Page 31 of Cruel Prep (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 1)

But before she can, someone near the door clears their throat.

For a split second, I’m relieved. It’s a teacher. An administrator here to break this up and set me free.

Then, I see the square jaw and cold blue eyes of the last person I want to see—even less than I want to see Cora.

Finn Foster.

15

Lily

“You’d hate to be late for cheerleading practice, girls,” Finn says, tipping his head towards the door. “I know how much you all love to practice spreading your legs for our football team.”

“Go fuck yourself, Finn,” Cora snarls.

“Gladly,” he smirks. “Would you like to watch?”

Cora tries to look horrified, but her eyes slide to the front of his jeans. I wonder if they’ve ever done anything together.

It shouldn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter …

Except it kind of does.

Am I just in the middle of a lovers’ spat?

Cora glares at him for a second, spits on the floor next to me, and then leaves without another word, disappearing as quickly as she appeared.

I sit up and rub my elbow. I can already feel a welt forming beneath the skin.

“Is it possible for you to stay out of trouble for a single second?”

Finn is standing over me, the fluorescents casting him in silhouette. He looks like a vision, and I hate him for it.

“Apparently not.”

Finn grabs my arm and pulls me to my feet in one clean motion. My almost naked body slams against his, and I’m intensely aware of how many layers of clothing he is wearing and how many I am not.

He must notice as well. His jaw clenches. “Where are your clothes?”

I recognize that the showers are still running and quickly pull myself out of his grip and run back to the stalls. As soon as I turn the corner, I see water spilling out of one of the stalls, spreading in a wide circle around a drain that is clogged with my jeans.

“Shit.”

I run into the shower and turn it off, but not before being soaked in icy-cold water. I bend down and pull my pants from the drain. As soon as I grab them, soap squeezes out of the denim. My shampoo bottle is sitting empty on the floor.

I curse again. Walking out of this room in soapy, wet clothes might be worse than leaving naked.

“Bitches.”

I turn around and Finn is staring at the mess, shaking his head.

“They’re your friends, aren’t they?”

He sneers, managing to look attractive even in his disgust. “God, no. I hate them. That’s why they hate you.”

I lean back against the stall door, not even caring that I’m in a public shower. I just need a second to catch my breath. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

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