Page 96 of Kings of Westbrook High

I sigh, blowing my smoke up to the sky because I don’t fucking know.

“Well, well, if it isn't the King’s bitch.”

I raise a brow at the sound of his sleazy ass voice, side eyeing Derek while he walks over to me with his hands in his pockets and his head cocked to the side, cocky as shit.

“I'm no one’s bitch.” I glare, necking a shot straight from the bottle.

“No?” He teases, stepping around me to block my view of the ocean. “You really have no idea, do you?”

“No, but I’m sure you’re about to enlighten me.” I deadpan, rolling my eyes when he opens his mouth to do just that.

“They’re playing you, Callie.” He tells me, laughing lightly when I shake my head and stand to leave. “You don’t believe me? Think about it.”

I probably shouldn’t do a damn thing this asshole tells me to, but I stop where I stand anyway, spinning on him to hear what he has to say.

“Spit it out, Kingston.”

“A smoking hot, feisty, siren of a girl shows up outta the blue and starts causing mayhem.” He steps closer, looking me dead in the eye. “The guys want you and the girls want to be you. That makes you powerful, maybe even more so than them.” He shrugs, stealing the joint from my hand to take a hit. “They couldn't get you to fall in line with their usual tactics so they switched it up a little, started to pretend they care. They're keeping you close, making you feel like you belong here, making everyone think you belong to them, with them.” He raises his brows, handing my joint back. “They want you to believe you're one of them so you'll fall that much harder when they throw you out like the broke trash whore they claim you are.”

I frown before I can stop it because fuck if that doesn’t make a whole lotta sense, more sense than them actually giving a shit about me and my pathetic life, which is what I’ve been telling myself this whole damn time.

Is he right?

Are they playing me?

“Don’t beat yourself up over it, baby girl.” He teases, moving in to close the distance between us. “They’re not worth it. But you and me?” He raises a brow, dragging his bottom lip through his teeth. “We could-”

“You could what?”

I straighten my spine at the sound of his voice and Derek glares, sliding his eyes over my shoulder.

“You could what, Derek?” Damon repeats himself, stepping closer to plaster his chest to my back. “Take us down? Steal my fuckin’ girl while you’re doing it?”

His nostrils flare and he looks down at me, watching for my reaction when Damon slides his hands around my waist to pull me into him. His breathing picks up against my back and I fight to keep mine in check, but I don’t move.

“Leave.”

Derek raises a brow at that, sliding his eyes to mine. “It’s like that, huh, Callie?”

“Stay and get your ass handed to you if you feel like it.” I shrug, tossing my joint in the sand. “Your choice.”

He licks his lips a moment, shaking his head at me like I’m stupid before he turns around and walks away without another word. I move to do the same, locking my jaw when Damon snatches my hand to pull me back. I shove him off just as quick and try again, but then he grabs me by the back of my neck and twists me to face him fully, fucking seething.

“What?”

“The fuck you mean what?” He bites out, getting in my face. “What’d he say to you?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“Or what?”

He glares, gripping my throat to pin my eyes with his. “Why you lettin’ him inside your head?”

“I’m not.”

“Why’d you sneak off on your own?”

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