red flag, and the fact that Avery can’t see it fucking enrages me.
I wait until my sister is out of the way before I bring it up; I don’t want her jumping to the Mounty’s defense and derailing the entire fucking thing before I can get a read on her.
They both have math classes up first but Avery has dropped down to a slightly lower class this year to focus on her ballet. The Mounty walks her all the way to her class, their arms linked as they whisper together, and even that pisses me off. Why the fuck did Avery have to be friends with her? Why did she have to pick the worst fucking option to finally have as a friend?
I detour to stay ahead of the Mounty, and I find a storage cupboard in the hall that will work because I also don’t need Harley tripping over us and interrupting. He’s fucking smitten with her and it’s becoming a problem.
It’s easy enough to grab her and tug her into the room with me, shutting the door behind her so we’re not disturbed.
I know immediately that the Mounty is pissed off and in fight mode so the moment her fists clench I snap, “Calm down, I just want a word with you.”
She whirls around to face me, her eyes narrowed and throwing fire my way. “We just ate together, you didn’t have to hurt me to speak to me.”
Fuck.
I don’t ever hurt girls; I’m not my father. She’s rubbing at her shoulder, and I try not to lose my goddamn mind about it.
Is she being genuine or does she know that those words are the best way to derail an argument with me? She knows too much about us all for me to be sure, either way I shift away from her a little.
Fuck it.
I need to say my piece. “I didn’t think I’d pushed that hard.”
She lifts her chin and snaps, “Whatever. What did you want to speak to me about?”
The dismissive tone is like a fucking slap to the face and makes me remember my anger, my shoulders rolling back and my glare once again icy as I snap back, “Stay the fuck away from Blaise and Harley. I don’t need you poisoning them with the same shit you’ve fed Avery. You’re a Mounty slut with an agenda and I’m not falling for your little act.”
Now she looks as though I’ve taken a swing at her. “I’m not trying anything with them. I’m actually actively avoiding them both. And don’t you ever call me a slut again, I think the ongoing bet proves I’m not.”
I scoff and cross my arms. “That’s why you sit with Harley in every class? And Blaise was in your room last night? You really are working overtime to get them. Just because you’re picky about the dick you want doesn’t make you any better than any other Mounty.”
She huffs and squints up at me like I’m an idiot, which only makes me angrier. “Seating in all of our classes is assigned. He’s Arbour, I’m Anderson, we can’t change that unless he decides to go back to being an O’Cronin and I think we both know that isn’t happening. As for Blaise, I helped your sister carry him back last night. Then I helped him out while he spewed. Should I have handed him over to Annabelle instead? Are you okay with your friends being raped while they sleep by gold-digging tramps? Or is it okay for her to fuck you all, even if you’re not conscious and consenting, because her family has money?”
Typical fucking Mounty bullshit, always an answer for everything. This is how she’s fooled Avery into believing her, but I’m not fucking falling for it.
She stares at me for a second longer before scoffing and storming out of the storage room right as Harley strides past. He frowns at her and then when I step out after her, he scowls at us both like he’s caught me with my dick in her, the jealous asshole. He opens his mouth, no doubt to make an idiot of himself, but the Mounty cuts him off with a snarled, “You need to keep him the fuck away from me until he decides to get his head out of his ass.”
I leave them both to make eyes at each other, calling out over my shoulder to her, “Stay the fuck away from my friends, Mounty.”
I get through the rest of my day with