Screw My Childhood Sweetheart His Alpha Brother Marked Me First novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20

A hand touched my lower back, warmth and comfort sinking into the muscles there. I had the bizarre desire to burrow into it. I blinked a few times, clearing my mind and pulling away from the other guy’s intense stare.

River looked down at me with concern in his gaze again, his hand still on my back. “Are you okay?”

No, I wasn’t okay. My sister was dead. I was in a new school where everyone knew my secrets. I kept sensing things about strangers, feeling pulled towards them when I should have been running in the opposite direction.

“Yes,” I croaked.

If we were staying in Cloverdale, I needed to become a better liar.

I eased the stack of books into my locker and pinched the bridge of my nose. By the time I’d made it to art class, my head had been pounding, a steady thrum at my temples and between my eyes. All I wanted was quiet, away from the whispers and probing stares.

I pulled out the notebooks I’d need for my afternoon classes and slipped them into my backpack. Grabbing my lunch, I turned to survey my options. I guessed it would be frowned upon to eat in the library, but I’d seen a tiny courtyard off to the side of it that might be empty.

I started down the hall, only to hear my name being called. I winced but kept walking. Hopefully, whoever it was would give up and turn

around.

A hand caught my elbow. “Senna, hey.”

I turned to see the golden boy grinning down at me. “Hey, Knox.”

“Where are you going? The cafeteria is the other way.”

My fingers tightened around my lunch bag. “I’ve had a little too much people for one day. I was going to eat in that courtyard.”

Knox grimaced, and I knew he had heard all the talk circulating about me. “We have to eat in the cafeteria. If you get caught elsewhere, you’ll

get detention.”

My shoulders slumped and I felt the sudden urge to cry.

Knox gripped my shoulders, his touch somehow managing to be gentle and firm at the same time. “It’ll be okay, promise. You can sit with me and my friends. No one will bug you if you’re with us.”

My fingers curled into my palms, digging into the skin there. That bite of pain helped keep the tears at bay. “Thanks.”

“Of course,”

Knox led the way towards double doors at the end of the hall. The closer we got, the more the din of voices grew. With each step, I tried to shore up my armor and cement my mask into place. The less I reacted, the sooner everyone would forget about me altogether.

Knox opened one of the doors and ushered me inside. My gaze swept over the cafeteria. The tables were fairly large and circular, with enough seating for at least fifteen people. Some looked up as I entered, but far more stayed focused on their own conversations and meals.

That changed the moment Knox placed a hand on my lower back. I felt a prickle of electricity jump from his hand into the muscles at my back. It wasn’t the same as the spark I’d felt when he’d handed me the gift basket, this was more like a low hum of awareness.

The buzz of conversations quieted as Knox gently pushed me forward. He pointed to a table in the center of the room. “That’s our spot.”

Of course, it had to be the one where the entire room could see us. I swallowed, trying to clear some of the dryness in my throat. Girls and guys

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Screw My Childhood Sweetheart–His Alpha Brother Marked Me First!

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Chapter 20

alike stared as we walked by. I did my best to focus only on the floor in front of me.

We came to a stop at the table, and people shifted to create more space. Knox’s hand didn’t move from my back. “Guys, this is Senna.”

I forced myself to lift my gaze to the table’s occupants. I met River‘ warm, hazel stare, except it was a little harder than I’d seen this morning, and it was zeroed in on Knox’s hand on my back. My cheeks heated. “Hi, everyone.”

I quickly slid into an empty seat and Knox followed.

A blonde girl sitting directly across from me beamed. “Hi, Senna. I’m Cassidy, everyone calls me Cass. Nice to meet you.” The two guys I had met in astronomy, Ridge and Jack, sat on either side of her.

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