"You don't like it?" I ask them, looking at Kade, "I thought it's what you wanted?" I stammer, but silence greets me. Heavy and thick lingering between us. Eyes stare and whispers echo through the cafeteria. Elliot's hands curl around the table as he leans in.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he snaps as my eyes flicker between his and Kade's.
"You told me to wear it," I say. "You left it outside my door this morning with a note," I tell them, but Kade is the one I'm looking at.
"I didn't send you anything," he says, his voice void of emotion, and I blink.
"Yes, you did. It came in the same boxes with the same hand writing as all the other clothes you've bought me. Why are you—" But Grayson slams his hands on the table.
"No!" he cuts in as his graze drags over me, the look of disgust apparent over his face. "Take it off." And my spine straightens.
"What? No!" I say, and he smirks.
"You fucking heard me," he says, leaning in. "Take. It. Off!" he growls, and my bottom lip trembles, my hands shake, and the room tilts a bit.
"Do you have any idea what you are wearing?" Elliot asks, and I shake my head.
"You need to go! Right now!" Kade yells, and I jump.
"What? Why?" I ask, and his eyes snap to mine. There's no smirk, no games, nothing. He lets out a breath.
"Because you're wearing a dead girl’s clothes." My face drains, and I swallow thickly.
"Then maybe you should've told me that before," I fire back, because what in the actual fuck! Elliot lets out a harsh laugh. One I'm not used to in the slightest.
"Oh, we're past that now." Then Grayson steps closer, too fucking close, making me shiver.
"You think this shit is funny?" he asks, but I shake my head.
"I think someone is messing with me," I say. "And you're all too busy losing your shit to realize it." And Kade's gaze sharpens. I know I'm going to be punished for this. For talking back. But I didn't know, all I did was do as instructed and here we are. Kade leans down, bracing his hands on the table on either side of me, caging me in.
"Listen to me and hear my fucking words. Go fucking change! Now!" he shouts, making me jump out of my skin, but the cafeteria doors slam and everything stops moving. What the fuck!
thirty-one
Grayson Mercer
Milky Chicken Noodle Soup
The doors to the cafe slam shut, and I turn to see who just entered and my eyes widen. Rodney has his arm around Lucy, who has a smirk on her face.What in the actual fuck is happening?I smack Kade in the chest and he turns to look, having the same expression as I do.
“What the fuck?” Elliot states, and I take a deep breath as they head our way, but they don’t stop as we watch them walk right past us and sit at a table on the opposite side of the aisle by the back windows. Rowyn’s hands begin to shake, and I spin to leave. What the fuck is going on today?
"If I have to tell you to leave one more time, you aren't going to like the consequences," Kade spits as Rowyn starts to gather her things. We walk away and go back to our seats to finish eating. As I shove the pizza into my mouth, never taking my eyes off ofRowyn or Rodney and Lucy. I can’t help but stare knowing something is going to happen and I’m not in the mood today.
“So if it wasn’t Lucy’s blood—then whose?” Kade asks, and I shake my head.
“I’m not sure. Do I look like a forensic scientist? It’s not like we took a blood sample or anything,” I say, and Elliot laughs.
“This shit is so fucked up. We need to do something. Now she’s dressing like—”
“Don’t fucking say it, Eli,” Kade seethes as a blood curdling scream echos the space. My head snaps up, and I see Rodney with an empty bowl and soup poured all over Rowyn, then he pulls her hair back and pours milk over her face. She sputters, and I get up.Fuck this. No one hurts her but me.
Walking over to him, I tap his shoulder then rear my fist back and punch him in the face. He stumbles, slipping on the mess he made, but I don’t care. He comes for me but I bob and weave as he swings, never landing a hit. I laugh.
"Fucking pussy, come on hit me, bitch," I growl, making him snarl at me. He spits blood at my feet, and I grin. "Got you good there, didn't I? I smirk, punching him in the nose. Blood sprays and I laugh again, bouncing on my toes.
"Just like your bitch ass brother. Can't fight for shit!" I antagonize, and he charges at me, slammingus into the table. Rowyn screams, and I rear back, catching Rodney in the kidney. He groans, and I do it again, pushing him off of me. I lay punch after punch reveling in his bones cracking beneath my fists. His head snaps to the side as he swings wildly towards me, but I dodge every hit he tries to land.
