Eden smiles, this time a real one, but her smile fades when both of our cell phones ding with a new notification. She reaches into her pocket, but I ignore it. I don’t care who’s being dethroned by The Queen today. Staring down at her phone, Eden’s eyes widen in shock.
“What is it?”
“You need to see this.” She shares her phone, holding it out for me to read the latest post.
Dethroned: February Edition
It’s that time of the month again. I know you all missed me. But you know who’s not having her time of the month? The sorostitute the Kane twins knocked up.
* * *
Oh, baby, the twins are having a baby! But which one is the daddy? Not even a paternity test will tell…
* * *
XO,
The Queen
I cringe at the words on the screen, reading the post several times before my skin burns.
“It’s Trent’s.” Eden hooks her arm through mine as we walk through the park toward the train station. “He’s been hooking up with Jordan’s sister for the last few months.”
“But Tucker was with her, too,” I point out.
“He kissed her.” She hugs me. “You only have to keep up this charade until the end of the semester. After graduation, you won’t even remember Tucker Kane.”
I doubt that.
Tucker is unforgettable.
“Yeah,” I mutter. “What’s a few more months, right?”
She smiles and tightens her grip on my arm, pulling me closer to the street. “That’s the spirit. It will all be over in no time. As long as we do what she asks, we have nothing to worry about.”
I’m afraid of what will happen once we’ve outlived our purpose.
Chapter 19
Tucker
I feel Sam’s icy gaze, the tension in the air thick. Everyone on campus has stared at me with judgmental eyes for the last week. Sam is no exception. We’ve spoken very little since the latest edition of Dethroned. Every time I attempt to explain, Sam cuts me off. She doesn’t care what I have to say.
After I finish with the practice test, I slide it across the table in front of Sam. Her eyes shift to the paper and then meet mine for a second before she steals them away. One look into Sam’s eyes causes my skin to prick with tiny bumps.
She lifts the paper and scans my answers, smirking as she reads.
“Can we talk, Sam?” I reach across the table, hoping she’ll meet me halfway.
She stares down at my hand like I have a disease. “Sure. We can talk about how you didn’t bother to read the material. Even with my help, you’re hopeless, Tucker.” Her tone sends a chill down my spine. “Take the time to study on your own.”
“I studied,” I admit. It’s the truth.
“Not hard enough.” She marks the paper with a ton of red ink and shoves it back at me. “You failed, which means you will fail the exam.”
I grab her wrist before she can pull her hand back, and she doesn’t fight me this time. When our eyes meet, she blows out a breath. “You’re mad at me for the wrong reason, and you know it.”
Her eyebrows rise in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
