Page 25 of Wicked Surrender

Over there, seated on a bench, was Laura with some lame-ass dork. Whoever Ethan was, he looked like the pathetic sort of moron who’d be with a potential prude like Second-Best Chen.

With gel in his hair, a fucking pen in the breast pocket of his shirt that he had tucked in despite the summery heat, Ethan looked like a dumbass asking for an ass kicking.

“He looks like a moron,” I commented, squinting to spy on the couple.

Seated next to Laura, he smiled and talked while she seemed to check out of the conversation, awkwardly looking around as if she wanted to dart. When he lifted his arm to put it around her shoulders, he moved it up and down, unsure of how to touch her or lean in.

I laughed again.

What a waste.

If she was calling this guy her boyfriend, I bet she was still a virgin. Ethan looked like he had no confidence and no clue how to act around a woman.

We kept walking closer, or I did and my friends followed like usual.

Now that I had this little detail to exploit, I was eager to make her squirm.

To blush.

Fuck, why was I so addicted to the thought of hurting her?

“Aw, look at the two lovebirds,” I taunted as we approached.

Ethan froze, looking so intimidated that he was probably two seconds from pissing his pants.

Laura sighed, giving me thatnot againexpression of dread. It was the only sign she ever gave me that she heard me taunting her, but it still wasn’t a clue that I was actually getting a rise out of her.

“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend, Second-Best.” I tilted my head to the side, as if I were some kind bystander observing their love.

She swallowed, drawing my eye to her slender neck.

I resisted the fantasy of wrapping my fingers around it to hold her in place as I pounded into her.

“You look like a perfect match,” Dennis said, grinning and enjoying the role of a bully.

Her cheeks turned pinker, and I bit my lip, pleased with her intimidation.

“One unfuckable loser with another,” Kevin said, also using the same overly sugary voice that Dennis and I had. “Happy accident, love wins.” He clasped his hands together as we all cracked up.

They probably got more fun out of making Ethan frown and lower his gaze.

But I kept my eyes on Laura.

She glanced away, pressing her lips together as if she didn’t want to even address what we said.

It didn’t seem like they were into each other at all, and I grew annoyed with how much more curious that made me.

I didn’t like being curious about her at all.

I didn’t want to wonder why she didn’t tattle to her dad that I treated her like shit, and I didn’t want to be entertained by how much she tried to ignore how I tormented her.

Most of all, I wanted to cut off this intrigue about what she’d ever see in a loser like that guy.

9

LAURA

Even though I made it a personal rule not to have too much caffeine later in the day, I sacrificed more time before rushing to organic chem to get an iced coffee. Standing in line, I rubbed my brow and sighed, wishing that I were sleeping better to not feel so tired now.

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