All Chapters of TANGLED:,Crazy For You: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

40 Chapters

Twenty one

The university cafeteria was loud. It was always loud at lunch, but today the noise felt like physical blows against my head. Trays hit the hard plastic tables with loud smacks. Chairs scraped against the dirty floor. Hundreds of voices mixed together into a giant, ugly roar. The smell of greasy fries, old ketchup, and cheap floor cleaner filled the air. Usually, I didn't mind the mess. Usually, this was just a normal Monday. But today, I felt like I was suffocating.I sat at my usual table in the far corner. I stared down at my food. I had a sandwich and an apple on my tray, but I could not eat. My stomach was tied in tight, painful knots. I felt sick. If I tried to swallow even a bite of bread, I knew I would throw up. My hands rested on my lap under the table. They were shaking. I pressed them hard against my legs to make them stop, but the shaking moved up to my arms. My chest felt tight. I took a slow, deep breath through my nose. I told myself to stay calm. I told myself not to

Chapter twenty two

Hazel povChloe stood by our table. She looked down at us like we were dirt on her shoes. She had that fake, plastic smile plastered on her face. She was as insufferable as ever. I hated looking at her. I hated knowing we shared the same blood."Come on, Hazel," Chloe said. Her voice was too loud. She wanted people to hear her. "Don't be so cold to me. We are family, after all."I just stared at her. Family. Right. The kind of family that steals your insurance money. The kind of family that makes your life a living hell until your brother has to drag you away. I didn't say a single word. I just kept my face completely blank. I gave her nothing.Chloe sighed. She acted like I was a difficult child. Then she turned her head and looked at Maya. She blinked her eyes, pretending she was surprised."Oh," Chloe said, her voice dripping with fake shock. "Didn't see you there, Maya."She looked Maya up and down. Her eyes were full of pure disgust. Then she looked back at me and smirked. "You s

Chapter twenty three

Chapter Twenty-ThreeHazel's POVThe final bell rang. School was over. I walked out of the building with Maya. The sun beat down on my face. It was hot. Students filled the yard. They laughed. They talked. They rushed to go home. I just wanted to stand still. The day was too long. Dealing with Tiffany took all my energy. But I felt good about it. Maya hugged me tight."I have to catch my bus," she said. "Call me later."I nodded. "I will. Be safe."Maya ran off toward the buses. I walked to the front gate. This was the spot. Leo always picked me up here. I stood by the brick wall. I dropped my heavy bag on the concrete. I leaned my back against the warm bricks. I closed my eyes. I just needed to wait. Leo would be here soon. My chest felt a little tight from the heat, but I was okay. I just wanted to go home and sleep."You are heartless."The voice came from my right. I opened my eyes. I didn't even need to look to know who it was. That voice was burned into my brain. It was the voic

Chapter twenty four

Hazel pov The car ride home was completely quiet. Leo kept his hands tight on the steering wheel. His knuckles were white. I sat in the passenger seat and stared out the window. The trees and houses blurred past us. My chest moved up and down fast. The fight was over, but my blood still pumped hard. My hands throbbed with a dull, heavy ache. I rubbed my right fist with my left thumb. The skin was red and raw. Some spots were already turning purple.Leo pulled into our driveway. The tires crunched on the gravel. He turned off the engine. The sudden quiet filled the car. He did not say a single word. He just unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his door. I followed him. The evening air hit my face. It was cool and dry. We walked up the steps to the front door. Leo unlocked it and pushed it open.I stepped inside. The house was dark and still. I took off my shoes and left them by the door. Leo threw his keys on the small wooden table. They hit the wood with a sharp clack. He took off his

Chapter twenty five

Silas povI kept my distance. Two full days of avoiding her. It was pure hell. I stayed in my room or I stayed in the study with Leo. I made sure I was never alone in a room with Hazel. I missed her. I missed her more than I want to admit. My chest physically ached from it. I missed the smell of her hair. I missed the way her cheeks turned pink when I stood too close. I missed the soft gasp she made when I surprised her in the kitchen. But I had to stay away. If I got close to her right now, I would lose my control. I would pin her against the wall and take her mouth. I would claim her right there in the hallway. Leo would kill me. I need to be smart. I need to play the long game.I walked down the hall and pushed the heavy oak door open. I stepped into the study. The room was dark. The curtains were drawn tight against the evening sun. Only the small lamp on the desk gave off any light. Leo stood behind the desk. He was angry. His jaw was tight. His hands gripped the edge of the wood

