“Remind me to never drink again.” Kim groans from behind the wheel of her car.
She cursed me all ways to Sunday when I woke her up this morning. She only appears a bit human because I gave her Advil and Kirian helped me in preparing her hot soup for breakfast.
If it weren’t for Kir’s school, she might’ve never left the house.
Her hair is in a messy bun atop her head and her uniform is barely in order.
I’m not in any better shape either.
Sleep has eluded me most of the night — I chased it away by drinking a gallon of coffee.
The thought of a nightmare terrified me. I don’t sleep after visions as Dr Khan calls them.
Visions.
As if I’m psychic or something.
They were memories, not visions.
To chase them away, I studied, re-read the Art of War by Sun Tzu and I might have spied on Xander’s house from Kim’s balcony.
Aiden spent the night there — since his car remained in the driveway. I hoped Xander’s parents were home to prevent any murder plots between Elites’ strikers.
I dozed off after dawn, and when I woke up, Aiden’s car wasn’t there.
“I look like shit, don’t I?” Kim asks.
“Not worse than me.” I sigh, then face her. “What actually happened last night?”
“Aside from drinking?” She hits her head. “I don’t remember much.”
“When Xander carried you last night, you apologised and asked for his forgiveness. What is that supposed to mean?”
She throws me a terrified look. “X-Xander carried me?”
“All the way to your room.”
“And you let him?”
“To my defence, I couldn’t carry you inside.”
“Shit.” Her eyes almost bulge as she glances at me. “What else did I do?”
I hold up my fingers and count. “You pulled Xander’s hair, asked him if you were pretty, then you asked if he forgives you, then you cursed him.”
She groans, head bowing. “Someone kill me. Let’s go home. I can’t physically be at school today. I’ll stuff you with ice cream and not tell a word about it to your aunt. ”
“I don’t think it was that bad.” I laugh. “At least you didn’t get kissed in front of the whole school.”
Kim hits the brakes so hard, I would’ve tumbled forward if I hadn’t the seatbelt on.
“Kim!”
“You…” She swallows, giving me a frantic look. “Y-you were kissed by Xander?”
“Xander? No. Aiden.”
“Aiden?”
I lift a shoulder, feeling subconscious.
Her eyes widen, but it’s not in a judgemental way. “Wow… I don’t know how to comment on that.”
“I’m still not wrapping my head around it either.” And all the things we did in private.
I climaxed. Twice.
I hide my head in my hands, groaning. “It was in front of the whole school, Kim. I don’t know what the hell am I going to do about that.”
“Do you… like him?” she asks almost hesitantly.
Do I?
Aiden destabilizes me. From the beginning, he has never looked at my surface. He dug his nails deeper and brought out sides of me I didn’t even know existed. He toys at forbidden lines that rattle me to the bones.
I crave his sickness. I’m becoming attuned to his darkness and intensity.
But do I like him?
It takes a level of trust to like a person, and I can safely say that I don’t trust Aiden.
Or maybe I don’t trust myself around him.
“No.” I groan. “I don’t know.”
Kim makes an affirmative sound as if she knows what that means. “But you liked the kiss?”
“I… don’t know. Maybe? I was kissed in my previous school but it wasn’t all that consuming, you know?” I pause, peeking at her through my lashes. “You’re not going to judge me?”
“Hell to the no.” She faces me and leans over to half-hug me. “I’m always on your side, Ellie. You need some adventure in your life and consuming kisses sound like one hell of a start.”
I didn’t know I needed her approval until she voiced it. I squeeze her arm, silently telling her how grateful I am.
“Just…” Kim’s features sober up. “Be careful, okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“I just don’t want you to see you hurt.”
Her words douse her earlier enthusiasm. I nod because she just told me the truth I needed to hear. That’s why Kim is my best friend. She can be both happy for me and see the negative side of things, too.
When we arrive at the school’s car park, we’re stopped by the bitch queen and her minions.
Seriously. Silver is the last person I need today.
“Isn’t it Frozen and her fat friend?” One of Silver’s minions says. Her name is Veronica if I remember correctly. Her uniform is so tight, she almost combusts in it.
