him to wipe it off, but he was determined to let the world see, like I was some sort of trophy to brag about. It was when he brought me to the others that I realized what he was doing, but by then, it was too late.
Luis saw us first and threw his head back and laughed. Bonham just grabbed Rogue’s arm, like he already knew where this was going, just as Godfrey yanked on my arm, turning me to face him as he swept my hair behind my ear in a sweet gesture that didn’t quite match the mischievous look in his eyes. I could have sworn he gave me a hint of an apologetic smile, but it was gone before I could be sure.
“You knew the drill, Scarlett,” Godfrey said in a loud voice, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Rogue spin around to stare at us. “You were fun, but I don’t take trash to class.”
I stared at him in confusion. What the fuck was happening? A few snickers from behind me made me nauseous with unease, but I tried to cling to what Rogue had said the night before. I need to hate you for a little while longer.
“It was fun, okay? But you need to back off now,” Godfrey said, his eyes locked on my face with challenge.
A girl shouted, “Clinger alert!” and the crowd gathering behind me started growing louder. This was the bargain, right?
This was what Godfrey needed from me.
I wasn’t even sure when I wound my hand back and connected it with his cheek. The sound of my slap echoed across the hall, and for a split second, the crowd went deathly silent, like they couldn’t believe someone had the audacity to actually hit an Heir. I frowned when I saw a flash of satisfaction in Godfrey’s stare. For some reason, I’d done exactly what he wanted me to do, and that didn’t sit well with me. So I did the first thing I could think of. I one-upped him on his game and called him on his bet.
“Screw you, Godfrey, you kinky bastard. Next time I ride your face, don’t call me Mommy. It’s fucked up.”
The students around us Lost. Their. Shit.
All of a sudden, the laughter wasn’t directed at me, it was at Godfrey, which I was pretty sure had never happened to him before. I might have fallen into the little trap he had set for me, but I was going to distance myself from them on my terms. It wasn’t just them anymore. I was going to have a say in this, too.
I strolled up closer towards the rest of the guys, where Luis was hunched over in amusement, laughter bouncing in his chest. I felt Godfrey hot on my back, anger rolling off of him in waves as he stalked after me. “Look who's following who now,” I smirked, before chancing a look at Rogue. His fists were clenched as he stared at my pink lips and then at the lipstick covering Godfrey’s face.
“Don’t make a scene,” Bonham whispered to him while eyeing the crowd.
“It’s a little fucking late for that,” Rogue seethed, as the crowd started yelling “Mommy” to Godfrey. I watched him process everything while trying to calm himself.
“What were you thinking?” he asked, but Godfrey was too busy being pissed at me to answer right away. He sent glares across the hall until the laughter cut off.
After the bell rang and the students of Smith Academy started disappearing into their respective classrooms, Godfrey finally answered. “I was thinking you needed to be reminded of what we’re supposed to be doing,” he said, giving Rogue a pointed look.
“And what are you guys supposed to be doing?” I asked in a harsh whisper, careful not to let any of the other students hear. “It would be nice if someone would explain it to me. I know there’s more going on than what you guys are telling me, and I’m sick of being forced to play the game without knowing the rules.”
Rogue’s lips were pursed into a fine line, and once the hallways was completely empty, he grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hall towards a vacant classroom. He closed the door behind us and flipped the lock, but kept the lights off.
“What are you doing?” I asked warily, wondering if I should scream. Would anyone come to my rescue? Probably not. Hell, my own mama was wrapped around their fingers.