In My Skin

CH 56 || Good Plan

Oh, for the love of... I fixed her with a hard stare, not even trying to hide my annoyance. "I don't give a flying shit what you've heard, Jess. I know your life must be incredibly boring to be so invested in others, but unlike you, I'm busy. So get the hell out of my way, or I'll make you."

"The fuck?" Chris interjected, puffing his chest. "I didn't know you were like this."

Oh, please... I glanced at the sky before directing my glare at him. "And I didn't know you were a lying, cheating ass when I first met you either. Yet, here we are. So, how about you two screw over someone else, or better yet each other, so we can all go about our day."

Their mouths dropped, stunned into silence. Jared gazed at me with a mix of awe and surprise. Whatever. I had to keep moving.

"Are you out of your mind?" Chris hissed.

"I don't care. You two are a waste of space, standing in my way, and this whole conversation is a waste of my time. So, have a horrible day. Or a nice one. I don't give a crap."

Chris flushed red and was about to reach for me when Drew stepped up, clamping his hand down on his shoulder. He gave me a nod and a small smile.

I side-stepped and disappeared into the groups of students. I managed to put about five yards between us before a hand snatched my wrist, forcefully pulling me back.

"Tay," Jared said, his face pinched. "Did something happen?"

"No," I replied, wrenching my hand out of his grasp. "I'm sorry, I don't have time for this."

"Tay, wait. Are you okay? We're friends. You can—"

"No," I repeated, really annoyed now. Last time he'd basically ignored me, but now he wanted to be friends again? "We're not friends. We're not anything. I don't want to be your friend. So, stay out of my business."

I whirled around, craning my neck, and for a moment, I panicked. Then I saw Killian enter the psychology building, heading for the stairs.

Leaving Jared behind, I hurried my steps and entered the first floor just to realize Killian was gone. Two long corridors stretched away from me and one small one, leading deeper into the building. If he had taken the long way I should've been able to catch a glimpse of him. I quickly took the small one, turned the corner, and ran straight into—

Killian.

I stumbled backward, my breath hitching in my throat. With his arms crossed, he leaned against the wall as—as if he'd been waiting for me.

I stared at him, feeling my already racing pulse speed up even more and my limbs twitching with restless energy. Being this close to him felt like being hit with a sugar high after weeks of deprivation.

He looked even more tired than the last time I saw him but strangely bulkier as well. A hint of stubble lined his jaw, giving him a fiercer look than usual, especially with that dark green baseball cap and black hoodie. His eyes zeroed in on me, unreadable as always, and I could swear they felt like a spotlight, illuminating every hidden corner of my being.

Okay, breathe. Start with words.

I had to say something.

My mouth opened to speak and I—hiccuped. Hiccuped!

Killian's face twitched, a flicker of emotion dancing across his countenance. However, in the blink of an eye, his features morphed back to a blank mask.

He arched a brow when I remained silent. He was so close yet somehow there was a distance between us. Ugh. I had to say something.

Holding my breath, I said in a curt tone, "We need to talk."