A muscle in his jaw bunches. “Don’t play dumb, Bianca.” A threatening look enters his eyes as he leans in. “Last, but not least, let’s not forget the fact that you and your psycho family ruined my brother’s life.”

“Ruined your brother’s life?” I repeat, not understanding. “How?”

He laughs, but there’s not a drop of humor. “You know he had nothing to do with Liam’s—”

My heart twists at the mention of my brother’s name. “You knew Liam?”

I have no idea what to make of the expression on his face. “Well, no. I didn’t, but Tommy did.”

Tommy.

Hurt is a potent throb in my temples. I feel like something is trying to break through the surface, but it can’t.

“Stone?”

“What?” he snarls.

“How did my family ruin your brother’s life? And what did Liam have to do with it?”

Stone tilts his head as if trying to view me from a new angle. Whatever he sees has his expression softening. “You really don’t remember, do you?”

I give my head a shake. “No. Like I said, I have amnesia.”

With a sigh, he snatches the paper out of my hand and examines it. “Go fucking figure.”

“What?”

“Not only do we have the same English class first period, our lockers are next to each other.”

“Oh.” My teeth snag on my lower lip. “Look, I know you’re supposed to hate me for what my family did to your brother, but do you think you can find it in your heart to show me where our lockers are and maybe a class or two?” I shrug helplessly. “I’m confused enough as it is and—”

“I’ll help you out.” His nostrils flare on an indrawn breath. “On two conditions.”

“What?”

“One—don’t ask me questions about our past, because it only pisses me off and reminds me why I shouldn’t be helping you to begin with. And two—after today, promise you’ll stay the hell away from me.”

I don’t like the sound of that at all, but what other choice do I have? “Sure thing.”

He juts his chin. “Your locker is down here, Bourne.”

I blink. “Bourne?”

He looks at me like I’m a Martian. “Jason Bourne.”

That doesn’t make anything clearer. “Am I supposed to know who that is?”

“Bourne Identity.”

Still drawing a blank. “Is that like a video game or something?”

He laughs, and this time, it’s genuine. “You’ve never seen the Bourne films?”

“Maybe.” I shrug. “I have no idea.”

“Right.” He snorts as we stop short in front of my locker. “The irony.”

I turn the lock to the correct combination, and it jerks open. However, there’s no way to swing my bookbag off and maintain my balance at the same time. Not when I’m still relying on my crutches for support.

Fortunately, Stone comes to my rescue and slides my backpack off my shoulders for me.

A tingle zips up my spine the second we make contact. “Thanks.”

My palms turn sweaty and I’m positive I’m blushing.

Luckily, Stone doesn’t seem to notice because he’s glancing at his watch. “We’re late for class.”

Class is the least of my worries right now.

Stone drops a tray of food in front of me. “Enjoy.”

I inspect the unappealing grayish meat and dollop of mashed potatoes. It’s definitely nothing like the lunches they serve at Royal Hearts Academy. “I appreciate it, but I could have gotten it myself.”

He eyes my crutches as he takes a seat across from me. “Really?”

He has a point.

Picking up my fork, I opt for the safer of the two choices and dig into the potatoes. They taste like they’re made out of cardboard. “These are…interesting.”

He shovels his forkful of meat into his mouth. “Sorry it’s not up to par, princess. Maybe you should go back to your rich, fancy private school.”

His words hurt.

But not nearly as much as hearing him reduce me to nothing more than a spoiled princess.

I look down at my plate. “You don’t even know me.”

Hell, I don’t even know me.

For a brief moment something flashes in his eyes before they turn hard. “Oh, but I do.”

I want to argue with him, but I notice a group of girls approaching our table in my peripheral.

“Can we talk for a minute?” the girl who tore up my schedule this morning asks Stone.

I expect him to oblige, but he doesn’t. In fact, he looks downright annoyed with her being here. “I already told you, Mercedes. We have nothing to talk about.”

Mercedes doesn’t look like she cares for that answer one bit, however it’s me she takes her irritation out on.

Leaning over, she slams her hand down on the table. “Guess you found yourself a new puta, huh?”

I’ve been learning new things about myself every day. Today I learned that I know some Spanish.

And that I’ve had enough of people’s shit. “First off—I’m not a slut. Secondly, you really shouldn’t talk about yourself that way.”

Stone’s lips twitch in amusement.

Mercedes coils her head like a snake. “Excuse me?”

Steepling my fingers, I calmly explain it to her. “You said Stone found himself a new puta. Therefore, one can only deduce that you must have been his first puta.” Picking up my fork, I swallow a bite of potatoes. “Like I said, you really shouldn’t talk about yourself that way.”

Or me.

“Oh, shit,” one of her minions jeer. “You gonna let her disrespect you like that, Mercedes?”

Why, oh, why does every mean girl seem to have an asshole sidekick egging her on all the time?

“Hell naw.” Mercedes looks like she wants to strangle me. “I ain’t no one’s puta, cunt.”

“I wasn’t the one who said you were,” I remind her. “You did.”

It’s clear our little verbal sparring is too much for her to handle.

“Bitch, I’m gonna fuck you up.”

She lunges for me, but Stone stands, putting himself between us. “I have some time before work today. Meet me in the parking lot after school.”

This seems to calm her down a little. “Yeah, okay.” She turns her furious gaze on me. “This ain’t over, puta.”

My smile is all teeth. “For the last time, I’m not a pu—”

“Bianca?”

I look at Stone. “Yeah?”

“She’s leaving. Let it go.”

“Right.”

Mercedes and her crew stalk off and Stone plops back down in his seat.

“How long did you two date?”

He freezes. “What makes you think we dated?”

He’s got to be kidding me.

“I might not remember most things, but I’m smart enough to know that when a girl acts like that, it’s because she’s jealous.”

He stabs his mystery meat with his fork. “Five months.” He takes a bite and wipes his mouth with a napkin. “I ended things with her a few weeks ago.”