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

walking, but with each mile, we see nothing but the same damn trees around us, and as the sun starts to set in the sky, we stop to rest, glaring around with fatigue.

My feet hurt, my back’s sore, and I’m fucking exhausted. I’m clearly no survivalist, and I hope they have a fucking survey or something I can fill out after this shit because it’s going to be all zeros.

Colt pulls me against him, and I relax into his embrace, thankful we’re together. I can’t imagine the alternative, assigned groups, I think with a shudder. I don’t trust too many people, not after everything, and this feels like a fucking nightmare I can’t wake from.

“We should’ve been there by now,” Dirk says grimly.

“You sure you know how to read a compass?” Hayden jeers.

Rolling his eyes, he throws the compass at Hayden’s chest. “Fine, you do it. Dick.”

Hayden catches it one-handed, glancing at the tiny screen, before shrugging and handing it off to Colt.

Colt takes a look and says, “I don't know. The good news is they should be looking for us by now. Let’s just keep heading south. We’re bound to run into them.”

I’m tired, and with every inch, the sun descends in the sky, it gets a little cooler, but if we don’t keep moving, it will only worsen. So, we trudge on, growing quieter and quieter the farther we walk without running into anyone.

After another hour, it’s become too dark to keep going. We eat the last of our granola bars and form a circle to consider how the guy told us to make a fire before digging through the bag and finding a box of matches inside.

The guys set about creating a stone circle and gathering wood, which quickly devolves into a fight between Hayden and Dirk as they argue over the matches and waste quite a few in the process.

Eventually, I lose my patience and grab them from Hayden’s hand, searching out some kindling to do it myself.

Luckily, the wood is dry, and after a few good starts, I get it going, sitting beside it, and holding my hands next to the warmth as I stare around us uneasily.

We can’t see beyond the light of the fire, an animal could emerge, and it would be too late. We don’t have any weapons beyond the damn matches, and it’s getting colder by the fucking minute. We’re practically sitting ducks until our rescue arrives, which could be tomorrow at this rate.

“We should ration what’s left of the water,” I say grimly, watching Dirk take another long drink of his.

“Why? They’re gonna come around anytime and scoop us up,” he says with a shrug.

“It’s pitch black. Unless they have a helicopter, they’re not going to find us in the dark. It’s like a needle in a haystack.”

Hayden chuffs, “I didn’t realize you’re such a fucking downer.”

“Try realist,” I say, turning away. I know what it’s like to wander the forest alone and scared, and the first lesson I learned the hard way is to conserve water but try telling that to these jerks.

When Colt pulls me into his side, I drowse as I listen to them chat around me, exhaustion pulling at my limbs.

“Shelby Moore...big tits...I’d…”

“Mm...nice…”

Someone chuckles, and I drop into an uneasy sleep.

*****

You’re fucking useless. Cry like a baby. Your mother isn’t here to coddle you. 

Sitting up, I glance around, shivering. It’s fucking cold, the fire has burned down, and the guys are asleep all around me. I don’t know what pulled me from sleep, and I’m just settling back into Colt’s side when a twig snaps from the trees behind me.

Sitting back up quickly, I search the area while my heart pounds in my chest. Maybe it’s the faculty. Maybe they’ve finally found us? Or perhaps it’s a fucking bear, and we’re about to get eaten.

Snap. A rustling follows - something grunts.

Shaking Colt’s arm, I stare over my shoulder, waiting for whatever to emerge. Colt blinks his eyes open and stares at me with confusion, and slowly I raise a shaking hand, pointing into the woods.

“What?” he asks gruffly, sitting up and wrapping his arms around me from behind.

“Something’s over there,” I whisper.

“Where?”

“Sh,” I exclaim.

Chuffing, he pulls away to stand, and I grab his hand, but he steps around me toward the edge of the tree line.

“Colt!” I whisper, but ignoring me, he cocks his head to the side.

Before I can say more, a figure emerges from the trees, and at first, all I feel is relief. We’re found! But then, horror slowly replaces the relief, and my stomach cramps painfully.

Standing before us isn’t a group of teachers. No, a single figure dressed in a hoodie and jeans lurks at the edge of the trees silently.

“Colt,” I whisper, crawling toward him on my knees.

But it’s too late, the figure raises his hand, and something rings out with a pop, discharging with a quick flash in the darkness.

Colt staggers back, clutching his chest, and I shriek, but it sounds far away like I’m in a tunnel. Crawling toward him, I raise a shaky hand as he falls to his knees, crimson blooming over his shoulder.

“What the fuck?” Hayden says behind me.

Hovering over Colt, I glance between him and the man with the gun, panting with terror.

“Please don’t die,” I moan.

Dirk appears, pushing me aside and helping Colt to lay down on the ground, his face ashen.

Looking at me grimly, Dirk whispers, “Run when I say.”

“What?” I ask, frantically looking at Colt, who’s lying on his back with a pained expression. He stares at me with wide eyes and nods in agreement.

Shaking my head frantically, I whisper ‘no,’ but he says, “Yes, please, Finn.”

Dirk doesn’t wait for me to agree, standing and facing our aggressor. “Yo man, what do you want?”

“You know what he wants,” the voice says.

My heart clenches painfully, a sick feeling of acceptance rolling down my spine - this was never going to be easy. I should have known because nothing ever fucking is.

Glancing down at