He misunderstood my question entirely, but I didn’t correct him. I was too busy buzzing at the idea of him not thinking of her in a girlfriend way.
“You don’t want to go to Raven Night, Hales. Trust me.”
I wanted to. God, I really did. But wanting something and trusting someone weren’t the same thing, and I’d learned that lesson early and hard. “That’s the thing,” I said, tapping my pen against my bottom lip. “I kind of do. It’s all anyone’s talking about. And I’ve never been to a party before.”
He looked at me like I’d admitted to something fundamentally wrong with my existence. “How is that possible?”
“I moved a lot,” I said, the half-truth sliding out. “Some years I was homeschooled. Different towns, different schools, never long enough to get invited anywhere. I just…never got the chance. It would be…stupid of me not to go now. It’s like a teenage rite of passage, right? The thing everyone does?”
“I’m not babysitting you. I can’t be held responsible for what happens to you.”
“I can take care of myself.” I held his gaze, my lips twisting. “Or have you forgotten?”
“The answer’s still no.”
“Fine,” I said sweetly, letting a smile curve my lips, promising trouble. “I’ll just ask your brother. I’m sure Mason would be more than happy to give me the mark. He seems…friendly.”
His gaze flicked to my mouth. “You like to play dirty, Hales.” He sighed. “Fine. But remember, you asked for it. I’ll give you the mark.” He leaned in slightly, and I caught the scent of him, cedar with hints of smoke. “Just make sure I get that A.”
I smiled, victory tasting sweet on my tongue. “Deal.”
Friday came fasterthan I expected. I was at my locker, half in my head, half in my schedule, when someone stepped into my space and took my hand before I could even turn around. Warm fingers clasped around my wrist, familiar in a way that made my pulse stutter beneath his grip.
Maddox.
I knew before I saw him, my skin prickling with awareness. It was a reaction I wasn’t yet sure I liked, but my body seemed to have a mind of its own.
He pressed something cool and damp against the inside of my wrist. His thumb swept across the tender skin above where he held the stamp in place before lifting his hand away. The black raven stared back at me, stark against my skin, still wet and gleaming.
I blinked, turning fully toward him, and my thoughts went sideways, scattering like leaves in the wind.God, why does he have to be so fucking hot?
“You got what you wanted, Hales,” he said roughly, lifting his gaze from my hand, but he didn’t release me.
Did I, though?
His unsettling light-green eyes tracked over my face, lingering on my mouth before moving back up. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” His fingers unraveled from my wrist. “The invite can be removed as quickly as it’s given if you don’t have what I need,” he said when I just stood staring at him, but I couldn’t help it. He enthralled me in a way that made me forget myself completely.
Finding my sanity, I rolled my eyes, mostly to keep my face from giving me away and showing him how his proximity did unhelpful things to my breathing. “It’s in my locker. Give me a sec.”
I turned the dial with unsteady fingers, fumbling the combination once before getting it right. My cheeks grew warm, feeling his gaze on me. Finally, the metal door swung open, and something slid out from the top shelf, tumbling through the air before hitting the floor near my feet. I stepped back, glancing down to see a velvety black rose. It had a note tied around the stem with a thin string.
My stomach pitched.
Maddox bent and picked up the rose before I could. “Another love note,” he said, straightening to his full height. The rose looked wrong in his hand, too delicate and romantic against his callused fingers. Tension coiled in his forearm as his lips arched into a frown. “This guy’s persistent.”
“Or sweet,” I offered, trying to grab the rose from his hand, but he was quick, pulling back out of my reach.
His fingers worked at the string, untying the note. His eyes moved quickly over the slip of paper, each line sharpening his expression as he read it out loud. “You don’t notice when I move closer, but I do. Every day, the space between us gets smaller. —Mine.” The lines around Maddox’s mouth hardened, as did the green in his gaze. “Hardly fucking sweet. Wow. This guy is a piece of work.”
“Do you know who is leaving me these messages?” I asked, leaning back against the wall of lockers.
He shook his head once, letting out a frustrated sigh. “No. And it’s pissing me off.”
“Why?” The question slipped out before I thought better of it.
“Because there’s nothing that happens in this school that I don’t know about.” His fingers crumpled the note into his fist. “Nothing.”
“Nothing?” I challenged, arching a brow, unable to help myself even though every instinct said to leave it alone.