I attempt to sidestep them, but the other minion, Summer, clutches my arm. “We’re talking to you, Teacher Slut.”
“And I’m not.” I wiggle free. Kim remains on my other side, and I’m proud of the way she lifts her chin.
Silver finally steps in front of me. She’s a few inches taller and she uses every inch to look down on me with that condescending air.
“Stay away from King, you little bitch.”
I plaster a smile on my face. “Why don’t you ask him to stay away from me? He’s the one who’s been chasing me.”
I had expected that to shut her off and wipe that smug look from her face, but it only deepens.
“You’re nothing but a fling, Frozen. Do you know why?” She pauses after asking her rhetorical question. “King has always been mine. There’s nothing you can do that’ll change it.”
My blood boils despite the calm façade I keep. My hand fists by my side, and Kim clutches my arm.
Silver throws me one last glance. “A king needs a queen, peasant.”
Her minions snicker before they push past me and Kim to the entrance. It takes everything in me not to pull them back by their hair and drag them to the floor.
But I’m not that person, am I?
I don’t fantasise about hurting others.
So why do I feel like demons are swirling all around me?
“Never mind her.” Kim strokes my arm. “She’s just being a usual bitch.”
My lips curl in what I hope looks like a reassuring smile as we walk into the school.
“They’re staring,” Kim whispers.
That’s when I notice that everyone is ogling me. Some even take a sneaky picture here and another one there. When I make eye contact, they pretend to be occupied with their phones.
I don’t have to wonder for long. The more Kim and I walk down the hall, the louder the whispers become.
“Is she really King’s girlfriend?”
“Wasn’t she with Knight the other day?”
“Really? King has a girlfriend?”
“Have you seen Instagram?”
“I’ve seen it live at the party.”
“Girlfriend…
“… girlfriend…”
Reality hits me like one of my unwanted visions.
Aiden did it on purpose.
The arsehole kissed me in front of the entire school to stake a claim that Xander didn’t.
Aiden must’ve known that everyone would be talking about it the next day.
Hell. He planned for everyone to talk about it.
I’m going to kill him.
Kim nudges me while we round a quieter corner. Her eyes are almost bulging out of their sockets. “Oh my gosh, Ellie.”
“What now?” My voice is filled with dread.
She shows me her phone. More specifically, Aiden’s Instagram profile and his last post.
Someone took a picture of us at an optimal angle while Aiden sat me on the table and ravaged my mouth. My legs and arms are wrapped around him and his body is moulded into mine.
The caption: Mine.
“No, he didn’t,” I whisper, not knowing if I’m mortified or just plain shocked.
“Oh yes, he did.” Kim grins and fans herself. “Consuming is the understatement of the century, Ellie. He looks like he was eating you alive.”
“We’ll be late for class.” I cut off her stupid grin and head in the direction of our first hour.
Kim falls in step with me. “No wonder Bitch Queen felt threatened and showed her claws. King never had a girlfriend and he sure as hell never posted a picture kissing someone.”
Huh. That feels… good.
In your face, Silver.
As soon as we enter the class, I halt. The chatter of the four horsemen ripples in the air. Of course. They’re all here.
Aiden leans back against his chair, his legs crossed in front of him and his fingers interlace across his abs. His entire attention is on me as if he’s been waiting for my entrance. The clouds of his eyes are gleaming with both triumph and a darkness so pitch black, it knots my stomach.
He got what he wanted.
The whole school thinks I’m his girlfriend. Once again, he took the decision from me, and this time, I’m freaking pissed off.
It might also have to do with what Silver said. The confident way she said it with grates on my nerves.
And because it hurts, I need to inflict it back.
I walk to Aiden with wide steps. Ronan grins like an idiot. Xander looks through the window, appearing lost somewhere. Cole who’s been talking to Aiden stops speaking when I stand in front of Aiden’s desk.
I plant my palm on it and lower myself to meet him point-blank. He arches an eyebrow as if challenging me.
Game on, dickhead.
I say in a clear voice for the whole class to hear, “I’m not yours.”
