Sawyer reached up to remove my hands from his neck. I hadn’t realized I was still clinging to him.
Embarrassment and hurt lanced through me as he dropped my hands, and I rubbed them on the thighs of my dress.
I glanced around.
Oh god.
Everyone was looking at us. The entire gym. Some looked over slyly while others shamelessly stared with upturned lips and sparkling eyes, looking at me in that cruel way teenagers had that was both pitying and hungry for drama.
Sawyer noticed at the same time I did. His eyes widened, a flush blooming on his cheeks, before he looked back at me. He raked his gaze over me as I wore what I’m sure was a horrified expression.
A flash of anguish crossed his face and he steppedtoward me, reaching for me like he might pull me to him, shield me with his body again.
And I wanted him to, I wanted him to so bad. Anything to hide from the stares.
“No way, Sawyer.” Rich’s voice, loud and disbelieving rang through the crowd. “You don’t seriously have the hots for Brie Queso.”
A few people snickered as I shut my eyes against that stupid nickname.
Sawyer’s face turned tomato-red. He glanced at me one more time before the look in his eyes hardened, all worry wiped clean.
I knew that look. Even before he said it, I knew what was coming.
“I thought I’d give her a taste of the good life,” Sawyer said. “It’s all downhill from here for trash like her.”
I turned to get out of there. Someone flinched like literal garbage was coming their way. I looked up to find Rich pretending to recoil away from me.
“Don’t try to hang on to me next, I’ve got a date,” he half-shouted.
People around him roared with laughter, and my humiliation was complete. I had never been so low in my life.
Every step I took off the dance floor, another comment like that followed.
My eyes stung.
How could I have been so stupid?
I hadn’t just become more comfortable at school since that night in the rain. I’d grown complacent. How could I have let my guard down after so little time?
My entire life, Sawyer was cruel to me. I knew what kind of person he was, the kind who thought he could dowhatever he wanted, take whatever he wanted. Three months of basic human decency, and he had me for free.
I was in the hall before I realized Dev had followed me out.
By Monday morning, the entire town had heard what happened, and they were talking. Whispers about how I’d tried to cling onto Sawyer Strong, the Prince of Blue Ridge, but he wouldn’t have me. Exaggerated rumors of me throwing myself at him, begging for his attention.
Pitying looks from some, pious looks from others.
One more week.
CHAPTER 13
BRIE
It’s Saturday evening,I borrowed what my little sister Mara calls her “booby shirt,” and I watched a tutorial on how to do a soft smoky eye.
When I sashay downstairs, Gia is reading on the couch in the living room while Lizzie is spread out at the table in the kitchen painting runny watercolor hearts.
Lizzie looks up, mouth open wide. “You lookbeautiful, Aunt Brie.”
