TWISTED FATE (Twisted Path Book 1)

Chapter 35

Shane

I swear I haven't come down yet from the high of finally claiming my pretty girl. Even standing here, surrounded by the chaotic early morning mess of a high school hallway—the slamming lockers, the half-shouted conversations, the occasional burst of laughter, the murmuring of angry teens upset they're here and not still back in their beds—nothing can pull me down from this high.

Even though I barely slept last night, I don't feel tired. I feel invincible. Like I could take on the whole damn world with my bare hands and win. Because I already have.

I got the girl.

And not just in a fleeting, temporary way. No, last night changed everything. Becca is mine, and I'm hers. The world doesn't know it yet, but they will. And when they do, God help anyone who tries to come between us.

A locker slams somewhere off in the distance, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Nick Kline leans casually against the row of metal doors, spinning a set of keys on his finger, a smirk playing on his face as he takes in the girls eyeing him up suggestively as they walk by. Conner Matthews stands next to him, stuffing books into his bag like he's already over this school day, even before it's begun.

"Jesus, Montgomery, what the hell are you smiling about?" Conner asks, his head tilted as he narrows his eyes in my direction. "You look like your dad just handed you the keys to the kingdom."

Shit.

I hadn't realized I was grinning like a complete fool. And worse—I can't even say why.

I school my expression, forcing a smirk instead. "Oh, you know, the usual. Seeing how miserable you are each morning always puts an extra pep in my step."

"Uh-huh," Conner scoffs, slamming his locker shut. "Nah, I know that look. That's the look of a man who finally got himself a good fuck."

Nick snorts, shaking his head. "Real poetic, Con."

But Conner's too busy grinning at me, waggling his brows. "So? Who's the girl? Tell me it was that chick from Wilson Academy—the redhead with the rack. Or was it that bartender from The Lodge?"

My stomach clenches. The thought of them reducing last night to something casual makes me want to punch a hole through the nearest wall. I hate this. That I can't tell them. That I can't say her name. That I have to let them think I spent the night with someone who meant nothing, when the truth is I spent it with the only girl who's ever meant everything.

For pretense's sake, I force out a low chuckle. "You don't know shit." I grab the rest of the books I need and then slam my locker shut.

Conner just laughs. "You don't deny it, though." He pauses, his eyes scanning my face for any hint of the truth. "Come on, Montgomery. You owe me. I've spent the past week covering for you, pretending you're my fake roommate. The least you can do is tell me whose bed you've been actually warming."

I roll my eyes, my tone sharp as I remind him, "I don't owe you a damn thing." Eager to change the subject, I turn to Nick, raising an eyebrow. "And you? What the hell are you even doing here? You graduated last year, remember?"

Nick shrugs, looking down at his keys like they hold the answers to all of life's problems. "Winter break. Plus, he's home today, and with that snake who calls himself my father harassing me every chance he gets, I'd rather be anywhere but there." Nick rolls his shoulders, exhaling slowly, like he can force away the bitter thoughts that cloud his mind whenever he speaks of his father. But the weight of it, it lingers around the edges of his expression. It always does.