Page 51 of Ruthless Rose

Scarlett’s blue eyes bore into mine. “Daphne, you may think you’re hiding it well, but you’re not. We’ve been in each other’s business since I got here. I’ve been watching how you react when he’s around. It’s like you don’t know what to do with yourself. He makes you nervous. But you told us—you have a thing for him. From what I see, it seems like he’s really into you, too.”

I keep my mouth shut because I can’t deny it. I won’t lie about it.

Max pokes a fry into the air in my direction. “I’d agree with that assessment.”

“I also heard something happened this morning in the locker room. Xander said Micah was pretty worked up about it. That you were in there…” Scarlett works her jaw back and forth as she studies me.

My gaze drops to my food tray for a few seconds before I look back up at her. “I was, yes.”

Max’s head whips up, looking between Scarlett and me. “What do you mean? Like, for cheerbunny stuff? What the hell happened?”

Scarlett glances at Max before she settles her gaze on me. “Daph, you were there for me. Let me be there for you.”

“I—” My lips clamp shut, and I gaze out the window.

“Spill, Daph.” Max’s voice is raspy in my ear.

I draw in a deep breath and glance over my shoulder. “I was doing spirit girl stuff and a couple of football players walked in and grabbed me. They were messing with me. I mean, it was a little more intense than that. I—” My lips clamp shut. I just can’t. This whole scenario hits way too close to a memory I thought I was done dealing with. Apparently not.

My eyes glaze over with tears, and I blink furiously as my eyes move from Scarlett to Max, taking in their reaction.

Scarlett’s hands cover the lower half of her face and her eyes soften. “Seriously? I’m so sorry.” She swallows. I should have known she’d be sensitive to this, knowing what she went through with rapey-ass Justin.

“Who? I want to know who.” Max has gotten more and more agitated the longer he’s had to take in what I’ve said.

Looking down at my hands, I see they’re shaking again, so I clasp them together. My insides twist. “I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. I don’t want the whole school to know.”

My phone buzzes, interrupting. Max nudges me. “Is that Daph’s Dream Dick again?”

“Probably.”

“What’s he want?”

“To know who was in there this morning—the same as you.”

“Well, now someone is finally making some fucking sense around here.” Max sighs. “He really does care about you, doesn’t he? I had no idea the two of you were so involved.”

I blink some more, furiously trying to hold back the tears. I let out a shaky breath. “Well, we are. I think. I don’t really know.” Withdrawing my phone from my pocket, I take a look.

Daph’s Dream Dick:Meet me outside in the garden in ten.

Daph’s Dream Dick: Don’t stand me up.

My bark of laughter surprises everyone, including me. “Micah wants to talk to me.”

“What’s so funny about that? Maybe if you tell him what happened this morning, he’ll go fucking pound the douche canoes.”

I wet my lower lip. “I just thought it was funny that he asked me not to stand him up. I’m sure he’s never been stood up in his life. He always has a line of girls waiting for him. He—” My voice cracks. I’m rambling. The more I think about it, the more I feel like an idiot. I’m Daphne Davis. I don’t end up with someone like Micah.

Max pushes his seat back and stands up. “Come on.” He grips my elbow and locks eyes with Scarlett. “Can you tell him to come now?”

She nods, scoots out of her seat, and rushes across the cafeteria.

I get up and Max steers me in between the tables and out the door. There’s no one out here because of the cool temperatures. He pulls me off to the side of the door, out of sight of the windows. “I know it isn’t in your nature to want to cause trouble or to have people know your business. And there’s a whole fuck ton of bullshit that I feel like you’ve been hiding from me and Scarlett. You’re obviously not yourself lately.” He pulls me in for a hug, running his hand over my back. “We’re here for you, whenever you need us, but right now we don’t know how to help.”

So many things swirl through my head, but the biggest one blurts out. “Things have started to … go pretty far with Micah, and I’m scared to death of how he makes me feel.”

“Daph …”

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