Chapter Three

“Um… I think it was something Kangaroo Master? I can’t really remember,” I said, blinking rapidly—the telltale sign I was flustered.

Hayden narrowed his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets as he stepped closer. Close enough that I could smell him—smoke, leather, and something dangerously masculine.

He leaned down, dipping his head until his lips hovered inches from my ear.

“Your lip gloss is smudged, little liar,” he whispered.

My brain short-circuited. Before I could respond, he straightened and walked past me, deliberately bumping my shoulder.

I stood frozen for several seconds until my feet finally remembered how to move.

---

I couldn’t concentrate in any of my classes. All I saw on the whiteboard was the replay of the most embarrassing moment of my life. After Hayden’s comment, I’d immediately fixed my gloss in the bathroom. I’d rather die than walk around school looking like a mess.

Not to mention the fact that Hayden Vaughan had actually spoken to me. For the first time ever.

I’d officially gotten his unwanted attention. Alessia was going to be *so* proud.

“There you are!” Alessia clamped her arm around my shoulders the second I dropped my books in my locker.

I forced a smile as I turned to face her. “What?”

“You’re supposed to guess, not ask,” she frowned, folding her arms.

“Alessia,” I groaned.

“News flash,” she announced dramatically. “Beverly and Nathaniel Henderson broke up this morning.”

I wasn’t surprised. After what I’d heard last night, it was only a matter of time.

“Good for them,” I said nonchalantly, grabbing my bag as we headed outside.

She huffed, clearly disappointed I wasn’t indulging her gossip addiction.

“Did you see my husband today?” she gushed. “It’s like he gets hotter every single day.”

I bit my tongue. She called Hayden her “husband” constantly, completely unaware he’d already slept with half the school—including Beverly last night.

I almost told her about our hallway encounter but decided against it.

“Anyway,” she continued, “I tried to join the cheerleading squad, but that bitch Beverly told me I need to lose my thigh fat.”

I snorted.

Alessia would jump into a shark-infested ocean before slimming down her “killer legs that bring all the boys to the yard.”

“Are you going to?” I asked.

“Of course not. No fucking way. Those thighs are my insurance policy. How else am I supposed to win Hayden over?”

The number of times Alessia said Hayden’s name in a single day was honestly exhausting, but I kept that to myself.

We slid into her car, tossing our bags in the back.

“By the way, Savannah Johansson is throwing a party at her mansion this weekend. It’s gonna be lit.”

Savannah’s dad was some tech billionaire who was never home, so she basically had free rein to throw ragers.

“You know I’m not going, right?”

Alessia shot me a side-eye. “Bitch, I already cried to your mom about our long-overdue sleepover.” She grinned like a wicked witch. “Let’s see you get out of this one.”

She had me. Mom would do anything Alessia asked. Sometimes I swore she liked my best friend more than me.

I stayed quiet and let her rant, pretending she’d won. She could have her cake, but I wasn’t eating it.

She dropped me off with her usual parting shot: “And be early tomorrow, bitch!”

I shook my head with a smile as I walked inside. Mom’s laughter floated from the living room—she was in the middle of her daily mom-group gathering. Pancakes, gossip, soap operas, and juice. Repeat.

“Dawn’s home!” one of the moms called out.

“Welcome home, honey. How was school?” Mom asked, eyes twinkling. “And how’s Alessia?”

“It was good. She’s fine,” I said with a forced smile.

“I’m a little busy here, so I need you to prepare dinner after you freshen up.”

“Sure, Mom.”

She waved me off and dove back into the conversation.

I changed into shorts and a camisole, then headed to the kitchen.

---

Later that night, I was bored out of my mind. I’d refreshed my social media reels for the hundredth time and still felt restless. My Chemistry assignment sat untouched on my desk, but all I wanted to do was lie in bed.

A noise outside my window caught my attention.

I crept over and peeked through the curtains.

Of course.

Hayden was sneaking another girl into his room. A redhead this time. She clung to his arm as he helped her climb through the window.

Once she was inside, he started to close the window pane—then froze. Our eyes locked.

I didn’t run. I just stood there, staring like an idiot.

Then he did something that made my stomach flip.

He reached back, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pulled it off in one smooth motion. His eyes never left mine. Even from this distance, I could see the scattered tattoos across his well-defined chest and abs.

The redhead approached him from behind, her hands sliding possessively over his skin.

Hayden grabbed her by the neck and crashed his mouth against hers in a rough, hungry kiss—making sure I was still watching. He kissed her like he was devouring her in deep, skilled and possessive strokes.

When his hand moved to unclip her bra, I yanked the curtain shut.

“Eww,” I muttered, face scrunching in disgust.

So much for curing my boredom.

Now I’d never be able to unsee Hayden Vaughan with his tongue down some girl’s throat. Even worse—he’d put on that little show on purpose.

I definitely needed to wash my eyes with holy water and soap before mass on Sunday.

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