KADE’S POVI groaned as I rubbed my temples, my head pounding like a drum. My throat felt dry, my stomach slightly off-balance, but the worst part was the dull, pulsing ache behind my eyes. Damn this hangover. Last night was awesome and just thinking about how Blair rode the fuck out of my dick made me almost hard again. I had to remind myself that I was among other guys and I turned my attention to them. The locker room buzzed with sluggish movement, a few of the guys nursing their own regrets from last night. Craig was in a corner, talking about how he couldn’t get his crush to have sex with him in his car and Fred was telling his friends that he got a threesome. Last night was wild for everyone, I figured.I took the bubble gum out of my pocket and unwrapped it before throwing it into my mouth as I focused my gaze on other guys. Most were still half-dressed, struggling to put on their jerseys, while others sat on the benches, heads in their hands, trying to will themselves back
BLAIR’S POVThe basketball court was filled with people who had come to watch the game. The crowd were vibrant, with students from our school and Velmora packed into the bleachers, shouting, stomping, and hyped for the first game of the season. “Kade!!!” I screamed, cupping my hands around my mouth. My voice barely cut through the noise, but he heard me. He turned, his dark hair damp with sweat and a small smile stretched across his face when his eyes found me. He made a heart sign with his fingers and that alone sent a thrill through me. My eyes traveled to the ink on the chest part of his jersey and I smiled, feeling proud of myself. I had signed his shirt just before the game, a little ritual for good luck.“Jaxon!!!” Harper’s sudden scream made me flinch. I glanced at her, noticing how close she was sitting to me. I stopped myself from rolling my eyes at her. She had been quiet this whole time, but the second I cheered, she had to do the same too. Copycat. Rolling my ey
BLAIR’S POVI couldn’t help but listen to Harper and I felt embarrassed for her. What was she? Twelve? Why was she acting like that?One of the girls she was talking to finally shrugged. “Yeah, I guess he’s handsome in his own way, but that No 7 guy looks like he was pulled out of my fantasies.”The girl next to her giggled. “Just what I wanted to say. I’d take him over the Jaxon guy any day.” Harper’s jaw clenched so tight and she glared at the girls as if they had personally insulted her. I folded my lips into my mouth, stifling a laugh.I tried. I really tried to keep my laughter in, but it burst out before I could stop it. She turned sharply toward me, her eyes filled with rage, but that only made me laugh harder. She was acting ridiculously. Ignoring her, I focused on the game. The final minute was absolute chaos. Everyone was anxious and Harper was tapping her foot on the floor, making the pressure around me almost suffocating. My nails dug into my palms as I did a quick
BLAIR’S POVI sat quietly on my bed, staring at the ceiling as my mind raced with questions. What had Kade been accused of? That guy, Axel, knew Kade and it was so obvious despite him pretending he didn’t. The way Kade had tensed, the way he’d slammed the boy against the wall before he could finish his sentence, it all pointed to something secret. Something Kade didn’t want me, or anyone, to know. Or something he didn’t want to address.I exhaled, dragging a hand through my hair. Kade never talked about Northbridge. Ever. Now that I thought about it, it was like his life before here didn’t exist. The most I knew was that he had transferred, but I didn’t know why. I didn’t know many things about him and his past, especially one that he was hiding. My chest tightened at the thought.. “Here.” I blinked out of my thoughts, turning toward Kade. He was standing beside my bed, holding out a cold can of beer. He was smiling, but I noticed how his eyes searched mine, like he was tr
BLAIR’S POVAs I got ready for school, Kade came out of the bathroom. I continued what I was doing without sparing him a single glance. The fight from last night was still fresh in my mind and I wasn’t in the mood to talk. I picked out a pair of jeans, a cropped sweater and applied a quick swipe of mascara before checking myself in the mirror. I could feel his eyes on me but I don’t turn to look at him. I didn’t want to. Grabbing my purse, I checked my phone even though there were no new messages. Just as I turned to leave, his voice stopped me.“Blair,” he called and I stopped in my tracks, my hand on the doorknob. “I’m sorry for yelling at you yesterday,” He said in a tone that was softer than that last night, but it didn’t make me feel better. I finally turned to look at him. He was standing near the bathroom with damp hair, wearing only sweatpants that hung low on his hips. Any other time, I might’ve admired the view. But right now, all I could think about was how easily he h
BLAIR’S POVI sat stiffly in the chair, my foot tapping against the tiled floor as I waited for Professor Martley who asked me to see him after class. I sighed, glancing towards the door and wondering when he was going to join me. His office smelled like old books and fresh coffee, and the blinds were half-closed.The silence didn’t help my thoughts as it drifted to Kade and Natalie. Just when I pulled my phone out of my bag to continue my little digging, the door creaked open, and Professor Martley walked in, adjusting the sleeves of his navy-blue blazer. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Thorne.” He said. “Good afternoon, sir,” I greeted, staring at the stack of papers on his desk instead of his face. This was one of those professors who took special interest in me when I did very well in my first year. But right now, he looked disappointed.The man exhaled, settling into his chair and adjusting before folding his hands in front of him. “I’ll get straight to the point. I called yo
