Hate So Good: A High School Bully Romance (The Hate Series Book 2) Nina Lincoln (latest novels to read TXT) 📖

and his nonchalant and decidedly cool demeanor isn’t helping.

“Look, if this is about Tiffany, I haven’t heard from her,” he rumbles.

Nodding, I murmur, “I know, but she texted me.”

“What?” he asks, standing from the wall.

“She wants to meet,” I say through numb lips.

Standing here, pretending his icy presence isn’t shriveling my soul, is more challenging than I thought.

“Where?”

“She said...she said where you took her cherry.”

The silence is so drawn out that I glance at Colt’s face to find him looking at me like I’ve grown two heads.

“What?” he finally says.

Sighing, I roll my eyes and say, “Where you took her virginity.”

“I never popped her cherry,” he mutters.

“Well, she seems to think you did.”

“Yeah, well, Tiffany lost her virginity to Paul Stokes in the seventh grade,” he says dryly.

Confused, I rub my forehead. “Then why is that what she said?”

“I have no fucking clue.”

“Okay, well, where was that? Where did she do it with Paul?”

“At a party,” he shrugs.

“A party. Are there any party’s tonight?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Then maybe we need to have one?”

“Why? Look, Finn, this doesn’t sound right. Why would she reach out to you? And what’s a party going to do? You think she’d show up where everyone is?”

“If she thought her life was in danger, yes,” I whisper.

“I don’t like this, Finn,” he growls.

“Neither do I, but I’m scared, Colt,” I whisper.

His bright eyes turn soft, searching mine, and for a moment, it’s just the two of us, with nothing between and my heart thumps in my chest at the intimacy, but then he glances over my shoulder, and his eyes shutter.

“Nate,” he says coldly.

“Begging for more, Finn?” Nate sneers.

Casting my eyes to the ceiling, I say bitterly, “Fuck off, Nate. It’s none of your fucking business.”

With that, I walk away from them both, rage bitter on my tongue.

*****

Somehow, I convince the others we need to have a party. Since it’s a school night, we can’t do it at Dirk’s, confirming he does at least have parents.

Instead, we gather at the river, lighting up a huge bonfire. I don’t know what Colt told people, but I guess it doesn’t matter, they come in droves.

Melissa has been tasked with sticking to me all night, and she’s taking this shit seriously, standing over me like my own personal bodyguard, complete with crossed arms and a scowl.

Glancing over at her, I mutter, “Can you be a little less conspicuous? We want Tiffany to approach me, after all.”

She grunts, shifts, and goes back to her menacing stance. Rolling my eyes, I plunk down by the fire. I can’t help but remember the last time I was here, with Colt. He held me close, and we ended up making love in his truck when we couldn’t keep our hands off each other.

Now he’s on the other side of the fire, with a lazy grin, and some chick, snuggled up cozily. To his credit, he’s not paying her much mind, but it’s still annoying.

Dirk gave me a curious stare when he arrived, looking between Colt and me with confusion.

Good, maybe word will spread, and I’ll have one less thing to worry about, assuming my fan backs the fuck off.

Sipping on a drink, I pretend to enjoy myself, which is easy to do because no one pays me any mind except Ramie, who sits next to me with a sad expression on her face. I bet we make a dreary pair.

“Why don’t you just ask him out?” I ask idly when I spy her looking at Hayden again, who’s currently across the way sucking face with some unknown chick. Ho.

“Wouldn’t do any good,” she mutters, taking a sip of her drink.

“Why?”

“He’s ignored my existence since grade school. He’s not interested,” Ramie says dryly.

“Oh.” It’s weird. Ramie’s hot with pretty long dark hair, curves, and nice boobs. I don’t know why Hayden wouldn’t consider her unless he’s avoiding the commitment angle.

Whatever. After a few hours, I’m exhausted from pretending not to watch every move Colt makes, and I have to pee. Still no sign of Tiffany. Maybe this isn’t what she meant?

Sighing, I stand and turn to Melissa, “C’mon, I gotta pee.”

Melissa trudges after me, silently. It’s kind of creepy, and I’ll be glad when the night is over and she can go back to her normal gruff demeanor.

We pass into the edge of the trees, and I squat, doing my business with a grimace, before hanging out with my ass in the wind to drip dry. Ugh.

I’m buttoning my pants when I hear a twig snap behind me, and we both turn as Tiffany steps into view. She looks terrible, her usually long blond hair greasy and snarled, with deep circles under her eyes, and a rather ugly snarl on her face.

She looks me over scathingly, but she’s so pale and jittery, she’s more pathetic than anything, and inexplicably I feel pity for this girl. She’s so strung out she’d probably make a deal with the devil. Actually, she already has, and I think she’s as good as gone if her friend finds her.

“Well?” I rasp, caution sliding down my spine. I mean, Melissa’s a bruiser, but we are still alone in the woods with the party behind us loud enough to cover any sound.

“Bitch! You’re lucky, I came!”

“Look, Tiffany, this is dangerous. Maybe you should turn yourself in,” I say softly.

“Fuck you! You think being on the inside is going to change anything? He’s got eyes everywhere.”

“Who? Who is he?”

“Ha! You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?” she sneers.

Fire rushes through me, but I take a deep breath and try to remain calm. We’re talking about my fucking life, and the bitch still can’t be nice. “What do you want?”

“Money. You’ve got plenty right, rich bitch?”

“Fine, I can get you money, but you have to tell me.”

“Not until you pay me,” she screeches.

She’s looking around with paranoia, her eyes wild, and with a sinking sensation in my stomach, I mutter, “You don’t know, do you?”

“Of course, I do!”

“No,” I