The world surrounding us is merely an accessory to our battlefield.

He glares and I glare back. He’s challenging me and I’m pushing his buttons in return.

True, he scared me that night, but he also pulled out a part of me I thought didn’t exist.

Yes, he terrified me, but he also pleased me like he never did before.

He made me feel defective for liking it the way I did.

But if he thinks that will break me then he has a long way to go. It takes more than that to bring me to my knees.

Besides, it’s his time to burn, not mine.

“Ellie!” Ronan slams into Kim and I from behind, breaking the tension. I release Knox’s hand and inwardly shake myself.

“Repeat it.”

I cut eye contact with Aiden and meet Ronan’s playful stare. “Repeat what?”

He pulls quotation marks. “Stop acting like an annoying, clingy ex. Say it again. I need to catch it on camera and show it to King’s grandkids.”

I smile despite myself and throw a glance at Aiden to gauge his reaction.

The place where he used to stand is empty.

How could he disappear so fast?

Not that I care.

Nope. Not one bit.

Kim and Knox go into class, chatting amongst each other.

I’m left with Ronan punching the air and telling me that it’s the quote of the century.

“Be quiet for a second, Astor,” Cole cuts off his animated speech.

“Seriously, Captain. Stop killing my vibe.”

Cole ignores him and meets my gaze with eyes so icy, they’re more chilling than the outside air. “I’ll tell you something to think very carefully about.”

I swallow and nod. Cole was never threatening. Hell, he was always the one I felt more comfortable around.

The change of attitude is disturbing, to say the least.

“King’s silence is worse than his words.” He pauses. “You don’t want him silent.”

“I second that,” Ronan says in a semi-serious tone. “If King’s silent then it means he’s trapped in that fucked up head of his.”

My spine jerks upright as if someone tugged on it.

I kind of knew that, but hearing it from Aiden’s closest friends makes it an immediate reality.

Ronan and Cole walk with me towards the class. I pause at the entrance and search for Aiden.

He’s sitting by the window, staring into the distance, appearing to have cut connection with his immediate environment.

Lost in his own world.

What’s on your mind?

Why is no one allowed in there?

“Isn’t it Frozen?” An annoying voice smashes through my thoughts.

“Cut it out, Silver,” Cole grits out at his bitchy step-sister.

She doesn’t even spare him a glance and levels me with a haughty glare. “I heard you almost drowned. Who was your knight in shining armour?”

I meet her with maliciousness of my own. “Was it you?”

“Was I what?”

I narrow my eyes on her. She was talking with Jonathan at the time, so she couldn’t have pushed me, but I lost sense of time from the car park to the pool. It could’ve been minutes. It could’ve been more. She could’ve had the perfect time to push me into the pool.

She leans in to whisper, “The whole show at the party was pathetic, by the way. King was never yours to dump.”

“Screw you, Silver.”

“Oh, I’ll be doing more than screwing now that you’re out of the picture.” She straightens and flips her golden locks of hair over her shoulder. “Thanks but no thanks.”

She pushes past Cole and waltzes to her seat like a queen to her throne.

My blood boils and my fists clench on either side of me.

The thought of Silver having Aiden all to herself shouldn’t bother me.

After all, I’m the one who pushed him away.

Still, a green monster rears his head out.

It’s like a compulsion under my skin.

A prisoner that needs to be set free.

I want to pull Silver by that perfect hair and bash her head to the ground as she kicks and screams — before she finally grows silent.

That’s… a scary thought.

A compelling awareness snaps my eyes to the side.

Aiden was watching the window a second ago. Now, his grey clouds bore into me, watching my heating face and my clenching fist.

Then, slowly, too slowly, a smirk tilts his lips.

Oh, fuck.

11

Elsa

I should’ve known better.

I really, really should’ve known better.

My skin prickles as I approach the car park and see them.

Aiden and Silver.

She opens the door and slides into his Ferrari. Silver sits in the passenger seat that used to belong to me.

The urge to go in there and smash her face to the metal overwhelms me. I want — no, I need — to wipe that smug expression off her face for good.

It’s strange how I have all these violent thoughts about Silver when I’m not a violent person.

Aiden wears the usual poker face as he takes the driver’s seat. It doesn’t take long for the car’s engine to rev to life.

Does Silver feel the same excitement I felt at the roar of the engine? Is he taking her hand in his and placing it on his lap?

My feet itch to go after them, open the car’s door, and pull Silver out kicking and screaming.

I bite the knife with its blood, but I don’t move.

Aiden is doing this on purpose after seeing my reaction to Silver this morning.

He knows she gets under my skin and like the usual arsehole, he’s using it in his favour.

It’s a mindfuck. A way to pull a reaction out of me.

But he won’t get what he wants.

“Ugh. That bitch,” Kim groans from beside me. “Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I force a smile. “I’m the one who dumped him, remember?”

Even as I say the words, I can’t stop the tiny needles from prickling my heart repeatedly.

Death by a thousand needles.

That would be a tragic way to die.

Cole strides inside the car park and stops beside me as Aiden’s car squeals out of the school.

He’s silent for a moment, watching the Ferrari disappear in the distance with an emotionless face.

“Are you okay?” he asks me.

Why is everyone asking that? I am okay.

In fact, I couldn’t feel better.

If Aiden is with Silver then he’ll leave me the hell alone.

That’s exactly what I want.

I don’t trust myself to speak, so I nod once.

Cole nods back, “I’m here if you need anything.”

I’m about to shake my head when I spot Knox coming out of the school. His headphones are on as he scrolls through his phone.

A vindictive idea comes into mind.

An idea that will probably get me into trouble.

But you know what?

Staying out of trouble did me no good, so I might as well crash into it headfirst.

I smile, meeting Cole’s forest-coloured eyes. “Actually, you might. I have a brilliant idea.”

“This is a shitty idea,” Ronan whines. “Quel idiot is behind this?”