“Oh, come the fuck on, Wren. You’re being melodramatic.”
“Because of you! You make me feel this way.” She throws her arms out. “This is just Crew Lancaster’s world and we’re all merely living in it, right?”
No. It feels like I share my world with Wren, even when I don’t want to. She’s unlike any girl I’ve ever known: an independent thinker, yet a snobby little prude. Despite that snobby exterior, I can tell she cares. She wants people to like her, and she wants to guide girls into what she thinks are the right choices—such as being a prude like her.
She is in search of constant approval.
Attention.
She gets it from all kinds of people.
But not the kind of attention she needs.
The kind only I can give to her.
TWELVE
WREN
I reluctantly follow Crew back to psychology class, quiet the entire walk. He doesn’t say a word either, though his body practically vibrates with some unrecognizable emotion.
I don’t know and I don’t care what’s bothering him. If it’s me?
Good. I hope I drive him out of his mind. He does the same to me, so it’s only fair.
We enter the classroom and I immediately go to Ms. Skov’s desk, my expression contrite when her gaze meets mine.
“I’m sorry I just left,” I say, my voice quiet. “Sorry about yesterday too. I’ve been—moody, though that’s no excuse.”
A sigh leaves her and she rests her hands on top of her desk. “It’s okay, Wren.”
I’m about to turn away from her when she keeps talking.
“I want you to know, I’ve been giving it some thought, and if you want to switch your partner to Sam for this project, you have my permission,” Skov says.
I turn and blink at her, shocked by her offer. “Really?”
She nods. “I can tell being with Crew makes you very uncomfortable.”
He does. He literally just chased after me, groped me and threatened me. I should tell Skov right now what he did. How badly it rattled me.
In more ways than I can describe.
But then I’d have to tell her why he chased after me, and what I saw. Which means they’d eventually get expelled, and it would be all my fault.
I don’t want the responsibility. Or their hatred.
“Did you talk to Sam about making the switch?” I ask her.
“Well, no. Not yet. But Natalie has come to me as well, requesting a new partner, and she mentioned she wants to work with Crew. Even though that goes against my views of the entire project, I don’t like seeing you so miserable.” Her gaze is knowing as it settles on me. “You look like you’ve been crying.”
“I’m fine.” I shrug, then glance over my shoulder to see Natalie trying to talk to Crew, and he’s doing his best to ignore her while Ezra watches her with puppy-dog eyes. I turn to face my teacher once more. “I don’t want to switch partners.”
Skov’s eyebrows shoot up almost to her hairline. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” My nod is firm, as is my resolve. Besides…
I don’t want Crew to work with Natalie. That’ll make her feel like she won, and I don’t want her to.
She doesn’t deserve it. Or him.
“If you’re going to work with Crew, I can’t have these daily emotional outbursts. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I bend my head, embarrassed. I don’t let things get to me like this usually. Though no one really ever tries to mess with me. I have my followers who respect what I say, and anyone who doesn’t agree with my values usually leaves me alone.
Until Crew. It’s like he can’t stop messing with me, and I hate it.
There’s the smallest part of me that doesn’t hate it, though. It’s buried deep. A small, dark kernel of pleasure unfurls in my chest every time he touches me. Earlier when he tried to hold me back, when he had his hand on my breast, I should’ve been disgusted. Frightened.
And I was. At first. But there was something else going on. It was almost thrilling, knowing he might want me. I could hear it in his voice. Feel it in the way he touched me.
In that moment, he did want me. Even if it was only for a second.
“Okay then. Go on, get to work,” Ms. Skov urges, and I leave her desk, making my way to the back of the classroom where Crew sits, Natalie in the desk next to his.
“Are we switching partners?” Natalie chirps, her gaze sliding to Crew.
He’s not even watching her. His focus is one hundred percent on me.