Page 12 of Web of Lies
“Right. It’s Clark, isn’t it? I got here just like anyone else.” Seger spits his drink out behind us, covering the table with soda. I peer over my shoulder, smirking at his hysterical laugh. Zepp pounds his palm into Seger’s back as he chokes.
“Now—now, I’m truly offended!” Chase says through a smile still, holding his hand over his heart. “You know what my name is. I saw that look of recognition when we met yesterday.” God, he’s so overconfident it’s ridiculous. I smile and tilt my head, watching his eyes eat me alive. If I let this boy get to me, he’d use me well and then be done with me. Everything about Chase Benoit screams fuck boy with a mean streak. A very attractive fuck boy, but that shouldn’t be my point.
I point at him and giggle. “Right, right! You’re Chance! Right?” I smile wider as his face falls. I wonder if this is new for him. His eyes narrow in on me, and he shakes his head.
“You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?” His voice drops an octave, like this little chase is turning him on. I wonder if I reached under the table, what I’d feel in my palm?
I shrug my shoulders and stand from the table. Time to plan my escape before this boy can frazzle me anymore. “Maybe, maybe not? I suppose you’ll never know.” I push my chair back into the table as he stands before me.
He lifts a hand and pushes a stray hair back over my shoulder, staring into my eyes. His gray eyes twinkle in the morning sunlight blasting through the windows of the dining hall, surrounding our exchange in a heavenly glow of innocence and lust. I could see myself getting so lost in this boy I’d forget my name or how to walk. What I wouldn’t give for the circumstances to differ and take full advantage of what he wants. By the look in his exploring eyes, I glimpse at what he’s thinking. Damn, why’s he gotta be so attractive? This makes it ten times more complicated than it is.
“Aren’t you going to introduce yourself to me at least? You can call me Clark or Chance or whatever you want. Just tell me your name?” He asks, taking a step forward.
His fingers twirl my hair between them, sending shivers through my limbs. I brave his advance and stand my ground. He’s not making me uncomfortable yet, but if his hand touches me anywhere other than my hair, he and I will have problems. Or a shoe on his dick, either way, he wouldn’t like the outcome.
“No.” I swallow the lump in my throat. He chuckles, fingers toying with the ends of my hair again.
“A hint?” he begs with hope twinkling in his eyes.
“I think your hint was no, asswipe,” Seger says from the other table, stuffing food into his mouth like a fucking savage. Zepp’s eyes have yet to leave us, and he hasn’t uttered a single word.
“Does it start with an A?” Chase asks playfully, keeping the same amount of distance between us. “Let me guess! Abby? Amanda? No… you don’t look like an Amanda. How about Addison?” My eyebrows raise into my hairline at the mention of that name, but he keeps going with every girl’s name that starts with A. Soon he starts into the B’s. “Bianca, Bella, fucking Brigit! For shits sake, umm— Bernice?!” And Then onto the C’s. I swear I stupidly listen to him for over five minutes before I’ve had enough of his rambling. “Just give me a hint!” he whines again. “I swear if I’m wrong, I’ll leave you alone, but if I’m right…. We could have some fun.”
“All right, Chris, I’ll give you a hint,” I say as a smile twitches at the corners of my lips. He bounces like he’s walked down the stairs on Christmas seeing his presents and waves me to go on.
“It starts with a K. If you can guess it within the next day, then you can speak it. Maybe you could even give me the tour instead of ole jumping bean. But no cheating.” My lips explode into a smile, his eyes lighting up at my newest challenge. The grinding gears work in his mind. He wants this—the challenge of me.
My phone pings the moment I walk out the door into the blaring summer sun. I cock my head to the side and peer back through the dining hall window at Chase. He grins at me and waves his phone back and forth.
Unknown number:
Kaycee Cole. Daughter of C.J. Cole, man, he writes some pretty hot books...at least that’s what Google says. Haha.
Ugh. My name, plain and simple. He grins more and goes back to typing something into his phone. Fuck, he played me at my own damn game.
Chase:
I’ll meet you at the Maze, beautiful. This afternoon, 1 sharp. I can’t wait to show you around this place.
Me:
You win this round, Clark. See you at the Maze.
Chase:
*Winky face* I never lose.
I roll my eyes and walk off. I wonder if my bouncy student advisor will have the same thought process. I hope not. She doesn’t seem like the smartest girl in the world. But then again, everyone hides behind a mask of some sort. I’m just trying to figure out what hers is. She presents herself like this; well, I don’t even have a proper word to describe her. She tries to seem genuine and funny, but something’s off about her, especially with Carter involved. Carter is genuinely evil; I don’t doubt that for a second. Ainsley may have tortured Magnolia’s existence at this school, but Carter did equally vile things to her. Unspeakable acts I hate to think about.
And Chase and his boys? They’re on my shit list too. But you know what the experts say about your enemies. Keep them closer than friends, so I guess that’s what I’m about to do. Infiltrate their friend group, plucking answers from them any way I know how.
Anyway, anyhow.
From: [email protected]
August 16th, 2020
