Empire High Elite (Empire High #2) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,60

hurt him.

“Isabella…” I started.

“Shut your Daddy-stealing mouth. I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to your whore of a boyfriend who owes my future hubby an apology.”

I didn’t close my mouth because she’d told me to. I closed it because I wanted to know why she’d described Matt as a whore. And how it had anything to do with James.

“James, can I talk to you for a second?” Matt said.

“No, Matthew. Here. Now. You have five seconds to tell him the truth or I’ll tell him for you.”

“This is going to sound bad,” Matt started. “But I swear James, if you give me a chance to explain, it’s not what you think…”

“Oh, it’s exactly what he’s going to think. When I was referring to secrets, I didn’t actually mean your secret relationship. I was referring to the fact that you’re a liar. And manipulative. And a pretty terrible friend.” She reached out and grabbed James’ arm. "Remember that party over the summer where you and Rachel had that huge fight? Matt was there to console her.” She paused and a sinister smile crept over her face. “Sexually that is. I caught them in the act in the pool house.”

“What the fuck, Isabella?” Matt yelled. “That’s not even close to what happened.”

“Did you have sex with Rachel?” James asked. His voice was calm. Cold. Calculated.

Everything about the way James spoke made me want to hide under the table. But I was glued to my seat. Matt had slept with James’ girlfriend? That was what Isabella was blackmailing him for? He wasn’t allowed to speak to me in public because he’d slept with someone else? It didn’t even feel like he wanted to keep it from James. It felt a lot more like he was just keeping it from me. My whole body went cold.

“You know I wouldn’t do that,” Matt said. “It was all Rachel. She was upset and she…”

James lunged across the table, his hands making perfect contact with Matt’s throat.

Kennedy screamed and more students joined in.

Mason grabbed James by the back of his blazer, pulling him off. “Stop it! Both of you!”

“I’m gonna fucking kill you,” James said.

“I didn’t do anything! Rachel kissed me and…”

“Get her name out of your mouth!” James shoved Mason off of him. “Fucking asshole.” Instead of trying to attack Matt again he stormed out of the cafeteria. But not before his fist collided with one of the windows. The sound of glass shattering echoed all around us.

For just a second, no one moved. Or spoke. All I could hear was my own breathing.

But then Matt went to follow James.

“Don’t,” Rob said and stopped him in his tracks. “What the fuck, man? How could you do that to him? You of all people?”

“I didn’t. Rachel…”

“Nice, take the high road and blame his girlfriend? Screw you.”

Matt shoved his way past him, beelining toward the doors James had just gone through. I felt myself shrinking all over again. He hadn’t looked at me once. Not once since the truth had come out. But it was better that he hadn’t. Because Rob was right. It took two people to kiss. Matt had gone on and on about not wanting James to get hurt. When really? He’d already hurt him. Matt didn’t care about anyone but himself.

“Daddy said I shouldn’t tell,” Isabella said. “But I decided not to listen. Because I think everything is better out in the open. Don’t you agree?”

“You’re a nasty bitch, Isabella,” Rob said.

I’m pretty sure everyone was thinking it. But she still looked shocked that someone had actually said it out loud.

She rolled her eyes. “And you’re a little twerp who uses humor to hide from the fact that he’s living in his brother’s shadow. I was hoping we could all discuss this like adults, but clearly I’ve overlooked the fact that you’re all so juvenile. Ladies,” she said and turned to her friends who were sitting in silence watching their horrid ringleader. “Let’s go.”

All her minions stood as one and followed her from the table.

“Did you know?” Rob asked me. He sounded hurt. I wasn’t sure if it was because of what Isabella said or if he was somehow channeling James’ pain. Maybe it was both.

“No. He said we had to keep our relationship a secret because Isabella was blackmailing him. He never told me what she had on him. He’d hinted that if it came out it might hurt James.” I shook my head. I was such an idiot. What else