“You’ve got paint on your cheek,” he murmurs.
Then, before I can stop him, Raph’s fingertips are brushing against my cheekbone in the lightest of touches. They feel cool against my flushed skin, but at the same time, everywhere they touch, I feel my skin burn and come alive.
What is happening here? I know that I should move away, but my body isn’t listening. All I can do is stare into those eyes, which have now darkened so, that they’re as blue as the bottom of a flame. And fall into them.
“What are you doing?” I manage to say, my voice barely a ragged whisper in the space between us.
“I don’t know,” he replies as he draws even closer, so close that I can feel the words almost on my lips.
“Raph—are you in here? Teague says he saw you go in here …” The voice is an unwelcome one in this strange world that we’ve created between us.
It takes a moment for me to register that Layla is standing by the doorway and she looks furious.
Those merciless green eyes travel from Raph to me and back again, narrowing into slits as the displeasure on her face intensifies.
Raph drops his hand, as if he’s been burned. Although, I’m the one who feels the burn from his sudden apparent desire to get as far away from me as possible.
“Raph—what are you doing here … with her?”
He doesn’t even look at me as he picks up his duffel bag and walks towards Layla.
“Nothing,” he replies and I feel the knife which seems to have lodged itself in my chest twist even deeper.
“Let’s go.”
I watch as he leads Layla away from the room, without even so much as looking back at me.
As I force my breathing to slow and clamp down on my out of control emotions, I remind myself that I hate this guy. Hate him completely, totally and utterly. Layla may be a total bitch, but she did me a favor just then. A huge favor. If she hadn’t shown up to remind us all where we stood in this damn place, I can’t even begin to imagine what the fallout would have been.
14
A few weeks pass without a single incident. Life almost seems … normal. Well, I’m still being treated like an outcast, but the whispers and looks are starting to die down. In fact, some people now even seem scared of me—like I’m some kind of psychotic bitch. I guess blowing up the King of school’s car will do that for your reputation. If there’s one thing you can count on—whether it’s on Earth or I guess on Eden, people always get bored.
Raph seems to be avoiding me completely. Which is good, because I sure as hell am avoiding him, too.
Still, I see him on campus several times and I’m not pleased to learn that we share more than just a few classes. Each time I see him, he either has Layla plastered to his side or some other girl or girls, plural. Good. Because it just reminds me that I hate him.
Gym class is one of the few classes that Dani and I don’t have together. I’m running late to the lesson because it’s swimming today and I have no idea where the pool is, although Dani tried to give me directions as we were both leaving first period chemistry. Her second period class is in the opposite direction, otherwise she said she would’ve shown me the way.
The girls’ locker room is empty when I finally find the gymnasium where the pool is located. Great, I’m late.
I yank open my gym bag and root around inside for my black, Regency-issued uniform swimsuit. I hurriedly strip down and pull on the black Lycra one piece. But something feels off.
I catch a reflection of myself in the locker room mirror and I swear I almost scream.
The black one piece is not exactly a one piece anymore. There are massive cut outs across my midsection and ass, so that it’s basically a bikini—a very crudely put together and very revealing bikini. With all the body parts on display through the ruined swimsuit, I might as well be naked.
My vision slowly turns to red as I gape at my reflection in the mirror, knowing exactly who would be responsible for something like this.
I make to take off the suit but then I think twice. Fuck them. Fuck them all.
I march through the locker room and I’m feeling deathly calm as I push open the double doors leading to the indoor swimming pool.
The lesson hasn’t yet started and the class is gathered at the edge of the pool nearest to the door. Conversation comes to a complete halt and everyone turns to stare at me. Every damn person.
Keller’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Lance’s mouth drops open and next to him, Baron’s stunned expression is almost comical. There is nothing funny about how I feel in that moment. Nothing.
The expression on Raph’s face is equally serious, though, those blue eyes burning like twin flames as they track my movements.
It’s Layla who catches my attention, as she walks towards me, her black swimsuit perfectly intact.
The gleeful look on her face only makes my temper burn hotter.
“Do you like my little present, slut?” she asks.
“God, why am I even asking? Of course you do—you probably miss walking around half naked. Too bad I don’t have any cash to throw at you right now, but you’re such a whore, that you’d probably be happy to suck off all the guys here for free.”
I’m so angry, I can’t even see straight and when Layla lets out a vicious laugh, I can feel it shredding away the last of my self-control.
“I can’t believe you actually wore it—you really are a shameless whore. Just like your mother—you filthy human bastard.”
I lose it then. My intention was to come here and give these fuckers a piece of my mind but Layla’s words make me lose my shit. In fact, everything about her smug little face does.
I pull my fist back and punch her squarely on the mouth.
There’s a round of gasps and the room erupts with movement, but I don’t register any of it.
“You little bitch!” Layla screams, clutching her bloodied mouth.
She lunges for me and someone shouts, “Cat fight!”
I dodge her easily, then throw another punch. This time my fist lands squarely on her throat and she’s choking and gasping for air as she hits the tiled floor.
I jump on top of her then, straddling her as she thrashes underneath me.
“Don’t you ever talk about my mom, you fucking bitch. Ever.”
She’s screaming as she’s trying to claw at my face. The entire class is gathered around us now, and I can hear people calling out, but I can’t make out a single word through my rage. I think I see the teacher standing there, but he does nothing to stop the fight, which is typical of this place. The rules don’t apply to the Dynasty heirs.
“Get off me, you crazy whore.”
I land a punch to her perfect little nose and I feel wetness on my knuckles. Blood.