Hazel moved with grace. Her hips swaying and her handbag swinging. She looked stunning in her black A-line mini dress. Her heels clicked against the marble floor.
At her sides were her very own minions — the unidentical twins — Alexis and Alexa, in matching bodycon dresses. They moved like they had purpose, stealing the glances of students that they walked past.
Hazel had pulled out her mirror, fixing her lipstick. The twins were busy with their phones. Alexis was active on the Gossip page, and Alexa was busily texting Eric—her not-taking-him-serious boyfriend, as she termed it.
If she was asked to explain, she'd be like,
'So we're dating, yes. It's like he's dating me but I'm not dating him. I'm just not taking him seriously, you know.'
She was nuts.
Abruptly, Hazel could perceive the scent of a familiar cologne...
"Hazel." His voice came out sharp, commanding all heads to lift.
Logan Hayes?
A mixture of emotions spread within Hazel—shock, intrigue, and anticipation.
With a swift motion, Logan Hayes grabbed her hand, dragging her.
Hazel barely had time to react.
One second she was fixing her lipstick, the next she was being dragged by her alluring ex whom she couldn't just get over!
"What the hell—?" she gasped as Logan dragged her down the hallway.
Students turned, whispering, watching the scene unfold like it was some juicy gossip-in-the-making. Hazel's heels struggled to keep up with his long strides, but he didn't slow down. Not for a second.
He shoved open the door to an empty classroom and pulled her inside, slamming the door shut behind them.
Hazel's heart raced. Her back hit the cold wall with a soft thud. She blinked up at him, breathless, stunned—but… intrigued.
"What the heck is going on, Logan?" she whispered, parting her lips.
Logan Hayes said nothing in response, letting her just observe him.
To observe the way he stood so close. The way his chest rose and fell, like he was trying to calm himself. The tension in his jaw. The heat radiating off him.
God, this was it, wasn't it?
Finally.
All the stolen glances, the teasing smirks, the silent moments between them… It had to mean something. Was her badass ex-boyfriend about to make out with her?!
Hazel let out a shaky laugh, flicking her hair over her shoulder.
"So… this is how it's gonna happen?" she purred, biting her lip.
"You finally couldn't resist, huh?" Her fingers grazed his chest lightly.
Big mistake.
Logan's eyes darkened—not with desire, but with something colder. Sharper.
His hand shot up, grabbing her wrist and pushing it away from him. Hard.
"Don't flatter yourself," he growled.
Hazel froze. The flirtatious smile on her lips faltered.
Logan took a step closer—not in hunger, but in pure warning. His voice dropped low, lethal.
"If I see you near Harper again… if you so much as breathe in her direction…" He paused, letting the weight of his words settle like poison in the air. "You'll wish I was this gentle."
Hazel swallowed hard, the realization finally crashing down on her.
This wasn't a game. This wasn't foreplay.
This was a threat.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she whispered, trying to recover her usual arrogance, but her voice shook. "I didn't do anything to her."
Logan's glare cut through her like glass.
"Don't lie to me." His tone was low but deadly. "I know what you're doing. The petty mind games. The little scenes you pull in front of her. Humiliation? It ends now."
Hazel's throat tightened. The playful, smug mask she always wore cracked—just a little.
He let her wrist go, finally stepping back like she disgusted him.
"For your own good, Hazel," he said, voice like ice. "Stay. Away."
With that, he turned to leave.
"Really?!" she barked, causing him to stop. He turned to her, his face expressionless.
"So… you've really dumped me for that stupid slut?!" she yelled, pain in her voice.
"One, Harper Reed isn't a slut and she isn't stupid. And also, did it take you this long to realize that I don't like you anymore?"
With that, he turned and left—leaving her standing there alone, heart pounding, shame burning her cheeks.
She felt her eyes turn moist. Her heart aching. Then she exhaled.
"It's time to step up my game," she whispered, her tone tangled with something dark and so much determination.