Page 7 of Princess of Hawthorne Prep

My fingers bite into the smooth plastic of the phone case before squeezing until the small device is on the verge of shattering. It’s so tempting to hurl it across the room. Although that won’t erase the images that have been seared into my brain.

When a hand settles on my shoulder, I swing around, ready to throw fists. Summer’s eyes widen at my expression and the rage vibrating off me in heavy waves.

“Austin,” she whispers, searching my face for answers to questions she has yet to pose. “Are you all right?”

Even though her words are barely discernible over the loud beat of music that vibrates off the walls, I hear them loud and clear as they echo in my brain.

Unable to summon my voice, I shake my head.

Her attention drops to my clenched hand and she pries the phone from my curled fingers. Before I can steal it back, she unlocks the home screen and pulls up the messages. I know the exact moment she finds the photos. Her eyes widen, and her jaw drops.

She scrolls for a few seconds before jerking her gaze to mine. “What the fuck?”

Unsure how to respond, I release a steady breath. “I don’t know.”

“Every time I think about forgiving that bitch, something else happens.” With a huff, she presses the slim device into my palm.

Even though there’s nothing funny about this situation, a mirthless chuckle escapes from me.

Nailed it.

My thoughts exactly.

“In light of current events, I’m taking off. I can’t be here any longer,” I say.

Summer’s teeth scrape across her lower lip. “You’re not going to talk to her?”

“Nah.” I hold up the evidence in my hand. “She seems kind of preoccupied at the moment.”

Her shoulders collapse as sadness floods her green depths. “Sorry, Aus.”

I glance away, not wanting her to catch a glimpse of the hurt that lurks within my eyes. “Yeah, well…guess I was a dumbass for believing her lies in the first place. Looks like she and Jasper made a fool of me again.”

Before she can give me a useless load of bullshit, I swing away and stalk to the massive front door. I need to get the hell out of here before I rip this place apart with my bare hands, searching for the pair.

The last thing I want to see is their smirking faces for getting yet another one over on me.

DELILAH

Sunlight slants across my face, making it impossible to stay submerged in slumber. As much as I try to fight it, I lose the battle and gradually surface. As my eyelids flutter open, I realize that my head pounds an insistent drumbeat with the worst headache I’ve experienced in my life.

Argh.

And my mouth…it’s so cottony.

Like I haven’t had a drop to drink in days.

What the hell happened last night?

I carefully pick through my memories but come up empty, which is…strange.

It takes a few minutes to force open my eyelids. They’re ridiculously heavy. My brain remains sluggish as if I’m trying to fight my way through mud. When they’re finally open, I squint against the harsh sunlight pouring in through the window before staring at my surroundings. It takes my befuddled brain a handful of seconds to realize that nothing in the room looks familiar.

My heart rate explodes as I jackknife up in bed. The hasty movement sends pain slicing through my throbbing brain as a wave of nausea immediately follows. Any second, my head is going to roll right off my shoulders. And then I won’t have to worry about this headache.

The sheet and blanket slinks down my body and settles at my waist. My hands drift to my head to keep it in place as a tortured groan escapes from me. The noise would be startling if I didn’t know where it originated from. If I were in my own bed, I’d toss the covers over my head and attempt to sleep whatever this is off, but that’s not possible.

Not when I don’t have any idea where I am.

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