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

me with a tentative smile, and I return it. I can’t be angry with him for liking me, although I do wish he weren’t so mean about it.

“Okay, kids. Today we’re going to collect soil samples. Here’s your bags. We’ve given you labels, markdown where you found them, what’s growing around them, and so on.”

Grabbing the bags, I turn to Teddy with a raised brow, and he nods, leading the way farther into the forest.

At first, it’s quiet while we wander around and find different spots where we can easily collect the dirt, moving from tree to plant, and so on. We work efficiently together, and it’s friendly and fun until it isn’t.

I’m labeling a sample, my hands covered in dirt, grit between my fingers, when Teddy speaks, effectively crushing my mood.

“Finn, you know Colt can never be what you deserve,” Teddy says casually.

Clenching the bag, as my good spirits crash under the weight of his words, I turn away for a moment to gather my bearings. Why can’t we just be free?

It feels like there’s always someone waiting in the wings to tear us down. As if we need outsiders when half the time, we manage to do it well enough ourselves.

Sourly, I shoot him a glare and say, “Teddy…”

“Look, I get it. You’ll never like the crip in the chair, but that doesn’t mean I can’t tell you what’s real. Colt plays girls. He always has. You think Portia and Sarah were the only ones? He doesn’t care about you. He cares as long as Hayden does. You’ll see.”

“Teddy! Stop! What are you doing? This isn’t you!” I say, exasperated, his cruel words creating a visceral pain in my chest, as though he’s channeling all my insecurities.

“It’s not?” he sneers. “Maybe you just refused to see me as I am. Perfect Finn, the Princess doesn’t like what she sees? Well, too fucking bad. I’ve been a good friend to you. Have you ever actually seen me?”

With that, he awkwardly turns his chair with an ugly look of frustration and rolls away. Helplessly, I watch, hurt pulsing in my chest. Teddy has been the best of friends to me, but this nasty side of him has me questioning it all and the reality stings.

Morosely, I finish the collection and tune out as the teacher goes through the lesson, heading back to camp when we’re finally set free. Colt’s not back yet, so I collapse in my tent and stare at the ceiling.

Of course, Teddy hit me where I’m most vulnerable, but I refuse to entertain the thought he’s still playing a game. We’ve been through too much already besides, I have to have some faith. And I choose to believe.

“Princess?”

Smiling, I step out of my tent and into Colt’s arms. He hugs me tight, leading me toward the food line, and though I’m tempted to tell him about my altercation with Teddy, I decide against it because I’m still hoping he’ll come around. I don’t want things to be strained between them.

I don’t know what else to do, but I refuse to give up hope. I’m finally free of my fan, surely, I can have my life back, and it can include the people I care about most?

Once we reach the head of the line, we’re handed sad sandwiches with limp lettuce and a bag of chips. I’m assuming they’re all the same because no one asks for a preference.

Sitting down by a tree, I eat my food glumly and glance around. Teddy’s nowhere to be found, and I still don’t see Ramie.

“Everything okay?” Colt asks.

Swinging back around to him, I muster a smile, but I already hate this fucking trip, “Yeah. Hey, have you seen Ramie?”

Frowning, Colt shakes his head, “No. I think she and Hayden messed around last night. But I haven’t seen her since. Why?”

Hm. Ramie and Hayden, eh? Good for her.

“Nothing, she was just acting weird when we first got here, and I haven’t seen her since.”

“Weird how?” he asks, cocking his head to the side.

For a moment, I forget what we’re speaking about, mesmerized by his beauty, before I shake my head wryly and continue. Will I ever get over this guy liking me?

“I don’t know. She said she had a bad feeling.”

Waving his hand, he smiles, “Don’t mind her. She’s into woo woo shit.”

“Woo woo shit?” I laugh.

“Yeah-“

“Hey dicks,” Hayden says, dropping beside us, Kaitlin following behind him to my annoyance. Even if I chose to believe Colt, that doesn’t mean I want bitches hanging around.

“Hey, Colt,” she says breathily.

Colt grunts without looking at her, and my spine tingles. Why does it feel like he’s trying too hard? Looking him over suspiciously, I ease when he glances up and winks at me.

I’m being stupid and paranoid. I need to stop.

“What’s next? Picking up pinecones?” Hayden mutters sarcastically as a teacher steps up and calls out for our attention.

“Okay, students. Next up, we practice survival. How many of you have seen one of those shows? Being caught in unknown terrain can present many challenges. So, let’s make this fun. Pick a group of four. Make sure you choose well. This will be your group for the final event. Today, you’ll learn about how to use the earth’s natural gifts to get out of sticky situations.”

Colt gives me a happy grin, and I return it wholeheartedly because he will be with me at least in this, an exercise that sounds a bit like the seventh circle of hell.

Hayden joins our group without asking and thankfully ousts Kaitlin with a grunt to which she snorts her displeasure, but he pays her no mind. Rolling my eyes, I watch Dirk approach.

Since our chat yesterday, he’s been avoiding me but apparently doesn’t mind joining our group for the day, and grimly he sets off with us as some burly dude with long hair and crooked teeth shouts out details as he walks.

“What’s up with you?” Colt murmurs to Dirk, who laughs and says, “Nothing man, just been looking