“Ava!” he pants. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling, and–”
He stops short when he notices the way I’m draped all over her, suspicious eyes flicking to me, then back.
Ava offers him a wobbly smile. “Hey, Bryce. Sorry, I uh, lost my phone. All my numbers were in it, so… I just got a new one yesterday.”
“Lost your…” he blinks, clearly struggling to process that. “Are you okay?”
His eyes round, all wounded puppy, and I immediately want to kick him down the stairs.
“She’s fine,” I cut in, tilting my head and giving him my most predatory smile. “We’ve got her. You can crawl back to whatever thrift shop you wandered out of.”
To his credit, he straightens up rather than slinking away, cutting me a glare. “You guys are such fucking assholes,” he snaps, looking at Ava like he expects her to back him up.
She just shrugs, averting her gaze.
“Nothing I haven’t heard before,” I say easily, tightening my arm around her shoulders for emphasis. “Move along, Hamilton.”
Bryce glares at me again, but he’s not dumb enough to try anything. Not here. And especially not with Raf standing behind us like a silent executioner.
Instead, he looks at Ava again, his expression softening. “Let’s catch up soon, okay?” he says quietly, giving her a pointed look like he’s trying to beam a message straight into her skull.
She nods once, tight and quick.
Bryce frowns, shoves his hands into his pockets, and trudges off across the quad with his head down.
The second he’s out of earshot, I lean closer. “You like the attention, don’t you?”
She shoots me a withering look. “If by attention, you mean constant public humiliation, then sure,” she says dryly. “It’s my kink.”
I snort. “Didn’t have you pegged for an exhibitionist, but I can work with that.”
“You’re an idiot,” she deadpans.
I flash her a grin. “That’s what they tell me.”
Wes reappears with two coffees in each hand, passing them out like a barista who regrets all his life choices. I let the silence stretch for a beat, then bump Ava lightly with my hip.
“Let’s roll, Ava baby.”
We peel off from the others and head toward the science building for our Anatomy class. We’re about halfway there when I spot Chelsea, Blair, and Stella clustered near the entrance of Stoker Hall, whispering to each other like it’s their full-time job.
Chelsea tucks her honey-blonde hair behind an ear, glaring daggers at Ava as we pass. I feel her stiffen beneath my arm, tension rippling through her body.
“Relax,” I murmur into her ear. “That bitch can’t touch you anymore.”
She rolls her shoulders like she’s trying to shake the tension loose, but her jaw stays locked. “I heard Raf hooked up with her again,” she says, voice clipped.
I nearly choke on my own spit. “Yeah right,” I scoff. “Don’t believe everything you hear, babe.”
“Kinda hard not to when you hear it straight from the horse’s mouth,” she mutters.
“You mean the whore’s mouth?” I ask with a snort. “Chelsea Carson is a pathological liar. I know for a fact Raf hasn’t dipped his dick in her for at least a month.”
Ava goes quiet, chewing on her lip. It’s such a painfully obvious tell that I can’t resist pushing harder.
“It’s a good thing you and Raf are gonna fuck soon,” I say brightly. “The sexual tension between you two is getting painful to watch.”
She whirls on me, face turning crimson. “Keep your voice down!” she snaps.
