Page 72 of Princess of Hawthorne Prep

Begging him to use me.

Well…I’m done.

I have no idea if he’s fucking with me or not, but I can’t continue riding this emotional rollercoaster any longer.

It’s over.

If it was ever really anything to begin with.

Which I’m starting to doubt.

Maybe the reason he thinks I’m playing games is because that’s what he’s doing.

It’s a disconcerting thought.

And the one that echoes the loudest through my head as the soles of my shoes pound against the weathered wooden stairs to the backdoor. It’s a relief to find the house empty as I race through the first floor, up to the second and beeline straight to the bedroom we’re sharing. Once there, I twist the lock and lean against the door before squeezing my eyelids tightly closed.

DELILAH

The way I’m ripped from sleep is jarring. One second, I’m submerged in a dream and the next, my eyelids are flying open and Austin is hovering over me, his solid weight pressed against my chest, pinning me to the mattress.

“Did you really think a flimsy lock was going to keep me out?”

That snapped out question is all it takes for a rush of memories to crash back into my consciousness, and I stiffen beneath him.

“Yes,” I growl. As soon as I shift, attempting to buck him off, his fingers lock around my wrists before dragging them over my head.

His eyes narrow as his jaw locks. “What the hell has gotten into you?”

Even though I hate myself for the jealousy that whips through my body, it’s there, eating me alive. I couldn’t keep the words trapped inside if I tried.

“Good question. Maybe you should go find Aubrey.”

When I jerk my knee, attempting to knock it into him, he flinches. His lips peel back into a snarl as he stretches out on top of me, making movement impossible. He holds himself up on his elbows so that I’m not completely crushed by his weight.

“Aubrey?”

Even in the darkness, I’m able to glimpse the confusion that swirls through his green depths.

“I woke up a couple of hours ago and you were gone. When I went outside, I couldn’t find you.” A beat of silence passes before I accuse, “Duke said he saw you with Aubrey.”

There’s a moment of silence and I feel every beat of my pulse as I wait for an explanation.

“Just because I was talking to another girl, that somehow means we had sex? Is that how it works now?”

I grit my teeth. “She’s been hanging all over you since I slid into your SUV. Are you really going to deny it?”

His expression softens as he blinks. “Are you actually jealous?”

My eyes widen as I renew my struggles. “Of course not.”

A slow smirk curves his lips. “Hmmm. I think you might be lying.”

A dull heat creeps into my cheeks because he’s right, and I hate it. “I don’t care what you think.” I gather all my strength, trying to twist and dislodge him. “Now get off me.”

He doesn’t budge an inch. My guess is that Austin outweighs me by a solid fifty pounds. The reality is that he isn’t going anywhere unless he makes that decision.

And right now…

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