Page 105 of Prince of Hawthorne Prep

Maybe part of that is my fault. I’ve hidden things, especially when it had to do with Austin.

“I don’t want you spending any more time with him, do you understand?”

I press my lips together before muttering, “Yes.”

Her eyes narrow as if she doesn’t believe me.

I almost laugh.

Of course she doesn’t.

She believes Jasper.

And apparently, Edmond.

“I’m being serious, Delilah. He’s bad news and I don’t want you within ten feet of him.”

“I got it.”

Needing to shut down this conversation before I say something I’ll regret, I stalk to my bedroom and slam the door. Tears prick the backs of my eyes as I collapse onto the bed. Atevery turn, my life becomes more twisted, and I have no idea how to untangle it.

The irony is that it’s her affair with Pembroke that put me in this precarious situation in the first place.

DELILAH

I’m ripped from the shadowy depths of slumber when a heavy weight drops on top of me. A bloodcurdling scream gathers in my throat as a large hand covers my mouth and my nostrils, making it impossible to draw in breath. My hands rise, latching onto a muscular forearm and clawing at it to free myself.

The person doesn’t budge.

Fear slices through me, unable to believe that something like this could happen. Sure, we don’t live in the best neighborhood, but this is Hawthorne. It’s always been a quiet community.

“Shhh. It’s just me.”

Everything within stills as the deep voice echoes in my brain.

Austin?

What the hell?

As silvery moonlight slants in through the open window, my eyes gradually adjust to the darkness and the boy straddling my waist. As swiftly as fear bloomed to life inside me, it drains, leaving a million questions to circle in its place.

“I’m going to remove my hand. You need to be quiet,” he warns. “I doubt you want your mother to find me here.”

When I raise my brows, his palm disappears, and I can once again suck in a full breath. His gaze stays pinned to mine, waiting for what I’ll do next. But he’s right, if Mom discovers him in my room at this time of the night, she’ll lose it.

And probably lock me in a convent where I’ll never see the light of day.

“Why are you here?” I hiss, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. It’s well after midnight. We didn’t exactly part on the best of terms this afternoon. Honestly, I wasn’t sure where we stood.

His brows slide together as he searches my face. It’s as if I can feel the heat of his gaze warming my skin. One look is all it takes for my brain to click off and my body to come alive.

It’s maddening to feel this way.

Just when I think he won’t respond, he shakes his head. “Truthfully? I don’t have a clue.”

The disappointment that rises within me is instantaneous and all consuming.

Why am I surprised?

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