Chapter twenty six

POV: SilasI left the study. Leo stayed behind the desk. He was angry. He was planning his own revenge. I had my own work to do. I walked down the hall. My boots hit the hardwood floor. I reached the back door. I pushed it open and stepped onto the back porch.The night air hit my face. It was freezing. The cold felt good. It cooled the heat in my blood. I pulled my phone from my pocket. The screen lit up the dark. I found Marcus in my contacts. I pressed the green button.Marcus answered on the second ring. He always answers fast. He is my assistant. He is smart. He is ruthless. I pay him a lot of money to be ruthless."Boss," Marcus said."I have a job for you," I said."Tell me.""Hazel has an aunt. I am sending you her name right now." I typed the name with my thumb and hit send. "Find out everything on this woman. I want her entire life on my desk. Dig deep. Find the dirt. I want her bank records. I want her credit card statements. I want to know her debts. I want to know who she

Chapter twenty seven

Victoria ( Hazel Aunt)The call ended. Leo hung up the phone. I held the phone in my hand. I stared at the screen. He did not let me finish my sentence."He dare end the call," I said. "That motherless boy. How dare he."I put the phone on the table. I gripped the edge of the table. Leo acted arrogant. He did not apologize. Hazel hurt my daughter. Hazel gave Chloe a bruised eye. Hazel broke Chloe's things. Leo did not care. He threatened me instead. He told me to keep Chloe away from Hazel. He thinks he can order me around. He is just a boy. I am his aunt. He owes me respect. He owes me money.Chloe sat on the couch. She started crying. She covered her face with her hands."Mummy, she almost blinded me," Chloe said. "She humiliated me in front of everyone. And her brother didn't even apologize."I walked over to Chloe. I sat next to her. I pulled her into a hug. I stroked her hair."I will make them regret this," I said. "My beautiful girl."Chloe leaned against me. She cried more. He

Chapter twenty eight

Hazel's POVI opened my eyes. The room was bright. Morning sun came through the window. I lay in bed for a minute. I did not want to move. I felt tired. But I also felt good. I stretched my legs. I stretched my left arm. I tried to stretch my right arm. My hand felt stiff.I lifted my right hand. I looked at it. White bandages covered my knuckles. The tape was neat. The wrap was tight. I smiled. Only Leo would do this. He always takes care of me. He must have come into my room last night. I was in a deep sleep. I did not feel him bandage my hand.I touched the white cloth. It felt soft. My knuckles throbbed underneath. A dull pain spread through my fingers. I did not care about the pain. I liked it. It was proof. I fought back. I beat up my cousin. She deserved every punch. She insulted my parents. She called them good for nothing. I lost my temper. I hit her hard. I left her bleeding. I left her crying.I do not feel sorry. I feel better than I have in a long time. Getting that anger

Chapter twenty nine

Hazel povI pushed through the main doors of the school building and the first thing I walked into was noise. Not the usual Monday morning noise. This was different. This was the kind of noise that had a target. Groups of students standing in the hall, heads together, phones out. I caught bits of it as I walked."...she just went at her like that...""...her own cousin...""...did you see the video..."I kept walking. I kept my eyes forward. My bag was on my shoulder and my bandaged hand was in my pocket. I was not going to slow down for any of them. I was not going to look left or right. I just kept my feet moving.A girl near the water fountain saw me and went quiet. She elbowed the person next to her. They both stared. I walked past them without blinking.By the time I got to my locker the whole stretch of hallway had already clocked me. I could feel it. Eyes tracking me from every direction. I spun my combination and pulled the door open. I started going through my books.Then I

Thirty

Hazel povThe class after that was the worst one of the day. Not because of the subject. The subject was fine. It was the waiting. Every minute I sat in that chair was one more minute before the principal’s office. I kept thinking about what was waiting for me on the other side of that door, and my brain refused to settle.I tapped my pen on my desk.Once.Twice.Three times.I stopped. Pressed it flat against the surface. Held it there like that would fix it.It didn’t.A few minutes later, I was doing it again without noticing.I shifted in my seat. Adjusted my notebook. Straightened the edge of the page even though it didn’t need it. Anything to keep my hands busy.The professor kept talking.I could hear every word. None of it stayed. It slipped through before I could hold onto it. I stared at my notebook. Three lines. That was all I had since the start of class.The rest of the page stayed empty.I tried again. Focus. Just listen. Just write something.The thought came back immed

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