Page 89 of Spearcrest Knight

“You and Sophie had sex?”

“Yeah—but not… it was… she just did it because she thought it’s what I wanted and she just wanted to get it out of the way so I leave her alone.”

“Well…” Zach speaks carefully. “Isn’t it what you wanted, though?”

“No—obviously it’s what I wanted but—” My face burns and my throat is so tight it’s a struggle to get the words out. “It wasn’t… she wouldn’t even fuckinglookat me, Zach.”

“Hmm,” Zach says noncommittally. “So you reported her about her job to get back at her because of the sex?”

I shake my head. “No. I mean, yes, but… I saw her at her job and found out that the guy she likes is some guy she works with. Some guy not from Spearcrest. Some older guy.”

“So what? Now she can’t go to her job, so she can’t see this guy, so she’s not in love with him anymore and she falls for you instead? Is that the plan?”

Zachary’s tone is dry, but he’s always been the first one of my friends to call me out on stupid ideas. I shake my head again. “No. So then I told her I wanted her to tutor me because I want to do well in Lit.”

“Which you don’t.”

“What—no. You don’t know that. Did you not hear Mr Houghton say he was impressed by my improvement?”

Zachary scoffs. “Since when do you care what Mr Houghton has to say?”

“Idocare. Plus you know my dad will be royally pissed off if I fail.”

“So, study.”

“I don’t wanna study. I want Sophie to teach me.”

“More like you want to keep her to yourself,” Zachary says drily. “So you told her you wanted her to tutor you, and then what did she say?”

“She said no. She said:you don’t even know what that word means, do you? If I teach you one last thing, it’s the meaning of the word no. It means you don’t get what you want.And then she walked away.”

Zachary cracks a rare smile. “I like her style.”

I sigh. “So that’s when I went to Mr Shawcross and reported her.”

“Mm. And now she’s found out, and presumably, she’s been bollocked and told not to go back anymore. Hence that heated little moment back there.”

I nod.

“So, what?” Zachary asks. “Is it everything you wanted? Do you feel as good as you thought you would?”

“Obviously not," I snap, glaring at him. "Do I look like I feel good?”

“Hardly. You look like you just got the girl you like in trouble and then called her poor in front of all your rich friends and then implied that having sex with you is something she ought to feel ashamed of.”

“No I didn’t.” I stare at Zachary in horror. “How did I imply that?”

“Well, all I’ll say is that if youdidn’twant her to feel ashamed of having sex with you, you probably shouldn’t have used it as an insult in a very public argument.”

My stomach clenches painfully. “Oh god.”

I bury my face in my hands. Zach is—as usual—completely right. In the heat of the moment, it had been the perfect comeback. I’d felt justified, full of righteous anger, like I was just retaliating against Sophie’s attacks. Maybe not in the most honourable way, but at least it had been blow for blow.

Now, I’m full of shame, remorse and horror, like I just beat up someone defenceless.

Zach sighs. “We’ll, if it helps, you’re hardly the first person to treat someone they fancy like shit for no reason.”

I peer through my fingers to give him a horrified look. “This is me we’re talking about! I never treat girls like shit. My parents raised me to be a fucking gentleman.”

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