He holds a hand to his heart. “I promise that you’ll lose nothing.”
“No. Tell me about your reasons.”
Being in the dark is a sure way to lose before even starting.
He remains silent, scowling at me, to intimidate me no doubt.
I meet him glare for glare. “If you don’t tell me, I’m not signing up to this.”
His shoulders turn rigid as he says in a monotone tone, “I’m teaching someone a lesson.”
“Who…?”
It hits me then.
Xander was beyond pissed off when Aiden held Kim the other week. He’s been unnecessarily aggressive with him during practice, too. And I noticed that they only stand together only when Ronan and Cole are with them.
“You’re doing this to spite Aiden?” I whisper-yell then inch closer to him when a classmate gives us the stink eye while passing by.
Or more like she gives me the stink eye. She’s one of Xander’s endless admirers.
Another reminder of what I’ll deal with if I agree to become his pretend girlfriend.
Xander raises an eyebrow. “You have a problem with that?”
“Not really, but…” I inch closer. “You’re overestimating Aiden’s temporary obsession with me. He doesn’t care about me.”
He cares about belittling me, dominating me, and having me bend at his will.
He only cares about breaking me.
“Why do you think no one asked you out these past two years?” Xander lifts an eyebrow.
“W-what?”
“Other girls have boyfriends, but you don’t. Ever wonder why?”
“Other girls aren’t bullied,” I grit out. “They aren’t called Teacher Sluts.”
“That’s the point.” He snaps his fingers and points at me. “Who do you think started the rumour that you sucked off the biology teacher? That you’re a Teacher Slut? And the other about you having a contagious disease?” He counts on his fingers. “King and King and… oh, King.”
I’m too stunned to speak. My mouth opens then closes like a dying fish.
All these years, I thought Aiden just stayed in the background. I thought the bullying started only because he expressed hatred towards me in front of the whole school that day and therefore, they acted upon loyalty to him.
Turns out he staged it all and let his minions do the rest.
Minimum effort. Similar results.
The bastard.
My blood whooshes with a hot, red feeling.
“Why?” I don’t even recognise my haunted voice.
“It’s his way to eliminate competition.”
“Why would he want to eliminate competition?”
“Beats me.” He lifts a shoulder. “I’ve known King for his entire life, and I’ve never seen him as transfixed by someone as he is with you.”
Aiden said it, didn’t he? His care isn’t normal, labellable, or conventional.
But then again, why do I have to pay for his unconventional ways?
Anger sweeps over me like a black, bottomless ocean.
Somewhere in my brain, I realise that I shouldn’t make snap decisions while I’m angry, but I couldn’t care less.
“Deal,” I tell Xander. “I’ll be your pretend girlfriend.”
There’s no better way to have revenge on Aiden than to ‘date’ his best friend.
And I know why Xander approached me.
He likes the idea that Aiden has spent years successfully ‘eliminating’ all competition, just so I’d end up in Xander’s arms.
It’s such a dick move, but I like Xander a little bit for it.
I like anyone who rebels against the entitled, psycho king.
Xander’s lips stretch into a wolfish grin as he offers me his arm. “Let’s make our first appearance, love.”
I reluctantly slip my arm in his.
This isn’t my character.
Hell, I don’t even like to lie, let alone be someone’s pretend girlfriend.
But if Aiden’s using my best friend against me, the only way to strike him is to use his best friend back.
Eye for an eye.
Blood for blood.
He started the war. I’m just keeping up.
My feet falter in front of the cafeteria. There’s a reason I don’t eat here, and it’s not the food.
It’s like a high-end restaurant, but for high school kids. Even the staff appear like butlers straight out of the palace.
During the lunch break, RES’s entire student body gathers here. If something happens in this place, it’ll be engraved in everyone’s memories.
It’ll be posted on social media.
It’ll be the talk of the entire school.
Last week, Silver spilt juice on a freshman — she spills beverages a lot — and it became the talk of the week. The incident reached me even though I don’t eat here.
“Relax.” Xander’s cool voice wrenches me from my thoughts. His face is all grins and smiles.
Easy for him to say. He’s a popular star and the son of a minister.
Attention is his middle name. Hell, he might even thrive on it.
I can end all this now, but my need for revenge simmers beneath the surface like an untamed animal.
This time, I’ll be the one who inflicts pain.
Whoa. That’s a scary thought.
I’m not that person. I don’t need to inflict pain. All I need is justice.
Yes. Justice.
With a deep breath, Xander and I walk into the cafeteria. Chatter and utensils clicking fills the air. Some students laugh at one another, others are in heated conversations, and a few loners sit in the back.
My heartbeat increases with every step I take. Beads of sweat cover my temples and a tremor shoots through my limbs.
Once we’re in the centre of the cafeteria, the chit chat withers away and almost everyone’s attention zeroes in on us.
Some jab their friends while others murmur in hushed tones.
Being in the limelight stiffens my shoulder blades.
My heart flips when I make out where Xander is guiding me.
The centre table.
The football team’s table.
The table at which Aiden sits. He’s nodding at something Cole says while nonchalantly moving his fork around his half-full plate.
He’s wearing the team’s blue jacket with the school’s logo. The first few buttons of his shirt are undone, hinting at his tanned skin and hard muscles.
Ronan is half-sitting on his chair, speaking enthusiastically while the rest of the team snickers. All except for Aiden who’s watching with a poker face.
Cole’s laugh falls as he notices us.
His eyes stray from me to Xander and then straight to Aiden. He doesn’t need to alert him, though.
As if having a sixth sense, Aiden pauses picking at his food and lifts his head. His smoky gaze falls on me, and for a second, he appears to be taken aback as if he doesn’t know what I’m doing here.
Then his eyes dart to where I’m clutching Xander by the arm. It’s at a time like this that I wish Aiden had an expressive face.
His poker mask is strapped tight around his features as he drops his fork with a clank and stands.
He calmly, too calmly, wipes his mouth with a napkin before setting it down.
My heart nearly leaps out of my throat as he stalks towards us with sure, confident steps.
I want to believe that Aiden wouldn’t humiliate me in public now that I’m with Xander, but I can’t put anything past him.
The smirk on Xander’s face isn’t helping. “He’s pissed off.”
“How do you know that?” I whisper back.
He appears completely detached to me.
“The twitch in his left eye.” Xander grins. “He can control anything but that.”
Xander removes my arm from his but just so he’d wrap it around my shoulder.
He smells of sandalwood.
That’s the last thought I have before Aiden slams his fist in Xander’s face.