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

checks in periodically. I don’t know what I did, if anything, to piss her off, but grimly I acknowledge it’s for the best right now anyway. Anyone affiliated with me runs the risk of my fan’s displeasure.

I’ve even avoided Teddy because his behavior has been borderline mean, and I’m not in the right headspace to address it.

Colt no longer acknowledges my existence, although he remains at South walking through the halls with a new girl under his arm every day or hanging out with his friends. Sometimes I catch sight of him, with his sly smirk and fierce eyes, and it’s so painful I have to turn away, but I’m learning to live without him if you can call this living.

It’s a Friday, and this the last period of the day is monotonous, so I stare out the window absently instead. The trees just beyond have bloomed, their branches filled with bright green leaves, vivid against the blue sky. I haven’t been anywhere but home and school for weeks, and looking at the life around me makes my soul feel shriveled and worn in my chest.

When the bell rings, I creep around the corner to the door and my car, only to bump into a hard chest and bounce back, as strong arms grab me before I fall, only to let me go just as quickly.

My heart thumps painfully as I stare at Colt’s chest, avoiding his sure to be vacant stare, while I admire the way the thin material of his tee stretches tantalizingly over his muscles.

Before either of us can react, some chick flies up and wraps her arms around him eagerly, and I retreat, finding the nearest bathroom to which I can duck inside.

I’m tired of this shit. Maybe I should just transfer out - there’s always Academy. Fuck.

When I emerge, the halls are empty, and I trudge to my car tiredly, only to stop up short at Hayden leaning against it, looking me over with a grimace. Annoyed, I straighten my spine and open my mouth to growl at him, but he beats me to it.

“You look like shit, Finn.”

“Gee, thanks,” I say icily.

“This won’t do, c’mon.”

“Huh?”

“You gonna wallow in your shit or do something about it?”

“Wallow?” I say tentatively.

He snorts and grabs my arm, and I give a halfhearted protest, which he ignores before sliding into his car when he opens the door. Once he’s in the passenger seat, he starts his muscle car up and blazes from the lot with a squeal of tires.

“Where are we going?” I ask warily.

“Fight Club,” he says wickedly.

“Why?”

“Because you need to get your head out of your ass, and so does Colt. I’m tired of this shit. Was he a dick? Sure, but whatever.”

“Hayden, you were a dick too,” I mutter.

“Yeah,” he laughs, “well, whatever. It was clear as soon as Colt laid eyes on you that you were it for him. He just fought it because he’s stupid.”

“How so?”

“Because he wouldn’t let the rest of us play the game, sweet. Nate tried anyway but look what that got him? Colt wanted you all along but pretended he didn’t.”

“It’s still reprehensible.”

“Finn, you look like shit. He’s acting like shit. What’s the better choice? To be miserable or to forgive?”

“He’s moved on, that girl-“

“He doesn’t give a shit about that chick. It’s all an act,” he chuffs.

“Hmm,” I respond, ignoring the pulse of hope in my heart.

*****

Hayden takes me for food before Fight Club, and when we pull up to the warehouse, I glance warily out the window at all the cars surrounded by darkness, the only light shining from inside.

“Alright, don’t leave my sight,” Hayden says, and I nod, following behind him.

I’m both fearful and excited to see Colt, but can I trust Hayden?

Immediately my eyes fly to the ring when we enter to a crescendo of shouts, and I spy two guys really going at it. Unbelievably I see that one of them is Colt, and he’s whaling on some dude, his face pulled back in a vicious snarl.

His little bitch from school stands beside the ring, cheering him on, and my lip curls with disgust. She has no care for his safety, only the picture he forms standing in the ring.

I’ll admit he does look insanely hot, his chest gleaming with sweat and his muscles rippling every time he moves. Helplessly, I watch one such drop slide down his beautiful pecs and soak into the band of his shorts.

He’s a work of art, to be sure, but can’t she see the dead space behind his eyes? He’s broken, and she’s eating it up like candy. He’s not even here but inside his head somewhere.

Clenching my fist against my chest where the anger and sadness burn, I watch helplessly. There’s nothing I can do from here, and I’m afraid if I go up to that ring and expose my fear and longing, he’ll reject me.

Following Hayden through the crowd blindly, I can’t take my eyes off of Colt. Although he’s clearly winning, there’s no victory, just a grim acceptance as he pounds on the guy now lying supine on the mat.

“How long has he been doing this?” I shout over the din.

Hayden turns to me and says, “Fighting? For years.”

“What? I didn't know that,” I exclaim, disappointed to find there's more to Colt than even the stuff I’ve gleaned. Just how much shit is he hiding behind his pretty grey eyes?

“He doesn’t or didn't do it so much this year. I’m sure you can imagine why,” he says, giving me a knowing look.

Thinking back, I do recall a few times he showed up with a black eye or bruised face. Was it because he was here, fighting?

“Why?” I ask bewildered.

Maggie mentioned Colt was fighting and getting into trouble over his fucking family, but I would never have imagined it was here, doing this.

Hayden shrugs, “Why not? He makes money and gets his aggression out.”

“But…” I mutter, but it's lost to the noise as Hayden pushes through the