Temper Him by Caitlyn Dare

Chapter Five

Kennedy

“Kennedy?” Shelbie hurries over to Warren’s car. “What are you—"

A low growl vibrates in his throat, and she smothers her surprise at my return.

“It’s good to see you,” she says.

“I trust you’ll look out for my girl, Garret?” Warren kisses my hair and I press a hand to his chest, hoping he won’t make a scene.

After we’d gotten back from the store yesterday, I cooked the Kraven men brunch and then washed the dishes. Anything to avoid being close to Warren. I’d half expected him to pull me into his bedroom and make me finish what he’d started in his car, but to my surprise, he hadn’t.

We spent the day watching movies, him holding me as if I was the most precious thing in the world. As if he couldn’t quite believe I was back.

But I know it’s all a game. He wants to lure me into a false sense of security before he pulls the rug out from beneath my feet.

“You know it.” Shelbie flashes him a saccharine smile, but he doesn’t notice.

“I should probably...” I flick my head to the school building.

“Have a good day, baby.” He brushes his mouth over mine, letting his tongue slide between my lips. I breathe through my nose, kissing him back, trying to play the part.

He has to believe me.

He has to think this is real.

To my relief, Shelbie clears her throat, giving me an excuse to break the kiss, much to Warren’s annoyance if the little huff he makes is anything to go by.

“I’ll see you after school,” I say, shirking out of his hold.

“I’ll be right here, waiting.” The veiled threat coats his words.

Shelbie laces her arm through mine and we walk away, Warren’s eyes following me the entire way.

“Is he still watching?” I ask her as we reach the door.

She glances back, nodding. “He’s getting in his car. And… he’s gone.”

I exhale a shaky breath.

“What the hell happened? I thought you were—"

“Shh,” I hiss, noticing a few people look in our direction. Unlike the halls of Sterling Prep, it’s easier to blend in here. There’s no uniform, so everyone is free to wear whatever they want, within reason. Not that Principal Henderson ever enforces the rules. Sterling Heights High is like a jungle—everyone’s out to prove something, and only the strongest survive.

“Kennedy.” Levi Miller and Jayden Hollis approach us.

“Uh, hey,” I murmur, feeling the icy fingers of shame claw at my throat. I can’t look at Jayden despite the way his eyes burn into the side of my face.

“We need to talk,” Levi says.

“I...” I look to Shelbie, hoping she might intervene.

She doesn’t.

“Go ahead, I’ll see you in class later.” She walks off down the hall, leaving me alone.

Except I’m not alone.

And Levi and Jayden are looking at me like they’ve seen a ghost.

“What the fuck, Kenny?” Jay hisses.

“Relax, man.” Levi presses his hand on his best friend’s chest, forcing him to back off. “Let her explain.”

“Explain?” I balk. “I don’t have to explain anything to you.”

“Kenny, come on.” He sighs. “We just want to help. Conner is—"

“Don’t.” I jerk back. “Just don’t.”

“I called him,” Levi admits. “I saw you and panicked, and I thought... he said you left.”

“I don’t belong there.”

“Bullshit,” Jay scoffs. He’s usually so much lighter than this. In fact, now that I think about it, he reminds me a lot of Conner. Always laughing and joking. But not today. Today he looks positively pissed.

“You need to relax.” Levi levels him with a hard look.

“I need to relax?” he seethes. “You weren’t the one who found her...” His eyes flick to mine and my chest tightens.

I hate that he saw me like that... broken and beaten.

Shame burns through me, but I don’t lower my eyes. I can’t be that girl here—weak and afraid.

“Talk to us. What’s that piece of shit got on you? Because if you just talk to Con—"

“I appreciate your concern, I do. But do me a favor and stay out of my business.” I barge past them, unable to stand their pity stares for a second longer.

Foolishly, I’d thought being at school would give me a reprieve from being with Warren, but now I’m not so sure. Not if Levi and Jayden are going to be there at every turn.

I’m about to duck into my first class when a familiar voice booms, “Miss Lowe, my office please.”

Great.

Just what I don’t need.

A morning visit with the principal.

* * *

Principal Henderson likes to think he’s down with the kids, but the truth is, behind his back everyone calls him Principal Horse’s Son. He has a bad case of buck teeth and a strange shaped head that makes him resemble something akin to a horse caricature.

He also has a bad case of the sweats.

“I must say, Kennedy, this is a surprise.” He dabs his glistening forehead with a paper towel, motioning for me to take a seat. “When Principal Vager called me to say things weren’t working out at Sterling Prep, I was... disappointed to say the least. It isn’t every day our students get the opportunity to attend SP.”

“I thought I’d be okay to come back.”

“Of course, of course.” He relaxes back in his chair. “It’s senior year, Kennedy. The hard work is just about done, graduation is in sight. We are more than happy to see you finish up the semester here.” Something flashes in his eyes, and I can’t help but think he isn’t being entirely straight with me.

“Principal Vager called you?” I ask. “On a weekend?”

I’d been gone less than seventy-two hours. There’s no way Vager could have known... not unless someone told him.

