I sigh in relief. Okay, so that’s why he didn’t call. “I j-j-just figured the whole p-pool incident,” I start, but he waves that off.
“Fuck Dimitri,” he declares loudly. “I should have kicked his ass for doing what he did, but I wassodrunk,” he says while rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.
I cringe at his words but quickly try to cover it up with a cough. Corbin was definitely drunk. He probably doesn’t even remember what he said to me, so I decide to not even bring it up.
“Don’t sweat it, babe. If anyone brings it up at lunch, I’ll take care of them,” he promises before pulling me closer andstealing a kiss.
I smile. Corbin is a good guy. Maybe there’s no real future between us because of the contract, but at least he’s nice and protects me. I can’t say the same about Dimitri. Eventually, I’ll have to deal with my future husband; but for right now, I just want to enjoy high school and my boyfriend. And that has to be enough.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Dimitri
AFTER THE PARTY,I keep my distance from Savina. It’s either that or do something crazy, like try to kiss her or confess my true feelings. And fuck all of that.
I even skip our English Lit class just so I don’t have to see her or smell her sweet, flowery scent that drives me up the wall. I eat my lunches in my car, even going for rides to clear my head. I wish I could just forget her completely, but we’re tied together, whether I like it or not. She will be my wife someday. We are going to be together. But now it feels like maybe it’s more than just the contract making me obsessed with her. It’s just…her. The way she smiles. The way she narrows her eyes on me when I piss her off. Her laugh. It’s so fucking melodic. And her voice when she sings. God, it feels like the heavens above open up when she sings. Sometimes she hums in class without realizing it, and it takes me to another dimension.
Savina has no idea the effect she has on me or thedepth of my obsession for her. I follow her after school. I make sure she gets home. And sometimes, late at night, I sneak into her bedroom just to watch her sleep. Fuck, she’s so cute when she’s sleeping and just beingquiet.
I’m a fucking goner for this girl, and it’s slowly killing me from the inside out. When I’m around her, I can’t stop treating her like shit and pushing her away. And the more I push her away, the more terrible I feel. But deep down I want her to want me. In fact, I’ve never wanted anything so desperately in my life. I honestly don’t deserve her. I know I’m not worthy. But I still want her.I need her.
It’s a mundane Thursday afternoon at school when I turn the corner of the hallway where the lockers are located. I see a group of guys hanging around. I recognize most of them as the football jocks, and in the dead center is Savina’s boyfriend. My hands clench into fists at my sides. Just the thought of Corbin’s hands on her has my blood boiling. He’s been getting more and more comfortable with Savina; pushing the envelope any chance he gets. Savina doesn’t let him get very far, however. She’s a good girl.My good girl.But I just know one of these days I’m going to cut off those fucking hands that have been touching my girl.
Grumbling under my breath, I almost turn away to keep myself from doing something bad, like smashing Corbin’s face in for being able to even breathe the same air as Savina, but then I overhear something that has my ears pricking with interest.
“So, did you fuck the mafia princess yet?” someone asks.
“What do you think?” Corbin says with a loud chuckle.
“Give us the details,” someone else says as I grow closer, my curiosity getting the better of me.
“Well, we went out last night,” Corbin starts.
I knew about their date. I watched them from afar, staying in the back of the movie theater, my eyes glued to them the entire time, seething as I watched them hold hands and share popcorn.
“After the movie, we went back to my house,” he continues.
I watched them leave the theater, but Ijust figured Corbin drove Savina home, like every other time. Anger coils tight in my chest, hot and relentless, because I didn’t follow them. I had to do my father’s bidding, as per usual.
Fuck, did Savina actually go to Corbin’s house alone with him? He could have tried to drug her again…or even worse. I obviously shouldn’t have let her out of my sight last night.
“Yeah, and then what happened?” one of the other guys asks, prodding Corbin playfully in the ribs with his elbow.
“Let’s just say I fucked the stutter right out of her,” Corbin brags openly.
The group of guys start to laugh, but their laughs sound distorted to me. A violent rage simmers beneath my skin. Hands fisted at my sides, my vision goes red.Blood red.That’s the only thing I can see as I approach them. Everything around me is blurred as my fist collides with Corbin’s nose. He falls backwards, and I tackle him onto the ground as blood rushes inside my ears. I can’t even hear his screams as I rain blows down upon him.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Savina
“THERE’S A FIGHT!”
“Fight!”
“Fight!”
I’m walking down the hall to lunch when I hear several kids shouting about a fight near the lockers. I turn the corner, and my stomach drops. I see Dimitri on top of Corbin, his fists dropping blow after blow onto his face.
