WN'S RE

made Hailey drop the towel she

ld react, the

cilia yelled

nd herself before her aunt stormed into the room, her

e the whole house is a mess?" Cecilia barked, h

d. She had done the

ey said softly, keeping her voice ca

" She took a step closer,

outside? And why is the sitti

ing for them to dry before bringing them in. As for the dust, she had cleaned the sitti

ut

alk back to me!"

u got that scholarship, yo

ight, too nervous about starting Hillsworth College today. The scholarship had been her only

ined to make her life hell before

g this house until every single

day of school ahead of her, and now she was

choice di

you're not planning to st

sidering it. Staying on campus would mean f

k you can just run off and leave everything behind? You better throw that i

ed hard, her s

ship covered accommodations, that staying on

ready knew

wouldn't

s spotless before you leave" Cecilia said b

ammed shut

aring at her refle

. I'll find a job, save up,

forward, she quickly got dre

o be late on

•

ORTH C

ublic bus, gripping the str

massive, the buildings tall and elegant. Luxury cars lined the parking

n't bel

hat's what

mpared to the rich students who walked with confidence, their

shoulders. She ear

ike everything Brielle got. She worked for this, stayed up

forded Brielle's exorbitant school fe

itten. Even though Cecilia refused to let her stay in the hostels, she still had to visit to

U

ne else's, sending her

ing, scholarship girl"

twisted before sh

ie

ir falling perfectly over her shoulde

here so soon" Brielle co

beg your way in

lenched

way in" she

ake laugh. "Right.

st because you got lucky with that sc

er head, eyeing

before flipping her hair and walking off, h

ly, pushing down th

uncomfortable pressur

to find a

dl

for a sign, but the school was hug

r hallway, she spotted a do

she hurr

ond she pushed the door open. The air was dense,

usly hand

ing toward her. Tattoos curled around his arms like inked secrets, and silver rings glinted f

with a smirk, raking her wi

ounded. This was

lazily against the sink. The cigarette dangled between his fingers,

hould

ht

ason, her legs

his head as he took in

r way, princess?"

d to say something...anything...

-" she s

r leaving her face. Up close, she noticed more details-his tousled dark hair, the

ng

irst thing her

diate

eet still

rette ash into the sink, his tongue p

re ne

nodded

ike he was entertaine

n her sweater and jeans...simple, modest, so un

cigarette, exhaling slowly b

e you gonna run off before someone el

ped her o

mbled backward, her hand

ed out, quickly turning

her as she practically b

mbled into the hallway, pres

ust ha

was

toos, the piercings, the cigarette-the smirk. He was exactl

r head, inha

Just find t

h her dorm assignment and checked the

he muttered, tracing th

toward the dorms, a loud voice

Xavier,

froze m

he turned

e he

d into his pocket, the other tossing the half-burned c

on his lips as his sh

without knowing who I am" he ad

me in han

te

an on seeing

urned around and walked fas

l his eyes on her b

did she let out the breath she did

•

E SCHOOL

lighter, watching the small flame dance before he snapped it shut. Over and ov

l from

o pure. So

ù

f hers? It was d

sperate, eager, willing. They threw themselves at him

t

s world. And that made

e silver piercing between his lips, the ta

ified in that restr

est damn thing h

wanted to see her i

Breathle

n't even touched her yet, but fùck, the idea of corrupt

ugged at

ea what she ju

ed her.

lways got wh

fore exhaling. His tongue flicked over the cool metal of his piercing, his mind replaying t

le rabbit in a world full of wolves.

pping his cigarette to the ground

e jeans...everything about her screamed innocence,

He had even toyed with it.

ing at being good. This was a g

to be the one

g her shatter under his touch. He wanted to see her fall apart, to strip away

e best

t him. E

he ones who thought they

alway

needed the

rk pulled

able to run fr

d in his pocket. He already knew who it

, ri

e screen for a long second. The buzzing felt louder, more

ion, he smashed it ag

attering across the ground. The ringing d

o fists, his chest ris

they'd c

alway

•

L CAF

front of her as she absentmindedly poked at the fries. She had just finished h

this se

irl was standing in front of he

sure" Hailey replied, gesturi

hair, setting down her t

eople" She chuckled, glancing around at the busy ca

e you could u

Yeah... just trying to get

way. We're in the

ed, trying t

t...um, the intro to En

t, but you've got that... serious vibe.

e plan " Hailey

t me know, I'm still trying to figure out where everything i

ut it was locked" Hailey said, pu

ll be coming fro

taying there' s

ith loud conversations suddenly

vi

the pockets of his black jeans, he

ike he was gravity itself, pulling them in effortlessly. Some whisp

ed Hailey

Knight, the guy ever

gripping the edge of the table

lread

f smoke, the way his gaze had raked over her like he was seeing s

...he w

he was unimpressed by the attention, used to i

s breat

he had just found so

irk tugged at the

fted besi

she asked, sensing the st

r gaze away, her heart

she

ightening around the fork, but it was useless. The ene

ething about a professor and an assignm

uddenly jer

table in one swift motion. The cafeteria spun for half a se

Poss

afeteria wen

tilted her head up only to find

If anything, it tightened, his finger

with amusement, like he

each other again, p

move, but his ho

or. Girls were glaring, enviously. Others were watching with

asn't h

ldn't be

o" she

d over his lip piercin

ke

ing. And the worst part? She

d even breathe properly, he leaned down

e when you'

ailey's neck, spr

ortlessly as he had g

thrown the entire

flipped her entire

irk still playing on his lips. Then, without another word, he turned and wal