Page 4 of Charming Cruel Boys

I turn around and immediately regret it. Strolling down the hallway is none other than the Ashbury twins. Duke, in his light-wash jeans and blue button-up, making his eyes pop. Knight wearing his traditional all-black. I swallow down the lump in my throat before turning back to my locker.One more year of this, Remi. You’ve got this. Pull on those big girl panties.

George, my best friend — only friend before Sara — walks up, slinging an arm over my shoulders. His deep red hair is swept back from his face, and he’s got black-rimmed glasses over pale green eyes and a lip piercing. He’s got a banging body too and he fucking knows it. He takes one look at where Sara is focused and chuckles. “That’s Duke and Knight Ashbury. Goodie-goodie and rebel child duo. Best asses in all of Mountain Ridge, and sadly, into girls.” He legit pouts, and it lightens my mood a little.

“Duke and Knight? Talk about a complex. What were their parents thinking?” Sara jokes while blatantly eye fucking them. Along with every other girl here besides me.

“Rumor is, when they were born, they were such precious, beautiful bundles that their mom saidthey look like royaltyand so they were named as such,“ George supplies cheerily. I give him a look. That’s no rumor. I told him that story after Duke told me last summer.

My chest constricts when I think about their parents. About their dad. I found out a couple of weeks after the showdown with Knight that their dad died that night after a mugging gone wrong, apparently. And Duke was with me instead of in the emergency room with his family. Everything made sense. All of the hatred and pain in Knight’s eyes and why I hadn’t heard from Duke. They were both going through something tragic. I was ready to forgive it all and be there for support. Only I never got ahold of Duke. I never heard one word from him during the three weeks they were out of school. I even swung by his house one day, but he wasn’t home. Finally, I took my broken heart and walked away. I cried every night for weeks.

The first — and last — guy I let into my sheltered world, who I told about my loveless home life and my dreams of escaping one day, who I shared every inch of my body and soul with, and it turns out, it was easy for him to toss me aside. Keeping up the act of caring boyfriend was pointless when his life was suddenly in tatters. I wish he’d at least have the decency to admit as much now.

The bell rings, breaking me out of my daze. George waves us off and heads into class. Sara and I have first period together, so we rush down the hall toward English literature, and thankfully, she doesn’t bring up the sexy as hell twins again.

***

Everything was fine. Until it wasn’t.

First and second periods were easy. English lit and AP history. Both classes that I excel in.

But now I’m sitting in the back of the music room, trying not to throw up as Duke walks in. I didn’t even want to take this class, but I had to take some kind of elective and Art was full. I didn’t think Duke would take music again since he’s taken it twice already. Now I’m wishing I’d considered wood shop with George.

Duke sits in the back row, same as me, but on the far left side of the room, as far from me as possible. He doesn’t even look my way once.

The teacher begins class, and I keep my head down the entire time, not daring a glance toward the boy who still owns my heart. When the bell finally rings, I get up and race out of the room before anyone else even stands.

Worst first day ever. The only thing that could make this any worse is—

“Watch where you’re fucking going,” Knight barks as I run straight into him.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, shivering under his intense gaze. Turning around, I high-tail it down the hall toward my next class, calculus. Heavy footsteps follow me, and I glance behind myself only to find Knight right there.

“What are you looking at?” he growls.

“Why are you following me?” I counter uneasily, narrowing my eyes.The last time he spoke to me, he had his hand around my throat as he shoved me into the lockers. I’m not looking for a repeat.

He laughs at me.Laughs. And then shakes his head, his long blonde locks falling in front of his eyes. “Oh, baby girl, I am not following you. You think I want to walk behind you, watching your ass sway all the way down the hall? I’ve seenmuchbetter,“ he says in a low, disgusted tone, looking me up and down. He glares when he reaches my eyes again, and when I arch a brow, he adds, “I’m going to calculus. Move your ass.”

Son of a fucking bitch. This is a joke. The universe has it out for me. I stop walking, making Knight bump into me. He sighs and shoves me out of the way, continuing down the hall like he hasn’t just ruined my already crappy day.

I turn on my heels and head for my dad’s office instead. I’ll make him switch my schedule around. I’ll doanything...

“Absolutely not,” my dad says after I barge into his office and explain my reasoning.

“But—“

“I said no!” He slams his palm down onto his desk, making me jump. “It’s your last year, just keep your head down and behave.”

“I’m notmisbehaving. I just have a couple of classes with guys I don’t like, and I—“

“Dammit, Remi. Life isn’t all about you. Do you know how many students have a class with someone they don’t like? Do you see anyone else in here crying about it?”He holds out his hand and gestures around his large, pristine office. He even makes a show of looking around sarcastically before cutting me with a bored, irritated look.

My bottom lip trembles, but I bite my cheek to keep myself under control, shifting from foot to foot. “No, sir.”

“Well, then, why are you?”

“I’m sorry. Never mind.” I turn to leave but stop when my dad clears his throat.Loudly.

“Don’t forget dinner, Remi. Just because you’re in here throwing a tantrum, not getting your way, doesn’t mean you can be anything less than a respectful daughter tonight. Understood?”he asks coldly.

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