Page 85 of Spearcrest Knight

She’s close enough to touch, but I don’t want to just touch her. I want to grab her, pin her to the door and fuck her until she’s filling the room with the raspy, breathless sound of her moans.

The adrenaline pumping through me, mixed with her magnetic proximity and the intensity of my desire, makes my blood burn and my cock achingly hard. But Sophie’s eyes are fixed on mine, and the heat of my desire melts away against the ice of her gaze.

“Read my lips, Evan.No. No, I’m not going to tutor you for free, or for money. No, I’m not going to tutor you at all. It’s a strange little word, isn’t it? I’m sure you’ve never heard it before. Well, let it be the last thing I teach you.No. It means this time, you don’t get what you want. Nowmove. I’m late for my next lesson.”

She tries to storm past me, but I catch her by her arm, stopping her. I take her face in my hand, forcing her to look up at me—the same way I did when I fucked her. She meets my gaze with defiance, like she’s not afraid.

“Let me clarify something for you, Sutton.” I speak slowly, enunciating every word. “While you and I are in Spearcrest, you belong tome. You have from the moment you stepped foot here—and you will until the day you leave. You can fight me, you can fuck me—you can do whatever you please. But no matter what you choose to do, you remainmine.”

She pulls away from me with a sneer. “You don’townme, Evan. You might be a so-called fuckingkingof Spearcrest, but if you grow up and look around you, you’ll realise that means nothing at all. You have no power over me.”

I hold her gaze, but she doesn’t look away, doesn’t relent. I can tell she means it; she’s not going to break this time. She’s putting up a fight, just as I thought she would.

But that’s fine. Two can play this game.

“We’ll fucking see, Sutton.”

I move aside and let her leave. And then I go straight to the office of Mr Shawcross, our Head of Year, and officially report Sophie for having a job.

26

Blow for Blow

Sophie

WhenMrShawcrosscallsme into his office on Wednesday morning, I know what he’s going to say before I even walk into the room. Even though I was prepared for Evan’s retaliation, it never occurred to me he would actually grass me up to the school.

But of course, it should have occurred to me.

This isn’t my first time being betrayed by him.

Now, sitting across Mr Shawcross in the frosty morning light, I know exactly what he’s done. There is no surprise, just a sort of numb, grim resignation. To my surprise, Mr Shawcross doesn’t express any anger or annoyance.

Instead, with a sort of awkward kindness, he tells me he understands my financial concerns, that trying to find a job is perfectly understandable. I listen to him without a word, nobbing mutely as he explains to me that Spearcrest is an establishment that champions academic excellence, that this is a school rule which doesn’t allow exceptions and that the school is reluctant to set a precedent for students seeking employment.

He tells me the school, and him personally, will do their very best to help me apply for any financial aid available. He adds that with my pristine record and impressive grades, I should be eligible for all sorts of scholarships and that Spearcrest will support me all the way.

Finally, he takes a deep sigh and flounders for a second.

“Out of respect for both yourself and your parents, I thought it best if we leave the matter here and keep it between us. I’ve made no official record, Sophie. I implicitly trust you will do the right thing. Now, whether you wish to discuss the matter with your parents is at your discretion, but know that I will not be raising the issue with them.”

I nod. There’s a lump in my throat so big I can hardly breathe, but I have to speak at some point. I do so with some difficulty, my voice strangled.

“Thank you, Mr Shawcross.”

“Don’t mention it, Sophie. We all want what's best for you. I’ve also decided that for the sake of fairness, no students will be allowed away from campus, so your mentoring programme will continue here in Spearcrest. I’ll inform Mr Knight’s parents myself.”

I nod. Mr Shawcross gives me a pained smile. Somehow, his pity is worse than anything I could have expected. “I know how much you worry about things, Sophie, and trust me, I understand. But you’re a bright young woman, hard-working and principled, and things will work out. I genuinely believe they will.”

I swallow hard. To my complete mortification, enormous tears pool in my eyes, blurring my vision. Mr Shawcross clears his throat. “You’re dismissed, Sophie.”

My voice comes out in one breath as I jump to my feet and rush to the door. “Thank you, Mr Shawcross.”

Repressed sobs fill my chest like a balloon, threatening to burst. I run to the nearest girls’ bathroom and slam the door shut behind me. Then, finally alone, I explode into tears, sinking back against the door and burying my face in my arms to stifle the sobs that come wailing out.

I cry harder than I have in a long time. Big sobs shake me as I pull out long ribbons of paper towels to wipe away the stream of tears and snot. I cry out of sadness, fear, embarrassment, anger, frustration, relief, and from the nightmarish, haunting humiliation of my entire conversation with Mr Shawcross.

I must have seemed so poor to him, scrambling around working some stupid job to make myself a little bit of money so I’m not just living on student loans at university. His pity for me was clear, and, more painful still, his obvious sympathy for my parents.

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