Page 71 of The Monster I Am
But still…
The idea of Hunter hurting me is a pain I’ve tried to avoid all my life. It’s what I’ve protected myself from since the moment my father walked out. Dean Lannister’s words scare the shit out of me—a stark, cold reminder that I’ve given Hunter, Rylan, and Tai the power to destroy me. And out of everyone in the whole wide world, they are the last three I would have chosen if Ihadto give anyone that type of power over me.
And if this is nothing more than just a game to them…
No.
I’m letting this bastard get inside my head. It’s exactly what he wants, what he’s hoping for. I’m better than that. I won’t let him win.
“Does it bother you?” I finally ask, shaking away the fear and mustering up the strength to speak.
His face hardens defensively. “Doeswhatbother me, Ms. Spencer?”
I smile sadly. “The fact you’re so obsessed with some ridiculous small town rivalry that you’re proudly bragging about giving yourapprovalto a stupid teen prank? You’re meant to be a leader—the Dean of this school. Yet you’re actively taking pleasure in bringing harm to a student—one currently under your supervision, no less. That’s not just embarrassing… that’s genuinely psychopathic.”
“Earth to Bexley. Hey! Snap out of it.”
The library comes screaming back into focus, my eyes homing in on an annoyed Hunter. He’s standing by the table, eyebrow arched with a look of frustration on his face.
“What?” I mumble back stupidly.
Crap. How long has he been standing there?
We’re all meeting after school to go over new findings. I was the first to arrive and clearly went into an out-of-body experience. Great—Love has given me the survival instincts of a wet fart.
Hunter drops his bag to the floor, sliding into the seat across from me. “I basically had a full-on conversation with you,” he grunts. “But apparently the lights are on but no one is home.”
Normally, I’d throw back some amazing remark—probably insult the red tips in his hair or the perfectly tailor-made jersey that cost more than a week’s worth of food—but I’m too annoyed right now. And worse, I’m a horrible person because even though he’s done nothing wrong, I can’t help but resent him presently.
“Go fuck yourself,” I murmur.
Hunter recoils slightly, aghast. “Excuse me?What the hell have I done?”
I cross my arms, glaring at him. “Beside insinuating I’m fucking stupid?”
“Oh, get over it, Bexley,” he scoffs. “No love lost between us, remember?”
Ah… well, yes. Thoseweremy words. But after my little tea party with his father, I don’t care how irrational or crazy I seem. Fuck this man, fuck his father, and fuck his damn audacity to use the words I said tomybest friend against me.
“How could I forget,” I say darkly. “It wasn’t too long ago that you kidnapped me and left me abandoned in a cold warehouse overnight, making me nearly miss my mother’s funeral.”
You know what? Come to think of it… he’s never actually said sorry for that. I should never have fucked him six ways to Sunday. Asshole didn’t deserve it.
Someone probably should have warned him that women file information away in the dark corners of their brains, like tiny grenades, ready to detonate at any time—whether that’s a week or even fifty years down the track. So, yeah—we’re going to address that now.
Hunter’s mouth falls open in disbelief as he struggles to grasp our sudden one-eighty twist. “Seriously… I thought we movedpast everything,” he says incredulously. “What has prompted all of this?”
Are you kidding me? He actually has the nerve to appear concerned?
No… we’re not doing logic or sense, Hunter. We’re fucking fighting.
That explains the times he turned up at my house.
Fight me, dammit.
I rise from my chair, glaring down at him. “You,” I answer firmly. “You caused all of this.”
By association.
