Chapter 5

SOPHIE’s POV

God, I was seething!

Last night had been a total nightmare!

Hannah and I were gliding through college for an early lecture and I couldn’t help but think about It.

He stole my first kiss! No…I let him steal my first kiss!

My first freaking kiss and he had the guts to call me desperate.

I knew I shouldn’t have gone to the club yesterday.

It was such a big mistake!

‘’Still pondering on that?’’

Hannah’s voice jolted me out of my reverie.

I turned to her. ‘’On what?’’

‘’On Noah obviously! You never spoke about last night. Did something go wrong?’’

Noah…

My heart clenched, his harsh words playing in my head over and over again.

‘’Look…Noah’s a dick. He fucked up your friendship, not the other way around. So he don’t get to be in your head, torment you and make you bail on a freaking ass Greek God!’’

She didn’t see him. But okay…

I tightened my hand around the strap of my bag and stared around, suddenly feeling the eyes on me.

‘’imagine you’d actually slept with him! Maybe you wouldn’t have to…’’

Her words were merely a blur as I could barely focus under the heavy scrutiny of people.

Their gazes were laced on me, judging, ridiculing like I had something on my face.

I was used to it—Getting weird looks from my coursemates.

But getting it from the whole school??!

I nudged Hannah by the arm, stopping her yapping. ‘’Do I have an hickey?’’

A sharp gasp escaped her lips. ‘’OMG! Don’t tell me you actually got layed last night. Is that why you wouldn’t talk about it? Let me see!’’ Her eyes narrowed down on my neck, a huge smile plastered across her lips.

Then the smile slowly faltered. ‘’Nothing.’’ Her voice held disappointment.

‘’Exactly! Because I didn’t get layed last night. Do I have drool on my face?’’

Hannah’s face twisted. ‘’You look perfectly fine, Sophie. Your hair is packed up nicely. Your glasses are the same—glued to your nose. Freckles didn’t fade. And no traces of hickeys or drools.’’

‘’Then why the fuck is everyone’s eyes on me?!’’ I whisper-yelled.

Hanna slowly skimmed through, her brow furrowing. ‘’Ignore.’’

Her pace quickened and I followed behind her till we stopped in front of our lockers.

Just as I took off the lock and opened the locker, a low chuckle resonated from behind. ‘’Shit! She does look like a dork.’’

I stopped my movement, my heart freezing.

Another chuckle bloomed right after. ‘’Right! I somehow failed to notice that since she always had Noah’s backing, following him around like a lost pupp—‘’

‘’Watch it!’’ Hannah slammed her locker with enough force to rip the hinges off.

She balled her fist and charged for him. But I tugged at her sleeves, stopping her just before she could reach him.

‘’Let it go, Hannah. They’re not worth it.’’ My voice came out low, unbothered.

But on the inside, my heart was a turmoil.

It felt like DeJaVu.

Them spilling the exact same words Noah had told Daisy.

My hand tightened into fist.

‘’Oh yhhh…let it go, Hannah.’’ One of the guys mimicked me, his voice riddled with mockery, ‘’How about letting this go?’’ He shoved his phone in my face and Noah’s voice bloomed from it. Then Daisy’s. Then Noah again.

I stood rooted to the floor, my body trembling as I listened to the exact same words I was force to hear when I dropped by Noah’s.

My jaws clenched, my eyes watering instantly.

It couldn’t have been Noah.

Daisy!

She had recorded her entire conversation with Noah and sent it to everyone in the school just to humiliate me.

My body shook, my teeth digging into the inside of my cheeks till the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

‘’Scram!’’

A harsh voice, cold and commanding bloomed in the hallway.

That voice…

Noah!

I didn’t wanna see him right now.

The boys quickly ran off and Noah walked up to me, his steps slow. ‘’Sophie, I swear… it’s not what it looks lik—‘’

I didn’t know when the tears slid down my eyes.

‘’Noah…fix it.’’ My voice was shaky, vulnerable.

I couldn’t help it.

I wanted to hate him.

To lash out at him.

But looking into those ocean blue eyes, I found myself falling again.

‘’I—I can’t.’’

My heart shattered.

He was a star player in the school, the school’s golden boy.

Whatever he said, goes.

He could fucking fix it! Except… he didn’t want to.

‘’I’m sorry, Sophie. I never meant a thing I said. I—‘’

‘’Get out!’’ I snapped, tears sliding down my eyes like a dam had broke.

I earnestly wanted to believe that he had been high when he said all that. But staring at him, the realization finally dawned on me.

Noah Grayson was a dick.

His hand ran through his hair and he stepped closer, his face begging.

‘’Sophie please I—‘’

‘’I said get out!’’ My voice rose.

His eyes snapped open, surprise laced in them.

I had never yelled at anybody. Much less him.

He stepped back slowly, ‘’I’ll be back, Sophie. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.’’

I turned away, my sobs turning into a full grown wail.

‘’He’s gone, Sophie. You did we—‘’

‘’I just wanna be alone.’’ I interrupted, slamming my locker close.

I picked my feet and ran across the hall, my chest heaving painfully.

Just before I could reach the exit, I bumped into a rock hard chest and stumbled backwards, almost loosing my footing.

Strong hands curled around my waist just before I could fall. ‘’Careful.’’

I froze, my eyes slowly snapping up.

It was him!

That arrogant jerk that had called me desperate last night!

I wiggled out of his grasp and stood straight, wiping the stray tears from my eyes.

He didn’t recognize me… did he?

‘’Move.’’ I muttered under my breath and tried stepping around him.

He shot out his arm, strong and veiny, blocking my path.

‘’We met at the club last night.’’ He said casually, slipping his hand into his pant pocket.

I stared at him in disbelief.

The audacity!

‘’’Are you trying to insult me?!’’ My voice rose slightly.

‘’No.’’

‘’Because it sounds like you are.’’ I crossed my hand against my chest, my forehead scrunched angrily.

For a moment, he didn’t say anything.

His eyes stayed glued on me, like he was studying every detail.

‘’I need a tutor.’’

I blinked. ‘’What?’’

‘’A tutor.’’ His face remained unreadable.

I let out a sharp laugh. ‘’What does that have to do with me?’’

He shrugged, his eyes still glued on me. ‘’You’re smart.’’

I almost exploded from irritation. ‘’So? I’m not some cheap skate you can just toss around! Move!’’

He infact did.

Instead of moving out of the way, he moved forward, his steps slow as he invaded my space.

I stepped back slightly, my breath hitching.

‘’You know that’s not what I mean.’’ He whispered, leaning forward till his breath was fanning my neck.

‘’If you tutor me, I’ll happily fake date you.’’

What the fuck?!

Who the fuck did this arrogant bastard think he was?!!

Fake date me?!

I shifted away from him, my chest burning as I watched the smirk on his lips widen. ‘’Who the fuck do you think you are?! Fake date me?! Are you fucking—‘’

He cut me off. ‘’In exchange, I’ll make Noah Grayson pay for even saying your name.’’ His words were cold and riddled with threat.

My heart did a violent flip.

Make Noah pay?

That sounded personal, almost hateful.

Curiosity curled inside me.

‘’W—Why do you care?? Do you have some kind of a grudge with Noah?’’

He stared at me for a long moment.

Then stepped closer, close enough for the warmth of our bodies to blend together.

‘’Grudge? No love.’’

My pulse spiked, my breath seizing.

He leaned forward, his voice barely above a whisper.

‘’I want nothing more than to see my brother suffer.’’