Page 133 of Cruel Prep (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 1)

“Afterhedumpedme?” I bark out a laugh. “I broke up with him.”

She purses her lips and nods, but I can tell she doesn’t buy it. No one does. Not a single one of the Public kids I used to call my friends.

Not that I care. If I had it my way, I’d never see any of those people again.

Anna shrugs, takes another long sip of her beverage, and then totters away. I watch her go.

She takes a seat amongst a cluster of Public girls on one of the front bleachers. They all start whispering and cackling. A few of them throw mean glances my way.

Even though it’s a bad idea, I let myself search their faces to see if Estefania is among them.

Estefania—my former best friend. Also the girl who hasn’t returned a single one of the many, many text messages I’ve sent since my family moved across town and I switched schools.

I’m desperate to see her. To hear from her. Something, anything, even just a “hi” or a “fuck you.” She’s the only one left at Public that I care about.

But it seems the feeling is not at all mutual.

The crowd noise picks up. I look over to the ring to see what’s happening.

Between the ropes, Caleb is doing what he does best—pounding his opponent into a pulp. His back is facing me, so I can see how his muscles flex and shine under the spotlights.

Slicked with sweat. Dangerous. Deadly.

Also, absurdly gorgeous.

I shake my head and stick that thought where the sun don’t shine.

Caleb hates my guts. With good reason. After everything that happened between us…

No. Noooope. No way, Jose.The past is the past. Nothing good can come of revisiting the things that John did while I was with him. The things he made me do.

I shudder and turn away as the crowd roars behind me.

I’ve overstayed my welcome. It’s time to get the hell out of here.

This part of my life is over.

* * *

I take a deep breath when I push through the rusted side door and emerge into the parking lot.

It’s summer in Ravenlake, Texas, so the air is humid. But it feels good anyways.

Calming. Soothing.

Out here, the roar of the crowd is hardly noticeable. It’s just crickets. Distant cars passing on the highway. The drone of the one fluorescent light in the far corner of the parking lot.

Until, when someone reaches out of the darkness and grabs me, I add my scream to the mix.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

I whirl around, still caught in the man’s grasp. I’m expecting to see John.

He found me. He came to finish what he started. To shut me up. Silence me for good.

But it’s not him.

Instead, it’s Levi—John’s best friend.

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