Chapter 4 CHAPTER 4
"Why did you dare Amy to kiss my boyfriend?" I
asked, my voice deadly.
Cross's eyes filled with dark delightlike I'd just
stepped into his game and he was the only one who
knew the rules.
"We were playing truth or dare." Rather than show
remorse, the corner of his teeth glinted against the
sunlight, amused. "It's just a game, CJ. I didn't
think you'd care." His teasing lilt told me he knew it
was the exact opposite.
And he was right. I did care. My blood bubbled.
"Kevin is my boyfriend, how am I not supposed to be
offended?"
"I guess you’ll have to keep him on a tight leash
buttercup." Cross pushed a strand of hair behind
my ear as if to comfort me.
I slapped his hand away. "Out of all the guys you
could've picked, why my boyfriend? You should've
dared Amy to kiss you!"
Cross shrugged, disinterested. "I didn't want to kiss
her."
"You didn't mind before!"
"That was the past." His smiled deepened, cruelty
seeping into the corners. "Now I find it more fun
seeing your so called "good" boyfriend act like the
dog he really is. But hey, congrats, you set a new
record. Instead of no boyfriend, you managed to hold
one.. for a whole day." He held up a finger like he
was announcing my biggest achievement.
I bitterly grabbed his index and began to bend it
backwards. His jaw twitched in pain, but before I
could relish in the small victory, he wrenched his
finger away and spun me so my arms were pinned
behind me. I felt the heat of his body as he pressed
against my back. a dangerous awareness coiled down
my spine.
"Let go of me you prick! I can't stand you!" I
struggled against him, but he locked me firmly in
place. I craned my neck and glared fiercely, "I get
you have no respect for relationships, but why'd you
have to come ruin mine?!"
His glacier-blue eyes bore into mine, steady as ice
and unreadable. "I guess that's just who I am."
I kicked backward, aiming for his groin, but he
shifted me forward effortlessly.
"I hate you!"
Finally, he released me, but the air between us grew
heavy. For once, Cross looked almost.. angry.
"You should be thanking me," he bit out. His voice
lost all the amusement, turning sharp. "Kevin
could've said no, but he didn't. He kissed Amy. That
was his choice. So don't dump your crap on me."
His gaze burned into mine, freezing me in place.
Then, like flipping a switch, his smirk returned. "But
don't be mad at him, babe. You and Amy? You're on
opposite sides of the spectrum."
My heart plummeted. A second blow, crueler than
the first. I knew Amy was prettier than me, that was
impossible to ignore, so I didn't bother to compare
myself. But was I really that much of a lower
standard? Hearing it from Cross, it stung deeper
than I could admit.
Tears welled in my eyes. And to make it worse,
somewhere along the line we'd drawn a crowd. I
felt the weight of their stares, their whispers slicing
through the air like knives. Cross had already
felt the weight of their stares, their whispers slicing
through the air like knives. Crosshad already
pulled out his phone, scrolling like I wasn't even
there. Like I wasn't worth his attention anymore.
Before anyone could see me break, I bolted inside.
The bathroom mirror blurred as my tears finally
spilled.
Kevin had cheated. By choice. It wasn't Amy's fault, it
wasn't Cross's. It was his. He was the one who made
a commitment to me, and at the end of the day, the
boy who I thought to be different was just like the
rest.
I wiped my tears, fanning my face in desperate
attempt to erase the redness before class begun.
And to think Cross had warned me about Kevin,
and I'd brushed it off as jealousy. Jealousy, of all the
things. As if he'd ever be jealous of me.
Even after my eyes cleared, his harsh words lingered.
I was used to brushing off Cross's arrogance and
cruel jokes, but he'd never gone this far with me.
I've witnessed plenty of other girls take the brunt
of his callousness, but this...It felt different. I didn't
understand what triggered it. I hadn't done anything
to him.
Cross needed someone to knock his ego down.
Someone to prove he couldn't get away with
everything. One day, some girl would cut him down a
size.
And if I were honest, I wanted that someone to be
me.
