Eva.
I shake my head and draw my eyes away from Oak, listening as Adrianna rattles on about why she won’t be attending the winter formal with anyone. She comes across as a girl who likes to shun society’s expectations.
Oak can’t be jealous, as he can’t take me to the dance. It’s not like I’ve agreed to sleep with him, attend a dance with him. It’s been a week since we had sex in his cottage, a week since he took my innocence. Ever since, he’s kept his distance from me, which hurts. All he does is stare at me hungrily from afar.
“I can’t believe it’s less than two weeks until winter break,” Azira says, shaking her head. “This semester has flown by.”
“Right. What will I do without you three?” Natalya asks.
“Do we have to go home for the winter break?” it’s crazy that I didn’t even want to attend this school at first, but now the prospect of returning to my parents for two weeks makes me sick to my stomach. I can’t think of anything worse than going home for winter break.
All three girls look at me like I’m crazy. “Why wouldn’t you want to?” Natalya asks.
I shake my head. “I hate my parents.”
She smiles. “I’m not exactly fond of my mother either, but I go home for my brother.” Her eyes turn a little misty with emotion. “I love him like a father.”
My throat closes up as I think about Karl. We were close, and when he died, it left a gaping hole in my world. It meant I was alone with them, the two people I despise most on this earth.
Azira nods. “My father can be a bit of a nightmare, but my brothers would kill me if I didn’t go home.” Her brow furrows. “I’m sure they’d be happy for you to join us in Chicago this Christmas?”
I smile at her. “That’s kind of you, but I’m shit with people I don’t know.”
“Wouldn’t your parents wonder where you are, anyway?” Adrianna asks.
I shake my head. “One year, they forgot about me and drove down to my grandmother’s two hours south of Atlanta. They only noticed when they got there, and she questioned them.”
Natalya and Azira gasp.
“What the fuck?” Adrianna asks.
“I know,” I say, feeling my throat tighten as I remember. “My parents rang me and said I’d have to fend for myself for a week. It was the same year my brother died and my first Christmas without him.”
“How old were you?” Azira asks.
“Sixteen,” I say.
“Shit. I mean, our world can be harsh, but it sounds like your parents are complete and utter assholes.” Azira shakes her head. “No offense.”
“None taken,” I say.
Natalya shakes her head. “If you wanted, you could join me in Boston. I’m sure my brother would make space.”
Adrianna chimes in. “Or me.”
I shake my head. “It’s kind of you all, but I think I may stick around here if it’s allowed.” The last thing I want is to gatecrash someone else’s family Christmas. My heart pounds as I turn my attention to the spot where Oak had been standing, but he’s no longer there. I wonder what he is doing during the Christmas break.
Natalya shrugs. “I never heard of people staying behind.”
“The problem is, you’d have to cook your own food,” Adrianna adds, glancing at the cafeteria staff. “Pretty sure the staff doesn’t stick around.”
“You’ll have to ask Principal Byrne for permission,” Azira says.
I nod in reply, glancing around the cafeteria again in search of him. “Yeah, I guess I best find him and ask if it’s possible.”
“Do you want me to come?” Natalya asks.
I shake my head. “No, I’ll be fine. I’ll catch up with you in class later.”
They all nod as I head out of the cafeteria toward Oak’s office. My heart is pounding frantically in my chest as I get closer, knowing that the only other time we’ve been alone since the night in the cottage, we ended up fucking.
I reach the door of his office and lift my hand to knock, fighting the nerves fluttering to life in the pit of my stomach. I rap my knuckles on the door three times and wait.
“Who is it?” His voice booms from the other side.
“Eva Carmichael, sir,” I reply, twirling my thumbs together.
Footsteps follow a few moments of silence, and then he appears in the doorway, glaring at me. “Are you here to apologize?” He asks.
My brow furrows. “What?”
“I said, are you here to apologize?”
I shake my head. “What on earth for?”
Oak glances down the corridor as if checking it is clear, before grabbing my wrist hard and yanking me into his office. “For talking to Dimitry after I explicitly told you that I never want to see Dimitry Jakov near you again.” The door slams shut as he leers over me.
“You can’t tell me what to do,” I say, holding my chin high. “You haven’t spoken to me since the incident in the classroom.” I gaze into his fierce blue eyes. “Dimitry asked me to the winter formal, and I said yes, since-”
Oak’s animalistic growl cuts me off as he rushes toward me, grabbing my hips and pushing me face-first against the door. His body molded against mine. “You will not be attending the winter formal with that jerk,” he says, his voice unusually calm.
“It’s too late, I’ve agreed-”
“Rescind your agreement immediately,” he barks.
I shake my head. “It’s only a dance. I can’t exactly take my principal, so you’d prefer I go alone?”
“Yes,” he says. “I won’t stand there and watch you dance with him.”
I grit my teeth together. “You are being ridiculous. Nothing will happen. I don’t like Dimitry.”
“Good,” he breathes, letting his lips gently brush against the shell of my ear. “Then it won’t be hard to tell him you’ve changed your mind.”
I try to wiggle free from Oak’s iron-like grasp, but it’s impossible.
“Will it?” He pushes.
“I will do no such thing. I’m going to the dance with Dimitry, and you can either act like the adult principal of this school and accept it or act like a pubescent, jealous idiot. I don’t care which, but I’m going with Dimitry.”
Oak growls softly. “You are such a feisty girl. Perhaps I need to put you over my knee to teach you a lesson,” he purrs.