Arranged love

HAVEN

I walk down the hallway, my books in one hand and my cell in the other. Luca hasn’t sent me a text in days. I hate when he does this-goes off the grid-and he’s been doing it more and more lately. And I don’t just mean with me. He’s avoided his classes as well. It’s his father. I know it. His family is … different. They’re the dark figures who hide in the back alleys, just waiting for you to pass by. If you have something they want, they take it, no questions asked. He’s treating his senior year of college no different than anything else-like an inconvenience. And all the staff and faculty turn a blind eye. They don’t care. They get paid to teach our ungrateful, spoiled asses. Why should they give a fuck who shows and who doesn’t?

“Hey, you girls wanna help me out with something tonight?” Jasmine asks. Skipping beside me, she runs her hand along the dark blue wall where Wildcats is painted in white. She’s in a cheerful mood today for a girl who got dumped last night via text message.

“No thanks.” Emilee laughs from my other side. “I’m not in the mood to spend the night in jail. I have plans this weekend with my parents.”

Jasmine rolls her eyes. “It’s harmless.”

“I’ll help,” I say. Not like I have anything else going on. I would normally spend my evening with Luca, but it’s obvious I’ll be available tonight. And every other night to come until he decides to pick up his damn phone and send me a text.

“See …” She throws her arm over my shoulders and looks at Emilee. “That was the correct response when a friend asks you a question like that. We’re supposed to be ride or die bitches. I got your back, and you got mine.”

Emilee snorts. “Last time I had your back, we all ended up in the back of a squad car.”

Jasmine pulls away from me. “I talked us out of getting arrested.” She waves her off.

“No, your father did because he’s friends with the mayor,” Emilee retorts.

“You gotta admit those handcuffs turned you on.” Jasmine wiggles her dark eyebrows.

“You have major issues.” Emilee sighs.

I check my phone again. Still nothing. I grip it tighter, my annoyance growing with every passing second. Why hasn’t he responded to my texts? It doesn’t take more than a second to send a fucking message. I need something to take my mind off it.

“What do you have planned?” I get Jasmine back on track. Emilee is right; she has issues, and we don’t have time to go through them.

“I’m gonna slash Trenton’s tires,” she answers, twirling her bleach blond hair around her pointer finger. “Maybe bust out some windows. Depends on how much I drink before we go.”

I snort. “Why waste your time? You know he’ll have whatever you do to his precious car fixed tomorrow.”

She holds up her pointer finger. “Doubtful. Pretty boy doesn’t have a job, and he’s already in deep shit with his daddy for getting kicked off the football team.” She presses her thumb to her nose and sniffs. “For them finding that stash of coke in his locker.”

“And who alerted Coach to his stash?” Emilee asks, raising a brow.

Jasmine gives her an innocent smile, showing off her pearly whites. “It was anonymous.”

“Sure, it was.” She snorts.

“I’m in.” The bastard deserves to spend a few days stuck at home for how he did her. Dirty. I’m in the mood to dish out some karma, and since I can’t give it to the boy who deserves it, Trenton’s a good second choice. We both look at Emilee.

She sighs, giving in. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Great.” Jasmine starts to walk backward, but as she goes to pass the men’s bathroom, the door flies open, knocking her forward.

Cross, a member of the Dark Kings, comes barging out of it with his hands shoved in the pockets of his ripped jeans. He wears a black hat backward and a Wildcats hoodie. All the players on the Wildcats baseball team have one.

“Excuse you,” Jasmine calls out.

He ignores us and continues to walk down the hall and toward the back door exit that leads to the baseball fields. Practice starts in thirty minutes. His chiseled face a mixed mask of annoyance and pissed.

“Fucker,” she calls out, flipping him off behind his back.

Emilee sighs. “Are you just trying to get into trouble today?”

“What? That idiot hit me with the door.” She rubs her ass.

“He’s a member of the Dark Kings,” Emilee whispers, her eyes darting around the now empty hallway.

Jasmine scoffs. “I don’t bow to anyone. And just ’cause you suck a Kings’s dick doesn’t mean I gotta kiss one’s ass.”

I hang my head. “Can we get back on track-”

“I gotta go,” Jasmine interrupts me. “But yeah, I’ll pick you both up a little after ten. Be ready and wear all black. Don’t wanna be seen. And don’t worry about the supplies. I got you covered.” Then she walks down the hallway and out the double doors, heading home for the day.

“Why are we wasting our time? You know she’ll be back with him tomorrow when he calls to cuss her out for what we do tonight.” Emilee sighs.

“Have anything better to do?” I ask.

She goes to answer, but a phone goes off.

My heart races as I look down at mine in my hand, hoping it’s Luca.

“Ugh.” She stomps her foot when she realizes it’s hers.

My teeth grind. Why do I do this? Why do I allow him to get me this worked up? Why do I care so much when it’s very clear he does not?

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“Who the hell is blowing up your phone?” I ask frustrated. “Your mother?”

Her parents are very strict. They don’t know just how wild their little girl is. She’s always pretended to be the innocent one in our tight circle. Even now, as a sophomore in college, she waits until they go to bed and then sneaks out to all the parties. I don’t know how she hasn’t been caught yet. I’ve had my mom lie to cover for her before. Jasmine’s too. Eventually, her mother is gonna catch on and ban her from hanging out with us.