Page 59 of The Surprise Play

This is unbelievable. She’s still going?

Can she not hear the trash coming out of her mouth?

Satch sure can. Her expression is pinched and wounded as she pulls her jacket sleeves over her hands and turns to walk away.

Nope. Not happening.

Snatching her wrist, I stop her before she can take another step and pull her back against my side. Swinging my arm around her shoulders, I give the bitch a pointed look and loudly tell anyone who’s wise enough to listen, “You’re talking to the smartest person I know, so watch your fucking mouth!”

“Oh, please.” The girl rolls her eyes, giving Satch a derogatory stink eye that makes me wonder if they know each other. “I know plenty of girls who are just as smart and a damn sight prettier too.”

My tutor squirms against me, and I have to tighten my hold to keep her beside me.

I am so fucking livid right now, I want to close the space between me and this chick and?—

This is one of those cases where it should be okay to hit a girl.

I’ll never do it, but for the first time in my life, I want to. This chick needs shutting up, and if she doesn’t stop looking at Satch like that, I’m gonna lose my shit!

Moving Satch behind my back, I stand up taller and bark at the woman. “You better keep walking, lady. And if I hear you talking to my friend that way again, there’s gonna be a world of trouble coming after you.”

“Oooo,” she mocks me. “Are you threatening a woman?”

“You’re not a woman,” I scoff. “You’re a fucking viper. Keep that tongue inside your mouth and stay the hell away from us!”

She blinks like she can’t believe I just said that, and I grab Satch’s hand and pull her in the opposite direction before I do something stupid.

I’m beyond pissed that someone would talk to my tutor that way.

But the thing that’s riling me more than anything is the expression on Satch’s face. She’s obviously heard it all before, and that makes me want to break something.

CHAPTER 18

ELIZABETH

“Who was that bitch?” Wily spits.

I flinch and he huffs, lowering his voice immediately.

“Who was she, Satch?” He pulls me to a stop once we’re around the corner, his eyes rich with concern as his voice drops to a controlled, husky growl. “Do you know her?”

Opening my mouth to respond, I swear I try to say something, but nothing is coming out!

I can’t believe he just did that. The way he spoke to her. The way he stood up forme.

I… I…

Oh shit, she’s gonna tell Jade, and she’ll be so pissed!

“Satch?” Wily’s still holding my hand, his thumb now rubbing circles over my palm. It tickles a little, but I don’t want him to stop, because…

He told her to shut up and leave me alone. He shouted it at her.

No one ever does that.

They usually laugh and give embarrassed littleheadshakes. Sometimes they’ll softly murmur, “Come on. Don’t say that.” But Wily full-on threatened Jade’s friend. I don’t know what her name is, but she’s the blonde member of Team Evil 2.0.

He called her names! He told her to watch her mouth.