Page 19 of Cold and Broken (The Titans of Founder's Ridge 1)

“It’s called having manners.” He has the nerve to sound exasperated as he drives out of the gated community.

I twist in my seat with incredulity. “Do you hear yourself? Manners? You call me Peasant. You attempt to boss me around.”

“You are a peasant.” His green eyes lock on me. “And I run this town, everyone does what I say.”

I say nothing but roll down the window.

“What are you doing?”

“Rolling down the window so I can get air to breathe. Your ego is suffocating me.” I deadpan.

Then he does something so unexpected, so foreign I’m transfixed. He throws his head back in deep laughter. His full lips stretch across his perfect and shockingly white teeth, forming the most kissable dimples on each side of his face. The smile is disarming and infectious and before I realize it I’m smiling back to him, an alien warmth spreading from my pumping heart and seeping into my chest.

“Goddamn, Peasant.” He shakes his head. “I fucking can’t with you.” He pulls up to the same spot he let me off at yesterday and looks at me expectantly. When I don’t make a move to get out he says, “Out.”

“Seriously?” My eyes widen. “You’re the one who was beating my door down last night coming to tell me I’m riding with you!”

“You did ride with me.”

Knowing a reaction is what he wants, I slam my lips together and force a placid look to my face. I grab my bag and gracefully exit the car. As much as I want to silently berate and curse him on the walk up the hill I can’t help the tiny smile that escapes thinking about his laugh.

I don’t fall over when Levi zooms past me in his G Wagon. I jump right into Ivy’s car when she stops beside me.

“I thought you said you had a ride this morning.” She raises a brow over her designer sunglasses.

“Connor texted that to you. He did drive me but left me at the entrance again.”

“Fucking douchebag.”

“I know. He’s playing head games with me.”

“What do you mean?”

I tell her about what happened in the gym, including the kiss. Then I tell her about the visit to my room last night and his warning about Mr. Jameson. I don’t say anything about our exchange in the car this morning though. For some reason that detente feels like a moment to be kept sacred and private between us. Or maybe I’m just selfish and want to keep that rare smile all to myself.

“I haven’t heard anything about Mr. Jameson being a perv. I think Connor’s just jealous,” she says as we make our way through the parking lot.

“Jealous? Of what?”

“Any guy paying attention to you. You should have seen his face when you grabbed Lev by the tie and leaned in like you might kiss him.” She screws her face up in an angry scowl and points to it. “Connor was totally doing this. Connor does not like sharing his toys.”

“I’m not a toy, his or otherwise.”

“I know but I’m not sure he got the memo.” She gasps as she sees Wes and Felix walking down the hall. Wes has a black eye and Felix has a split lip. She grabs Wes’s arm as he walks by. “What happened to you guys?”

“Misunderstanding at practice.” He says while avoiding eye contact. “We need to get to class.” Then they’re walking off without a backward glance.

“That was weird.” We both say at the same time.

Ivy shrugs and rolls her eyes. “I have enough shit to deal with everyday with Levi, I don’t need to deal with a moody guy on top of it. Let’s go.”

What is that about?

Connor, Levi, and Griffin are sitting when we walk into seminar. Levi has his bag resting on a desk in front of him and Connor has his on the desk behind him. He makes eye contact with me, scowl firmly in place and moves his bag before pointing at the desk. I scan the room looking for any open seats but there are none, Ivy took the seat in front of Levi. Connor gives me a triumphant smirk as I primly sit down.

Mr. Jameson comes in with his coffee cup and briefcase. He briefly looks over the class, taking visual attendance. After recording it on his iPad he leans against the edge of his desk and crosses his ankles.

“I’m supposed to talk to you about college prep but let’s be honest, you’ll all get into college without any trouble. If your grades and diploma from Founders doesn’t do it, your parents fat wallets will. So I’m going to skip ahead to real life. Post college life. What are your goals? Dare I ask, what are your dreams?”

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