Fractured Things - Samantha Lovelock Page 0,61

to look at his face, I do a double-take at the darkness that’s settled over his features and decide it’s time to get the hell out of dodge.

The entire drive to school is filled with my mind playing Shoulda Coulda Woulda with me, and I lose every time. I try to drown it out with ‘The Offering’ by Sleep Token and then again with ‘Resentment’ by A Day to Remember, but the throb of my pounding headache finally forces me to drive in silence instead.

The scene with my mother this morning did nothing to improve my mood, and I can feel myself teetering on the edge of self-destruction. When I was younger, that meant fights—lots and lots of split lips and bloody knuckles. Once girls became a thing, the need to escape into violence became the need to escape between a willing female’s thighs. Neither option is helpful in any way, but violence would be preferable to pussy—even my dumb ass is smart enough to know that would fuck everything up even more.

Parking in the half-full lot at school, I see the guys waiting for me on the steps, along with Aylie and Roxy. I take a last look at my reflection in the rearview mirror and will myself to get my shit together. I slam the car door a little too hard and cross the lot to join them.

“You look like shit,” Payne greets me.

“Good fucking morning to you, too,” I snap back at him. Stuffing my hands in the pockets of my school blazer, I lean back against the stone railing and brood.

“What the hell, bro? You okay?” Raff asks, looking concerned.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Girl shit. Drop it.” He shrugs and goes back to talking to Heller while I feel Payne’s eyes on me and hear Aylie snort with disdain. Come to think of it, both her and Roxy are keeping their distance from me, our usual tight-knit group a little more spread out this morning.

“Problem, Ayles?” I ask. She arches an eyebrow at me and turns back to her conversation with Roxy without saying a word to me.

Alright, those two have obviously been talking to Stella and Sunday. Fantastic.

I groan and am about to try to smooth things over when the breeze carries bits of Aerosmith to my ears, along with the deep rumble of an engine running more elbow grease than electronics.

“What the hell is that?” I question under my breath, but apparently loud enough for Raff to hear. He moves beside me and throws his arm over my shoulders.

“That, my friend, is a seriously hot, mint condition 1969 Chevy Camaro SS.” We all turn and watch as the glossy black on black muscle car turns into the parking lot and slips into an empty spot. The music shuts off, and the windows go up before the two occupants step out onto the asphalt.

Jesus Christ.

“And those,” he continues, letting out a low wolf whistle and grinning, “are two of the sexiest chicks on the planet.” Clapping me on the back, he laughs and steps away while I stand there like an idiot drooling.

Sunday’s hot. We know that, she knows that, everybody with eyes knows that. But seeing Stella get out of the driver’s side of that incredible car? That was something different, something beyond hot.

That was pure sex.

It punched me right in the gut and sent an electric charge to my cock at the same time. I’m actually speechless as the two of them walk up the steps toward us—I couldn’t say a word right now even if she’d listen. I let my eyes wander hungrily over her beautiful face and perfect body. Those full lips slicked with cherry red—it’s all I can do not to groan out loud. Both she and Sunday ignore the shit out of me, not even looking in my direction before the four girls turn and head through the double doors together.

I put my head back and stare at the sky for a second when Payne lightly kicks my foot and pulls my attention to his curious and suspicious face.

“What the fuck did you do?” he asks quietly. Giving my head a shake, I ignore him and follow the girls inside.

We stood back and watched as Stella claimed her rightful place in the Heirs and gave Hali the smackdown of her life to boot. I spent all morning getting the stink eye from three of the girls, while Stella herself wouldn’t even look at me. My calm, already in short supply