Page 33

CHAPTER 33

ARIELLA

S liding the coffee holder with three iced caramel Frappuccinos on the small round table outside the school cafe, I dropped into the chair. It was our first day back on campus since the shooting. The athletic hall was still closed until further notice, and all practices except football were canceled, but all classes resumed as normal today, and even though the campus had a different, almost eerie feeling, I was happy for things to get back to normal.

"Oh, thank God." Journey collapsed into the chair across from me, dark circles shadowing her eyes like bruises. She reached for her cup with grabby hands, dramatic as always. "Coffee."

"I was getting used to sleeping in." Mila snagged her drink, then slumped down. Her fingers drummed against the cup in the same rhythm they used for warm-ups, betraying her anxiety beneath the casual tone.

I flipped open my laptop, the screen reflecting my own exhausted face. "Twenty minutes till class." The login cursor blinked accusingly while I tried to remember my password. "And my brain's still in break mode."

Journey's forehead met the table with a soft thunk. "Same."

"So." Mila leaned forward, elbows on the table, voice dropping to that conspiratorial tone that usually preceded gossip. "What happened last night? Did you guys—" Her spine snapped straight, eyes widening at something over my shoulder.

Metal screamed against tile, the sound of a chair dragging closer.

Before I could protest, Zaiden's presence materialized beside me. The conversations around us died one by one, like candles being snuffed out.

Heat radiated from him, along with his familiar scent. My stomach clenched. I kept my eyes fixed on my coffee, but couldn't ignore how the air seemed to change when he entered it.

Heads turned. Whispers rippled across nearby tables.

"What are you doing?"

His lips curved into that infuriating half-smile. "Sitting with what's mine." He settled into the chair, each movement a claim to the space. To me.

My chair squealed against the tile as I shoved back, but his knee was already there, a solid barrier blocking my escape. Around us, a dozen pairs of eyes darted away, pretending not to watch our drama unfold.

"I don't belong to anyone." The words felt weak against the certainty in his expression.

He leaned closer, voice dropping to a murmur that scraped against my nerves. "Keep telling yourself that, princess."

"Do you two need a minute?" Mila asked. My gaze snapped to her, giving her a 'what-the-fuck' look. "Because we only have a few minutes to figure out our day before we have to go to class."

"She's right." Journey twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "And you decided to bring him into this."

My eyes widened. He was her freaking brother. How could I exclude him?

"Plus, he's right." Journey shrugged one shoulder, loyalty to her brother winning out. "Everyone here thinks you are his. So, can we get back to what we were doing?"

"I'm good." Zaiden leaned back in his chair, victory written in the relaxed set of his shoulders.

My teeth clenched together hard enough to send pain shooting through my jaw. "Fine."

"Mila." Zaiden's tone shifted, suddenly all business. "Ariella said your brother was at the scene that night."

She nodded, lifting her coffee to her lips.

"Did he say anything about Kacie's phone?"

"No, but I'm having dinner with him tonight. I could ask him if he knows anything about it."

"You're having dinner with your brother?" Journey asked. Mila's brother rarely had time for her since he moved out of the house. They chatted on the phone often, but dinner together meant something was up.

"Yeah," she scowled. "I was supposed to meet his newest girlfriend, but they broke up. We're still having dinner."

"Is your brother a cop now?" Zaiden asked.

"Yep," she smiled. "That's why he started questioning what happened with Kacie. He read the final report, which didn't match what happened."

"We can meet up tonight," I suggested. "After your dinner."

"There's a party at Delta Gamma Phi tonight.

"Yeah, like a back-to-school thing," Journey added.

"I'm not going to another party." My gaze flicked to Zaiden, who was pretending to be absorbed in his phone. I rolled my eyes. "I don't want to run into anyone from the football team yet."

"You don't have any classes with any of them?" Journey leaned forward, elbows on the table, her protective-friend mode activating.

I shook my head, twisting a paper napkin between my fingers.

"Well, that shouldn't be an issue." Mila tapped her manicured nail against the table decisively, like she was marking the end of a debate. "They're all leaving this morning for an away game. So the only people you may run into from the last party are dancers from our team."

"Come on, Ari." Journey's hand covered mine, squeezing gently. "You can't hide forever."

