Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)
“You wish.” I drop my hand, making a show of swiping my palm down the side of my leg as if clearing it of Landon cooties.
“Why do you care how I treat her, anyway?”
I look over at him, unable to keep my wide-eyed disbelief off my face. “Because she’s a human being whose only sin seems to be liking you, and it’s fucking mean to treat her like…”
I trail off, unable to come up with the right word.
Landon takes advantage of my distraction, grabbing my arm in a steely grip and running me off the path I’ve been walking. Before I can do more than gasp an objection, he has me pushed into the empty space between a row of lockers and an open door.
He anchors a hand on the wall to cage me in before I can calculate the likelihood of success if I shove the door and make a run for it. He’s to my front, the edge of a locker is to my left, and his muscular arm blocks the only possible escape on my right.
I tell myself to shove his arm or chop it or duck under it and get away from him, but in my head, all those actions will only cause him to drag me closer.
I’m not strong enough to hurt him, only to annoy him. It’s not like he would be unable to grab me again and restrain me better that time. He might even want to, given I fought back. He’d want to prove a point, show me how much stronger he is—physically, at least—as if I don’t already know. I picture that strong arm locked around my neck, my body forced back against his, his hot breath against my ear…
My lungs seem to shrink just imagining it.
I can’t touch him. I’m afraid where that might lead.
I don’t want to look at him either, but I don’t have a choice. Avoiding his gaze would signify submission, so despite the sudden muscle weakness afflicting my entire body, I raise my gaze to meet his, my eyes narrowed with hateful displeasure.
Landon’s mouth tugs up with a hint of malice. He leans in even closer. “Like the dirty little slut she is? Why do you care? Maybe she likes it.” Then, his voice dropping suggestively, he adds, “Why don’t you tell me why it really bothers you? You jealous, Johansson?”
I grind my teeth together. Comebacks fly from my brain to my mouth, but I swallow them all before any can escape.
I refuse to swallow his bait.
Instead, voice low and a touch shakier than I want it to be, I say, “Get away from me.”
I’m not really worried about him pouncing on me here in the hall with so many people around, but the position we’re in, the closeness of our bodies… My brain can’t seem to convince my body it isn’t in immense peril.
He doesn’t budge. Instead, he asks softly, “Or what?” He brings his hand up, grazing my jawline with his knuckles before grabbing my jaw and forcing me to look up at him with my entire head instead of just my eyes. “You’ve got nothing to threaten me with, Parker. I’m the one holding every single card you care about. And you know I’ll light every fucking one of them on fire.”
I lick my lips, my heart pounding in my chest. I try to jerk my face from his grip, but it only tightens until it’s almost painful. He pushes me back against the wall and brings his body closer, crowding me.
My heart tumbles and falls. My hollow tummy twists. The edges of my vision begin to darken, and I can feel fear taking over and shutting me down.
“Hey.”
The sharp voice comes from behind Landon, and it pierces this bubble of aloneness he sucked me into.
Landon’s grip eases, but he stares me down for a moment longer before he releases my jaw and takes a step back. He looks over at the intruder, irritation rolling off him at the interruption.
Malek’s dark gaze hits me almost accusingly, as if it’s my fault Landon cornered me.
But rather than verbalize the fucked-up sentiment, he just nods for Landon to follow him and starts walking. “Come on. I’m fucking hungry.”
I stay there against the wall until Landon disappears from sight. My left arm is still curled protectively around my books. I’d completely forgotten I was carrying them.
I wait for the strength to return to my legs, and once I’m sure they’ll carry me, I push off the wall.
But I don’t feel any safer in his absence.
I don’t feel hungry anymore, either.
And the prospect of going to the same lunchroom he’ll be in, having to see him and feel his gaze on me from across the room?
Well, now it really does feel like the before times.
I fish my phone out of my purse and shoot off a quick text to Hannah. “You want to eat in your car today? I have two lunches.”