Zodiac Academy: The Awakening(89)

He chuckled darkly. “Do you remember this bit too?” He moved his mouth to my ear and was half a second from biting it the way he had last night when I yelped and forced him back. He let me move him, stepping back with a wicked grin. I shut my door, locking it tight as I moved into the hallway.

Run or fight?

“Come on, I'll walk you to breakfast.” He slung his arm over my shoulders and I tried to duck away. He held on firmly and that familiar, enticing scent sailed from his skin and planted twisted thoughts in my head.

“Why are you pretending to be nice to me? We've played this game before and I'm not falling for it, Seth.”

“Fuck, do that again,” he said, biting down on his fist.

“What?” I stared up at him in confusion.

“The part where you say my name like you're mouth-humping it.”

“That's not a thing.” I shook my head, making another attempt to escape and failing.

What the hell was happening right now?

“I need to go and see Geraldine,” I said anxiously, glancing at him in case he might have any news on her condition.

“Yeah, sounds like the poor chick got seriously messed up.”

“Lucky Orion was there to help,” I said dryly.

“Woah.” Seth turned me to face him, his eyes as sharp as a razor.

“What?” I gasped.

“We have a serious problem, babe.”

“What is it?” I asked, frantic. Did he know something about the attack? Had he seen Orion do it?

“You just mouth-humped another guy's name,” he accused, deadly serious.

My lips parted and heat rushed up and down my spine. “Are you kidding me right now?”

“This is no joke. You know you can't date teachers right? Them's the rules. And I'd appreciate if you didn't mouth-hump his name in front of me.”

“Can you please stop saying mouth hump? It's not a thing.”

“It is a thing.” He said with a shrug. “I just made it a thing.”

“You're impossible,” I sighed, turning and marching away from him. I needed to lose Dog Boy, find Tory and go and see Geraldine. I wasn't going to waste air talking nonsense with him any longer.

“Wait up,” he called, his joking tone gone. He caught my hand, winding his fingers between mine. “Look, I know I mess around a lot and I've been an ass, okay?”

I turned to him in utter shock. Was he seriously about to do what I suspected?

He took a deep breath. “I'm sorry, alright? For your first night...for trying to make you cut your hair off and then covering you in mud with my mates and posting it online....and then leaving you in The Wailing-”

“I got it,” I cut over him. “I remember it all pretty clearly.”

I tried to pull my hand free but he wouldn't let go.

“I just thought...after last night.” He cleared his throat - was that actually a look of vulnerability in his eyes? “I just thought things had changed. But clearly I was wrong.” He released my hand and I assessed him, trying to work out his angle but I couldn't see one.

“Last night we were drunk,” I said, my heart pounding like mad as I prepared to shoot down one of the most popular guys in school – but surely this is some prank anyway?

“I know but...” He shrugged. “So what? I still know how I feel this morning, don't you?”

I didn't answer. Because how could I answer? I didn't think I even had an answer. This guy had been my arch nemesis yesterday and a few overly handsy dances weren't going to change that.

I shook my head and he gave me the saddest puppy dog look I'd ever seen. Guilt weaved through my stomach.

“I don't trust you,” I admitted. Or anyone. But especially not an Heir.

His eyes brightened as if I'd just given him the tiniest sliver of hope he needed.

“Can I try to make you trust me?” he asked.

I pressed my lips together and brushed my fingers through the blue tips of my hair.

The most important thing I’d learned in life? You can’t trust people. And you especially can’t trust boys with wicked smiles and equally wicked intentions. He'd already gone too far. Ridiculed me, made my first week at Zodiac as difficult as possible. So what more evidence did I need to stay the hell away from him?

“No,” I whispered, the hurt of my past suddenly too close for me to breathe. I kept walking but he planted himself in my way and made me meet that begging expression of his again.

I can’t actually agree to this can I? To let Seth try to make things up to me?

It was insanity to trust him. But now he was looking at me like that and I swear his eyes were getting bigger and I was totally melting under his Puss-in-Boots face.

“Ergh fine,” I gave in just to rid myself of that expression.

He grinned from ear to ear. “Kiss?” he asked.

“No!” I gasped as he leaned in for one. “Are you crazy?” I shoved him back and he started bobbing on his heels.

“Crazy for you.”

“That is the cringiest thing I've ever heard,” I laughed.

“Yeah actually, don't repeat that to anyone, babe. Street cred and all.” He winked, snatching my hand again and tugging me along.