Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 21 - Chapitre 30

June. Knox’s living room was an absolute icebox by midnight.Despite the thick woolen duvet thrown over me, a bone-deep chill had settled straight into my marrow, making my teeth chatter rhythmically in the dark.A few feet away, sprawled out on the hardwood floor with a single throw pillow wedged under his head, Knox lay half-asleep.Or at least, he was supposed to be sleeping.Because every time I shifted or let out a miserable shiver, he twitched, making the air between us crackle with tension.It was like trapping a lizard and a bug in the exact same glass cage and expecting them to play nice. One wrong move, and someone was getting eaten.I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the mental replay of my mother's hand cracking across my face, the icy judgment in Director Vance's eyes, and the nauseating image of that video looping in my head like a horror film.But sleep remained a cruel, distant joke.Near three in the morning, unable to take the freezing air a second longer,

"Well, well, well," Bianca sneered, walking up to me with quick, aggressive steps. "Look at the big, protective hero. Aren't you just the sweetest thing?"I stopped in my tracks and glared at her. "What are you doing here, Bianca?""I was waiting for you," she said, leaning against the side of my car. "I saw you pulling up with her. You're practically hovering over her, Reid. It's getting embarrassing.""I told you not to come near me on campus," I said softly, my voice laced with danger. "Did we agree that we would be seen out in public together like this?""Oh, please!" Bianca scoffed, throwing her hands up. "Do you really think anyone is paying attention to us right now? I saw your car coming into the parking lot and decided to come over. I was already in the area.""I don't care if you were ten feet away," I spat. "Our agreement doesn't involve you tracking my movements like a dog. When I want you, I will call you. Is that clear?""Don't talk to me like I'm one of your little syco

“Are you stalking me?” She scoffed, her voice laced with pure attitude. "Do you seriously think I would be in this room if I knew you were going to be here?""Look," I said, raising my hands slightly, trying to keep my voice steady. "I know the two of us are having a misunderstanding right now—""We are not having a misunderstanding, Knox," she cut in sharply, glaring at me. "We aren't in anything. No relationship, no situation, nothing. Get that through your head."I gritted my teeth, taking a breath. "Fine. Get whatever you came to get. I know you came here for something."She rolled her eyes, turning around and walking deeper into the supply room.As she walked in further, she grabbed the heavy storage door and slammed it shut behind her with a loud, angry BANG that echoed off the high walls.She ignored me completely, walking toward the high shelves on the far side of the room to grab a bucket of industrial line-marking paint they needed for the outdoor courts.She reached up, str

I gasped into his mouth, realization crashing over me like cold water.He faked the whole thing!I pressed my palms against his broad chest, twisting my body frantically to pull away from him."You jerk! Let me off!" I cried, trying to wriggle my knees free, but his grip was ironclad, holding me firmly against his body."Stop fighting me, June," Knox murmured as his lips pressed against the side of my neck. "Your legs are wrapped around me, and I can feel every inch of your body pressed on mine..."With every last ounce of strength, I pushed out of his hold.Before I could dart away toward the back shelves, Knox moved. In a flash, he closed the distance between us.I tried to push past him, but he grabbed me. In seconds, my back hit the cold floor again, and Knox's heavy weight shifted completely over me, caging me in."Let me up!" I cried, trying to squirm out from underneath him as his mouth came down, capturing mine in a deep kiss.He pinned my arms firmly over my head against the

Hearing his voice calling my name felt like being doused in freezing water.Knox froze too, the fog clearing from his eyes as reality finally caught up to him. His brother was standing right on the other side of that door.We scrambled off each other in a frantic panic. I scrambled backward, frantically pulling my shorts up and adjusting my crop top with shaking hands, my face burning red.I glanced down and nearly stopped breathing. Knox was standing up, but the front of his pants was visibly tented by the unmistakable sign of his erection."Knox," I hissed, pointing a trembling finger down toward his pants in absolute panic. "Fix yourself! Look at you!"Knox let out an unbothered huff, and tried to casually smooth down his jacket. "Well, we were in the middle of something. It's not my fault you're so distracting.""This is serious!" I whispered fiercely, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Take care of it! It can't look like we were doing... whatever this was!""Too late for that,"