Page 18 of Little Devil

“Hey, Jordyn?”

“It’s JJ,” she grits out, stopping half way up the front steps to face me fully.

“You were wrong before.”

“About what?”

“I don’t want a princess,” I tell her, shamelessly moving my eyes over her sexy little outfit. “That little devil inside you? I wanna play with her.”

8

Jordyn

“You know Penelope’s been calling you, right?”

I roll my eyes at that, not even bothering to look her way while I continue taking notes from the board. “Yes, Sienna, I’m aware.”

Her and Noah have been blowing up my phone for the last ten days, but I haven’t answered or read any of the messages they’ve sent me. Honestly, I’m this close to blocking their numbers just to get a little peace and quiet.

“Will you at least talk to her?” Sienna whispers, leaning over the desk between us to catch my eyes. “She’s sorry and she misses you, but she can’t tell you that if you keep shutting her out like this.”

Fucking hell, really?

It’s not like I was expecting our mutual friends to take my side or anything – they all knew she was fucking him anyway so it wasn’t exactly a surprise to them – but I didn’t think they’d try to make me out to be the bad guy, to make me feel like I’m the one who needs to step up and fix it.

It fucking sucks.

The last bell rings and I drop my pen, thankful I don’t have to answer her. I take my time packing my books up and head for the door, keeping my eyes forward and my head held high while I make my way to my locker.

Never show weakness.

My mother’s words ring through my head and I keep walking, flexing my fingers around the strap of my purse when I connect eyes with Xander Reid in the hall.

I don’t know what the hell came over me in the parking lot last week, but instead of torturing myself by dwelling on it, I’ve decided to ignore him.

Indefinitely.

The bastard smirks like he knows it and I look away, making a quick stop at my locker to drop my books off before heading outside to my car. Ignoring the stares and whispers pointed my way, I jump inside and start the ignition, resisting the urge to bang my head against the steering wheel while I drive away towards home.

I can’t wait to go to college next fall.

I won’t be doing what I want to do, but at least I’ll be somewhere other than this suffocating town.

I pull up on my driveway a few minutes later and head inside, jumping out of my skin when I hear my name being called out from behind me.

“JJ.”

“Mom,” I say back, breathing a long sigh of relief when I realize she didn’t bring the Miami man home with her.

Last time she did that I earned myself a bridesmaid’s dress and a bratty younger stepsister.

“Did you miss me?”

I nod and wrap my arms around her waist, resting my head on her chest to inhale her familiar scent. Her body stiffens and she lifts her hands, awkwardly patting my back when I don’t release her right away. Those stupid tears fill my eyes but I force them back, silently pleading myself not to cry in front of her.

She doesn’t handle emotion well.

“Are you alright?” she asks, gently pushing me back by my shoulders to brush the creases from her dress.

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