Maddison pushes off the door and takes a step inside my room. I stand firm and don’t back down when she takes another step. A dark look enters her eyes and I begin to worry that she might be unhinged. “You might just outlast the two days after all, rich girl.” I stare at her, unsure what the hell to say. She turns and marches her skinny ass out of my room without a backward glance just as Fredrick enters with my two boxes. I say nothing to him when he bids me farewell, leaving me here alone in hell.
“One of your helpers?” Telisha asks when Fredrick leaves. I sigh and run a hand through my hair, I don’t miss the way Telisha eyes my blonde strands with envy. Being born with blonde hair and blue eyes naturally makes every guy think you are some dumb blonde who is willing to spread her legs if you tell her she’s smart and pretty.
“He’s my father’s driver,” I answer.
“Oh, your dad must be important.” I open my mouth to tell her he’s a senator but then I clamp it shut thinking better of it. Maybe, if they don’t know what my last name is then I might just have a fighting chance of making it out of here alive. I don’t like how slim my chances are given how the students outside whispered about me but I take the chance and lie.
“He likes to think so.” When silence stretches between us she clears her throat and nods.
“Well, Maddy and I are in the room next door. Call out if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” I say and find I actually mean it. She didn’t have to be nice to me yet here she is, extending an olive branch of friendship. When she leaves, I close my door and lock it. I leanagainst it and stare at the empty room. I clasp my pendant and take a deep breath. “I miss you,” I say aloud. I miss Emery so much and it sucks because I can’t exactly drive up and see her, plus I have no phone to call her or even KennaDee.
I’m utterly alone.
Tears prick the backs of my eyes and I fight to keep them at bay. How the hell am I going to survive this place?
CHAPTER FOUR
XADEN
“Push!” Coach roars. I grit my teeth and quicken my pace across the ice, defenders coming at me hard but I dodge them, keeping the puck out of reach—faking a left only to go right, switching my stick from hand to hand and pushing the puck either side. Keenan–our goalie–tries to anticipate my next move but he won’t get it, I never know what my next move is until I make it. I see him favoring his left so I dummy for a right hit only to switch it up at the last second and go left. The puck hits the net without any resistance. I skid to a stop, spraying ice everywhere.
“You fucker!” I turn and lift my helmet, smiling. Caspian slams into me and smacks me on the back with a broad grin on his face. “Dude, that fucking right spin was on point, you have to teach me that shit.”
I roll my eyes and shove him away from me as I skate back toward the coach and call out, “When you can keep up with me, I’ll teach you!”
“Your mom rode me faster than you can skate!” I chuckle at the idiot, he was the most unlikely friend I have ever made but after everything, he was the only one who stood by me. Coach eyes me with disdain from the box as I come to a stop in front of him. I know he hates me and wants nothing more than to throwmy ass off the team. He and I both know this team would be nothing without me.
“There is noIin team. You could have passed,” he snaps.
I shrug. “There may not be anIbut there sure as fuck is anMand anE,”I snarl.
“Get the hell off my ice, Devlin, you’re done for the day,” he shouts. I scoff at the fucker, he’s some washed-up has been that thinks he’s better than all of us. I fucking hate to admit it but the fuckerisbetter than most of the team. If he wasn’t as good of a coach as he is I would have his ass thrown out of my fucking town.
But, this is Stormsend. This is what it’s like to grow up on the other side of the tracks. You learn fast enough that you aren’t meant to make it out,hemakes it so you can’t leave. All he wants is to ruin Somerset and now, I finally agree with his plan. I want them to pay. They thought they could get away with it but not this fucking time. Merging the schools was his first step, we’re here to help him destroy the fuckers.
I ignore Caspian calling out to me as I make my way to the locker room. I used to love hockey, it was my ticket to freedom, my one way out of this fucking place and away from my father. It was all I wanted. I hated living in his shadow. Now, I have learned why he is such an angry fuck and why his hatred of Somerset runs so deep. I’m my father’s son and I will claim my spot at his side. This past year I have proven to him that I am made for this life.
Both schools have to share the same rink. We all share and sometimes we cross paths with those bitches. They hate us as much as we hate them. They all glare at Cas and label him as a traitor for joining the enemy. I wear my jersey with pride every time we step out onto that ice. We may not have all the glitz and glam like Somerset but we have something they don’t,hunger. Those fuckers are so blinded by their own wealth and wants theydon’t see what is right under their fucking noses. We allow them to see us a certain way because we love how they underestimate us. They may flash their cash and build mansions but not us, we are gritty and fight for everything we own. Truth be told, I’m richer than everyone in this fucking place, I just didn’t earn my wealth the same way they did.
I stuff my gear into my bag and change before heading outside to wait for Caspian. I ignore the pictures on the wall as I escape the rink and head for his Range Rover. He clicks the key for it to unlock and I quickly climb into the passenger seat. Before I can even get two minutes to relax my phone rings.
When I see who is calling guilt churns inside me. I should ignore the call but I can’t. “Yeah?”
“I spy with my beautiful little eye something beginning with your past,” she hisses.
I sigh, not at all in the fucking mood for her shit. “I don’t have time for your mind games, Maddison. Tell me what it is that you want so I can hang up.”
“One, fuck you, Xaden, and two, your rival’s bitch ass sister is my new neighbor!” I pull the phone away from my ear and glare at the fucking thing.
“Calm the fuck down, Maddison!” I snarl.
“Toren Kellar is my new neighbor.” Her words are like a sucker punch. I thought my warning the other night would have forced her to go back to where the fuck she has been hiding for the past year, but I guess I was wrong.
“She won’t be around for long,” I grit out through clenched teeth, then end the call just as Caspian stalks out the doors and heads straight for me. My hatred for her engulfs my entire being. Toren Kellar is nothing but shit under my skate. I’ll return the bitch to hell myself.
Caspian slides inside the car, takes one look at me and instantly his face morphs from tired to ready to fight. “What happened?”
