Getting in her car and seeing Elle in the passenger seat wiping away the tears, Chloe felt the need to cry hit her, too. If she could, she was almost certain she would cry right beside her.
Fear set into her, but it wasn’t the kind she was used to. Back there, she had thought Elle was the one with the most to lose with Nero. However, she felt like she had lost something just as great. Every day, Amo surprised her; every day, she had trusted him a little bit more; and every day, she could feel the start of a friendship blooming.
The fact that she was feeling the start of a friendship with Amo scared her. The fact that a strong sadness came over her since she wasn’t going to see their friendship bloom truly frightened her …
*
Did she just fucking kick me? Amo’s leg still stung as he walked to the car.
Damn, she did just fucking kick me!
She had blamed him for Nero going out with another girl, but the only reason Nero had gone out was because he really hadn’t had much of a choice. He had set the date up before Nero had realized he fully wanted her. Amo knew Nero would come to the conclusion of picking Elle over the job. It was obvious he liked her too much. However, Nero had to pretend to the boss that he wasn’t falling for her, because if the boss found out about them and then they canceled, it would look suspicious. Nero’s father was already skeptical of his loyalties.
Cassandra had also been supposed to be here tonight. Since she had been suspended this week, they hadn’t seen her. They wanted to talk to her outside of the school, force her to tell them all the shit they had done to Elle and Chloe.
Nero had planned to kill two birds with one stone tonight: gain his father’s trust and get his hands on Cassandra. But it all had gone to fucking shit the moment Elle had showed up.
They didn’t even understand why she had come to Poison, anyway. It was a lounge for teens and definitely not somewhere Elle or Chloe had ever gone before. Elle had said she had gotten a text from Nero to come here, but he hadn’t sent one.
We’re getting played somehow. Someone was one step ahead of them, and he could feel it. He just hoped it didn’t come to bite him in the ass before he could see it coming.
You should be ashamed of yourself … Chloe’s words swirled in his head. She could barely look him in the eyes day by day, yet tonight, she had stared the beast down and kicked him. He was used to seeing that hint of fear in her eyes every time she looked at him, but for the first time, he had seen it disappear for just a moment.
Fear was the only thing he had thought lived in Chloe. But, damn, I was wrong.
A smile touched his lips. No girl had ever dared to do something like that to him. Not only that, but he had let her live to tell the tale. Whatever he had done to change her image of him had worked. He hadn’t seen it until now, but that was exactly what he had hoped for.
There was no doubt Nero was getting Elle back, which put him right back where he wanted.
Before he opened the door to his car, the clicking of heels came up behind him. “Amo, you didn’t forget about me, did you?”
Turning around, he saw Christa perking her boobs out for him to stare at. Instead, he turned back around to get in his car. “No, I didn’t.”
“But-but, I thought I was going over to your house tonight.”
Amo opened the door and slid in, ignoring her obnoxious baby voice and fake tears.
“How am I supposed to get home?”
“Walk.” He slammed the door in her face.
Starting the car, he ignored the girl yelling profanities through his window and throwing a hissy fit. I can be a nice boy.
He revved his engine, pulling out and leaving behind the girl as she tried to throw her shoe at his car but miserably failed. I can at least pretend to be.
Thirty-One
Yin and Yang
It was rough for both of them when Monday came and Nero and Elle were still not talking to each other. It was even rougher considering Cassandra’s suspension was now over. With Cassandra back, they had agreed to let Vincent walk them to class since he was the person they blamed the least, considering Vincent couldn’t ever help himself. He was just nuts.
When Vincent and Elle dropped her off at Health, it was weird, because a part of her had kind of grown used to Amo taking her. Nope. No, I didn’t.
Going in, she took her seat in the back and placed her book bag on top of the table beside her where Amo sat—well, used to sit. She was making sure he wasn’t going to sit beside her now.
The door was flung open a minute later, making her hold her breath when the beast entered.
She immediately dropped her eyes to the ground, afraid to look at him once he saw her bag taking up his seat.
As she felt him stalk closer and closer to the table, her resolve began to break little by little. It was obvious he had seen the bag by now, and it was obvious he didn’t give a fuck about it.
Amo approached the table. “Are you trying to tell me you don’t want me to sit here?”
Looking up at him was a bad idea.
Swallowing hard, she nodded her head to the best of her abilities.