Page 69 of Just Drop Out

And in that moment, I don't care if I am signing up for another year of hell. I give him my own dark glare.

“Fuck you.” I pull my arm out of his grip, and I give Avery a quick hug before I drop into the taxi. Ash glares at me as Avery waves cheerfully, and then the taxi takes off down the driveway and out of the huge, ornate school gates. My grin is plastered to my face. I survived Hannaford, and I made a friend.

The ride back to Mounts Bay is over an hour, and I enjoy watching the scenery as it changes from the lush, sprawling, reticulated green to the urban coastal wasteland. It feels like coming home. I’m going back to where I belong, and where I’m running from, even if I do feel nostalgic looking at it all.

I’m lost in thought when my phone buzzes in my pocket.

Club party next week. Be there.

I roll my eyes as the taxi stops outside the dingy apartment I rented for summer break. It's an absolute hole, but it was cheap and wouldn’t be too much of a drain on my dwindling stash of cash. Originally I’d planned to rent a tiny townhouse in a gated community that cost four times what this place does, but now that I have a pampered rich guy I have to fund, I am on a budget. I didn’t tell Avery, but part of why I have to pay for Harley is to make my protection legitimate. If Matteo starts to look into his life and his financials, and he sees Harley being supported by someone else, he would kill him and tell me he was a snitch. I am just going to have go to the Club party next week, like Matteo wants me to, and pick up some extra jobs.

My phone pings again. I smile down at Avery’s text.

Ash is a nightmare, Harley is pouting, and Blaise is pleading with me to seek therapy. I’m going to enjoy taking these boys down a notch or two. I’ll text you tomorrow x

I went against my better judgment to trust this girl, but I do not regret it.

And I can't wait for school to start back.