The truth was, I didn't care about what happened at the football party with Zaiden anymore. I'd done what I had to do to protect my friends from feeling the same humiliation I had. I wasn't ready to face E.J. and the team's rejection.

"I'll be there around nine." I traced a circle on the table with my fingertip, already regretting the commitment.

Zaiden's chair scraped back. "I gotta go." He stood in one fluid motion, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

My gaze lifted, betraying me before I could stop it, following the line of his shoulders as he towered above our table.

"I'll meet you guys at the party tonight." He addressed the air somewhere above Journey's head, not bothering to check if they agreed.

Mila nodded, suddenly fascinated by something in her coffee cup. Traitor.

His focus shifted, locking on me like a predator spotting prey. "Ariella." My name in his mouth sounded like a command. "Walk me to class."

It wasn't a question; it was an order, delivered with the certainty of someone unused to hearing "no."

"No thanks." I turned back to my friends, shoulder angling to create a barrier, dismissing him.

"Hey—" My words dissolved into an undignified yelp as strong fingers circled my upper arm, lifting me from my seat with effortless strength. My coffee rocked in its cup.

"What the fu?—"

"I said," his lips brushed the shell of my ear, voice dropping to a register that vibrated through my bones, "walk me to class."

"We'll see you at the party, Ari." Mila pushed back her chair, exchanging a look with Journey that lasted a beat too long.

My fingers dug into the strap of my bag as Zaiden steered me toward the exit. "You guys are terrible friends," I hissed over my shoulder.

Journey's laugh bubbled up. Mila covered her mouth, but her eyes danced above her fingers. They waved with synchronized innocence, co-conspirators in whatever game they thought was happening.

The heavy door swung shut behind us with a dull thud, sealing us into the empty corridor. My arm burned where he'd gripped it, but I refused to rub the spot—refused to show weakness.

"What is your problem?" I backed away until concrete pressed cold against my spine. "You have a really weird way of convincing me to forgive you."

The lights caught the dangerous edge of his smile. "Forgive me?" Each slow step he took forward echoed in the hollow space. "For what exactly?"

"Don't play stupid. For destroying my life. For turning everyone against?—"

His laugh cut through the air. One hand pressed against the wall beside my head, and the scent of him surrounded me. His thumb traced his lower lip, a gesture that drew my gaze.

"Ariella." My name in his mouth was both a curse and a caress. "I never asked for your forgiveness."

The truth of those words hit harder than any accusation. I started to turn away, but his fingers caught my chin. Gentle, yet relentless. The contrast made my breath catch.

"I apologized for Kacie." His voice dropped lower, intimate in the empty hallway. "Only Kacie." His eyes searched mine, looking for something I wasn't sure I wanted him to find. "The rest?" That dangerous smile returned. "I meant every word, every action. And you?" His thumb brushed my jawline, feather-light. "You're mine. Take all the time you need to accept that." His lips dropped to my ear, the heat of his breath sending chills coursing over my body. "I licked it, so it's mine."

The worst part wasn't his arrogance. It was the way my traitor pulse jumped at his touch, betraying me with every beat. "I'm a patient man, but make no mistake, you're mine."

I shoved his hand away and squared my shoulders. "I don't belong to anyone." My jaw flexed.

"You are mine, and I can prove it again if you want me to." His eyes challenged me, dark with memories of whatever moment he believed had staked his claim.

I narrowed my eyes, mind racing to decipher his meaning while my body remembered something my brain couldn't, or wouldn't, access. Heat crawled up my neck. "Whatever, Zaiden. What do you want?"

He stepped back, satisfaction written in the relaxation of his shoulders. He'd gotten the reaction he wanted.

"I think I've made myself clear." A slow grin spread across his face, the kind that made girls write his name in their notebooks surrounded by hearts. "See you tonight."

My jaw clenched as I watched him walk away. He was so infuriatingly aggravating and hot, and I wanted to hate him so badly, but a small part of me had already forgiven him even if he didn't ask for it. Everyone had their own way of dealing with grief, and his was tormenting me because he thought I was responsible for her death. Or at least that was what I was telling myself, and there was no way I was going to ever admit it to him.

My brain shouted all the reasons to stay away from him: dangerous, manipulative, cruel. But my traitorous body remembered things my mind couldn't access, the weight of his hand at my waist, the heat of his skin, something else just beyond memory's reach. Logic against instinct, and instinct was winning. Again.