Page 16

CHAPTER

ELEVEN

REMI

I slide my tray down the line at the café on campus, painfully aware of the new wounds on my wrist from yesterday, after he cornered me in the gym.

My hoodie sleeves are yanked down over my hands, but it’s hot in the little building and sweat pricks under my hood.

Van has a sculpting class today and can’t meet me for lunch and Sloane has an appointment with her academic advisor to place an internship next semester.

I’m almost grateful I’m alone, so there’s no way they can see what I did yesterday. After the gym, I skipped my class.

I know I’m letting him mess with me again, but it’s really hard not to. It doesn’t feel like he should be allowed to be so close to me, but I know no one is going to protect me from this.

I swipe my ID card for my meal plan, stuff it in my back pocket and keep my head down as I turn around, both hands back on my tray.

Only to almost collide with Maya fucking Bell.

She’s got her arms crossed over her chest and her chin dipped down as her pink lips pull into a wicked smile.

My hands shake and I white-knuckle my tray. An apple, a salad and a pack of Reese’s shift slightly as I tremble.

I haven’t seen Maya since it all happened. Before that, actually. Graduation.

We’ve had no classes together and never ran into each other on campus. My face heats, thinking the reason I’m seeing her has little to do with coincidence and everything to do with Cortland.

I try to step around her, darting my eyes to a tiny booth tucked away in the back of the orange-painted building.

But she sidesteps me.

I grind my teeth, take a deep breath, and meet her blue gaze. “Hi, Maya.”

She flashes a white, straight smile. Students jostle around us because I’m still by the register, but Maya doesn’t care. “You’re not looking so great, Remi,” she says, not bothering to lower her voice.

The café isn’t crowded—it’s a little early for the lunch flow—but a few heads turn our way. I feel the warmth in my face travel down to my neck. “Right, well, I’m just going to?—”

She takes a step toward me.

I inhale sharp through my nose, my pulse raising as I think of her on the local news, defending Cortland against allegations she wasn’t there to witness.

“I was friends with the victim. She’s a weird girl.

I think she’s just feeling guilty for sleeping with my boyfriend.

They both made mistakes that night, but there was no crime committed. ”

She drops her hands, glancing at my tray with disdain, then tosses her sleek, dark ponytail over one shoulder. “Haven’t seen you around, but I heard you and Cortland got reacquainted.”

My stomach twists into knots but I can think of nothing to say that isn’t damning either way. How does she know? Did he tell her?

She steps closer, and the tray I’m holding between us grazes her chest, the burnt orange wrap dress she’s wearing. “Don’t embarrass yourself, Remi.”

My palms grow slick against the plastic of the tray. “I don’t want him.”

But it’s like she doesn’t hear me. “He didn’t like you then.

You were a pity fuck. The shy girl got thrown a bone.

If he’d cared, he wouldn’t have passed you around.

” She lowers her head so her eyes are inches from mine.

I’m painfully aware of people watching us, and I feel sick.

“He would never share me. And he definitely doesn’t want you now, so don’t be desperate and throw yourself at him and his friends again. ”

Anger and humiliation burn hot under my skin but she’s already straightening, her arms back over her chest.

“Leave my boyfriend alone. And do something with your hair. It looks horrible.”

Just as she goes to turn around, I see someone walking toward us.

The only person who isn’t currently staring at us, this one is propelled into action.

I hold my breath, shifting my gaze from Maya to this person out of the corner of my eye, only to see it’s him.

Cortland’s hand slides down Maya’s back and over her ass, squeezing as he does.

I feel lightheaded as I lift my gaze to his and watch Maya lean into his chest, her palms splayed on his EU T-shirt.

His gray eyes hold mine.

I think of his hands on either side of me in that bathroom. His nose to mine. His blood on my mouth. My nails in his skin.

His big hand squeezes her ass again, and I feel like I’m going to be sick. But I don’t look away from his eyes.

“Hey, Rems,” he says softly, glancing down at my tray. “Not much of an appetite today?”

I see more than a few people still staring, and I wonder how many of them know who he is. Who I am. They can’t all be clueless. Ellicottville edges Aben. The case rocked the small town news. Silas made sure to tell me how embarrassed he was that he saw all four of these boys on the TV every day.

I grit my teeth and turn away from them, but Cortland’s free hand—the one not currently parked on Maya’s ass—comes to my tray, halting me. He yanks the tray close, unwinding his arm from around Maya to glare down at me.

I hear Maya laugh.

His eyes narrow.

But he isn’t looking at me anymore.

He’s staring at my wrist.

Mortification courses hot through my blood as I realize my hoodie sleeve must have ridden up when I put my ID in my back pocket.

I can see the red lines, stark against my white skin. Just over those blue veins at the base of my wrist.

“What’re you doing Remi?” he whispers, and when I shift my gaze back to his, I’m surprised to see anger on his face.

My heart thrums too fast.

Please don’t say anything about it.

Please don’t say anything.

His jaw is clenched as he shifts his hold on the tray from the side opposite me, to my wrist. I suck in a breath as his thumb covers the wounds.

“Don’t touch me,” I plead, aware Maya is watching our entire encounter.

He strokes his thumb over the cuts, his touch gentle. His brows draw together. “Don’t do this again.” He shakes his head. “Seriously, Remi. Don’t?—”

“What did she do?” Maya asks, apparently not having seen what Cort did. Her voice sounds giddy with excitement. “What did the little freak do?”

Cortland brushes his thumb over my wound one more time, then straightens and drops his hand. He wraps his arm around Maya. “Nothing,” he says, locking eyes with me. “Let’s go?—”

“I want to know what she did,” Maya complains, her eyes sparking at the promise of my humiliation. “What did she do?”

Cortland rolls his eyes. “I said let’s go?—”

“No, I want to know what the little slut?—”

Cortland wraps his hand over her mouth, tugging her closer to his body. He looks down at Maya with a smile, but I can see it in his eyes. He’s not happy. “You sound like a cunt when you say things like that.” Then he spins her around, away from me.

I try to breathe. In. Out. In. Out.

He glances over his shoulder, his eyes finding mine. “And I don’t like cunts.”