BLAIR’S POVI exhaled sharply, picking up the paper to stare at it. “Will?” I asked flatly. “Yes. He’s an excellent student, one of the best in your year. He’ll help you catch up quickly.” I glanced at the paper once more, forcing myself to accept this reality. It was clear there was no way out of this, and honestly, I didn’t have the energy to argue anymore. Instead, I picked up my bag, ready to get out. “Can I go now?” I asked him.“Of course.” He replied. I got up from my seat and was already heading for the door when he called out to me again. “Blair,” he said and I turned, barely masking my irritation. “You know this is for your own good, right?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.I swallowed the sharp response sitting on my tongue and gave him a small nod.“Yes, Sir.” I said. “You may go.” He responded and I immediately left his office. The second the door closed behind me, I let out a heavy breath, raising the paper I’d been handed to take a better look at it.As I walked
KADE’S POVThe door creaked open, and Blair stepped inside. I glanced at my phone and noticed that she came back a little late today but I said nothing. I hadn’t gone to school… because I didn’t want to. I couldn’t stop thinking about how she refused to ride with me this morning and that just plunged me into a bad mood that made me decide to stay back. I watched as she let out a long sigh before dropping her bag on her bed, completely ignoring me. Was she still mad about yesterday?Without so much as a glance in my direction, she walked straight to her desk, grabbing her water bottle and took a sip.I watched her, noting the stiffness in her movements and that answered my question. She was still pissed. Not that I blamed her. I had yelled at her, walked out and come back really late at night. I needed to make this right.“How was school today?” I asked, keeping my tone light. “Fine,” she replied flatly, setting the bottle down and returning to her bed.Not much of a conversation
KADE’S POV “Someone did this!!!!” My body jolted up as my eyes flew open. I tried to orient myself, disoriented for a second, unsure of where I was. Then I saw Blair standing in the doorway, her clothes in her hand, dripping with water all over the floor. Her hair hung in messy strands, and her eyes were wide with rage as she glared at Jaxon and Harper who were seated on the other side of the room.“Who did this?” she screamed, her voice carrying pure, unfiltered anger. I pushed myself up, my heart racing as I looked around, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. “What happened?” I asked, my voice still rough from sleep, but I made sure that the concern was clear in my tone. Blair's finger shot out toward her suitcase, which was now nothing more than a soaked pile of clothes. "Someone drenched it with water," she snapped. "All my clothes are wet now. I have nothing to wear." I could see the frustration on her face, her usually put-together appearance completely go
Kade’s POVHer back felt stiff under my palms and there were knots of tension along her spine that I massaged with my thumbs. She let out a shaky breath, her head tilted forward as I kneaded her shoulders.“Honestly, this is the worst time of my life,” Blair groaned, her voice muffled as she pressed her face into the pillow. I huffed a low laugh, still massaging in slow circles across her muscles. “Worse than when I got poisoned?” I asked, half-teasing but only because I didn’t want to admit I’d been thinking the same thing all day — about how much shit she’d been put through. She was quiet for a moment, then she mumbled, “I’m actually contemplating it.” She let out a dry, tired laugh. “I can’t believe I spent the whole day lifting bricks like some prisoner in a labor camp.” Before I could reply, she pushed herself up abruptly, her hair spilling over her shoulders in tangled waves. She turned to face me and with a serious face, she said, “This is forced labor. Literal forced lab
BLAIR’S POVI looked around the storage room, still struggling to believe this was really happening. The place was filthy. Dust covered everything, empty boxes were lying around, the walls looked like they would crumble in any second, and the floor was nothing but broken wood and scattered trash. Mrs. Priscilla stood in front of us as if this disaster was something to be proud of.“Boys and girls,” she called with a crooked smile, like she wanted to offend us. “This is your first assignment,” she said and my stomach twisted.Jaxon frowned and asked, “What exactly are we supposed to do here?”Mrs. Priscilla turned to him and answered, “You’ll tear down the wall near the pipeline, rip up the damaged flooring, and clear out every piece of debris in this room. I want it spotless.”I couldn’t stop myself as I grumbled. “You have got to be kidding.”She acted like I hadn’t said anything. Her finger shot out, pointing at me first, then at Jaxon. “You two will work on that wall.”My jaw drop
