Hate So Good: A High School Bully Romance (The Hate Series Book 2) by Nina Lincoln (best fiction books to read txt) 📕

“What? That’s it? I don’t care about a fucking party!”

“You want your fucking answers?” he demands.

“I don’t trust you,” I mutter.

He laughs, and it sends a shiver down my spine. Despite his efforts to help me get back at Colt, it would be best for me to remember he’s a cold, dangerous son of a bitch.

“And you probably shouldn’t. I’ll pick you up at your house around nine,” he says, dismissing me and turning to the girl waiting patiently on his right, proceeding to suck her tonsils out of her face.

With a grimace, I turn away, into the cold grey eyes of Colt walking toward me with purpose. With a thrill I ignore, I square my shoulders and brace for his attack, sucking in a breath when he stops before me and gives Hayden a heated look, “What the fuck is going on?”

Hayden pulls away from the girl with a slurp, and I shudder, gross.

“What man?” he asks lazily, giving the girl’s ass a good squeeze.

“What the fuck are you doing with Finn? I told you fucker. This isn’t like Sarah, back the fuck off!” Colt snarls.

At Sarah’s name, I cringe and move to walk around him. There’s so much unspoken between us, and I’m not sure there’s a way past it, assuming Hayden isn’t fucking with me anyway.

Colt grabs my arm, still glaring holes through Hayden, who shrugs lazily and smiles. “I know what this is Theroux, that’s why I’m doing it.”

“Is this still about eighth fucking grade?” Colt asks, tightening his grip on my arm when I try to shake him off.

Gritting my teeth, I say, “Let me go.”

“No,” Colt says, glancing down at me with a hard stare before turning back to Hayden.

Hayden just laughs, “Bro, I don’t give a fuck about eighth grade. I don’t give a fuck about Sarah, but I have taken a shine to Finn.”

He looks at me with a pretty smile, and I blink, stunned. Huh?

Colt snarls, shaking me off, and goes at Hayden like gangbusters. Stepping away, I turn to watch them square off. The last time they went at it like this, it was after Colt jumped Nate for trying to kiss me and then Hayden for pushing Sarah to the ground. Confusing that. This time, I suspect Colt’s got rage on his side. What I don't understand is why.

He dumped me, cruelly. He ended this, not me. What the fuck is going on in his pretty damn head - another game to get even?

With a sigh, I turn away, leaving them to their stupidity, and make my way into the school, where it's still quiet, most of the students milling around outside.

I head to first period with supreme confusion, my mind still on the hot but icy cold jerk squaring off with Hayden in the parking lot.

I’m halfway to my desk when I spy the creamy white note sitting on the top and stop in my tracks. Surely not, wasn’t his gift last night enough for now?

Pulling it up, I open it with trembling fingers and read the nasty words.

Finn, did you think you could transfer and escape me? Did you think it would be that easy? Make no mistake, when the time is right, nothing you can do will stop me. It’s almost time. I’m almost ready. Are you ready, Finn? Did you enjoy my gift? I thought about you as I put it together. We were destined to be together. You and I, we’re soulmates, Finn. Just remember, I can see you. Stay the fuck away from Colt, or you’ll regret it. R

Why does it feel like this jerk is always two steps ahead of me?

Colt enters when the bell rings and sits in his seat with a huff. Glancing at him from the corner of my eye, I wonder if he truly is in danger? Or is this the most diabolical game yet?

Rubbing my aching forehead, I sag in my seat, heat sparking along my skin when Colt turns to me with an angry expression. Ignoring him, I stare into nothing, hoping that something about this whole fucked up situation will come to light soon.

“Finn?”

“So, you’re what, going to ignore me again? Not gonna happen. Finn?” he says.

“Goddamn it, Finn! Look at me!”

Turning my gaze his way, I say absently, “I’m not ignoring you.”

“We need to have a conversation. Wait for me after class,” he insists, dropping into silence as the teacher begins her lesson.

Through it all, I contemplate the note. It’s fucking sick but convincing myself it was Colt meant it was safe because the end game was making me look a fool and scaring me. But knowing it’s not him means something far more dangerous is at play, and letting go of that small bit of doubt makes me fucking terrified.

I still don't know who’s out there watching me, who broke into my house and left a gift, who left me a note on my pillow while I lay sleeping, who may have even been there while Colt and I made love.

With a shiver, I pull my sweatshirt around me and look at Colt. I desperately want to share all this with him because he makes me feel safe for whatever fucked up reason. But to what end? I still can’t trust him, and he’s still in danger. I don’t know what my fan might do if he thought we were together, and I’m not sure it’s a good idea to find out.

Thankfully, Colt gets pulled from class before the bell, and I leave on the students' tide shortly after. I have a pounding headache, and nausea swishes in my belly.

Heading straight to my car, I stop in my tracks when I realize I didn’t drive myself. Instead, I slink down the street and order an Uber, glancing around completely paranoid the whole time.

I’m on pins and fucking needles by the time the Uber pulls up in the driveway, and regretting my rash decision to leave the relative safety of