Chapter One
“You look like shit. Are you sick?” Addison slams her tray down onto the table in front of me before stepping over the bench seat to sit down.
“Gee, thanks, Addi. You look lovely too,” I grumble. She’s not wrong. I do look and feel like shit. I think I’m coming down with the flu.
“I know. Thanks.” My best friend smiles.
Most of the kids at this school stay clear of me. Except her. She arrived a year ago. And on her very first day, I decided I was going to befriend her. The fact that all the other assholes at this school looked at her as if she were a leper helped. I felt bad for her, which was a first for me.
Now, people look at Addi with respect. Because if they don’t, their faces get a date with my fist.
“Where’ve you been?” I ask.
“Mr. Lore kept me back. Wanted to discuss my paper.”
“Why?”
Mr. Lore is our English professor, and Addison is a great fucking writer. There’s nothing wrong with whatever paper she handed in. I don’t even need to read it to know that. The girl has one hell of a vivid imagination.
“To tell me how amazing I am, obviously. What’s wrong with you?”
“You don’t have the time for that list, Addi.” I smirk. There’s plenty wrong with me, most of which I try to hide from her. One, because I don’t want to give her nightmares. And two, I don’t want her to run from me.
A jock walks past. His eyes roam up and down Addi’s bare legs. I glare at him and he quickly turns his head.
“You know, you’d have more friends if you stopped looking at everyone like you wanted to kill them,” Addi says.
“He was being a perv,” I tell her.
“He was checking me out?” She turns her head to look at the guy who is now walking away a little faster.
“You want him to be checking you out?” I tilt my head to the side.
Addi shrugs. “I haven’t gone out since I started at this school. It’d be nice to date.”
“We go out for dinner all the time,” I remind her.
“That’s different. You don’t want to sleep with me afterwards.” She smiles.
I blink. She’s wrong. I’d very much like to fuck her. I just don’t want to ruin what we have going on. She’s the only friend I’ve had who I actually like being around. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her the truth.
“You want to have sex with some random jock?” I ask, keeping my tone neutral.
“I can’t stay a virgin forever, Lex,” she whispers.
“Actually, you can,” I deadpan. “But you’re not losing your virginity to some random jock, Addi. You’ll regret it afterwards.”
Addison holds up a finger. “First, I’m not dying a virgin. Second, the only boy in this entire school I wouldn’t regret giving my V-card to is you, and we both know you’re not going to take it.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve had this conversation. Addison asked me if I’d sleep with her about a month ago. Once. Just take her virginity and then never mention it again. The problem is, if I do that, I know I won’t be able to just stop at once. I know I’ll want to keep her as mine.
“You would regret giving it to me, Addi.”
“Why?”
“Because if I fuck you, I’d ruin you for all other men.” I smirk. “Also, I’m an asshole. We both know that.”
“You’re right. You are an asshole. To everyone else. You’ve never been an ass to me though, Lex. Why is that?” She looks at me.
