Chapter 32

**Winter**

I couldn’t believe they had really threatened me like that. Over some dumb ride. It wasn’t like I had forced Zander to do this. I didn’t know why I was always the one to get in trouble, but I should have known it would never be Zander’s fault. I sighed as I walked towards where my class was going to be. I sat down in a sitting area nearby so I could do some studying before class. I knew my time had been cut short due to the talking to the girls which was against my will, but I was sure I could make up for lost time. I pulled out my books to start reading when I heard someone pull out the chair in front of me. I looked up to see Royal. I rolled my eyes at him.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“To know what your game really is,” he said. “You are throwing Zander off. You know that right. He needs to focus on things that are really important to him.”

I shook my head. Not again. “I didn’t force him to give me a ride. I would have taken a bus if I had known it would cause so many problems.”

“You really don’t see the issue, do you?”

I shut my book and looked up at him. “No, I didn’t do anything wrong. You and Hailey keep acting like I held a gun to his head or something. It wasn’t like that all. I didn’t hold anything against him. I tried to get out of it.”

“What do you mean Hailey?” he asked confused. I knew he didn’t know she had approached me. I really didn’t care at this moment.

“She stopped me before you did. You two need to coordinate better when you go after people.” I said with a shake of my head.

“I am not going after you. I just think you should think before you do something you will regret.”

Was he threatening me? I knew Saint probably told him about what had happened when they found their lockers like that. It wouldn’t take a genius to know someone had messed with them and they always made someone pay. They just weren’t expecting me. They weren’t expecting me to ever fight back. Just take it like a punching bag they thought I was.

“Look, I don’t know what I ever did wrong to you guys to make you all be so fucking mean to me, but honest to God, I wish you would all leave me alone. I came back because I had no other choices. I never had a plan for anything to happen.”

“You always had a choice, princess, you just made the wrong one.”

Princess? So he was calling me that nickname again. I should have known that was going to come back eventually. I shook my head.

“Don’t call me that. I am not a princess.”

“You are right. You are nothing more than a peasant.”

I shook my head at him. He was being childish. I shouldn’t indulge him anymore. I didn’t know why I was to begin with. I started to walk off from him. I didn’t want to speak to him anymore. He quickly followed me though. He grabbed my arm back, pulling me.

“What do you want, Royal? I am not going to sit here and let you insult me. I am not going to let you tell me I am doing something when I am not. I didn’t want Zander to take me home last night. He made me come home with him. That is all there is too it. Nothing more. If you and Amber think there is something more than that is on you. Not me.”

“What do you mean Amber?” He asked looking confused as he looked at me. “What did she say to you?”

“Why does it even matter? You guys think something is going on when there isn’t anything. Zander drove me home. That is all that happened.” I knew it was a lie, but I couldn’t let them know anything else. I didn’t even what to know what I had done. The damage was done of course. I couldn’t go back in time and make me unsleep with him. Though I wish I could.

“It just matters. I didn’t even know she talked to you.”

“Are you the boss of her?” I asked cocking my head to the side. This seemed weird. I mean I didn’t understand why he cared so much that she had talked to me.

He shook his head. “We should know though. I don’t why she would be bothering you like that.”

“I don’t either, but she seems to have the same idea that you do” I say crossing my arms. “Nothing happened between us. He drove me home. That was all that happened. I don’t know what you have your panties in a twist for.”

“It better not, Winter.” He said getting close to her face. “Or you know what will happen to you.” He said as he finally pushed away from me. I shook my head as I sat down in the chair. I was glad he finally got away. I didn’t understand what his problem was. Or why he felt the need to push me around.

Nev came up after he was gone raising an eyebrow. “What was that about?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. He is just an ass.”

He sat down next to me. “You know you can tell me anything. If he was bothering you, you can tell me.”

“He is always bothering me,” I sighed. “If I am being honest. I don’t know why, but he has always been bothering me.” It was true. Ever since I moved to Everlasting young, they always been bothering me. I never really knew why. I maybe knew why Zander did, but the rest. I never understood. They might have just followed Zander’s lead, but I never knew why they kept on. Zander had been nice to me somewhat. You think he would call those dogs off.

“You know if they bug you too much, you can tell me. I will try to help. You shouldn’t be left to yourself.”

“What?” I asked confused. “Why would you do that?”

“Just tell me,” he winks as he walks away.