“Sariah.” Sean tugs on her elbow, pulling her back and wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders.
“You should be,” Saint says. He eyeballs Sean. “Keep her in line.” The “or else” doesn’t need to be said.
“Knock it off, Saintly. Even look funny at Sar and I’ll be happy to demonstrate more of my knife skills,” I threaten.
Galen’s head whips to Saint’s. “What’s she talking about?”
“Fuck if I know.” He attempts to shrug it off. Under the table he pinches my thigh in warning.
“I’m done with this shit.” I stand, my chair screeching in protest.
“I need to speak with you,” Theo says, grabbing his bag and rising.
“Well, I don’t want to speak with you.” I storm off, and he chases after me, catching up to me out in the hallway. A few students loiter in the corridor watching as Theo grabs my arm and forces my back to the wall.
“Stop running away. It’s infuriating.” He cages me in, putting his face up close to mine.
“You’d know all about that,” I huff.
“I messed up, Lo.” His voice softens. “I messed up so bad with you, and it’s one of my biggest regrets.”
I plant a bored look on my face. “So you’ve said. We done here?” Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Parker and Finn lounging against a locker, pretending like they’re not listening.
“We all need to sit down and lay our cards out on the table. It’s the only way we’re gonna get to the truth.”
“What makes you think I’d trust any of you with the truth?”
His eyes scrutinize mine. “That’s fair, but you know I’d never let anything happen to you.”
“I know nothing of the sort, Theo. You dumped me without a second thought. Cut me out of your life like I never even existed.”
He sighs as he takes my hand, threading his fingers in mine. “We both know it didn’t go down like that.”
I shake my head, removing my fingers from his and pushing him back a few steps. “Rewriting history now, Theo?”
A look of fierce determination crosses his face. Then he grabs my cheeks, pulls my head to his, and kisses me hard and fast. He presses my body into the wall, his arms curling around me, his fingers digging into my ass.
I push him away again, staring at him incredulously. “Seriously?”
Un-fucking-believable. Like, “beam me up, Scotty” level of unbelievable.
“Fuck off, Theo.”
I move to walk away, but he holds on to my arm. “I’m not your enemy, Lo. And whether you like it or not, I’m going to prove I’m a true friend this time.”
I don’t dignify that with a response, walking to the bathroom to check my burner cell, shaking my irritation off with every step I take.
I lock myself in a stall and check my messages to see if Darrow replied. He has, and he wants to meet after school, so I tap out a response, power off the phone, and stow it in the hidden secret pocket of my backpack.
Parker is waiting for me when I step out. “Oh, joy,” I deadpan, brushing past her and moving to the sink. “To what do I owe the honor?”
She props her hip against the sink beside me. “Trouble in paradise?” She smirks, twirling a lock of her hair like she’s six.
“As if I’d tell you.” I wash my hands.
“You’re obsolete,” she adds, grinning. “And I’ll be taking that princess crown real soon.”
“Wow, been studying the dictionary lately? Didn’t think you had it in you.” I dry my hands on a sheet of paper towel.
