“Quinn, who is that---“

“—What the fuck are you doing here!” Quinn roars, jolting Ambrose out of his shock.

“Quinn.” The girl grins. “Always good to see an old friend.”

Quinn starts shaking next to me, then abandons me, grabs Ambrose by the arm, and shoves him away from the person and toward the door.

They just leave.

Ambrose hangs his head. Quinn’s yelling down the hall. Then I hear Ambrose cursing.

I’m still frowning when the girl turns her eyes toward me, cold, calculating, perfect, and now she’s walking toward me. “Are you the replacement for those two? Didn’t realize I’d have competition when I came back.”

“Competition?” I ask.

She holds out her hand. “Hi, I’m Tessa. I’m in Elementary Education and working here for the last month of school and summer school to get my credits. And you are?”

I hold my head high, shake her hand and say in a clear voice. “Another perfect.”

She frowns as I drop her hand. “What?”

“I’m Ambrose’s foster sister. By the way, he doesn’t look too happy to see you… again. I’d back off before you end up in the hospital instead of the school…” I flash her a huge grin. “Byyyyyeeee good luck with your teaching degree!”

And then I stomp off in search of the two boys, who are enemies, even more curious about what connection they have and what made them both so upset.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Ambrose

I can’t breathe.

That’s my first thought.

My second is complete rage.

The third is that MB is watching.

My hands are shaking before I make them into fists, and then I’m wondering how much trouble I’ll get into for hitting a woman, which again sounds horrible, but people don’t know our story, they don’t know our damage, I don’t think of her as anything but a monster, and monsters are villains, shouldn’t they all be punished?

She got away with my dad’s money.

Quinn’s dad’s money.

She took our pride.

She broke us then promised to fix us.

She lied.

So many thoughts run through my head, and then I feel a hand in mine, one I recognize, the skin too easy to remember, the feel of it pressed against my palm, the smell of his cologne.

And I fucking hate that she’s staring at both of us like she’s about to feast at a Vegas buffet.

I want to vomit.

I want to jump onto Quinn and beg him to save me, and I’m not that sort of person. I’ve always told myself I’m strong enough to save me, that I don’t need anyone, but when it counted, when it mattered, he did.

And I still hate myself for being so weak, so imperfect.

I don’t realize I’m hyperventilating until he’s rushing me into the school and down the hall, roughly jerking me into the men’s bathroom and shoving me against a wall.

“Breathe!” he yells in my face.

I forget how demanding he is. His hand comes around my throat lightly as he taps my right cheek like I need to snap out of my stupor.