Brandy cocked a hip. “Then prove it.”
“And how exactly would you like me to do that?” He tried to keep his voice hushed, but anger was spinning high, his teeth grating together as the protectiveness he felt toward Daisy surged through his system.
“Tell her to go fuck off and sit with the rest of the losers where she belongs. The only reason you hang around with her is because you pity her, and I’m sick of seeing her stupid, pathetic face wherever I go.”
Disbelief burned in his chest. A riot of fury and disgust that Brandy could be so cruel.
He’d never taken her for a mean girl, but clearly, he was wrong.
Before he could respond, he heard a choked gasp behind him. A gasp of hurt the person tried to keep fettered and subdued. One he knew could only come from one person.
He whipped around to find Daisy stumbling away, trying to blend into the crowd, though she fucking tripped over herself in her bid to escape.
The girl landed hard on her left hip.
She tried to hide that cry, too. It might have been silent, but he heard it.
Felt it.
He rushed that way. “Fuck, Daisy.”
She ducked her face and pushed herself backward across the slick floor, like she was going to try to crawl away. “Just leave me alone, Cash.”
He only angled forward. “Come on. Get off the floor.”
Frantic, she shook her head. “Please, just leave me alone.”
“You know that’s not going to happen,” he ground out, and he took her by the hand. A small cry erupted from her as he helped her to her feet, and she kept hiding her face that he knew was written in humiliation.
“See what I mean,” Brandy spat as she flung a hand in Daisy’s direction. “Look at her. Pathetic and stupid. Stop wasting your time with her. Tell her to fuck off.”
Cash felt the pitching of Daisy’s chest, a silent cry as she tried to turn and dip into the crowd that had surrounded them.
“Nah, you can go fuck off because I’d definitely rather spend my time with Daisy than with a vapid bitch like you.”
It was his fault. He never should have started something up with Brandy. But that didn’t mean he was going to let her demean Daisy.
He dove into the sea of people surrounding them. Probably every fucking person at school.
He didn’t care.
He shoved at the people in his way, shouting, “Daisy! Daisy! Would you wait up?”
She kept moving, shouldering through. Frazzled, pained energy rolled off her in waves. She pushed out the double doors at the end of the hall.
He ran out behind her, eyes scanning to find her running down the steps and toward the parking lot. The hints of cinnamon in her brown, wavy hair glinted beneath the sunlight, and her spirit moaned and thrashed.
“Daisy!” He dashed after her, not giving a fuck that everyone poured out the door behind them to witness what was going down.
She increased her pace, basically jogging with her ridiculously huge backpack bouncing on her back.
“Daisy,” he rasped when he finally caught up. He took her by the elbow and whirled her back toward him.
She slammed her eyes closed. “Just go back inside, Cash. She’s right. You don’t need to be hanging out with someone like me.”
“Someone like you? Who? Someone who’s kind and giving and thoughtful? Someone who really gets me? Actually fucking listens to me? Someone I get in return? Someone who’ll pretty much do anything for me the same way as I’d do for her? My best fucking friend? Is thatwhoyou’re talking about?”
Tears poured down her face, and she itched on her feet. “She’s your girlfriend.”
