: Chapter 13

We narrowly avoid the police cruiser. Which is an odd thing to say, but Caleb motions behind us just as we’re turning onto a different street, heading toward school. I spot the cop turning into the lakeside parking lot, and then we’re out of sight.

We’re only mildly late to school. Caleb and I get slips from the office and head into first period, and I try to ignore the hush that falls over the students.

Coming in late? Sure.

Coming in late with Caleb? Not good.

As soon as Mrs. Stonewater’s back is turned, whispers break out. I hunch lower, way too aware of the wetness between my legs. I want to bolt to the nearest bathroom and scrub myself, but the damage is done. My panties won’t magically dry either, unless I hold them under the weak blowers…

Wouldn’t that be fun to explain if someone walked in?

Anyway.

We survive—rather, I survive—first period. Although as soon as students from that class get released into the halls, it seems like the gossip mill once again churns.

Riley meets me at her locker before lunch, and I clutch her hands.

“Where were you this morning?” I ask.

She wrinkles her nose. “Caleb made a convincing argument.”

“He took the coffee from you, didn’t he?” I smack my forehead. Coffee that, in the end, I didn’t get to drink.

My stomach rumbles, but I was planning on talking to Riley on the way to school. Now, my dream comes roaring back to the forefront of my mind.

“I had a weird dream,” I tell her. “And I can’t figure out what’s real and what’s my imagination.”

“What was it about?”

“My mom and an older Caleb arguing, then Caleb and I were in a field, and then I was in my room…” I shake my head. “I feel like I’m misremembering.”

That’s how dreams work. Let them sit in your brain long enough, and the finer details slip away.

We pause at the doors to the library.

“What were they arguing about?” she asks.

“I couldn’t hear.”

“An older Caleb—like his dad?”

I flinch. Why didn’t I think of that? “Oh my God.”

She bounces on her heels. “Okay, okay, so your mom and Caleb’s dad probably argued at some point. Maybe you overheard it or saw them and didn’t really understand? Or maybe you did understand and it scared you.”

I hesitate. She was really angry in the dream. Angry when she burst into my room, too.

“You’re having memory issues surrounding why you left, right?” Riley presses.

I don’t want to think about that.

“Caleb stopped by last night.”

And I left the bracelet on the dresser. Didn’t even think about grabbing it this morning, even though my wrist feels shockingly bare without it. He didn’t mention anything about it in the car.

“He wanted me to forgive him,” I add.

Riley snorts. “Don’t.”

“I’m not going to.” Even if he knows exactly how to touch me.

“And what did Amelie want? I’m sorry I didn’t go with you, I just… I don’t trust that girl. You didn’t agree to do anything with her, right?”

“Um, no.” I make a face. “She was encouraging me to dump Caleb and tell her what I remember. And… you know those texts I showed you at the beginning of the school year?”

She tilts her head. “The creepy ones from the blocked number.”

“Yeah. Well, they didn’t stop.”

“Margo Wolfe! You never said.”

Heat crawls up my neck. “I didn’t want to freak you out.”

“Give it to me.”

I wince, then open my phone to Unknown’s conversation.

She scrolls through it, getting paler by the second. “Fucking hell, Margo. You kept this a secret?”

“I didn’t want to drag you into it,” I whisper. “I mean… I don’t know who it is.”

The overwhelming majority of messages in that thread are from Unknown—my rare replies don’t seem to dissuade them.

“They were the ones who took the video? And leaked it.”

I sigh.

“And they sent the picture of you and Ian…” She purses her lips. “Wait. So they were at school? Obviously it’s a student.”

“Or a teacher.”

She pauses. Then, “They ask a lot of rhetorical fucking questions. We know anyone like that?”

I laugh. “I doubt it’d be that easy… but Amelie said the text came from Savannah.”

Riley gasps. “Excuse me? I’m going to kill her.”

“If we can believe anything Amelie says.”

“True. She is a dirty backstabbing snake. Savannah just kind of shunned you to survive. You don’t think it could be both of them, do you? Amelie’s just planting the seed to throw suspicion off of herself. Plus, she was in Paris when you first started getting the texts.”

I groan. “There are so many questions and virtually no answers.”

“Agreed.”

Riley opens the library door, but the librarian seems to have been waiting. She clings on to the door, stopping Riley from opening it farther.

“There’s a staff meeting in here today,” she whispers. “Go away.”

I groan. Riley nods slowly, and we share a glance. I try to ignore my dread and follow her to the lunchroom.

“Bathroom break,” I say, tugging her with me.

I can’t wait any longer—and I kind of want to see if he’s going to notice from his earlier stipulation. About… you know. Will he do anything about it? A thrill goes through me, and as soon as my hands are washed and dried, we continue into the packed cafeteria.

“We can just snag seats at one of the empty tables,” Riley murmurs.

We both bring our lunches, so it’s not like we need to wait in the huge line. I follow her down the main aisle. I ignore the table where Amelie reigns, and Savannah tries not to glower. Then there’s the hockey table, centered against the windows.