BLAIR’S POV“Wake up!”My eyes snapped open, my head aching like I’d been pulled out of a nightmare. Except this was the nightmare.Mrs. Priscilla’s shadow came over me and I looked up to see her hands on her hips as she glared down at me. I scrambled to my feet even though my legs were wobbling and wiped my eyes to blink away the sleep in them. What the hell was the time? And why was she standing in our room like some deranged rooster at the crack of dawn?Beside me, Kade groaned, half-buried under his thin blanket. He turned away from Mrs. Priscilla, pulling the sheet higher over himself. His hair stuck up in every direction, the dark strands messy from sleep, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop from smiling.Mrs. Priscilla wasn’t nearly as amused. She marched over to his bed with all the grace of a military general and tapped her fingers sharply against his forehead. “Up. Now.”Kade’s groggy mumble came muffled from under the blanket. “Go away with your fat hands.”M
BLAIR’S POV I tugged my jacket tighter around me, hating how the cold wind kept sneaking past the fabric like it was on a personal mission to freeze my bones. Winter wasn’t here yet, but it sure as hell was announcing itself like an unwanted guest. I blew air into my palms for warmth, glancing at my phone. It was already two minutes past eight. Seriously? Mrs Priscilla had barked at us about being here at eight sharp. Where was she now? “This is all your fault, Blair,” Harper snapped and I turned to her. Her arms were crossed like a spoiled brat who’d just been told no for the first time in her life. “We wouldn’t be here freezing if it wasn’t for you.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Of course, she’d find a way to twist this around. God forbid Harper takes any responsibility for her miserable life. Apart from freezing my ass off, being dragged away from the comfort of my room, my warm bed, and decent food, forced to spend two hellish weeks around criminals… yeah, the cherry
BLAIR’S POVMrs. Priscilla was a woman who seemed like a myth in Northvale. Many called her “the absolute nightmare” and she was notorious for her methods in bending and stretching students till they became perfect. And here she was, standing in front of us, looking completely in her element. Her expression was neutral, yet somehow filled with an energy that made my stomach sink. The way she surveyed the room, like a queen inspecting her soldiers, only made my anxiety worse. Why did Mr Gregory have to involve her?Mrs Priscilla cleared her throat, and he gave her a nod. “Go ahead,” he said, like he was handing us over to a prison warden. The woman clasped her hands together and began to speak. “I’ve been informed that the four of you have been rather… naughty.” I swallowed hard. That word, coming from her mouth, sounded like the start of a horror movie. Kade, beside me, still looked lost, like he was waiting for someone to tell him who the woman was. Of course, he didn’t know.
BLAIR’S POVI looked at Kade as I listened to the recording, realizing he was the one who made it. He smirked and I looked away, turning my attention to Harper who had just walked into the cafeteria, and was now staring into her phone.And then the whisperings started. “Oh, look who finally decided to show her face.” Someone let out a loud, mocking laugh. “Harper, how does it feel to steal your best friend’s leftovers?” A fresh wave of murmurs spread across the hall. “She really thought Jaxon was worth it?” “What a jealous little wench. Blair leveled up, and Harper just couldn’t take it. She just has to go after her friend’s boys.“She and Jaxon deserve each other, two pathetic losers.” “Who does that?”I sat still, putting a hand under my chin and watching the scene unfold. I tilted my head, wondering how Harper was feeling now that she was being treated like a joke. She seemed to have been so untouchable for so long, and now that she’d fallen, everyone was getting their
KADE’S POVWe finished basketball practice and Jaxon still did not show up. Or maybe he didn’t come to school at all, because he was being ridiculed. If that was the case, it was funny because how could he not have the balls to take what he always dished out?As I was undressing in the locker room, my teammates complained about being hungry.“We’re going to the cafeteria. You coming, Kade?” Jasper called, standing at the door.“You guys can go without me,” I replied, waving them off. “I’ll join you soon.”“Aight.”They left and I was alone in the locker room. I relaxed for a while, listening to a new jam Craig shared. Afterwards, I took a cold shower and changed into my clothes before texting Blair.“”Hey princess, where are you?””Her reply didn’t come immediately and I was about calling when I got a text notification from her.“”I just left the dean’s office. Meet up at the cafeteria?””“”You bet,”” I texted back.I barely made it three steps out of the locker room before coming fa
BLAIR’S POVI woke up to Kade beside me, his arm lazily draped over his eyes, and his chest rising and falling. For a second, I just watched him, soaking in the quiet. It wasn’t often that things between us felt this… peaceful. When he finally stirred, blinking at me, a lazy smile curved on his lips. "You watching me sleep? That’s kinda creepy, princess." I rolled my eyes, stretching my arms over my head. "Shut up. I was just making sure you were still breathing." He chuckled, pushing himself up on one elbow and planting a kiss on my lips. "I meant what I said last night, Blair. I won’t let things like this come between us again. I’ll communicate more. Promise." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Swear it." He held up three fingers like a scout. "Swear on my life." Then, as if reconsidering, he added, "Okay, maybe not my life. But I swear." I smirked. "Good. Because if you pull another disappearing act, I’ll hunt you down." He let out a low laugh, ruffling my hair. "I’d like