Page 15 of Hateful
Even more, I can do without the regret and bleary memories that so often accompanied them.
It’s not until I’m walking down an empty corridor that I become nervous and realize that I’m alone. I’ve been counting on having Rafael with me all the time to shield me from The Brotherhood, but now, if they showed up, what would I do?
As if on cue, Heath appears at the end of the hallway. He grins as he spots me, heading straight in my direction.
“Alex!” he says happily, no sign of the bully he’s been to me the last six months anywhere on his face. I know the truth, however, so I purse my lips and keep walking.
Maybe I can just hurry past.
But no such luck. He just turns and falls into step with me.
“How’s your break been?” he asks jovially, as if the last six months we’ve been the very best of friends … not trapped in some weird, complicated power trip. “I haven’t talked to you since we got back.”
I shrug. I’d forgotten how just plainhotHeath is. His sharp jawline, his rakish grin, the easy way he moves and speaks; I can’t lie to myself. He’s attractive, and I’m definitely attracted to him despite my best efforts.
But he’s also an asshole.
He must not like my response, or lack thereof, because he suddenly jumps in front of me, making me stop abruptly. I look nervously at our surroundings. There’s no one else around.
“I didn’t know you liked the hiking trails,” he says, his voice soft.
I take a step back. There’s a wall behind me. I stiffen, staring up at his piercing eyes.
I’m trying to decide if there’s something hidden to what he’s saying. Is this some kind of warning?
He comes closer and places a hand on the wall near my shoulder, the sleeve of his jacket brushing against me. The touch of it makes it suddenly very hard to think clearly.
“You look good when you’re not wearing your hoodie,” he says softly, leaning toward me. His face comes incredibly close. His surprisingly full lips part slightly. “You should do that more often. Y’know—stop hiding.”
My heart pounds in my chest. God, he’s so close, and he’s so hot. What if I just lean forward? What if I just kiss him? I imagine it, the warmth, the soft feeling of his lips against mine.
“You look so soft,” he says, his hand reaching toward my face. “Almost like a girl.”
It’s like lightning strikes me. I bend my knees and duck beneath his outstretched arm, sliding around behind him.
“No thanks,” I call over my shoulder as I take off running down the hall.
No thanks, what?
I chance a small look back. He’s still in that pose. His eyes linger on my body in a way that looks almost hungry as I dodge around a corner, heart pounding.
What … what was that?
What just happened?
Chapter Seven
Jasper must have told him.That’s the only explanation.
And yet … over the next few days, Heath returns to behaving as normal … meaning completely ignoring me.
If only he and The Brotherhood weren’t the only ones.
I can never let Rafael party again. I can never let him leave me to wander the halls by myself in the early hours, because the next weekend he gets another debilitating hangover, and I’m cornered by yet another person I absolutely don’t want to talk to.
And without him here to whisk me away, I have no choice but to face it.
It’s lunch time. I grab some food and a sports drink for Rafael—it’s the least I can do after all the times he’s helped me—and make my way back to my dorm to eat there. I just got last week’s math test back, and I absolutely aced it. My grades are improving rapidly now that The Brotherhood isn’t around to distract me. I can focus on studying so much better now.
