6. It’s Not Real

6

It’s Not Real

Teal

I barely slept last night thinking about my bargain with Declan.

Bargain .

Like he gave me a choice.

I knew the second he told me he hacked my medical records, he would use the information against me. I just didn’t expect him to do it in the way he did.

All night, I stared at the ceiling, trying to figure out what Declan could possibly get out of a relationship with me. In our families’ social circles, I’m a bad apple.

Too noisy.

Too unpredictable.

Crazy .

It’s why I don’t date, and I never have a boyfriend. No one wants a girl who could snap at any second.

But that’s exactly what Declan asked of me—to date him. To be his girlfriend. Even if he is trying to find a way to piss off our parents, this is an extreme way for him to do it.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I try to figure out what his endgame is. I know what I’m getting out of it, but what about him? And why am I considering this?

I shake my head, but it’s not enough to knock Declan Pierce out of my thoughts because he’s right. Going along with this ridiculous plan will keep my father at a distance long enough for me to figure out what to do about the arrangement for me to marry Jase.

The question is, what else am I getting into by going along with this?

Declan is up to something, and I’m going to figure it out.

I adjust in my seat, and the hardwood creaks beneath me. The library is still warming up for the day, and the cool metal arms of the chair send goosebumps over my skin.

I’m zoning out again, which I suppose is better than when my medication has me wired and on edge.

Leaning forward, I pick up my pencil and take notes on the colonization of America. My free hand digs into my hair. I scratch my nails on my scalp, willing it to help me focus when the letters start to swim on the page.

I’ve never been book smart, and it’s made worse when my prescriptions make it hard to focus on one thing.

The tip of my pencil snaps from pushing too hard on the page, and I groan as I slam it down. As if studying isn’t already difficult enough, the weight of my deal with Declan isn’t helping me concentrate. And it’s only going to get worse when he picks me up tonight to take me to my parents’ fundraiser.

The Donovans and the Pierces hate each other, and my showing up with the enemy might start the battle they’ve both been itching for. The only reason they’ve held it off this long is mutual business interests and Sigma House. But if anything will set my father off, it will be me meddling in his deal with Vince Ivans.

“Is Teal Donovan actually studying?” Mila’s teasing laugh fills the quiet library.

I look up to see her, Patience, and Violet walking toward me.

I tap my eraser on my textbook, answering her with a glare.

Mila ignores my irritation, smiling as she stops at the chair across the table. “That’s it. If Teal cares about US history, I’ve officially died and gone to heaven.”

“As if you’d get into heaven.” Patience drops into one of the chairs beside me, and Violet and Mila follow suit.

“Very funny.” Mila rolls her eyes, brushing her dark chestnut hair over one shoulder.

Mila and Patience are opposites in every way. Patience is Briar Academy’s ice princess with her white-blonde hair and ice-cold personality. Even her brown eyes, which might seem warm at first, are so pale they’re a cool yellow-gold. Nothing about Patience is comforting and friendly. The exact opposite of Mila .

What Patience lacks in friendliness, Mila makes up for by being the social butterfly of the group. She was born in a commune in Oregon and spent the majority of her teenage years traveling the country in an RV with her parents. She isn’t afraid to explore and try new things—from makeup brands to boyfriends. And she never apologizes for it.

The two of them are constantly picking on each other, but so long as it remains playful, I don’t worry about it.

“I have a test this afternoon.” I turn the page, pretending like I didn’t just skim the last five. “It’s worth a third of my grade, so I figured I’d study.”

It’s the truth, even if it’s also not the real reason I’m at the library.

My studio is closed for the next two days while the school preps for an art show this weekend, and my roommates were awake when I got up this morning, so I figured this was the one place I could avoid everyone before class.

No such luck.

I should have known the girls would find me. I vaguely remember Violet talking about studying for her Criminal Psychology test last night, so that must be how I got the idea of coming here in the first place.

“Since when do you care about studying for tests?” Patience knits her eyebrows.

