Page 130 of Cruel Academy (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 2)

“It’s true,” he whispers. “You were right about me. About everything. I’m a violent coward. I’m scared to let people get close to me, so I fight and then plaster a smile on my face so they can’t see anything is wrong. Just like Bumper being left alone in that auditorium, I’m alone because I lied to my friends and then was so angry at you for seeing the real me that I pushed you away, too. I ruined everyth—”

Before he can even finish the ridiculous sentence, I slide off my chair, grab his face, and pull his lips down to mine.

Caleb tastes like heaven, and his lips are warm and commanding. Even though I took him by surprise with the kiss, he recovers quickly and wraps his hand around my side, gripping my waist.

Relief explodes inside of my chest. The kiss feels like my first breath of fresh air in weeks.

Like stepping into the sunshine after too long spent in the cold.

I’d resigned myself to the possibility that Caleb would never forgive me. That our relationship (or whatever it was) would never progress beyond secret hookups and training sessions.

The thought devastated me, but I’d managed to hold myself together and continue on.

But now I know the truth—I was heartbroken.

Until this very moment, my heart had been broken, and I’d been carrying on as though nothing was wrong.

I’d been pushing through the pain without even realizing it.

And now, suddenly, tears are flowing down my cheeks.

Caleb brushes his thumb across my face and freezes. He pulls back. “Haley? What is it?”

“Nothing, nothing.” I laugh at myself and wipe at my face. “I’m happy.”

Caleb lowers his face, his brown eyes peering into mine. “You’re crying over me?”

“I guess so.” I laugh again and shake my head, trying to clear the lust out of my thoughts long enough to get this out. Because Caleb needs to hear it. “You’re violent, Caleb. There’s no denying that.”

“This isn’t going how I thought it would.” He tries to pull his hand away, but I catch it and press it to my skin.

I grab his other hand and do the same until he is hugging me against him.

Until our bodies are flush, and I’m looking up into his face.

There is a fine layer of stubble across his chin, but his lips are just as full and pouty as ever. The sun has painted freckles across his nose and light streaks through his hair. I reach up and run my fingers through the silky brown locks.

“You’re violent, but you use it to help people. You take care of your friends and your mom and … me. John only ever used violence to take care of himself. He used it to hurt people for his own amusement. You aren’t anything like him.”

Caleb tilts his face into my hand, pressing his cheek against my palm. “I don’t know. I got a lot of amusement out of knocking him out tonight.”

I smile. “I think we all did. Even the Hell Princes.”

“They really thought I was going to call the cops, and they didn’t even stay to help him.”

“He isn’t worth helping.”

Caleb’s mouth quirks up on one side, and his caramel-brown eyes turn dangerously molten. “But I am?”

The way he is looking at me leaves me in danger of spontaneously combusting. I roll my hips forward until our lower bodies are molded together and sigh.

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re worth everything.”

This time, Caleb lowers his mouth to mine, and it is crushing. Like a physical blow, the power of his kiss knocks the wind out of me and makes my legs wobbly, but Caleb wraps his arm around my lower back and holds me to him firmly so I can feel his excitement against my thigh.

I’m not entirely sure how it happens, but he gets his hands under my ass, and suddenly my legs are wrapped around his waist, and we are on the move.

I don’t care where he is taking me—down the hall, to another dimension.

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