Make My Move (Hannaford Prep #5) - J. Bree Page 0,25

other students. Should I call the student hotline or will you deal with the bitch?”

There is nothing on this Earth that Avery loves more than fucking with Joey’s little ass-licking flunkies, so it’s no surprise when she practically purrs, “I’ll do it.”

They hang up and I head for the stash of bourbon, rolling my eyes when Avery clucks at me like that will stop me from drinking what little is left.

I’m not fucking happy about the Mounty going snooping around Hannaford while we’re not there. What if she gets caught and drags Avery into shit? I mean, there isn’t anything that school or the attending students could do to touch her but it’s the principle of it.

My ribs hurt enough to have me feeling fucking vicious about it.

Avery disappears into the bathroom to make calls and get ready for bed. I try to lose myself in the glass, to forget about the sharp pains when I breathe and the fucking mess waiting for us back at school and the sounds bouncing down the hall of Joey trashing the fucking Manor in a drug-fueled rage. I try but I fail because I’ve never been good at lying to myself.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I consider ignoring it.

All I’ve heard today is a running commentary on the Morrisons’ fucking disgusting behavior toward Blaise from Harley, and it’s making me reconsider my position about not going on a killing spree, like Senior so desperately wants from me. I hear Avery scoff and laugh in the bathroom and something tells me it’s to do with the message.

Mounty, I’m sending you something as a thank you for finding my shirt.

It’s a group message.

Avery has put us all together in a group message so that I can witness firsthand as the Mounty worms her way into my circle and ruins everything.

My phone buzzes in my hand and I find Harley’s simpering after her. She would have to be blind not to know how hard he’s chasing her; this game she’s playing with him instead of just telling him one way or another if she wants him back.

She shouldn’t be sneaking into other students’ rooms without backup. The shirt isn’t worth that much. Wait until we’re back, Mounty.

The bathroom door opens and Avery walks out dressed and ready for bed. She looks so fucking fragile, so breakable, as furniture shatters down the hall at our brother’s hands. The same hands that choked the life out of her back before freshman year started.

I still see it every night in my sleep.

Don’t get Avery involved when Harlow finds out you were in there. She doesn’t need to be cleaning up your mess.

Avery rolls her eyes at my text as she climbs into bed, sliding between the sheets and propping herself up on the mountains of pillows. “Please don’t ruin my night with this. Please.”

Fuck.

I set my empty glass down on the side table and slump down onto the pillows, scrolling through the slew of messages Harley has sent about the Morrisons.

We’re going to have to deal with them at some point, but Blaise is still holding onto some stupid hope that his father will change his mind and love him.

It’s stupid but I can’t say a word about it, because Harley is just as desperate to get rid of Joey and I won’t give them an answer on why I won’t let that happen. Even when it almost tore us all apart, I didn’t say a word.

I don’t want them to know how bad the Manor really is.

It’ll only put them in danger to know.

Avery smirks and my phone buzzes with her input into the group message.

Welcome to the madhouse, Mounty. Now your phone will blow up all day long and you’ll hate me for adding you when they start talking about who has the nicest tits or who fucked which girl first.

I roll my eyes at her and she smirks at me, both of us fully aware that she’s stirring shit up with Harley because even though we might not have talked about it, we both know he’s infatuated with her.

Can’t wait.

I turn my phone onto silent, ready to fall into a fucking shitty sleep with one eye open the whole night and not wanting to be disturbed by Blaise’s drunken rambling all night long.

Avery is busy tapping away, working on something, but when she giggles maniacally, I can’t help but check my phone again.

Seeing as we’re all banned from Annabelle and Harley’s apparently taken a