“Parker needs to hear about this update,” he muttered, pulling out his phone.
I lunged for it, and he dodged, grinning like a jackal.
“Thatcher—”
“Ooh, you last-named me. Must be serious,” he said as he pressed send on the text. He tucked the phone into his pocket, smirk still welded to his face. “But seriously, Matty-kins. Who is this girl? I’m ready to have another best friend.”
Before I could lose my mind about the thought of him anywhere near her, my name rang out.
I glanced to the left, and saw Lindsey walking toward me. We’d hooked up a few times, and I was usually down to talk to her…
But that wasn’t the case today.
She reached for my arm, her fingers brushing the sleeve of my hoodie. “I was hoping I could come over tonight,” she said with a big smile, the insinuation clear in her voice.
Normally, I would’ve smiled. Been up for a hot fuck, or at least let her down gently if I wasn’t in the mood. It wasn’t hard to play nice.
The second her hand touched me, something in me went feral.
“I’m busy,” I said, sharper than I meant to.
Her smile faltered, confusion flickering across her face before she mumbled, “Oh—okay. Wow. Sorry, I didn’t mean to…” She gave a nervous laugh that sounded more like a hiccup. “Didn’t realize you wereseeing someone.”
“Well, I am,” I said automatically…not understanding why it didn’t taste like a lie.
“Right,” she muttered, cheeks flushing as she stepped back. “I’m sorry.”
She tried to laugh it off again, but it fell flat. A moment later, she was gone, swallowed by the tide of students, leaving behind nothing but the faint smell of her perfume and the ghost of her hand still burning on my sleeve.
I resumed walking. Jaw locked. Eyes forward.
I could feel Jace’s and Garrett’s eyes glued to the side of my head as we walked.
“Taken, huh…?” Jace finally asked innocently.
“I’m really confused,” Garrett muttered. “Who’s your girlfriend?”
“Don’t ask any more questions,” Jace whispered loudly. “He’s got a serial-killer face on, and I don’t have any cookies to pay him off.”
That finally got me to look at him incredulously.
“Just to let you know, if we are keeping count, you are my bestilicious friend number two today. So suck it,” I growled.
“Bet I know who number one is,” said Jace, doing that weird eyebrow thing again as he flipped his long blonde hair around dramatically. “And it ain’t Parkie-poo, my lad.”
I huffed, but I was too wrecked to get any more words out. All I could think about washer. Her copper eyes, her soft, nervous voice. The one who’d said “it doesn’t matter” like it was a confession.
I could still feel her everywhere—the brush of her hand against mine, the tremor in her breath, the warmth of her skin. It lingered like something sacred and poisonous all at once.
I needed a bucket of ice. Or holy water. Maybe both.
Because I was starting to think she hadn’t just gotten under my skin.
She’d cursed me.
CHAPTER 9
MATTY
