Bad guy (REWRITTEN)

Chapter 24

                                     Anna

Few weeks later

The hallway had mostly emptied by the time the late bell rang, but a few stragglers still lingered near the vending machines, enough noise to cover the soft click of my locker shutting. I was shoving my English notebook into my bag when Rick appeared at my side like he'd been waiting for the exact moment I was alone.

He leaned one shoulder against the metal next to mine, arms crossed, that half-smirk already in place. The split in his eyebrow had healed into a thin silver scar; it caught the fluorescent light and made him look rougher, more interesting than he probably deserved to be.

"Hey, shorty" he drawled, voice low enough that it felt private. "You always rush out like the building's on fire, or is that just when I'm around?"

I glanced up, caught off guard. "I'm not rushing. Just... trying to survive the day"

He chuckled, shifting closer until his sleeve brushed my arm. "Survive, huh? You look like you could use a distraction. Something fun. I got a blunt rolled for after school if you're down. Or we could skip the smoke and just drive somewhere quiet. My backseat's pretty comfortable got blankets and everything."

The flirtation landed heavy, shameless. My cheeks heated despite myself. "Rick..."

"What?" He tilted his head, eyes dragging down my face, lingering on my lips. "I'm serious. You've been walking around like someone kicked your puppy for weeks. Let me fix that. One ride. No strings. I'll even let you pick the music"

I opened my mouthhalf to shut him down, half because a tiny, reckless part of me wondered what it would feel like to say yes just to feel something other than this constant ache but the words never made it out.

Because the air behind us changed.

Shifted.

Like the temperature dropped ten degrees in half a second.

Rick felt it too his smirk faltered, eyes flicking over my shoulder. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

Billie stepped up slow, deliberate, until she was right behind me close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off her body, the faint brush of her hoodie against my back. She didn't touch me. She didn't have to.

Rick straightened instinctively, like prey sensing a predator.

Billie's voice came out soft. Almost sweet. The kind of sweet that makes your stomach drop.

"Yo, Rick" She said his name like she was tasting something bitter.

"You still running your mouth?"

He tried to play it cool, lifting his chin. "Just talking to Anna, Eilish. Chill"

"Talking" She repeated the word like it amused her. Then she leaned forward just enough that her chest pressed lightly against my shoulder blades, her mouth hovering near my ear so her next words were for both of us.

"Funny. Sounded a lot like you begging for a death wish"

Rick laughed short, nervous. "Damn, possessive much? She said y'all were done"

Billie's hand moved then slow, casual sliding around my waist from behind until her palm flattened low on my stomach, fingers splayed possessively over the front of my jeans. Not groping. Just claiming. Right there in the hallway.

My breath caught. Loud in my own ears.

"She said a lot of shit few weeks" Billie murmured, lips brushing the shell of my ear. "Doesn't change facts " Her thumb stroked once lazy, deliberate right over the seam of my jeans, pressing just enough to make my thighs clench.