My Fake Boyfriend Is the School Bad Boy novel Chapter 115

Chapter 115 Hunting Down The Author

The heavy silence stretched between us. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. The warning bell for the first period shrieked, echoing

down the long cinderblock corridor.

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Ryder did not flinch. He did not drop his gaze from the crushed cream paper in his fist:

I stared at his clenched jaw. The muscle ticked in a steady, rhythmic pulse beneath his fading bruise. He radiated a dark, lethal storm. The air in the hallway turned thick. It pressed against my lungs. I expected him to throw the ruined note into the nearest trash can. A fake boyfriend discards a secret admirer. A fake boyfriend laughs at the poetic language and walks to class.

Ryder shoved the crushed ball of paper deep into the front pocket of his denim jeans.

He spun on his heel. He did not look at me. He marched down the center of the B-wing.

“Ryder,” I called out.

He ignored my voice. His long strides ate the distance. His heavy combat boots struck the polished linoleum with a heavy, punishing

rhythm.

I grabbed my canvas backpack from the floor. I slung the thick strap over my shoulder. I jogged to keep up with his massive frame. I dodged the incoming stream of students. The morning crowd parted for him. They pressed their spines against the beige lockers. They sensed the shift in his demeanor. The dormant monster from the East Side warehouse woke up, and he walked the halls of Crestview Prep.

“Where are you going?” I demanded. I caught up to him near the main intersection.

He turned the corner into the central lobby. He bypassed the main office. He headed straight for the attendance desk.

Eric, a senior with a varsity jacket, sat behind the folding metal table. He organized a stack of late passes. He looked up. The color drained

from his face.

Ryder planted his large hands flat on the table. The metal legs scraped the floor with a harsh shriek. He leaned his weight forward. He towered over the seated boy.

“Who walked into the B-wing before seven this morning?” Ryder asked. His voice held a flat, scraping edge. It sounded like a blade dragging across stone.

Eric swallowed hard. His eyes darted to the dark gray henley Ryder wore, then back to the ticking muscle in Ryder’s jaw.

“Just the band kids,” Eric stammered. His voice shook. “And a couple of guys from the science club.”

‘Names.”

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13:10 Fri, Jul 10

Chapter 115 Hunting Down The Author

“I do not know all their names, Steinmann. I just check the blue slips.”

Ryder leaned closer. The threat hung heavy and tangible in the air. He did not need to raise his voice. He weaponized his silence.

:))

I reached out. I grabbed the back of Ryder’s shirt. I pulled the thick cotton fabric.

Stop interrogating him, I pleaded. I kept my tone low to avoid the staring crowds. “We have class in five minutes. Leave the desk alone.”

Ryder straightened his posture. He ignored Eric. He turned his head and looked down at me. The golden flecks in his hazel eyes burned with a dark, consuming fire. The polished, charming guest who sat in my dining room vanished.

“The note mentioned the library, Ryder stated.

He changed direction. He marched toward the double wooden doors of the media center.

I trailed behind him. My pulse pounded a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I struggled to understand his reaction. We agreed to a physical

contract. We agreed to pretend.

‘You are overreacting, I argued. I matched his fast pace. “It is a stupid prank. Someone wants to test the relationship. They want to see a

reaction.”

“It is not a prank.”

‘He offered a date, Ryder. He did not threaten my life. He wrote a poem.”

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