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

“A weird feeling about what?” I whisper.

She looks up at me with a strange intensity, causing chills down my arms, and mutters, “It's probably nothing. I just get weird feelings sometimes.

“Like when?” I ask uneasily.

“When my mother died for one. I just knew something bad was going to happen.”

Cripes. Shuddering, I turn and look for Colt. He’s standing with Hayden and waving his arms around in frustration. Why they chose to bunk together, I don't know. They’re like oil and water. Maybe once upon a time, they were the best of friends, but too much has happened between then and now for them to get back there anytime soon.

I suspect they agreed to share because they hoped one or both would be gone, allowing for a softer, more pliable sleep partner to enter.

As if sensing my gaze, Colt glances my way with a sexy smirk, and I ease, the anxiety from Ramie’s words sliding off my back. Whatever her feelings, they’ve nothing to do with me and probably nothing to do with anything. Maybe she’s on her period or something.

“I’m sure it will be fine,” I say lamely, and she gives me a tremulous smile, the pity behind her eyes ratcheting my paranoia. Now regretting agreeing to ‘room’ with her, I drop my shit inside and wander over to Colt’s side.

Their tent is now fully functional, and Hayden’s runoff.

Turning to me with a smile, Colt spies my severe expression and asks, “What’s wrong?”

Hesitating, I decide against revealing Ramie’s words. It’ll just make me look crazy too, but I can't help but look back at her, where she stands outside the tent with an absent expression, staring into nothing with a frown.

“Finn?”

Turning back to him, I smile, and he eases, although the v between his brows remains. Before I have a chance to respond, the group is called over by the teachers standing in a row, who outline the five-day trip's rules—no boys in the girl’s camp, no girls in the boys. No violence. No alcohol. No drugs. Stay in your groups. Do not wander off. And on it goes.

With some amusement, I wonder if the faculty is high. I mean, they’ve seen these students all year long right, they must know these shits revel in getting up to no good. Half the group has probably already planned out how they’re going to sneak away.

Snuggled under Colt’s arm, I spy Teddy in his chair across the way sitting beside Dirk, who stands with a smirk. Beside him is George, looking on with a long-suffering look, and with a smile, I tune back in to learn we’ll be starting our first lesson before dinner in two hours.

Unfortunately, for this first foray, Colt’s sent off with a different group, leaving me with Dirk at least, who gives me a sarcastic lift of his brow and leads the way.

Glancing back at Colt, I smile when he blows me a kiss, annoyed to spy Hayden’s honey waiting for him. He doesn't so much as look her way, but I’m still stewing over it as we disappear the other direction into the woods.

We hike for a good twenty minutes before Mrs. Smith halts and looks us over, handing out a sheet of paper and pencils. “Okay, kids. Go forth and look over the trees and wildlife. Try to find the items on your sheets based on the hints. Have fun. Do not make me lose my shit.”

We all chuckle at her forthright words and turn away, wandering into the foliage to look around.

Dirk walks beside me, whistling under his breath as I glance over the questions and frown at the hints, stopping before a series of trees with moss growing up the trunk. I hate science, and I’m not a huge fan of nature.

“What do you suppose this means?” I ask, pointing at the paper. Dirk shrugs and looks beyond my shoulder to a set of students huddled around another tree.

“What?” I ask.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll just ask someone else for the answers. We’re not graded anyway,” Dirk says with a wide smile.

“What? I thought this was part of our grade!” I complain, flipping the paper around in my hand.

Chuckling, he shakes his head and says, “Being here is part of the grade, what we turn in, not so much. Nobody cares, Finn. We’re weeks away from getting out of this fucking hellhole.”

Surprised, I glance at his face - for once, he’s missing the flirty smirk, his eyes blazing with distaste.

“Wow, I didn't know you hated it here so much.”

He shrugs, “Whatever, it's fine, but I’m tired of the bullshit. I’m ready to move on.”

“From Colt?” I ask curiously.

“Maybe, just from this life.”

“Did you get into college?”

“Naw, I’m taking a year off. Maybe I'll travel Europe, bag some foreign bitches.”

Rolling my eyes, I look around and step closer to whisper, “What about Lauren?”

I can’t resist asking. It’s been on my mind since Sarah revealed the information all those months ago. Colt’s never said anything, and as far as I know, he doesn’t know. So, what happened? Are they still seeing each other?

I’ve never seen them together, and he’s always got a different chick on his arm. Is that a diversionary tactic, or was it all a lie to begin with?

Dirk stiffens, his entire body going rigid, and almost immediately, he exudes waves of ice as he stares at me intently - it’s so anathema to his usually amused derision I suck in a breath.

“What?” he says in a low tone.

Licking my lips, I smile tentatively, “I thought...maybe you liked her?”

“Where the fuck did you hear that?” he snarls.

Stepping back, I regret bringing it up when he gives me a fierce glare. “I overheard you talking to Sarah about it.”

He glances around wildly before turning back to me, “What you heard was bullshit.”

Sensing his message, I slowly nod my head, but when he doesn’t turn from his intense stare, I mutter, “If I was going to tell