Page 16 of Unmask
And yet…
I slammed my palm against the tile, letting out a breath.
I didn’t want to miss him. Didn’t want my heart to squeeze every time I thought about the way he looked at me, touched me, and made me feel like I was his. I should hate him. Ididhate him. “I hate him,” I murmured, thinking saying it out loud would make it true, but at the same time, I hated myself more for still caring. For still feeling anything at all.
As I braced my hands against the shower wall, drops of water rolled down my skin as I squeezed my eyes shut.
Screw them.
Screw Kreed. Screw Donovan. Screw the Corvos.
Brock was right. I couldn’t hide. Or more like I didn’t want to. They had fucked with the wrong girl. I would finish my senior year at Public, graduate, and make the Raven Crew wish they had never set eyes on me.
I wasn’t normally a vindictive person, but circumstances had changed me, and the fire kindling in my blood crackled for revenge.
Even if it killed me to seehim…to seethem.
5
KREED
The second I stepped into Elmwood Public Monday morning, I scanned the halls, searching for Poppy. I didn’t give a damn about the whispers that followed me as I moved through the crowd. People always stared. Envied me. Feared me. That wasn’t new, but today, I wasn’t in the mood for their bullshit.
I needed to find her.
I caught sight of Poppy near the lockers, rummaging through her bag. She wasn’t hard to spot—bright red hair, black combat boots, distressed stockings, and an oversized hoodie that swallowed her frame. The moment I strode up, her head snapped to me, and her expression twisted into a scowl. “What the hell do you?—”
“Have you heard from Kaylor?” I cut her off.
Her scowl morphed into confusion as she slipped her bag strap over her shoulder. “You mean you don’t know where she is?”
No. And that fact alone was enough to make me fucking unhinged. “She’s gone,” I gritted out.
Poppy’s brow furrowed, concern flashing across her face. “What do you meangone? Like…dead.”
“God, no. She’s fine… I think.”
Her gold eyes widened. “What the fuck happened, Kreed? Where is she?”
I clenched my jaw, inhaling deeply through my nose. “I mean, she’s not at the Corvo estate, and she sure as hell isn’t answering my calls.”
Poppy hesitated, then shook her head. “I was about to ask you the same thing. I haven’t been able to get a hold of her since Friday night…since the game.” She swallowed hard. “Since we snuck out and those guys took her.”
My stomach twisted. I already knew what happened that night, knew Kaylor walked away from me, chose the Vipers, but hearing it out loud sent a fresh wave of fury through me.
I ran a hand over my face.Think, Kreed. Focus.
I needed to find her.
I needed to talk to her.
Poppy was my best shot at making that happen. “Listen,” I said, deciding to be as straightforward as I could. “I need your help.”
Poppy slammed her locker door shut with a metallic clang that vibrated down the hallway. She turned slowly, arms folding across her chest like a barrier she had no intention of lowering. “Why the hell would I help you?”
I didn’t flinch. Just leaned against the wall, one boot scuffing the floor as I held her stare. “Because you’re worried about her. And so am I.”
Her brow furrowed, eyes narrowing as if searching for the lie between my words. “Is she avoiding you or something?”
