Chapter Four

When Wednesday morning finally rolled in, my stomach was tied in knots. I threw a pair of comfy grey sweatpants, and oversized hoodie, and messy bun, completely lacking energy to care about my outfit. I grabbed my car keys, said goodbye to my mom—who was waiting for the moving truck to arrive and drove to campus.

I walked into the first lecture room, the heavy oak doors swinging shut behind me. The room was already half full, the stadium style rows buzzing with the usual morning chatters. I kept my head down, pulling my hood over as I scanned the steps for an empty seat near the top.

“Avery! over here!”

A loud, piercing voice cut through the noise. My stomach instantly curdled. Sitting in the third row, waving her perfectly manicured hand like nothing had happened, was Chloe. She was pointing at the empty desk right next to her, a bright, fake smile plastered on her face.

Are you serious right now? I thought, my jaw tightening as I stared at her. Look at her, acting like she didn’t just have her tongue down my boyfriend’s throat in the arena lobby less than a week ago. The sheer backstabbing audacity of her was mind blowing. She looked like a literal snake disguised in pastel pink cardigan.

I completely ignored her, turning my back and walking straight up to the very last row of the lecture room. I slid into a corner seat against the wall, dropping my heavy backpack onto the floor with a loud thud.

The professor stepped up the podium a minute later, clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Alright, settle down, everyone. Before we begin today’s lecture I am passing back the test scripts from the mid terms test you all took last week.”

A collective groan rippled through the entire room.

As the professor the professor started walking up the aisles, handing out the papers, I felt a strange sudden prickle on the back of my neck. It was the exact same suffocating feeling from the restaurant.

Slowly I turned my head.

My heart did a violent, terrifying drop.

Sitting directly behind me, leaning back in his chair with his long legs stretched under my desk, was Lael. He was wearing his black university hockey jacket, his blonde hair slightly messy, and his fingers were casually tapping a rhythm against his knee. His piercing eyes locked onto me, a slow, wicked smirk pulling at his lips.

I gasped, my body going completely ridged. How did I not notice him sitting here?

Before I could even turn back around, Lael leaned forward, his broad chest pressing against the edge of my desk, completely invading my space.

“Morning, stepsister,” he murmured, his deep, gravelly voice dangerously low, meant only for my ears. He reached out his fingers casually flicking the loose strand of my messy bun. “Nice sweatpants. Did you roll out of a dumpster this morning?”

“Can you not!” I snapped, whacking his hands away and spinning around in my seat to face front. My heart pounding a mile a minute, a hot wave of pure frustration making my cheeks burn.

The professor continued walking up the stairs, dropping the test papers onto the wooden desk with heavy disappointing thuds. As my classmates flipped their paper over, a wave of collective misery washed over the room.

People were burying their heads in their hands, or just staring at the red ink with wide horrified eyes. The look on everyone’s face told the same story; they failed woefully.

“I have never seen such a tragic display of grades in my years of teaching,” the professor sighed, running a hand over his bald head as he reached the back row. He stopped right at my desk, placing a paper face down infront of me. “Except for one.”

Before I could even flip my script over to see my grade, a large shadow casting hand reached over my shoulder from behind. Lael didn’t even hesitate. His fingers casually snatched my test paper right off my desk.

“Hey! Give it back!” I hissed, spinning around in my chair, my cheeks burning with hot rage.

He completely ignored me, leaning in his seat as he flipped the page over. His piercing blue eyes scanned the paper, and for a split second, his arrogant smirk flattered, his eyebrows shooting in genuine surprise.

Written in giant, looping red ink at the top of my page was a perfect 100%.

Right below it, the professor had written: Excellent work, Avery. The only passing grade in the entire department.

“Well, well,” Lael murmured, a low dangerous rumble vibrating in his chest. He slowly lowered the paper, his gaze locking onto mine with a completely new calculating intensity. The wicked, playful smirk crept back onto his face, darker this time. “Look like my new step sister is a certified genius.”

“Give it to me,” I snapped as I snatched the paper back out of his grip and hugging it to my chest. “Go worry about your own failing grade.”

I didn’t give him another second to look at me. I spun back around to face the front, my heart hammering against my ribs as the professor finally began the actual lecture. For the next hour, I couldn’t focus on a single word being said. I could practically feel Lael’s intense, freezing gaze boring holes right into the back of my skull.

The second the class was over, I didn’t waste time. I shoved my laptop and perfect test script into my backpack, zipped it up, and threw the straps over my shoulders. I wanted to get out of this room before Lael could open his mouth to annoy me again.

I hurried down the concrete steps of the lecture room, but as I approached the heavy exist doors, my pace slowed.

Standing right by the doorway, blocking half the exit, was Chloe. She was holding her textbook against her chest, looking around anxiously until her eyes locked onto me. The fake smile popped right back on her face, and she took a step forward, clearly waiting for me to stop and talk to her.

Are you actually kidding me? I thought, my jaw clenching so hard it ached. She really thought a few days of silence meant I was just going to forget she was sucking face with my boyfriend. The absolute delusion of this girl is disgusting. She stood there looking all innocent, but she was a literal snake in human form.

I didn’t even blink. I fixed my eyes straight ahead, hardened my expression , and walked past her like she was a ghost. I didn’t give her a single glance, completely brushing past her shoulder as I stormed out into the busy hallway.

“Yo, Valerie! Wait up!”

A loud, deep voice echoed through the crowded corridor behind me.

I kept walking, my sneakers squeaking against the linoleum. Who the fuck was Valerie? I thought, rolling my eyes. But the gravely tone of his voice registered in my brain, and cold shiver ran down my spine. It was Lael.

I didn’t turn around. I accelerated my steps, weaving through the groups of students chatting by the lockers, pretending I hadn’t heard a thing.

“Hey. I know you can hear me,” his voice came again, closer this time, heavy with a smug, mocking authority that made everyone in the hallway turn to look.

A few student actually stopped walking, their eyes darting between me and the massive hockey star trailing behind me. I could feel my face burning with a mix of embarrassment and pure unadulterated rage.

I kept power walking, ignoring stares but his footsteps were way longer and faster than mine. Within three seconds, a heavy hand reached out and grabbed the hood of my oversized sweatshirt, tugging me backward just enough to force me to a sudden halt.

I spun around so fast I almost lost my balance, ripping my hood of his grip.

“What the fuck do you want?” I snapped, glaring up at me, completely matching his loud energy. My voice echoed off the metal lockers, and a few freshmen nearby literally took a step back.