When the bell rings, I swiftly pack my things and make my way to the front of the class, so I can follow him outside and see if I can get him somewhere alone and unguarded. But the moment I throw my bag over my shoulder, my teacher plucks me right out of the crowd.
“Aspen. We need to talk.”
I frown, confused. “What, why?”
He eyes the rest of the class and waits until everyone’s left before talking. “You’re rarely paying attention. You’re not here for the tests, and you’re turning in assignments late.”
I sigh out loud. “I’m sorry, Alec.”
“Look, I don’t want to have to fail my niece. Please give me something to work with here.”
“I’m gonna do better, I promise.”
“I know you have a lot on your mind, with Mavis and everything …” He trails off. “The point is, if there’s anything I can do, please let me know.” Uncle Alec places a hand on my shoulder. “You can talk to me.”
“Thanks,” I reply, shrugging it off. “I’m fine.”
“You sure? Because every time you’re in my class, all you do is stare at Levi Torres.”
My entire face turns red, and I wave it off like it’s nothing. “I’m just lost in memories. That’s all. He was there when she … died.”
He nods. “I know.”
“Anyway, I’ll fix this, okay? I’ll pay more attention. I’ll send the assignment to your email.”
“Good,” he replies.
“Can I go now?”
He waves at the door, and I rush to leave, hoping I can still catch up. But of course, Levi is already long gone.
Dammit.
I chuck my bag against the wall and groan in frustration.
It’s taking me weeks, months, to come up with a plan, and I’m still drawing blanks, still grasping at straws.
Why is revenge so damn difficult?
Sighing out loud, I walk through the corridor while checking my phone for updates from my friends.
Suddenly, an arm locks around my chest, and my mouth is muffled mid-scream by another hand as I’m dragged into a room.
My heart rate shoots up as I try to dive into my pocket, but my hand is held back by his strong armlock on me.
Fuck!
“I’ll release you if you promise not to scream.”
That voice …
I nod, and when he removes his hand, I mutter, “Levi?”
His strong grip on me softens, and I instantly spin around to shove him. “Get your hands off me.”
His face partially hides beneath a hoodie, the scorpion tattoo peeking out like a threat. His menacing eyes glare at me, and it makes me step back as he closes the gap between us once more.
“Who is he?”
