CHARLOTTEI dropped down to her level, my heart pounding as I took my best friend into my arms.Goddess.When did she get here?Tears welled up in my eyes, and I embraced her tightly. "Mads," I sobbed, "How’ve you been?""Char, I’m fine." She laughed, as I hurled her into the room. I pulled her to t
CHARLOTTESitting in the middle of an intense biology class, I bit the top of my pen, feeling the bitter taste of the plastic as the lecturer's voice drifted into my ears.A few groans left the lips of students, as the lecturer went on and on about the cells and body autonomy.I jotted down the ones
CHARLOTTE"So, you’re a thousand percent certain he's not gay?" I asked, applying the mascara to my eye.Today was D-day, and I was getting ready for tonight. Madeline was helping too, though. She sat on the bed, helping me arrange the corset dress I was going to wear.She shrugged, the action seen
Like art.I wondered what art looked like fucking a man.Vance was tall. Lean, but muscular.Madeline said they all believed he topped Vance.How agile would he need to be to get someone like Vance in that kind of position… completely at his mercy.Heat burned a path inside me, as the images refused
CHARLOTTEStanding in the corner with a glass of champagne in my hand, my eyes wandered around the huge hall with splendid decor.Classic music was being played, bringing the whole scene to another level.The party was lavish, one meant to be enjoyed by the rich and snotty brats and their families a
He suddenly snatched a hold of me, bring me close, till my body was flush against his. A gasp barely broke past my lips when his voice dropped dangerously low. “You’ve got that exactly right. To you, I’m not a thing more. I’m not some schmuck who’s going to fall at your feet because of some decision
CHARLOTTE"And you know, they started selling last week! Can you imagine that? All of this is such a buzz kill." Mads pouted.I shook my head as she rambled on and on about the sale going on in the human realm, one she obviously couldn't attend.One. Her father, who had eyes and ears all around the
CHARLOTTEI watched as Taide walked into the room, my heart pounding with every step he took.I got to my feet in a second, my heart thumping. "How did you get my number?" I asked, my voice dripping in spite.The auditorium was silent, causing my voice to echo loud enough for him to hear the venom i
He hadn’t even raised his voice, yet despite the distance, his words carried like he had just whispered them in my ear. Seductive and bitter. My damnation. “But you made it too easy, Harlot. You almost ruined the fun.” Harlot. It was the first time I had heard him call me that in months. All
But then again, what made me think I knew what strange was for Reigh? Yesterday had taught me that I really didn’t know anything about the brothers I had given my heart to. Caeson pulled away from the small crowd, ever the individualist. Always the grand tormentor. He refused to let me walk
No. It fucking burned. “I’d say I’ll miss you, Charlotte,” he continued, only loud enough for me to hear, “but I never lie.” No, he didn’t. Except when he did. “Go home, Charlotte,” he said with finality, pulling away from me. His words were soft, but his eyes were not. I could see the w
They were there to see me off. To remind me never to show my face on their turf again. But I refused to let myself be bossed around by the same people who had taken it upon themselves to ruin my life. Fuck the Deviltree. Fuck their elite group of preppy rich kids who had only made it this f
PRESENT DAY CHARLOTTE Whoever said a person’s world couldn’t go up in flames in the blink of an eye deserved an award. It was the best lie ever told. I stood alone, even though I was surrounded—by the same people who had set out to destroy me ever since I showed up at this school two years a
I started pacing the room, my mind racing through the words I’d planned to say. I knew I had to be strong, I had to tell her the truth, even if it was going to hurt her. “Madeline,” I said, my voice rough. “Sit down.” Her brows furrowed in confusion, but she did as I asked. She perched on the edge
24 HOURS BEFORE JUNIOR YEAR GRADUATION REIGH I arrived at the clinic with a weight on my chest, one I hadn’t been able to shake since the night before. The door clicked shut behind me as I stepped inside, and I had to remind myself to breathe. The lobby was empty, save for a flickering TV mo
Vance’s expression didn’t change, but I saw his jaw tighten, just a little. He was listening. I could tell he understood what that meant. He didn’t need me to spell it out. He knew what our father was capable of. Vance’s father, Bernard, had worked for ours for as long as I could remember. And Vanc
48 HOURS BEFORE JUNIOR YEAR GRADUATION REIGH I slammed the door shut behind me, the sharp thud echoing in the quiet morning air. I didn’t wait to see Caeson drive off. It was like we were all just going through the motions, pretending we weren’t about to destroy the one thing that mattered m