at me. “I’m sure he didn’t have a choice.” Before she could pry, I changed the subject. “Why do they hate each other?”
“Remember the girl I told you who took Ever’s virginity and then became totally obsessed with him—Olivia Portland?”
How could I forget? “Sure.”
“Well, she’s Jason’s sister.”
“So, Jason hates Ever for screwing his sister? Were they friends or something?”
“I may have given you the watered-down version. It was your first day, and I didn’t want my first real friend running for the hills.”
I was definitely a flight risk, but it had nothing to do with who Ever screwed in the past. “What really happened?”
“No one knew how bad she had it until she walked into the boy’s locker room and tried to slit her wrist in front of him.”
The carton of milk I had in my hand slipped and spilled all over the table. Tyra cursed and hurriedly grabbed napkins. For once, I didn’t care about the stares.
“Shit! I’m sorry.”
“See? This is why I didn’t want to tell you.” She huffed as she threw more napkins over the spill.
“I’m fine. It’s cool.” It was so not fucking cool. I helped her clean up my mess and took a deep breath. “What happened to her?”
Tyra’s skeptical look turned resigned when I squeezed her hand. “All I know is that she lived, but her family was too embarrassed to stay in Blackwood Keep.”
“Why do you think they came back?”
“A diploma from Brynwood opens ivy league doors and pretty much any door you want. If I had to guess, I’d say that was the reason.”
“And Olivia?”
“Probably in psychiatric care.”
That poor girl. I scoffed and shook my head. “Hard to believe he’s who everyone chose to idolize.”
“High school is a mind fuck for us all,” Tyra muttered. “Although it’s not like he asked for her to go all fatal attraction on him. She knew he had a girlfriend.”
My skin heated, and I looked away. Knowing he had a girlfriend and hearing about Olivia’s undoing didn’t stop me from wondering what it would be like in Ever’s bed.
The admission nearly knocked me off my feet.
I’ve never denied that Ever was hot—beautiful really—but now I also knew why there was a burning ache in my belly every time he was near.
Was I the next Olivia Portland?
“Doesn’t change the fact that he’s a dick.”
“Ever’s running things because he makes it possible for people to be accepted. The kids whose parents aren’t doctors, lawyers, or millionaires walk these halls with their heads high because of him. And no one gets stuffed in their lockers for being gay or captain of the chess club.”
“And the undesirable?”
“Your first day was the first time anyone’s said it since he took over.”
“I guess I just bring out the best in him,” I mocked.
“He’s not so bad. Stay out of his way, and he won’t even notice you’re here.”
Yeah…easier said than done.
I forgot to respond when the girl from Women’s History walked by. My gaze followed her until she stopped at the crowded table in the center of the room. It was filled to the brim with bruisers in letterman jackets and girls with easy smiles. And reigning over them all was Ever.
Tyra peeked over her shoulder to see what had stolen my attention and then whispered, “That’s her.”
“Who?”
“Ever’s girlfriend. Her name is actually Barbette, but everyone except for their inner circle calls her Barbie.”
I watched her sink gracefully into the chair next to him, but then Jamie said something that made her stiffen. Ever gave him a look, but Jamie was already bored. He looked around the cafeteria, and when he caught me watching their exchange, he flashed his teeth and headed for the door.
Well, that was weird.
My attention shifted back to the middle of the room. Ever was taking a sip from his orange Gatorade and staring dead at me. Barbie touched his hand fisted on the table, and I was forgotten.
Typical privileged kid and his pretty things.
“Why?”
“Well, you’ve seen her,” Tyra answered with an eye roll.
“I mean, why don’t they call her Barbie?”
She shrugged as she frowned at her broccoli. “Ever and Vaughn call her Bee. I don’t really know why, and if you ask me, I think Jamie has a thing for his cousin’s girlfriend. He calls her Bette, and whenever he does, she either gets all gooey-eyed or she bares her claws. Everyone pretends not to notice.”
This was starting to sound like an episode straight out of The Young and the Restless. “And Ever’s okay with that?”
“I doubt