I set my pencil down, rolling my shoulders back. “Since I found out I need to maintain my current grade point average to hold my spot in the Louis Petit internship. ”

“You got in?” Mila reaches for my hand, and all three of them smile at me. “How could you not tell us?”

“I just found out.” I force a smile. “Besides, I’m only in if I pass this test. Hence the studying.”

I’m not actually worried about this test. I know enough to keep my mediocre grade where it is, but they don’t need to know that.

“Let me know if you need help with your psychology final,” Violet offers.

“Or calculus,” Patience adds.

I wish school would come easy for me. Violet and Patience juggle their honors classes, while Mila maintains grades well above mine without studying. If she put in half the effort Patience and Violet do, she’d probably have higher grades than anyone at this table.

While I’m better versed in paint than a textbook. It’s embarrassing I’m barely passing Calculus 101 as a sophomore.

“Thanks.” I force a smile, trying to hide the fact that everything about school feels like a struggle.

Looking up, I see Shane, one of Declan’s newest Sigma Sin initiates, walking by. He eyes our table, winking at Mila as he passes.

“Mila, focus.” Patience nudges her arm.

“Just taking in the view.” Mila smiles, picking at her chipping cherry-red nail polish as Shane disappears. “What’s everyone up to tonight? I’ve heard rumors Sigma Sin is throwing a party. Has Kole said anything to you, Violet?”

“No.” Violet shrugs. “But I can text him and ask. ”

Patience glares at both of them. “I thought we agreed we’re boycotting that place.”

“When did we agree on that?” Mila frowns.

“Marco…”

“Screw Marco.” Mila rolls her eyes. “One cheating douchebag doesn’t get to tell me what I can and can’t do. I have every right to party there. Besides, if he wants to be a dick, Violet will send her boyfriend after him. Won’t you, Violet?”

Mila snakes her arm through Violet’s and rests her head on Violet’s shoulder.

“I guess?” Violet bites her lip, and her answer is more of a question than anything.

“See.” Mila lifts her head, patting Violet’s arm as she focuses back on Patience. “Vi and Kole have my back, so why can’t you?”

“Because nothing good comes from that place.”

“We all know how you feel, Patience. So if you want to boycott, fine. But Sigma House throws the only parties worth attending in this town, and I’m not sacrificing my social life to join your pity party.”

Smiles drain from both their faces as they stare at each other from across the table. Sometimes their opposite personalities bring out the best in each other. But sometimes, at times like this, it widens the rift.

“How is Alex?” Violet asks, likely not realizing until the question is out what a bad idea it is to bring him up right now. “You went and saw him yesterday, right?”

“Yes.” Patience glances at me for a split second.

We passed each other in the hallway, and I appreciate that she doesn’t bring that up. They all know I’m a regular at Montgomery Psychiatric Ward, but we don’t talk about it.

“He’s the same as always.” Patience laces her fingers together on the table. “Fine, I guess.”

“He’s writing again,” Mila jumps in, and Patience glares at her. “That’s progress.”

“He’s still not saying anything.”

Mila shrugs. Patience refuses to accept anything as a good sign when it comes to her brother, and Mila’s optimism doesn’t help.

“Well, at least he’s doing good.” Violet’s gaze darts over my shoulder, and her cheeks rush with color. “Kole.”

Her voice pitches with his name, and when I glance over my shoulder, I see the Kings of Hell walking toward us. Declan, Kole, and Maddox make their way through the library, commanding attention with every step.

While Declan is the president of Sigma House, all of them together make up Sigma Sin. And when they aren’t ditching class or throwing parties, they can usually be found breaking the innocent and sending souls to hell.

Kole’s attention is locked on Violet as he walks up. He pulls her from her seat, only to tug her onto his lap the moment he sits in her chair. While Maddox beelines for a girl reaching for a book on a top shelf nearby.

Declan is watching me, a few paces behind the rest of them, closing in .

“I forgot I need another book,” I lie, shoving my books into my bag before Declan reaches us. “I’ll catch you guys after class.”

