Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
The thought is enough to have bile rising in my throat.
“No,” I whisper, refusing to consider one word that comes out of his mouth.
He shoots me a wounded look. “And here I thought we were back together. How disappointing.”
I suppress a shudder. “That’s never going to happen.”
“I’d be careful about making promises you can’t keep,” he singsongs.
When he reaches out and trails a finger along the curve of my jaw, I bat his hand away and take a swift step in retreat.
Even though it’s dangerous to turn my back on him, I swing toward my locker and grab a stack of books that will get me through my morning classes before slamming the door shut.
Just as I attempt to dart around him, he slides in front of me, blocking my escape and pushing me in the chest. Not expecting the shove, I stumble backward. His hand slices through the air, hits my books, and knocks them to the floor where they scatter at my feet. Papers fly into the flow of traffic before being trampled. My eyes widen when he advances, pressing me into the cold metal until I’m left with no other choice but to flatten against the locker.
A nasty glint lights up his gray eyes as if he’s enjoying this interaction.
“You know what I can’t figure out?” he rasps.
My heart slams painfully into my ribcage. It doesn’t escape me that there are dozens of witnesses, and not one damn person can be bothered to step in and stop Jasper from accosting me.
Instead of responding, my lips stay pressed together in a thin, tight line. We both know it’s a rhetorical question.
“Why do you think you’re so much better than me? You live in a fucking dump, drive a piece of shit, and don’t have two nickels to rub together. You wouldn’t be here without your precious scholarship.”
His growled-out words turn my blood to ice.
He presses closer until my breasts are smashed against the hard lines of his chest. “You walk around here like you’re some kind of princess, when in reality, you’re not good enough to lick my shoes.”
My tongue darts out to moisten my lips. “That’s not true.”
It takes effort to tamp down the fear rampaging through my system. The scent of it will incite further violence. It’s only now that we’re broken up that I realize what Jasper Morgan is fully capable of.
And that’s anything.
Consequences mean nothing to him.
His eyes turn stormy as uncontrolled rage flashes in them. “Yeah, you do.”
He’s close enough for his warm breath to drift across my lips. My muscles tense as I wait for his next move. There’s nothing to stop him from inflicting untold amounts of damage.
“You’re a whore, just like all these other girls,” he growls as one hand snakes out, slithering up the length of my bare leg and disappearing beneath my tartan skirt.
My mouth turns cottony as fear rushes through me. When I press closer to the locker as if it’s possible to put more distance between us, an ugly chuckle falls from his lips.
“What’s the matter, Delilah?” His fingers bite into my flesh, and I wince as pain radiates through my thigh. “You only like it when trash touches you?”
His face lowers as his lips hover over mine. I press my palms against his chest and push with all my strength, but he doesn’t budge an inch. When his lips lower, I twist my head to the side.
And meet the steely-eyed gaze of Austin.
Every single protest dies a quick death on the tip of my tongue as the frigidness of his expression freezes me to the core. There’s so much anger filling his green eyes. It couldn’t be more different from how he stared at me Friday night.
Jasper nips at my earlobe as I stare in horror. It’s like I’m paralyzed. Unable to move or turn my head away. I know exactly what this looks like. That’s all it takes for a little piece of me to shrivel and die. Before I can fight my way free, Austin swings away and stalks down the hall, disappearing from sight.
Any hope that he might have cooled off enough to listen to my side of the story has now been snuffed out.
DELILAH
Jasper’s dark laughter chases me down the corridor and follows me into my first hour classroom as I slump onto my chair and glance at the digital clock that hangs over the exit.
The bell rings throughout the building at exactly half past seven.
Whispered comments whip around me as Coach Baker settles on his chair before reclining back and kicking his shoes up on his desk. The loudspeaker buzzes as the morning announcements are read.
“All right everyone, settle down and listen up,” Coach says. “Then we’ll finish the chapter on rational functions. Remember, there’s a test next week.”
Most of the class groans.