Path of Destruction (Broken Heartland, #2)(30)

“I don’t recall forcing you to come down here,” he tossed back.

“You know what I mean. This can’t be more than it is. I’m not—”

“Yeah, I get it. It is what it is and nothing more.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Wouldn’t want the whole world to see you with the guy from the wrong side of the county line, now would we?”

“Please don’t do that,” she protested. “You’re asking me for something I’m not ready for. It has nothing to do with you or where you’re from.”

“You’re not in here making out with yourself,” he said, his jaw clenching tightly as if he’d tried not to let the words slip out. “I’m involved whether you like it or not. So yeah, it does have something to do with me.”

“It doesn’t have to.” She narrowed her eyes in on his and felt her muscles go tight. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but he was setting out to ruin the one thing in her life that she actually looked forward to. If he couldn’t handle the no-strings-attached deal they had, then maybe it was best they parted ways. “I’m sure I can find someone else that will—”

“You ready to replace me? Just like that, huh?” His lips formed a thin line as he shook his head at her and took a step forward. Her body went stiff as he reached up and brushed her hair over her shoulders so he could really see her face.

“I could,” she said, hearing the quiver in her voice and knowing that she was lying to him and to herself. She used to be much better at it. Truth be told, there was no one else she wanted to let into her life. She’d barely let Brantley Cooper in, but if he wanted to be a jerk about it, he was free to go.

“Well that’d be a shame. Because I doubt the next guy would be able to do this.” His lips found her neck and she held her breath as he wrapped his arms around her once again. When he licked a soft trail behind her ear, she trembled in his arms. “Tell me, how long would it take you to find someone who could make you feel like this? A day? A week? Two weeks?”

“W-whenever I wanted to,” she murmured, gripping his arms firmly to keep herself upright.

“Keep telling yourself that,” he whispered in her ear. His hand moved up her back to the base of her neck. His fingers tangled in her hair as he turned her face to his. “If this is all you want, then I’ll give it to you, but don’t for a second think that I’m replaceable.”

He crushed his mouth to hers and her body and her resolve to keep it casual loosened with each stroke of his tongue against hers.





The last day of school before holiday break was always a joke. Movie in first period. Bullshit reading list for break no one would fool with in second. And so on. But this year, a school-wide assembly had been called. Hayden followed his US government class to the auditorium, silently scanning the crowd for any sign of Ella Jane. As he’d expected, the girls here were not her biggest fans—even if they did all imitate her style. She didn’t even seem to notice the influx of flannel and denim and floral dresses and cowgirl boots that now surrounded them, but he did. It drove him crazy because he mistook someone else for her about three times a day.

Once they were settled into their seats, he continued his scanning. Finally, he saw her three rows back, sitting next to a group of girls that were steadfastly ignoring her. The seats around her were full, but the row behind her was empty.

Hayden stood and made his way to the end of the aisle; apologizing to people he stepped on along the way. She didn’t look up as he lowered himself into the seat behind her so he leaned forward.

“Hey, angel face. You forgot to save me a seat.”

Ella Jane made a small noise of discontent and glared at him over her shoulder. “No, I didn’t.”

“Come on now. You mean to tell me you’d rather sit with them than me?” He gestured to the girls beside her. They were practically giving Ella Jane a unified death glare. “Yeah, I guess I can see why.”

A bald teacher Hayden didn’t have came by and told their section to quiet down. No one paid attention to him.

Ella Jane rolled her eyes. “Hayden, honestly, I don’t know how to be any more clear. Do you want something? Because I’ve already got detention for a week when we get back from break for skipping class, so the last thing I need is another one tacked on for being disruptive during this assembly.”

“Yes, because I’m sure the information being presented will be riveting. I want to talk, Ella Jane.”

“About what?” she hissed under her breath. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Sure there is. I know you know by now that Cami and I were not together this summer. So if that’s your reasoning for—”

“It isn’t. My reasoning is exactly what I told you it was. I’m a different person now. Too much has happened, and no matter how much you text or call or harass me at school, the girl you’re looking for is gone.”

“The girl I’m looking for is sitting right in front of me. What I can’t figure out is why I know this and you don’t.”

“Clearly you’ve had a much better education than me,” she said drily.

“Well you’re here now,” Hayden teased. “So maybe you’ll learn a thing or two.”