James Jagger.

Damn him. Even now, he’s still trying to look out for me.

But to what end?

“He was concerned, Kennedy. We both are. Look, there’s still a few weeks until your birthday, if you need to—"

“I’m fine,” I say firmly, not liking where this conversation is headed.

Henderson won’t call the authorities, not if it means Child Services swoops in on the school. So the fact that he’s even suggesting it puts me on edge.

“You’ll be staying with the Kravens?”

I nod, squirming in my seat.

“Very well. But I want you to know my door is always open. Or you can speak to Mrs. Farn, the guidance counselor.”

“Thanks,” I force out, because there’s no way I’m heading to the guidance counselor’s office anytime soon. “Can I go now?”

He steeples his fingers, regarding me for a second. I think he’s going to say something else, but at the last second he lets out a long breath.

“Get out of here. Just promise me you’ll remember what I said.”

I grab my bag and stand. “I will.”

My gaze lingers for a second on the man who means well but doesn’t have any idea what it’s like to be a teenager growing up in the Heights.

He watches me walk out of his office for what we both know will be the last time.

* * *

“Kennedy, over here,” Levi calls across the cafeteria. The place is a goddamn zoo. Someone has hooked their cell phone to a mini speaker, blasting music into the room. There’s a thin haze of smoke coming from the far corner over by the huge sash windows, and the smell of days old meatloaf permeates the air.

Before attending Sterling Prep, this place was all I knew. I mean, we were all aware of the rich, prissy school in the Bay, but we didn’t know.

Now that I’ve experienced it, I realize that the education system is failing here, letting kids run supreme with little respect for the rules and regulations. Teachers would rather turn a blind eye than try to actually do their job. It’s a joke. One that’s going to bind most of the kids here to this life... this place.

I ignore Levi, following Shelbie to the lunch line.

“I heard she came crawling back.” The girls behind me don’t even bother trying to be discreet. “Warren told Kevin she cheated on him.”

“Is that why she left?”

“I don’t know. But I can’t believe he’s taken her back. She’s not even that pretty.”

My head whips around, staring down the ringleader. Tamsin Becker, junior and wannabe Queen Bee smirks at me. “Oh hey, Kennedy, didn’t see you there.”

Like fuck she didn’t.

Her friends all stifle their giggles.

I dig my nails into my palm, forcing myself to calm down. Heights High and Sterling Prep might be worlds apart, but their brand of bitch is still the same.

“Relax, Kenny, she’s not worth it,” Shelbie whispers in my ear as I continue to glare at Tamsin.

“Something you want to say to me?” I grit out.

She thinks she knows me. She thinks I’m just some girl who dared hurt a guy like Warren. She doesn’t know. Even though she’s seen me around school countless times sporting a bruise or two, wearing a ball cap pulled down low over my face, it’s easier to label me the bad guy than accept what’s staring her in the face.

The way women put other women down sometimes is sickening.

My body trembles as Tamsin and her friends continue gawking at me.

“Kennedy,” Shelbie says again, and I finally jolt out of the standoff.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” I roll my shoulders and let out a small breath.

The girls move on to their next target while Shelbie casts me a concerned glance. “You know how she can be.”

“She’s a fucking bitch,” I snap a little louder than intended.

Shelbie snickers at that. “You’re not wrong there. I heard you got pulled into Henderson’s office?”

“I guess it was silly to think I could just slip back into class unnoticed.”

We move down the line, helping ourselves to the least offending looking items.

“FIGHT!” someone yells, and all hell breaks loose over by the tables.

Shelbie rolls her eyes, completely unaffected. “Just another day in paradise.”

Eventually a teacher wades in and tears two guys off each other.

“Mr. Kulick is a brave guy,” she snorts. “Miller is watching you.”

“Ugh,” I grumble. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Don’t you?”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Her expression softens. “He’s worried. We both are.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“You have your cell phone?”

“I...” I hesitate and she sees it.

“That asshole took your cell?”

My shoulders lift in a small shrug as I try to avoid her gaze.

“Kenny, that’s messed up.”

“I know what I’m doing, Shelb. You don’t have to worry about me.” But as I say the words, pain coils around my heart.

I thought I knew... the second I saw Warren’s text message—his threat—I thought I knew. But now I’m here, and Conner’s not, and everything feels wrong.

Tears sting the backs of my eyes, but I lock down the emotion rising inside me. You can’t show weakness in a place like Heights High.

“Come on,” Shelbie says, paying for my lunch. She doesn’t even ask, she just does it.

“I’ll pay you back,” I whisper as we weave through the crammed tables.

We manage to find an empty one near the back. It’s quieter over here.

“You don’t have to sit with me, you know.”

She scoffs. “Like I’m going to leave you to the wolves.” Her eyes flick to the girls watching us.

“Is it crazy I’d forgotten how much it sucks here?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” She smirks, something over my shoulder catching her attention. “It’s not all bad.”

I glance back to find Levi and Jayden stalking toward us. Without a word, they sit down.

And just like that our two becomes four, and I realize that maybe I’m not alone after all.