CHAPTER 74
**ZION**
“Ugh, I think my dick just got infected,” Clark groaned, adjusting himself in the middle of the hallway without a care in the world. I rolled my eyes at him, nodding at a few friends walking by.
“Maybe if you stopped sticking it in everything that moves, you wouldn’t have that problem,” I shot back, trying to forget the ache in my balls. “Assuming that’s even humanly possible for you.”
Clark chuckled, shaking his head. “Look who’s talking, Mr. Manwhore.’ You’ve probably seen more action than the football team combined.”
I snorted, unable to resist the grin spreading across my face. “Hey, at least I have standards. You, on the other hand, would flirt with a brick wall if it had a nice enough curve.”
Clark shrugged, unfazed. “What can I say? I’m just trying to leave no stone unturned, man. Or unkissed.”
Clark kept rambling on, something about leaving his mark on every girl in school before graduation. His voice faded into the background as my mind drifted back to Winter.
I could still feel the dull ache where she’d landed that punch, the memory making my jaw clench in anger. She was asking for trouble. She didn’t just catch me off guard; she embarrassed me. Thank God no one else saw it, or my reputation would’ve taken a hit.
Ronald was unusually quiet, probably noticing that I wasn’t fully engaged in the conversation. He just watched, observing, his gaze shifting between Clark and me as if waiting for the punchline that wasn’t coming. But I was too distracted, too pissed off to care about whatever nonsense Clark was spouting. All I could think about was how Winter had managed to get under my skin—again.
All I could focus on was payback.
The first day of senior year had kicked off, and I came in ready to own it like I always do. Sure, I’ve got the bad boy rep, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about keeping my grades up. I was looking forward to the new year and had everything lined up perfectly. But all that went out the window thanks to Winter. She freaking punched me in the balls. Seriously, what the hell is her problem?
As we walked down the hallway, Clark was busy bragging about his latest conquests when Ronald spoke up.
“So, I hear Winter’s already got a fan club. You catch any of the talk?”
Of course, I had.
The guys couldn’t help but gawk whenever she passed by. As much as I hated the things I’d heard, they weren’t exactly the kinds of comments that would warrant me pounding someone into the pavement.
No one had mentioned her tits or ass—yet. Instead, they were talking about how stunning she looked, how she carried herself differently now. It irritated me, but not for the reasons it used to.
We grabbed our food and headed to our usual table in the cafeteria. Ronald, being the football player he was, loaded up with enough food for two trays—sandwiches, pizza, chips, Gatorade, and brownies. I stuck to my usual, a sandwich and a couple of drinks. As I capped my water bottle and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, I noticed Ronald was talking, but I’d zoned out.
“So, what’s the plan?” he asked, catching my attention.
“Plan for what?” I asked, leaning back in my chair.
“Winter,” he said like I should’ve already known what he was talking about. “What’s the plan for her?”
I smirked, feeling that anger from earlier bubble up again. “I’ll handle it. If I need your help, you’ll know.”
“Speak of the she-devil, and she appears,” Clark snickered, nudging me as he nodded toward the cafeteria doors.
“You know, for someone who supposedly drives you nuts, she sure lives rent-free in your head. Maybe she’s not so bad after all. You ever think of that, lover boy?”
I shot him a glare, trying to ignore the way my pulse quickened just hearing her name.
“Damn, she looks fucking hot. Thank the lord she’s not my sister,” Clark added with a smirk.
For the love of God, she’s not my sister, I cursed silently, trying to convince myself.
My eyes involuntarily followed his gaze, locking onto Winter as she walked into the cafeteria with Claire at her side.
They headed for the lunch line, deep in conversation. I couldn’t help but take her in, assessing everything as part of my strategy. Her movements were slow, almost calculated, and there was something tense about the way she held herself—like she was scared. And she should be, after what she pulled in class earlier.
I watched her closely, feeling my body tense when I noticed how many other guys were probably enjoying the same view. And it was a damn good view, not that I wanted to admit it. Her hair used to be straight, but lately, she seemed to prefer it wavy, the lights catching the strands just right as they cascaded down her back. Her long shirt hung loosely on one side, but on the other, it was hitched up on her waist, revealing the curve of her ass in those tight jeans. The sight made my jaw clench.
“Hmmm,” Clark broke the silence, bringing me back to reality.
“Damn, Winter looks fucking hot,” Clark said with a smirk.”
“Yeah, and Claire seems to have taken her under her wing,” Ronald observed, nodding toward the pair.
Clark laughed, “My twin is always the saint. Sometimes I can’t believe how different we are—me, the bad boy, and Claire, the goody-two-shoes. Too bad! Claire would probably keep me away from her new friend if she knew the thoughts I’m having right now.”
I gave him a hard stare. “Just stay away, Clark. Winter's mine!”
Both Ronald and Clark raised their eyebrows at my possessive tone, but I chose to ignore them.
I tried to push aside the mix of anger and something else that I couldn’t quite name. Winter might’ve gotten the drop on me earlier, but that wouldn’t happen again. Luckily, no one had seen her little stunt—otherwise, my reputation would’ve taken a hit. But now, it was time to even the score. She was going to pay for what she did, and I didn’t care who was watching when it happened.
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