Path of Destruction (Broken Heartland, #2)(52)

“What things?” she asked, putting her arms around his neck and letting him sway her to the slow, steady rhythm of the music.

“I’m gonna tell you,” he promised. “But first, I need a minute to just dance with you, okay?” What he needed was a minute to collect his thoughts and not just ramble off all of the things that were running through his mind. “You look beautiful, by the way,” he said, letting one thought slip out.

“You clean up pretty well yourself.” She smiled as she let one hand smooth down the front of his shirt.

As they held each other on the dance floor, Coop became blatantly aware of the fact that several nearby couples were watching them. He didn’t care and she didn’t seem to mind either as she rested her head on his shoulder.

If neither of them was scared of what everyone else thought, there was no reason he shouldn’t tell her that they should give more meaning to what was happening between them, right?

“Cameron,” he said, his voice shaking a bit. “I... I came tonight because—”

She leaned her head back to look up at him. He couldn’t think straight when she was looking at him like that. Like she wanted nothing more than for him to kiss her.

So he did. In front of everyone. And it felt really good.

Her lips parted and welcomed him as he swept his tongue through her mouth. Her arms synched around his neck as he pulled her body tightly to his. He didn’t want to stop. But suddenly there was an outcry near the door in which he’d entered and the news rippled toward them like a tsunami.

Before he could tell her how badly he’d needed that, they found themselves being stampeded by several students rushing out the door. Cooper looked around to see where the fire was. All he saw were people coming toward them. Then he heard it. Someone shout Prescott’s name followed by, “Getting his ass handed to him in the parking lot!” A crowd of people made a rush toward the doors. The whoops and hollers that followed the crowd pulled his and Cameron’s attention from one another. Their eyes flickered to one another’s—hers with a hint of panic and his with a realization.

There was only one reason he couldn think of that would cause Hayden Prescott to pick a fight in a parking lot.

One blond-haired, blue-eyed reason.

“Damn it.” He released his arms from Cameron’s waist, pretending he didn’t see the hurt look that washed across her face. “I gotta go.”

He’d explain everything to her later, about Kyle, about EJ, and about how he felt the need to look out for his best friend’s little sister, while with Cameron he felt the need to stake a claim and be more than a closet make out buddy. But right now, he had to see just how big of a mess the other girl he cared about had made.





Raquel: Been on Instagram lately?



Hayden glanced down at the text again. Raquel. Now there was a girl he wished didn’t have his phone number.

He’d seen the flyers about the hashtag, #SBProm, and how they were supposed to use it for any pictures they took. But since he cared about neither prom nor Instagram, he hadn’t bothered to look. Just as he was about to text ‘no, why?’ back to Raquel, a photo came through. From her.

His eyes narrowed in on the three smiling faces in it. Devon, Jarrod, and in between them holding up a flask as if saying ‘cheers,’ Ella Jane Mason.

“Son of a bitch.”

Turning his Jeep around, Hayden aimed it toward the school instead of toward home. He knew his parents were out and that he needed to get home to check on his grandma, but knowing the kind of company Ella Jane was keeping made her the current priority.



Hayden no sooner pulled into the parking lot than he saw a small circle gathered near Devon’s Land Rover. Parking quickly, he jumped out and jogged over to see what the commotion was all about. He sincerely hoped a certain girl was no longer with them. Hoped, but knew better.

Naturally, there she stood, glaze-eyed staring at Jarrod like some sort of savior. His arm was around her and he handed her a flask. She took a long pull from the flask, a drop of whiskey falling from her lips. Hayden strode forward, keeping his eyes locked on her as she laughed and wiped her mouth.

“I think you’ve had enough,” Hayden said, stepping between Devon and Ella Jane.

Some freshmen girls Hayden didn’t know were hanging on Devon’s every word. Reaching for Ella Jane’s arm, Hayden sneered when Jarrod tugged her gently out of his reach.

“Easy, Prescott. I didn’t see your name on her.”

“Then you didn’t look hard enough,” Hayden practically growled at him. “Babe, look at me. You okay?” He met Ella Jane’s eyes, his chest tightening at the lack of focus in them.

“She’s fine, Dad. Just having a good time. Lighten up.” Jarrod tightened his hold on her and Hayden saw red.

He lunged, but Devon wrapped his waist with both arms and told him to chill out in his ear. “Don’t worry, man. She and Kent are already well acquainted.”

He turned him just in time for Hayden to see Jarrod nuzzling Ella Jane’s neck. Hayden responded by slamming his head backward into Devon’s. The grunt was simultaneous with his loosened grip and Hayden took advantage of the opportunity to turn and give the guy a solid shove against the car.

A brief flicker of panic shot through Hayden as he realized just how much pent up anger he was carrying. Ella Jane, Cami, the storm, Pop’s being gone, his grandma, his dad’s book making business… He felt as if he’d been stretched tightly, each person holding a piece of him, and now, he’d finally snapped.