room with me set in his sights.
My words stuttered out of my mouth as his eyes locked on mine. His jaw was set, and he looked like he was thinking of all the ways he could hurt me. He had been nice only weeks before and had done a complete one-eighty. It was like he was a different person.
"What the fuck?" Tory whispered as he came to stand behind her.
"Move." His voice was low and held a threat.
I was done with whatever they were up to. I had hidden out during lunch and then avoided them during sixth period. There wasn't anything he could do in the yearbook lab. I did wish Mr. Garcia would hurry up though, but he was still in the room where he taught sophomore English.
"Excuse me?" Tory spun in her chair and glared up at him. "These are editor seats. Go sit in one of the seats up there." She gestured to the other three rows of computers in front of us.
He leaned forward and braced his hands on the computer desk on either side of her. "This is my seat now. Move, or I'll make you."
"What the hell is wrong with you? You can't just waltz in here like you own the place." I met his eyes as he turned his head and glared at me. "You can go sit and spin."
How could he go from kissing me so gently and caressing my thigh to paying someone to beat my ass? I wasn't one for confrontation, but sitting by quietly wasn't an option.
"Riley, what's going on here? We don't speak to new staff members that way when we can hardly get a full staff as it is." Mr. Garcia entered the room and glanced at us briefly before sitting at his computer and pressing a button to display his computer screen. "Mr. West. Find a seat in the first three rows. You have to earn the right to sit back there."
Mr. Garcia for the win. I smiled sweetly at Jax, and he shoved off the desk, causing the monitor to shake violently. Tory glared daggers at him as he walked to a computer directly in front of us.
She mouthed, "What the fuck?" to me and turned forward as Mr. Garcia started going over expectations and grading.
I hoped Jax wasn't serious about being on yearbook because that would mean I'd have to spend even more time around him outside of the normal school day.
"We've got some new folks on staff this year. Yearbook is going to become your second home, and when it comes close to deadlines, it will be your second home." Mr. Garcia displayed a list of stay late days where we would work on finishing layouts for proofing outside of seventh period. "Same as last year, Ashley will be collecting forty dollars from everyone to order dinners throughout the semester.”
I stared at the back of Jax, wondering if he'd even be able to stay late with his intense swimming schedule. The swim team at Salinity Cove was the top in the entire state of California, if not the country.
And it was all thanks to them. They were the school's elite swimmers that were more than likely headed for the Olympics and countless national and world titles.
"Is that okay with you, Riley?" Mr. Garcia interrupted my thoughts and I jumped slightly.
"Sorry. What?"
He gave me a concerned look and gestured at the screen. "You'll be in charge of the sports section since you take such fantastic action photos."
I frowned. I did enjoy taking pictures of sports, but I thought we had discussed me being copy editor. "If that's what you want me to do."
I skimmed through the list of names and slumped in the chair, shaking my head. Tory must have sensed my panic because she put her hand on my arm.
Jax West would be on the sports staff. It only made sense, and he had said as much weeks ago. Still, seeing it with my own eyes made it become reality.
"The last ten minutes, I'd like for you to share with your new teams what you did over the summer." Everyone groaned and Mr. Garcia laughed. He just liked to torture us.
We rearranged ourselves into our teams, and Jax sat right next to me. I didn't have to look at him to feel his presence. With our seats in a tight circle, his shoulder nearly bumped mine with how wide they were.
I had seen him in photos without a shirt on, and he