I rush away from the table as fast as I can because I have no idea how far Declan is willing to take this, and I’m not ready to explain anything to my friends. It’s one thing to fake a relationship in front of my father, but Mila, Patience, and Violet know how much I despise Declan. They won’t buy our fake arrangement for a second.

Glancing over my shoulder, I hope Declan will have taken the hint. But that’s dashed when I see him following me. He smirks when our gazes meet.

I dip into an empty aisle of encyclopedias, hoping they’ll hide me from view. I might not be able to outrun Declan without giving myself away, but I can at least make our confrontation private.

Spinning to face the books, I pretend to be looking for something when Declan rounds the stacks.

From the corner of my eye, I see him slow his pace. His hands are tucked in his pockets, and he’s wearing his usual black-on-black outfit. His dark T-shirt hugs his chest, and I hate that my heart races at the sight of him.

Declan’s black hair is messy, with a few pieces falling over his eyes. Still, the bright, iridescent glow of his stare cuts through when he stops inches from me.

Leaning down, he whispers in my ear, “Boo.”

“That’s a lame attempt at sneaking up on someone.” I grit my teeth. “Especially considering I’m not scared of you. ”

“Oh really?” He plants his hand over the spine of the book I’m staring at, leaning in closer. “Then why’d you run the second you saw me?”

“Not everything is about you, Declan. Shocking, I know.” I narrow my eyes. “I’m looking for a book. I didn’t know I needed to greet you first.”

“A book, huh?” His fingers skim the selection beside us. “Pretty sure none of this is on your American Colonization final.”

“How do you even know that’s what I’m studying for?”

“I know everything, Teal.” His cool-gray eyes are icy as he watches me.

“You’re insufferable.”

“Is that any way to talk to your boyfriend?”

I spin to face him fully, my arms crossed over my chest. “You’re not my boyfriend here.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He grabs my chin so hard that there’s nothing sweet about it. “I’m your boyfriend everywhere . You’re mine now, Teal. Remember? You should really start acting like it.”

“We had a deal to put on a show for my dad. But I’m not lying to my friends.”

“You’ll lie to whoever I tell you to lie to.” He steps closer so his lips are nearly brushing mine. “And you’ll do as I say.”

My stomach churns at his words. Worse, my fingers itch to reach out to him. My entire life, I’ve craved the only thing I’m capable of feeling through the numbness—pain. And that’s what Declan is. A searing iron. Sharp and angry and hot. He burns straight through the blurry fog I exist in.

I hate it as much as I want it.

Rage swells in my chest as I stare him in the eyes. My heart is hammering, and I have to keep my lips pressed tightly together so he can’t see how fast my breath is racing.

“They won’t believe this is real.” I grit my teeth. “My father is one thing. He doesn’t pay attention. But my friends—”

“I’m doing you a favor, Teal, in case you forgot.” Declan cuts me off, grazing his fingertips along my jaw. “If you knew the plans your father has for you, you’d be thanking me… begging me for my help. If you knew everything I do, this would be a very different conversation. So you can either convince your friends this is real or fight it. But trust me, I’m not the only one with eyes everywhere. If you want him to believe it’s real, you need to make everyone think it is.”

“What don’t I know?”

He clicks his tongue on the roof of his mouth. “Let me worry about that.”

“Let you…” I breathe out a chuckle. “Remind me what you’re getting out of this, Declan.”

“It’s not important.”

“Really?” I take a step back. “Because we both know you hate me as much as I hate you. Which can only mean whatever you’re doing this for must be pretty important. I’m not the only one getting something, which means you need me too. ”

He ticks his head, and when I expect he might actually back down, he grins, meeting my challenge. Reaching up again, he brushes his thumb over my lower lip.

“You underestimate how much I enjoy watching you suffer. Maybe that’s enough. Continue talking to me like that, and you’ll be choking on a lot more than your words by the time I’m done with you,” Declan warns, taking a step back. “See you tonight, Teal.”