Page 3 of Ruin

“Declan Crawford.” He puts his hand out for me to shake, but I don’t.

What is this a fucking job interview?

He looks around at everyone at the table and smiles at Kat. “How is your sister?” he asks. She tells him to fuck off, which just makes him laugh.

Declan turns back to face me. Now he’s closer, I can make out a few of the tattoos on him. He has a scorpion on his hand, and I’d love a closer look because from here it looks damn good.

My eyes move up his right hand to a tattoo of a powerful, roaring bear with bared teeth, exuding raw strength and ferocity. The bear’s face is the focal point, its fur detailed with fine strokes that enhance the intensity and realism of the animal. Behind the bear, trees rise in the background, shrouded in misty shadows, symbolizing a connection to the wilderness or an untamed force. Smoke-like wisps surround the bear, giving it a mystical aura, as if it’s emerging from, or surrounded by darkness.

“Trixie.”

My eyes dart to him. Hearing my name from his lips sounds weird. How does he know who I am? “You start this school, and the first thing you do is mess with my baby.”

I narrow my brows at him. Baby? He slides a piece of paper toward me. “That’s how much my car cost me to fix up.” I don’t look at the piece of paper, but Ash picks it up, and then hear him say.

“You’ve got to be fucking joking?”

“No. It took me two years to build my baby, and in two seconds, you burned it.” He looks at everyone at the table one by one, then turns his attention back to me. “So, how are you paying me back? They’ll get what’s coming too, don’t worry.”

How can you be so handsome and a fucking asshole at the same time?I sign, and the corner of his lip curls up. Fuck. No one in this school knows how to sign, and I never thought, out of all the people, he would.

“I’ve never been called handsome and an asshole in one sentence before.” He stands up, grabs his chair, and places it right next to me. I turn to face him.Don’t show fear—he’ll eat you alive.

He licks his bottom lip, his thumb brushing from the corner of my lip to the ring in the middle. “Open,” he whispers.

I don’t. Who the fuck does he think he is? “Open, or I’ll make you open it.”

His whisper comes out sharp this time, more of a command. The edge in his voice makes me open my mouth for him, and he smirks.

“Show me.”

His face inches closer. I know what he’s talking about. Slowly, I stick out my tongue out so he can see the piercing. Declan smiles as he softly tugs on my lip ring, making my mouth open wider for him. Before I can react, he spits in my mouth, then slides his finger inside, brushing it over my tongue.

“Suck and swallow, Trixie.”

He lets go of my lip, and I snap my mouth shut. The taste of peppermint lingers. I don’t want to, but I swallow.

“I can’t wait to feel your tongue on my dick.”

My eyes widen, and his smirk turns into a satisfied grin. He pushes back from the chair, tossing a card on the table. “Be there.” Then he walks away, grabbing the books from his sister before leaving the cafeteria.

“Fuck, he’s made you his target.”

I hear Ash as I pick up the card.What the fuck is this?I look at Ash and show him the card.

“The first month after summer break, they have a pool party almost every day since their parents are away. And you have been invited. If I were you, and I know the Crawford brothers, I’d go.”

I’m not going. I’m not playing his fucked-up game either. I have enough shit happening at home—I don’t need it at school, too.

Shaking my head, I put the card and the piece of paper into my backpack without looking at how much the car cost.

Why the hell is he not making them pay for it?

They’re the ones who lit the fucking match.

Senior year is going to be a fucking nightmare.

TWO

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