Page 12 of Ruse
Nonetheless, had he cheated on me at any other time, I’d have brushed it off, but it came at a time I realized I’d lost hope in the male species as a whole.
“What do you want, Chadwick?” I snicker, rolling my eyes as I turn and give him a fake, practiced smile. He knows I have no intention of keeping this conversation going for long, nor am I interested in anything he has to say. Regardless, my stupid primitive breeding reigns supreme, and I stay to see what the hell he wants.
“Come on P, it’s like that now,” he whines, suddenly acting as if not three weeks ago he was telling me it was time to go our separate ways. He’s a future politician after all, and this is the kind of shit the opposing contenders dig up.
“What else would it be like, Chad?”
“I miss you, Phoenix.”
I roll my eyes, unable to keep this charade up for much longer. “Oh, fuck off Chad. You miss what I looked like hanging on your arm, attending those stupid, boring charity galas for your father’s company at the club. You miss how every man in the room envied you for showing up with me, and congratulated you for acquiring such a well-bred, pristine piece of ass. But you don’t miss me, the girl who put up with your bullshit, because I thought you were a decent guy.”
He’s appalled, mouth gaping open as he watches me turn into someone I never had been before. The old Phoenix would have never raised her voice at him or called him out on his shit even if I’d agreed with what I just said. I’d have bitten my tongue and pretended he was exactly the type of guy I needed to end up with and would have married the fucker if my mother and father had any say in it. Luckily, the only thing this scandal secured is that they don’t.
“What the fuck, Phoenix? I’m here trying to give you a second chance, and this is how you react.”
I can’t hold in the rampant laughter that erupts from deep inside of me, and soon enough I’m doubling over, laughing like a freaking maniac.
The whole courtyard full of judgmental, prying eyes, is watching us, everyone surely thinking I’ve completely lost it, not to mention how dare I ridicule a Hollingsworth. They wouldn’t be wrong in assuming that. I lost all hope and interest in what they thought the moment they turned their backs on me.
Not that I was attached, but these conniving little assholes worshiped the ground I walked on not two months ago. Now it’s like I’ve grown an extra head or contracted some deadly contagious disease. It was social suicide after a scandal like the one that tarnished my family’s name and credibility among the elite of Malibu Cove.
If only the culprits were the ones held responsible. But they remain unscathed. High school is fucking brutal, but high school in Malibu Cove is unbearable.
“You think, not that I’m the one who needs to be given one FYI, I would take a second chance with you, Chad. You’re pathetic, an average fuck at best, not to mention you’re more high maintenance than anyone I’ve ever met, which, says a lot.” The crowd gasps, catty bitches snicker, the jocks hoot and holler, and everyone else, even those not interested in the average teenage drama, are invested.
From the corner of my eye, I see a girl walking toward us, her blond, oxidized hair cut into a short bob sitting along her shoulders, sways as she struts over.
She halts as she comes to stand directly in front of me, placing her hand adoringly on Chad’s shoulder. “You're nobody now, Phoenix,” she mutters, getting into business which doesn’t concern her, but that’s what she always does, jumping in where she isn’t wanted. “A fallen queen, a dethroned monarch,” she coos, and my god I nearly slap the bitch for jumping in.
Tatum Mortimer, evil, manipulative, and an overall Bitch with a capital B. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for women exploring and embracing their sexuality, I mean men do it all the time and get away with it, but when you use your looks and your body to exploit or gain the upper hand, it’s just plain wrong.
And that, my friends, is exactly what Tate does. Every captain of every sports team at Malibu Cove High, whoever is standing at the top of the social hierarchy pyramid, Tate Mortimer is lying spread eagle beneath them.
Even like that, the “self-proclaimed Queen B of MC High” is nothing more than a plaything, a pastime to all those who’ve fallen for her schemes. I say fallen, but I’ve yet to hear any complaints. Not even from my brother Brooklyn, wide-receiver, and co-captain of the MCH Football team.
Stopping myself from launching at her and yanking her damaged hair from her scalp, which would probably be easier to do than expected, I hold back testing my restraint, and instead give her my best-behaved smile. “It’s funny that you really think that Tatum,” I purr, stepping into her and taking a strand of her hair in between my fingers. I twirl it around, hearing the rough bristles rub against each other. “Either way, I don’t give a fuck. Dethrone me, I dare you. Besides, everyone knows you’ve always wanted my crown.”
I blow her a kiss for good measure and turn to walk away, not letting either of them get in another word.
Donovan and Olly give me a small apologetic smile, but I wave them off silently, telling them I’m fine and not to bother coming over to me. They don’t need to be caught up in my mess. I need to get out of here, but just as I am about to exit the courtyard and head over to my Rover parked in the staff lot deciding to call it a day, I spot him standing under one of the large oak trees, watching me, studying me, and mockingly taking notes.
Beside him, Brooklyn scowls gazing back and forth between the two of us, somehow reading the unspoken message. I don’t know why the two of them are anywhere near each other, suddenly fearing they may be getting along, but I doubt it. Brooklyn isn’t stupid enough to get into bed with the enemy.
Let’s hope neither am I, because when Mav catches my gaze, I nearly melt into a puddle of wanton need at the way his eyes roam over me. His expression is unreadable, a mix of anger, pride, and frustration. Whatever it is, it’s hot, and I quickly turn to walk away, not wanting to feel any more vulnerable than I already am.
I may have just put on the show of the year in front of all my meddlesome classmates, but inside I’m as broken as they say I am.
A fallen Queen. If only the fall wasn’t so grueling.
* * *
“Where areyou off to in such a hurry?” My keys fall out of my hands and onto the pavement as Maverick startles me, appearing out of nowhere. My hand flies to my chest, my heart beating erratically as I try to catch my breath.
We’re in the faculty parking lot, away from most of the prying eyes of my classmates, but a few who are coming back from lunch are observing our exchange. The great thing about MC High is they allow us to leave campus for an hour during lunch which is why I’m on my way out.
“You’re a stalker, you know that. Why the hell do you keep sneaking up on me?” He notices my gaze flicking back and forth between him and the few heads looking our way, and he purposely moves in closer, placing one hand against the edge of my windshield, the other along the door handle, caging me in against the car.
“Cause it’s fun,” he utters nonchalantly, the childish grin he gives me knocking the air out of my lungs for a completely different reason. Mysterious and brooding, Maverick is damn sexy, but this carefree, playful guy, he’s dangerous. Because suddenly I feel the need to keep him around.
