Kim’s little brother idolises Xander, and that always ticked her off.
“He’s just a kid.”
“He’s my baby brother, not his. Fucking arsehole.”
Then she launches into a full report on the game. It’s her usual thing, but this time, I notice the impressed tone whenever she talks about Aiden. Or maybe the impressed tone has always been there and I was too deaf to hear it.
I’m going to be sick to my stomach.
Just when I’m about to stop her, a shadow looms over us.
My head snaps up to find Ronan grinning down at us like an idiot.
“What do you want?” I snap.
“Relax, Frozen.” He slides beside a stunned Kim, smiling with unmistakable charm. “I come here in peace.”
Peace? He’s got to be freaking kidding me.
I search behind him and around the trees, expecting the devil to come out and play.
Nothing can convince me that this isn’t another one of Aiden’s depraved games.
I fold my arms over my chest. “Since when do you talk to us, Ronan?”
“Since Kim is a fan.” He grins at her, placing a stray strand behind her ear. “How come you never showed it before, chérie? You don’t have to be a closet fan.”
“I’m not.” She smiles, appearing to relax. “I love Elites’ team play. Cole is the perfect captain. Aiden is the ace striker and you’re one of the best midfielders in the school’s championships.”
“Correction. I’m not one of the best. I’m the best, Kimmy.”
“The freaking best!”
They go on a long string of football conversation about the few games Elites played this season and last year’s championship.
Ronan Astor and Kim are bonding.
Gag.Someone kill me.
I slam the lid of my container shut with a force that gets their attention. “Are you done?”
“Bah alors, Frozen. Anyone ever told you to chill?”
“I’ll be perfectly chill when you’re as far away from us as possible.”
Kim frowns. “That’s rude, Ellie.”
Rude? Doesn’t she realise he’s playing a game? A game Aiden must’ve put him up to it.
“No wonder he’s possessed,” Ronan mutters before he smiles at Kim, completely erasing me. “How about you stop being a closet fan and come over to one of my parties?”
Kim’s eyes almost bug out. “Who? Me?”
“I’ll win the drinking competition for your sake, Kimmy.”
“You will?” She almost shouts.
“I do anything for our fans.” He winks, brushes his knuckles over her hand before he stands and glances at me. “You can come, too, if you lose the frozen act.”
He throws a dismissive hand and leaves.
I continue aiming daggers at his back even as he disappears between the trees.
“Did you hear that? He invited us to one of his parties.”
“So what?”
“It’s Ronan Astor’s party, Ellie! I’ve always dreamt about attending one. I can’t believe he invited us.”
“Kim!” I grip her shoulders. “We agreed to never mingle with them, remember? We belong to different worlds and have different standards.”
“It’s just a party, Ellie. It’s senior year, we can at least go to a party.” The spark in her eyes doesn’t disappear. If anything, she looks about to explode from excitement.
That’s when I see it. The eagerness. The child-like thrill.
Kim wants this. She always had this dreamy look in her eyes whenever she talked about the football game or when we overhead other students talk about Ronan’s parties.
Unlike me, she wants to see that other crowd — Aiden and his pack of wolves’ crowd.
Maybe she’s been holding back because of the bullying. Maybe it’s because of me.
Either way, the new Kim isn’t afraid to go after what she likes. If anything, she runs straight to it.
Nothing I do or say will change her mind about the party.
I have to take care of the source of the problem.
A certain arsehole who’s been manipulating her throughout her new change.
We go back to school for our next class. Kim wouldn’t stop talking about the party even when I try to change the subject. I preferred the Korean soap operas retellings.
Near the class, Aiden crosses our path, coming in from the opposite direction. He stops near the door and Kim stops, too.
“Morning, Reed.” Aiden offers her a smile that somehow reaches his smokey eyes.
My chest squeezes in an uncomfortable, almost painful way.
“Morning, King.” Kim smiles back.
“You were amazing in the last game. We need more fans like you.”
“Go Elites!” Kim grins. “We’re so getting the championship this year.”
“Hell yeah, Kimmy!” Ronan cheers from behind us, draping an arm around Kim’s shoulder and leading her inside.
I hurry after them when a large-as-life presence pushes me back against the wall.
The students’ chatter disappears and my back snaps upright as I stare up at Aiden’s soulless eyes.
All the smiles he offered Kim disappear, leaving the actual demon Aiden is.
Looking up at him, I can’t help recalling his skin against mine. His finger sliding inside me. His lips biting my neck —
Nope. He’s not getting under my skin.
“Are you going to be mine?” he asks so low that the tenor of his voice vibrates on my skin.
Every day since that damned breakfast, he corners me somewhere and asks that same question.
I jut my chin out and give him the same answer I tell him every day, “No.”
“Hmm.” His fingers dig at the back of my scalp beneath my hair as he grips my nape and pins me in place.
There’s no escaping him even if I tried.
He’s freaking everywhere like the asphyxiating smoke in his eyes.
If I want to protect my sanity, I need to play my cards smartly.