Devils' Day Party: A High School Bully Romance - C.M. Stunich Page 0,129

in my sketchbook,” he whispers, and I nod, turning toward him, so close that our lips nearly brush together.

“I did. And I know that today, you're going to draw me many more times. In Thorncrown Chapel. In the treehouse cabin with Sonja and Luke. In that beautiful little butterfly cave you found out in the woods.” I turn back to Erina as Barron's eyes widen in surprise, watching as she runs the card and then throws it back at Barron's chest.

He, however, has no problem catching it between two fingers.

“What are you standing there staring for? Get back to work,” Barron says, his voice as cold and icy as the autumn wind outside. The way he looks at Erina, well, I'm not sure I'd want to be in her shoes right now.

“I'd ask why you paid for my things, but then … I don't really need to,” I say as I turn and head for the door; Barron follows but then, I knew he'd do that, too.

“Oh? How so?” he asks as I notice Calix standing at the end of the hallway, arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrowed. When he glances our way and sees me, he scowls and turns away.

“I know you paid for those things because you're in love with me,” I tell him, pausing in front of the row of gray lockers and looking up into his eyes. He pushes the red devil mask away from his face and studies me with an intensity I'm well-familiar with. “I'm in love with you, too. But today, I'm going to skip class and spend time with Raz.” I shrug my shoulders, my heart thundering like crazy in my chest. This isn't an easy conversation to have, most especially not with him staring at me like that.

And then there's Erina and the sex tape.

Calix suspected her, and I'm pretty damn sure he's right.

So what do I do about it? This day, or any other, really.

“Karma Sartain, you fascinate me,” Barron whispers, tugging the mask back down. “Well done.” His lips curve into a smile. “Go then. Spend your day with Raz. Maybe tomorrow I'll stop by your place and you can go on a little drive with me?”

“I can't decide if that's creepy or charming,” I tell him, smiling because I know that no matter how I work future days out, that Barron is just a sketchbook away. Once he knows that I know his secret, he doesn't try to fight it. He's the easiest of the three boys, that's for sure.

“Consider it both,” he tells me, pausing as Calix moves up beside us, clearly pissed at being left out of the conversation.

“Before you say anything you might regret, just remember that I love you, too.”

Calix's dark eyes widen, and his attention flicks immediately to Barron, judging, calculating.

“All three of us, huh? You're a very interesting young woman, Karma.” Barron laughs and leans back against the lockers, sliding a can of spray paint and a stencil from either pocket on his blazer. He turns around, presses the stencil to the gray metal locker, and then sprays it with black paint.

When he pulls the stencil away, there's a devil's face left behind, in the shape of a mask. The very same shape, in fact, that he's wearing now.

“Walk,” he tells me, and I listen, because I'm not about getting caught and dealing with trouble from the administration today. Calix does the same, his jaw tight, nostrils flared. “All three of us, Lix. What do you have to say about that?”

“This is the most idiotic Devils' Day trick I've ever heard of. You really are a disappointment, Karma.”

My own mouth flattens into a thin line, but he did call me Karma, so there's hope there.

“Don't, Calix. Just don't. That spitefulness, it doesn't fucking suit you.” We stop walking and I glance back, toward the front entrance. “I have to go before the bell rings, but look, if you—”

I pause as Erina appears in the doorway of the makeshift shop, her eyes lighting on me and Calix.

She starts straight toward us as I glance back at him. Barron is still smirking, shaking his head, and chuckling. He's murmuring things under his breath, but I ignore him. We both know the jig is up; he clearly remembers the past timelines more than anyone else.

“If you want to talk later, at the party or something, let's do that. Because I'm done fighting with you, Calix Knight. It's tearing me apart.” I put my hands