Page 77 of The Hallows Queen

He laughs, buying into my fake nonchalant bullshit, and I feel a weight lift from my chest as the lies pass as truths.

“I would destroy that ass,” he says, facing Penelope again and smiling like a dick.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

Chapter22

Penelope

The days drag,and the nights are too quick.

Every minute at school is a mix of torture and excitement – there’s something that makes me feel dirty about having a secret, and my relationship with Hayden is no different. We spend the daylight ignoring each other, except for stolen glances in the classroom and filthy texts during lunch, but at night, everything goes back to normal.At least,ournormal.

I spend calculated minutes trying to observe him when no one is watching, studying his mannerisms, and falling for him because of the simple ways he moves. The way he picks his nails when he’s thinking, how he flicks the hair from his eyes when he’s reading and getting lost in his classwork, the silent laughs that pass between him and Levi when they whisper jokes to each other.

Everything about him draws me in – his smile, his walk, his posture – and every moment I spend as his teacher instead of his girlfriend makes me crazier for him. He’s addicting, down to his soul, and getting to know him from a distance as well as in the safety of our homes is making everything move faster. I’m learning more about him than I ever would in a normal relationship, because for the whole school day we’re different people sharing the same space, looking at each other’s lives from an outside view.

I’m antsy to see him by the end of second period on Friday, watching the door like a hawk searching for its next meal. When he finally swaggers through my classroom door, I feel a weight lift off my shoulders.

We share a silent smile, secrets written in our glances before he heads for his seat.

When he’s put his backpack on the back of his chair and sits down, he finds my gaze from across the room. I feel a burning need in my chest, something like butterflies on fire, and I want to rush over to him and feel his skin on mine.

I know he feels it too when his hand curls into a fist on his desk, and he smirks at me, silent words coming from his eyes that tell me he wants me.

When Levi walks in the room, his head turns and he greets his friend like normal – but I keep watching him, savoring the feel of him simply existing in the same space. The classroom has started to fill up, and like a fly on the wall, I watch as people interact with Hayden – pulling him into conversations or just clapping hands with him in greeting. It isn’t until Hayden’s gaze finds mine again, his face filled with annoyance, that I realize a blonde has curled her arm around the back of his chair while she talks to him quietly.

Heat spreads up my neck, filling me with bright green jealousy, and I have a hard time not standing up and laying my claim in front of everyone.

I’m not an idiot. I know what Hayden looks like, and I’m sure there’re lots of people who would like a chance with him, but it fucking pains me to know I can’t do anything to take him off the market publicly.

I’ve always been a territorial person. I’m not sure if it comes from my childhood, but when something ismine, I want the world to know theycan’t fucking have it.

Sitting back in my chair, I watch the exchange unfold, half of me wondering how Hayden is going to act. Part of me thinks maybe he’ll be a fuckboy and give in to her.

The girl brushes her hair over her shoulder, laughing at something Hayden has said, even as his eyes stay on mine, and my brow raises, challenging him.

He grins, his eyes sparkling with mischief, then he turns to face the girl.

His head drops to the side a fraction, and he says something under his breath as he moves toward the girl. She pulls back as he moves forward, her eyes narrowing, and then she slides her arm from around him and stands up. Before she walks away, her voice cuts through the noise of the room.

“Fuck you, Hayden.”

He laughs, and Levi does too, then I grab my phone.

Me:

Have you fucked her?

I send the text, then look back at Hayden as the bell rings overhead.

He slides his phone from his pocket and reads the text, then laughs as he types a response.

My phone buzzes on my desk a second later.

HJM:

Yes.

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