Page 186 of Dear Love, I Hate You (Easton High)

Feeling like Mr. Hall stapled my heart to his dull gray walls, I rush down the hall toward my locker. I need to get the hell out of here. It’s Friday. I doubt Mom will mind if I skip the afternoon. I’ll just tell her I wasn’t feeling well. It’s not like I can tell her I lost my scholarship—she doesn’t even know I got one yet. Guess it’s a good thing I didn’t tell her…

Since there’s nothing to tell anymore.

A text from Dia sits on my phone screen.

Dia: What happened?

I text her back as I push through the crowd.

Aveena: Nothing much. Just lost my scholarship.

Her reply comes through instantly.

Dia: WHAT??? Where are you?

Dia: I’ll meet you.

Aveena: I’m going home. Talk later?

I reach my locker the next minute. I pack my things in record time and dash down the hall, hell-bent on booking it to my car before I run into anyon—

“Vee?”

My head snaps up.

It’s a miracle I manage to recognize him through the tears.

Xavier.

Of fucking course.

I attempt to swab my face dry but end up smudging my mascara everywhere. His lips trickle open as he drinks me in. To say I’m a mess would be the understatement of the century.

A marriage of pain, regret, and guilt simmers in his blue eyes.

He opens his mouth to speak. “I—”

“Baby?” a familiar voice says behind us. Brie pops up by his side, locking a possessive hand around his bicep. “There you are.” She smacks a loud kiss on his cheek.

Normally, this would break my heart.

Problem is, there’s nothing left to break.

“Aveena, hey. Didn’t see you there.” Brie flashes me her best backstabbing slut smile. I don’t have it in me to pretend, so I opt for my best and only option: run for the hills. Blowing off Brie, I stare Xavier dead in the eyes.

The boy I sacrificed my dreams for.

Then I storm out of the school.

* * *

I’ve never liked Theodore Cox’s car. It’s bright red and flashy in a cocky way.

I think I heard him say it was his dad’s car once and he didn’t get a say in it, but I still hate it. And right now… I hate him. To be fair, I hate anyone on earth who’s sort of happy.

I thought I’d be home alone when I decided to ditch school, and technically, I am. If only my driveway wasn’t occupied with Theo’s car… The fogged-up windows and bouncing movement left very little to the imagination.

It didn’t take a degree to know my sister was in there, screwing Easton High’s player in the back seat. “Still Don’t Know My Name” by Labrinth was booming from inside the vehicle, but the deafening music wasn’t enough to cover up Ashley’s moans, her calling of Theo’s name over and over.