Page 8 of Unhinged Love

“Your manners are shit,” I grunt, making everyone else laugh.

“Starting off with violence this early in the day?” Easton winces and rubs the back of his head, even though I barely grazed him. “Who pissed in your cereal this morning?”

Elliana might not literally have pissed, but she might as well have. I ignore his question, sitting next to Kellen and returning the fist bump he offers. He never says much.

Maya is practically glued to Tucker, sitting with her head on his shoulder. He’s trying to play it off like it doesn’t matter, but I can tell he’s loving it. He’s practically glowing with pride. And tothink, he used to hate her as much as Briggs hated Wren. I don’t get it.

Once it’s clear I’m alone, she picks her head up and cranes her neck to look around. “Where is she?”

“Where is who?” Because sometimes it’s easier to play dumb.

“The Queen of England,” Wren mutters, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, didn’t she die?” It’s obvious the girls aren’t impressed with my lame attempt at humor. They both give me a withering look.

“For real, though.” Briggs can’t help but chuckle behind Wren’s head. At least he’s not the kind of boyfriend who orders his friends to apologize for the littlest things. “I thought she and her mom were moving in yesterday.”

“They did.” Is there anywhere on campus I can go without having to be reminded of her?

“Did she come to school with you? I was really hoping to meet her,” Maya says.

“Yeah, well…” Am I going to sound like a complete prick if I come out with the truth? Do I care? These people know me well enough that I don’t have to pretend to be a nicer person than I am. “Don’t waste your time.”

The way the girls gasp at the same time, you’d think they’re the twins at the table. “How come?” If I didn’t know better, I’d think Wren was about to cry. She’s that upset. Is she for real?

“She is…” A complete and total pain in the ass. A fucking freak. “Really shy. Like, I think it causes her actual pain to have to talk to people.”

Right away, the girls brighten up. “Oh, we can get her out of her shell in no time,” Maya insists with a wink.

“I’m just saying, don’t get your hopes up. Really, I’m not trying to be a dick,” I insist when the look the girls exchange tells me that’s exactly what they think I’m doing. “Did you ever hear about something being so tough it feels like you’re pullingteeth? Welcome to my world. I tried to talk to her last night at dinner, this morning at breakfast, in the car on the way here. Not a word.”

Since that is about as nice as I can be, I leave it there. Otherwise, I might have to tell them about her ugly clothes and the glasses that make her eyes bug out.

Tucker rubs his jaw, frowning. “From the way you describe your stepmom, she’s basically the opposite.”

My stepmom. “Don’t use disgusting language like that in front of me,” I warn. Everybody laughs, but I’m not joking. “She’s nothing but a gold digger.”

“I’m sure her daughter isn’t,” Wren reminds me. “From the way you make it sound, she just needs friends. I remember how that felt.”

“Same here,” Maya agrees.

“Hey, if you can get through to her, be my guest. You’ll know her by the cable knit sweater she’s wearing on an eighty-degree day and… what do they call them? Coke-bottle glasses?” Making circles with my forefingers and thumbs, I hold them over my eyes. “They’re like magnifying lenses.”

“Stop,” Preston murmurs with a smirk. “You’re getting me too horny.”

“A gentle breeze would get you horny.” He doesn’t bother arguing my point. “But like I said, if you can help out, I’d appreciate it. Dad is dead set on us being some TV sitcom family.”

“The poor girl just needs a little time to get out of her shell.” Wren looks up at the clock hanging over the double doors and grimaces. “Shit, I’m running late. I’ve gotta go.”

“Don’t forget,” Maya says with a snicker as she stands. “You’re a guy. There are things about girls a guy will never understand.”

I don’t even bother telling her she’s wrong. I’ve already used up all my patience when it comes to Elliana this morning. “If you can crack the code, be my guest. One less thing for me to think about.” Then I haul ass outside and head straight for the sciences building, where my Psych class is held. At least while I’m here, I don’t have to walk on eggshells around Princess Freak.

The only reason I didn’t go into deeper detail about her and how rude and ignorant she is was knowing I’d only get my balls busted by the guys. Considering they’re still a little tender from all the shit Dad gave me earlier, I’m not in the mood.

The lecture hall is dark and cool and already filling up by the time I arrive with a few minutes to spare. I snag a seat toward the back of the room and glance around to see how many people I recognize. After jerking my chin to acknowledge a few of them, I pull out my MacBook and set it up on the counter running the length of the row.

A high-pitched giggle catches my attention—I look that way out of reflex, more than actually caring who made the sound or why. That’s how it is. You hear an unexpected noise, and you look around to see what’s happening.

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