I kept walking. She didn’t wait.
“Look how far you’ve fallen,” Elise called, voice loud enough to echo. The clack of lockers clicked closed behind her minions. “You think you can come back, make another play at Luke?”
My fingers tightened on my bag. I ignored her. She wasn’t worth wasting air on. And if it was Luke she wanted—which clearly, she did—she could have him. He wasn’t the same guy I’d fallen for. The hardness in his eyes, the chill emanating off him, told me more than enough. The worst-case scenario was probably already in play—he was becoming his father.And it’s my fault.
She stepped forward, spine straight, chin tilted in practiced defiance. “That’s cute. You really think you can walk back in and pretend you belong?”
Her followers burst into overloud laughter. Elise’s nails dug into my shoulder, stopping me from walking away. I shrugged her off and rolled my eyes.
Then Avery appeared beside me and dropped her book bag with a thud. “Back off.” Her voice a low growl.
Elise tucked a strand of her jet-black hair behind her ear while shifting her focus smoothly, expression oiled into sweetness. “Oh, look—Mila’s sidekick decided to show up. You best watch your back, Avery.” She smiled too wide. “Power’sshifting, sweetheart. You might want to learn who’s really running things.”
My eyebrow rose, and I fought the urge to see if any of the guys were nearby, wondering what they would have to say to Elise’s bold move. “That doesn’t scare me.”
“Once my brother hears, you’ll be the one afraid,” Avery promised Elise, her lips rearranging into a sneer. She flicked her long, wavy blond ponytail over her shoulder and met Elise’s brown-eyed gaze.
“We’ll see.” Elise tipped her head toward the end of the hall. “They’re watching.” Her gaze locked on two figures by the trophy case—Luke’s crew. “Luke is gonna have a choice soon, and you won’t like his decision.”
My gaze flew to the guys, wondering if they’d heard anything. But they couldn’t have, or they would’ve come over. They set their gaze around us, mostly on Avery. Jax with folded arms. Theo clutching his phone, probably because he’d alerted Luke. Chase, silent, coiled. Avery’s brother had become way more protective of her since I’d left. I couldn’t help but wonder what had changed to cause him to act the way he was.
Avery’s jaw was clenched, her arms crossed. Loyal as hell. I squared my shoulders and met Elise’s smirk. “Good luck. I’ll enjoy watching the guys remind you where you stand.”
Elise laughed, as if admitting defeat would blow her mind. Around us, melting whispers rose, a tide pulling at the edges. Did she really think she could go up against them? Something flickered in her eyes before she turned, hair swishing, heels echoing back down the hall. Her entourage fell in line, triumphant and vicious.
Avery guided me to my locker. “You all right?” she whispered.
“Yeah.” I continued to watch their retreat. “She’s rattled, right? I wasn’t.”
Avery’s eyes flicked back to the trophy case where the guys were, now complete with Luke. “It’s not him she’s worried about.”
I wanted to laugh. Elise was a fool because she definitely should be worried about him.
Avery worried her lip, and I sighed, giving in to the need to reassure her. “I’m fine. Seriously. I don’t give a shit about her games.”
Avery studied me for a second before the tension eased, and her shoulders loosened. “Come on.” She linked arms with me. “Let’s get to class.”
We rounded the corner. The murmurs followed. Behind us, I knew the guys watched. Let them. Whatever Elise had on them would soon be dissected, or maybe it already was. I glanced at Jax, then Luke, noting the calculating gleam that told me they were thinking, weighing just how and why the battlefield had changed.
By some miracle, I made it through all my classes without incident. Avery stuck close when we had any that were together. It was unfortunate that I didn’t have more than one that the guys weren’t in. But they weren’t making moves. Not yet. When Avery had asked if I wanted to meet later in the library after school, I took her up on it. Even though I didn’t want to remain here, going home was even less of a desire. The house was a dump, and Mom and I had this weirdness between us ever since we stepped foot in this stupid town.
The library felt colder than usual, even with the late afternoon sun spilling through the tall windows. I hovered near one of the long study tables, fingers drumming against the edge of my battered Calculus textbook. The same page had been open for ten minutes. I hadn’t read a single problem. And how could I after that confrontation with Luke in the rink’s locker room earlier? I’d wanted answers, but all the questions I would’veasked burned away at the sight of him without a shirt on. Sweat had glistened, only highlighting how broad and cut he was. He’d always been athletic, gorgeous, and alluring. But now? He was downright irresistible. And untouchable. It made me ache in ways I couldn’t admit.
Avery slid into the seat across from me, scattering my thoughts to the wind. Her ponytail was too perfect, and her face gave away nothing, but I could feel the shift in her vibe, as if something weighed on her.
“I know we brushed everything under the table—you leaving, all that. And I didn’t ask you here to rehash because I didn’t come to talk about the past,” she said, voice flat as she dropped her bag beside her.
“Good.” I flipped the page as if it mattered, almost relieved we were going to hash something out. “Because I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
Heavy silence fell between us. A few quiet conversations drifted over from another table. A chair creaked behind me.
“You always hated math,” Avery finally said with a sigh, as if it annoyed her to admit she remembered.
“I still do,” I muttered, glancing up again. Mom wished it was otherwise; math was her thing, not mine.
A ghost of a smirk tugged at her mouth before she wiped it away. “Then it’s a good thing I’m a math goddess.”
I arched a brow. “You mean aside from that one test sophomore year?”
