Nico Vaughan, the junior class "Nice Girl" wants to be free from her abusive and obsessive ex-boyfriend.
Valen Henford, the school's resident "Rich Guy meets Bad Boy" wants to spend his senior year with the girl he's been in love with for years.
W...
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"We were strange in love
her and I
too wild to last
too rare to die"
(Atticus).
|◁ II ▷|
I stare at the braid in Nico's hair. Her body is turned towards the girls at the table, talking about a new book. I've already made note of it.
My eyes glide over each dark rope of hair that's interwoven together, my mind replaying the feeling of my fingers in her hair.
I'll never get enough of it.
The bell snaps me out of my thoughts, and I sit for a moment and wonder how long I'd been staring at Nico and thinking about her.
"Hey, Valen," West calls behind Nico and I as we walk out of the lunchroom. "Wait a sec."
West turns to his loser friend first, waving towards Nico. "Hey, Sam, do you mind walking Nico to class?"
"Don't mind in the slightest," Sam smirks, his eyes shifting to me.
He holds out his arm for Nico, but she doesn't seem to see it. It's my turn to smirk when Nico walks away without him, forcing him to jog to catch up.
"Nico can't braid, buddy," West announces, pausing right outside the lunchroom to lean against a wall.
I stay silent. What am I supposed to say to that?
West smiles and shakes his head. "If she didn't like it, she'd have taken it out by now. Even if she was trying to be careful with your feelings."
"Well, that's relieving, I guess," I offer, crossing my arms and basking in the knowledge that she likes it.
West's lips purse as he, too, crosses his arms. "Don't push my sister into anything or you'll regret it. Do you understand?"
His harsh tone shocks me. I thought we were past this?
"I understand. Just watch out for her," I warn. "Hunter's been playin' with the wrong crowd. She's got what I think is some misplaced faith in his importance of reputation."
West's eyes narrow, his brows arching over his eyes, darkening them. "What has he done?"
"He's made a deal with a notorious gang," I supply cautiously. "This gang doesn't like my parents very much. They might help Hunter with whatever he wants with Nico."