It’s too easy to find Caleb, sitting in the center like a king.

The king to Amelie’s queen.

My stomach knots, and I think we might slip under the radar when he glances up.

His gaze lands on me, and he raises his eyebrows.

“Why is he looking at you like that?” Riley whispers.

“No idea,” I mutter.

But, yeah, I totally know.

I follow Riley to a table in the far corner. It’s probably reserved for losers and outcasts, but isn’t that exactly what we are?

Yes. It doesn’t work, because Caleb drops down into the chair next to mine almost before I can take my own seat.

“Margo,” Caleb greets me. He reaches out and runs his hand down my arm, lifting my hand. He pushes my sleeve up to expose my bare wrist. His fingers are cold, but it’s nothing compared to the fire in his expression.

Goosebumps break out along my arms and back.

Disappointment flashes across his face, then his perfect mask is back in place. How he slides it on so precisely reminds me of the masquerade ball. The cool gold against my skin.

“Come with me,” he says.

“I’m hungry.” I cross my arms.

He raises an eyebrow, but he motions for me to proceed.

With him… watching?

He puts his elbow on the table, propping his chin on his fist. In no hurry to move, then, I scowl and face forward. I take the sandwich and mini bag of chips out of the brown paper bag, followed by a Ziplock of baby carrots and cucumber, then a tiny tub of hummus.

My stomach growls.

Caleb reaches out and opens the bag of chips. Before I can scowl at him, he sets the open bag on the table, facing me.

It would be nice if I didn’t know he was actually a demon.

I take a bite of my sandwich. Then another. While Caleb and Riley stare at me. Finally, she eats, too, which makes it a little less weird.

His gaze burns.

When everything is polished off, and I’m no longer starving to the point of stomach cramps, he takes my hand and drags me out of my chair. Down the hall, then another. Until we reach the locker rooms.

I dig my heels in. “I’m not going in there.”

“Uh-huh.” He’s an unstoppable force.

And I end up in the locker room.

Not a huge surprise, Margo.

We pass the rows of showers on the left, but he doesn’t stop at any of them. They’re too exposed for what I think he has planned.

Wait a second…

“Why don’t they have curtains?”

“Guys would rip them down to be funny. The school finally stopped investing in them.” He glances back at me. “I don’t really want to talk about shower curtains.”

Right.

I know what this is about, and butterflies flutter in my chest. At the last row of lockers on our right, he pushes me against them and drops to his knees.

One minute he’s looking up at me, and the next…

His head is under my skirt.

He pulls my panties aside, sliding a finger inside me without warning. I buck my hips, the sensation a shock. And also… a bit of pleasure. He reaches up and puts a hand on my abdomen, forcing me harder against the lockers.

My breathing comes in short bursts.

He’s barely touched me—just a single finger, and his breath on my thigh—and I’m going to combust.

Carefully, he drags my panties down and lifts my leg. He leaves them wrapped around one ankle, and my free one he hooks over his shoulder.

Fucking hell.

“We’re at school,” I hiss.

“Better be quiet, then,” comes his reply.

It’s followed by his tongue on my clit.

Oh, fuck. The words of protest die in my throat, and he works me right to the edge.

And then stops. My foot touches the floor again, and he reemerges. He licks his lips, grinning up at me.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he mocks. “Did you want me to keep going?”

I gape at him. My body is thrumming with energy, although the climax is quickly fading away. It leaves behind a buzzing ache in my clit.

He smirks and rises, slowly turning me around. He manually puts my hands on the lockers and drags my hips back, until I’m leaning my upper body’s weight on the wall of metal. When he flips my skirt up, the cool air kisses my bare skin. I shiver and glance back.

His focus is solely on my ass and his fist stroking his cock.

The bell has got to be about to ring.

We’re going to be so late.

He lines up and thrusts into me before I can voice it.

Ah, fuck.

The dirtiness of this—and the fact that anyone could walk in on us—only turns me on more. I’m kind of ashamed to realize that, but it is what it is. He fucks me so hard, I can’t take my hands away from the wall or else risk going head-first into it.

His fingers dig into my hips, pulling me back to meet him.

His cock hits just the right spot in me, the friction and stretch and angle⁠—

“I’m going to come,” I finally say.

He slows. “No.”

I stare back at him. He’s moving at a turtle’s pace now, seeming to wait for my twitching pussy to calm.

“You had to let me find out that my cum was gone from your sweet cunt on my own,” he says, his expression dark. “So, no. I hope it aches all day for you, baby.”

After a long moment, he resumes. And just as it builds up again, the sensation almost tipping me to pleasure, he stills.

He groans through his teeth as he comes, and I close my eyes. My skin is too hot, and the need between my legs is almost unbearable.

When he slips out, he kneels and picks up my leg, sliding my panties over my shoe. Up my legs, under the skirt.

Once again keeping his cum against my sensitive core.

He turns me around and inspects my face, then nods to himself.

“See you later, baby.”