Page 109 of Giving In

“Let go, Jake,” I growl.

“Mm, she barks,” he says in a sultry voice as he runs his tongue over his lower lip.

“What do you want?”

“You think you can avoid me all week and I’m just going to let it pass? I stopped by your house every morning; you weren’t there. Where do you stay? Cause it ain’t at Emily’s since Luke has taken this spot.”

“That’s none of your business.”

He chuckles sarcastically at me. “When did you grow a backbone, Goody? Are you just dying to be punished?”

I twist and turn but his grip is too hard. “Let go of me.”

“I ran after you all week and you think I’m going to let go so easily? It’s time to catch up. You know, just you and me.”

I turn my face to him, and I can see his eyes are full of malice. He just loves this game of cat and mouse. Of course he does, he invented it.

“Please, Jake, I’m so tired of this.”

“Are you?” He straightens in his chair making me straighten as well. “Does that mean you’re giving in?”

“No!” I exclaim. He’s pushing me to the edge, and I want to slap his smug smile off his face.

He’s about to bite back when his eyes suddenly drop to my neck and his expression changes. Is that concern in his eyes?

“What happened?” he asks.

“Nothing that concerns you.”

“Everything about you concerns me. Tell me what happened.”

“I don’t owe you any explanation. Drop it.”

He looks conflicted as he frowns at me. He lets go of my neck and I understand it’s because people are starting to come in.

I straighten in my chair and look at the door. Emily comes in, holding hands with Luke and she waves at me with a big smile. I wave back but my eyes fall on Cole coming in after her. I can barely refrain a gasp when I see his face.

He sports two dark purple circles below his eyes as if he walked straight into a wall. Cottons are stuffed in his nose and I wonder if he got this during lacrosse.

Jake puts his hand on the small of my back and comes a little closer to me.

“Fine, don’t tell me now if you don’t want to. We’ll have more time tonight.”

“What?”

Mr. Ashton comes into the room and starts his class straight away. Jake takes a few minutes to reply.

“Tonight. You’re coming to the ball with me.”

“What? No, I’m not.”

He doesn’t reply and he slides his hand beneath my top instead.

“What are you doing?” I whisper at him.

“Convincing you to be my date, why? Would you prefer if I waited in the cafeteria with a sign that says, ‘be my date to the Halloween ball’? It’ll be my birthday at midnight, and I want to spend it with you.”

“This is not funny,” I hiss through gritted teeth.

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