” he says, coming to a stop so suddenly, it’s clear he came after me.

Some old petty voice in my head wonders what April thinks of that. And then I remember…I don’t care.

Gah, I really don’t care.

And as I stand there staring up at Leo’s stupidly handsome face, I feel myself cracking again. After this weekend, I don’t know who I’m supposed to be in front of him.

He knows too much about me now. He knows I’m not all experienced. He knows my big social life that April envies consists of me eating chips and drinking pop at Willow’s house. I look away like there’s something interesting plastered on the lockers to my right. “Did you want something?”

My voice is still in ice queen mode, at least. I sound bored even as my pounding pulse fills my ears.

“No, I just…”

I glance up at him when he trails off. Leo Barons is not one to sound uncertain. Ever. So trailing off mid-sentence is not his norm.

I immediately regret looking up at him because his gaze is intense. He’s got that ‘I’m seeing you for the first time’ look going on and it makes me physically ill.

Or…maybe not ill. But my legs feel unsteady and my belly is alive with butterflies.

---