wide grin spread on his face. He’s all bubbly and shit, as if he didn’t just put the fear of God into one of our classmates.
“You know what we need? A large dose of caffeine from The Grind. Maybe some of their sugary treats, too. You with me?”
“Yeah, why not?” I nod.
It’s not like I’m going to pay attention to any of my classes today anyway, so ditching one won’t make much difference. It will also serve as the excuse I need to keep me from going to the other side of campus in search of the current bane of my existence—the stunning, green-eyed girl with thick, tattooed thighs, and a razor-sharp tongue.
I’ve thought of nothing else for the past forty-eight hours, and three things have become painstakingly clear for me. The first is that Stone is going to be harder to crack than I thought. The second is that I must be a fucking masochist to even try. The third is a nasty pill of truth, way more difficult to swallow—The Society isn’t the only reason why I’m invested in gaining Stone’s favor, and I’m not sure I like what that means.
I don’t do feelings. And I sure as shit don’t get them for smart-mouthed girls with too much attitude for their own good.
So why the fuck am I feeling dejected? Why is she all I can think about lately?
Girl’s going to be trouble. I just know it.
Fuck my life.
Chapter 12
Finn
Easton drives us to The Grind in his truck, luckily not asking too many questions about my sullen mood on the way, preferring just to sing along to the new Post Malone song playing on the radio. However, when we enter the coffee house, my luck takes one hell of a nosedive. Lincoln and Kennedy are talking animatedly with each other in one of the booths, but stop the minute they see us walk into the place, and instantly call us to join them.
Any other day, I’d be more than happy to have Kennedy Ryland for company. Today, though, not so much.
The thing about Kennedy is that she has an uncontrollable need to try and fix everything. She can’t see something broken without attempting to put it back together. She’s like the Mother Teresa of fuck-ups, which means my moody behavior will definitely pique her interest.
I sit next to Linc, hoping the small distance will be enough to keep me off her radar. But my ass hasn’t even hit the seat when, from under my lashes, I see Kennedy shaking her head left to right as she makes a small tsking sound of concern.
“Oh, no. What’s got you down, honey? You look like a wreck.”
“Nothing, I’m good,” I mumble with a fake smile plastered on my lips.
“No, you’re not. Come on, big guy. You can tell me. What’s the matter?” she coos, patting my hand over the table soothingly like a mother hen.
“I’m good, Ken. Swear on a stack of bibles. So, what’s up with you two?” I ask, hoping to steer the conversation away from me.
I look at Lincoln, silently imploring him to help me out with his girl, who is comfortably sitting across from us. But the fucker just shrugs at me with a stupid-ass grin on his face.
“Sorry, Finn. You’re on your own. You know Kennedy isn’t going to drop it. You do look like shit.”
“I told you I’d get it out of you one way or another.” Easton chuckles while ordering two coffees and a couple of blueberry muffins from the barista.
“You knew she’d be here, didn’t you, you fucker?” I grunt over at East, unimpressed with the ambush.
“You’re only getting that now?” He winks unapologetically.
“Dick.”
“Come on, Finn. Don’t be bitter. Tell me all about it,” she insists with a genuine smile.
I let out a long exhale, cracking my knuckles and wondering who I’d like to punch first for their traitorous ways—Linc for not distracting Kennedy when I need him to, or Easton for bringing me here in the first place.
I swear that I have assholes for friends. Whatever happened to bro code? Or does that mean something else? Yeah, I think I might be mixing up analogies, but who gives a shit. There must be some form of unwritten rule not to let your friends become one of Kennedy’s pet projects. And if there isn’t, I vote in favor of one.
“Hey, big guy!” She snaps her fingers in my face, startling me. “No retreating to Neverland like you always do. Tell me what’s got