Hidden Play: The Return 《COMPLETE》

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Tuesday morning rolls in like a foreboding thunderhead creeping across an otherwise clear, blue sky. A nagging anxiety settles in the pit of my stomach, persistent enough that I can't shake it. I'm running on a shitty night's sleep, I forget to grab breakfast, and I'm fending off wicked a headache - all culminating in a perfect storm.

Whispers consume the heavy air around me as I make my way to my locker. People point and send fleeting glances my way. None of them stick long enough for me to stare them down in return, but it confirms that word has indeed managed to reach the general populous about Kurt and Zion's verbal scuffle. I can only imagine how unbearable it'll make the both of them come lunch. Silver lining? It's a well-timed distraction from Hunter.

"Shit hasn't been this tense since the Zion and Kurt fallout of freshman year."

Casper falls in stride with me. He runs a hand through his short-cut blonde hair, whistling under his breath.

"It's like they're waiting for a show. Everyone holds their breath when the King and his Prince are at war with one another."

My jaw tightens at the analogy. I grab my book and slam my locker closed, wishing I could lock up the drama right along with it.

"I think you mean King and his lap dog," I mutter.

Casper snorts and shakes his head. "If he was a dog, I wouldn't be dreading rooming with him this weekend. He's going to be a beast."

I shrug. "It's good for him. That guy has a constant stick up his ass. Anal fissures galore. Maybe spending a weekend away from his King will ease out all the built-up bullshit."

Casper throws his head back and laughs. He seems to think I'm joking (which, for the record, I'm not). The two of us maneuver around the sea of students. First period is always a mess. Everyone is either still half-asleep or pissed off. It reminds me of bees after a frost. They're groggy and can't seem to remember how to put one foot in front of the other.

When we finally manage to round the corner of the main corridor, a hard body collides with mine.

"Whoa, sorry about that."

Hunter holds up his hands, backing away before realizing who he's almost steamrolled. He raises a dark brow, glancing between Casper and me. It reminds me of the way he analyzed the two of us that first night at the bar, checking out his options before making his silent choice.

"Then again..." He crosses his arms over his chest, eyeing me from head to toe. "Maybe I'm not so sorry."

Heat floods my cheeks. I can't deal with this right now - not here, in front of my entire senior class. I shoulder past Hunter, not bothering to check whether or not Casper is following. My senses catch his cologne as I pass by, throwing me into the sexual memories of us from a few weeks ago. The way he kissed me. The way he touched me. The way his tongue slid across my hipbone and down my thigh before...

I shake my head, blocking out the images. Not the time. Not the place. Not the right person. Hunter shouts after me. His voice carries enough confidence to silence the chatter in the hallway.

"Can't run from me forever, Aiden."

I slide my tongue along my top row of teeth and spin on my heels. The guy is making a spectacle of himself - and me. What I can't figure out is why. Sure, the two of us had a night together and he gave me some lecture about not wanting to be a regret. But all of this can't be over that, can it?

I walk back towards him, leaving nothing but mere inches between us and dropping my voice to a whisper.

"What's your deal, man?" I growl, narrowing my eyes.