Page 19 of Cruel Abandon (Fallen Royals 5)

“You’re so smart,” she whispers. “You have an A in this class, don’t you? Why do you always sit in the back?”

I shrug. “People give me a wide berth. Haven’t you noticed?”

I tap my cheek, and she glances around. Sure enough, the students filing in automatically seem to give us a little extra room. Like just sitting beside me will drag their name through the mud.

But now, I think it might be more than that.

They want to see the fireworks from a safe distance.

“Well, I don’t give a fuck what they think.” She unloads her bag. Taryn Rixby is all of five-feet-nothing, weighs maybe a hundred pounds soaking wet, but right now she seems ready to take on the whole classroom. She shoves her dark-framed glasses up her nose and offers me a smile. Reassurance.

I can only nod.

She’ll see that we don’t really fit together. I don’t fit anywhere anymore. The hair, the piercing, and my clothes see to that on a regular basis. It’s my best weapon to keep people away from me.

Because maybe the rumors are right, and I’m going to detonate one day. At the rate we’re going, it could be this year. This month.

I’ve been pushed to the breaking point, and if I follow the trail back… it ends at Liam.

At Howl.

“You okay?” Taryn whispers.

I jolt, then glance at her. “Sorry. Just… a lot on my mind.”

Class begins, and I focus back on the professor. Just one more class to go, and I can get back to my apartment. To peace and quiet and a judgement-free zone.

6

Liam

Skylar’s class ends at four.

She’s one of the last out the door, probably because she always sits in the far corner of the room, but this afternoon, she’s not alone. Taryn Rixby is with her, busy holding her phone in her mouth as she ties her dark hair up.

Disgusting habit, honestly. Our phones collect every germ possible. Pockets, surfaces, our hands.

Instead of splitting away like I would’ve anticipated, the two go across the quad toward the library.

“What are you doing?” I ask. Except, I’m so far behind her, she doesn’t know I’m here. Watching.

Maybe stalking.

I follow her into the library and take a seat across the large, open space. Again, she doesn’t seem to notice me. Her and Taryn spread their books out across a table.

With a sigh—maybe a groan—I pull out the math homework and get started on it. It’s hard to concentrate in here, but I do my best to ignore the whispers. They look at me and they see the guy from the video, who beat up a guy double my weight. Baker had a few inches on me, too. It’s been two fucking years, and people are still dredging it up.

My phone chirps, and someone hisses.

Yes, literally fucking hisses.

It’s easy to locate the hisser. The girl has too-big glasses and a headband with cat ears. I glare until she packs up her bags and moves away.

The text is from my little brother.

Jake: Check the news.

Me: I’m in the library. Can’t you just fucking tell me?

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