and shove her shoulders. Her back slams against the lockers, eyes widening, mouth dropping open in shock. “Fuck with me again, Taylor,” I say through gritted teeth, “and I promise you, it will be the last time.”
Don’t hit her, don’t hit her, don’t hit her.
“What, are you going to have your brother kill me, too?”
I’m going to hit her.
I curl my fingers into a fist before sending it straight into her perfect little nose. Taylor’s head slams against the locker, and then she’s cupping her nose in shock as a chorus of gasps and cheers alike fill the halls. She looks at me in disbelief for a second, then she snaps into action, screaming like a banshee as she lunges for me.
A pair of arms come around my waist, pulling me away.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Holden says. “Calm down, killer.” He bends down to scoop up my backpack, throwing it over his shoulder. All eyes are on us as Taylor stands there, chest heaving. She’s embarrassed. Most likely infuriated. But she crossed the line.
“You’re done,” he says, pointing a finger in Taylor’s face.
“Holden—”
“Let’s go,” he says to me, ignoring her as he ushers me down the hall with his hand on my lower back. A teacher pokes his head out of a classroom, looking for the source of the commotion, but we keep walking toward the double doors that lead to the student lot.
I push the door open, but the heavy wind blows it open even wider. The sky is dark with an impending storm, the clouds rolling in. Thayer’s car is noticeably absent, and I’m relieved that I have a few minutes to collect myself before I have to see him. My heart is pounding. I’ve never hit anyone like that before, and I hate that I did. Not because she didn’t deserve it, but because that’s exactly what she wanted from me. She wanted to get under my skin, to get a reaction from me, and I handed it to her on a silver platter.
We jump into Holden’s Range Rover and pull out of the parking lot, making the short drive to Whittemore. Thayer’s Hellcat is parked in the circular driveway and Holden pulls up behind it, throwing the car into park before looking over at me.
“How’s your hand?”
“It hurts,” I grumble.
He chuckles, stepping out of the car. I open my door and jump down, my shoes crunching against the gravel as I follow Holden up the steps. He heads straight for the kitchen where Thayer stands at the counter, eating a sandwich.
“The fuck happened?”
“Shayne punched Taylor in the face,” Holden says with all the glee of a five-year-old tattling to his mom.
Thayer’s eyebrows jump, his expression amused.
“She deserved it.” I shrug.
“She had it coming,” Holden agrees, reaching over to steal the remaining half of Thayer’s sandwich, but he smacks his hand away.
“What’d she do?”
Holden relays what happened from the locker to the comment about Grey, and Thayer’s dark green eyes meet mine in silent question. I shrug. I don’t think she actually knows about us. I think she’s bitter that I’m in their good graces again and threw out a rumor that just happens to be true.
“You good?” Thayer asks.
“Of course.” I gnaw on my lip, nodding. Why wouldn’t I be good? It’s not like I’m having a secret affair with my ex-stepbrother who thinks my actual brother killed his brother while someone is out to get me, and catty bitches are calling me brother fucker in front of the entire school.
I’m fine.
Thayer
The moment Holden walks out the front door, I’m heading up the stairs, seeking Shayne out. I hear the shower running and slip inside the steamy bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I planned on talking to her about what went down at school, but the moment I see her standing there naked, her back to me as the water pours over her, I lose all coherent thought.
She’s fucking beautiful. So different, yet so similar to the girl who moved in three years ago. She’s stronger, but still vulnerable. Confident, but humble. Hot as fuck, but inherently innocent. As if she can sense my thoughts, she glances at me over her shoulder.
“Thayer!” Shayne scolds me, whipping around, bringing her arms up to cover her chest. Water from the shower ceiling falls around her, dripping from the ends of her hair, droplets hugging her curves as they slide down her body. She’s fucking perfect.
“He’s gone.” I strip down in record time, and Shayne’s gaze falls to my