Chapter 2

“Hello, Indianna.”

Indianna looked up in surprise when Greyson sat next to her in their next class, French. She quickly lowered her gaze when he met her eyes and fidgeted nervously in her seat. She didn’t say anything.

“Now, this would be where you say hi back, otherwise it would be considered rude, Indianna,” Greyson said in a low voice. He smirked, and his dark eyes twinkled with amusement when Indianna’s eyes widened and she forced out a quiet, “Hi.”

“I don’t think I introduced myself in our last class. I’m Greyson Evans.” Greyson spoke with a confidence that Indianna had never had. You could tell that this boy was not used to being questioned or argued with. He was used to being in charge, and he liked it.

“Yes, Brooke told me,” Indianna told him. She was certain that she was not going to forget who Greyson Evans was any time soon.

Just the thought of him being within touching distance was making her nervous. Her skin was buzzing from their close proximity, and he seemed to take over all of her senses. She could feel his body heat, smell his cologne—she was drawn to look only at him, and when he spoke, all she could focus on was his deep, velvety voice.

“Brooklyn,” he murmured and nodded. He was watching Indianna carefully, studying her. He was very aware that she was avoiding his eyes. “You’d do well to stick with her. Brandon, however, he’s a miserable dick.”

Indianna’s eyes flickered to Greyson’s for a split second. “He seems nice.”

Greyson rolled his eyes. “Not everyone in this town is who they say they are, Indianna.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Indianna asked curiously, her eyebrows furrowing.

“Just be careful who you make friends with,” Greyson warned. His tone was firm, and Indianna couldn’t help but wonder why he cared.

“But Brandon and Brooke—”

“They are good people. I just don’t like Brandon.” Greyson waved his hand dismissively. “It’s not them that I’m talking about.”

“I’ve not met anyone else.” Unless she counted the voice in her head.

“I’m not surprised.”

“Why?” Indianna found herself meeting his eyes.

“You’re not exactly approachable, are you, Indie?”

“Indie?”

Greyson ignored her. “I get it, you’re shy. You’re not used to people, are you? I plan to change that, though. It’s not every day I get to help out a social outcast.”

“What? I’m not a social—”

“I’m teasing,” Greyson interrupted and chuckled. “Besides, do you know how many girls would kill to be in your position?”

“No?”

Greyson leaned closer to Indianna, and she sucked in a breath, staring at him cautiously.

“With a click of my fingers, I could have anything I want,” he whispered. “People are terrified of me, but they also want me. And here I am, talking to you.”

“Oh. Okay.” Indianna didn’t know what else to say. She wasn’t good with conversations or being sociable, especially when she was talking to someone as confident, self-assured, and cocky as Greyson.

“So, Indie, why did you move here?” Greyson asked when it became obvious that Indianna was not going to carry on the conversation.

“My mother wanted a change of scenery,” Indianna answered, but her voice was quieter, distant. She did not want to talk to Greyson anymore. She wanted to be left alone. She hated the looks she was receiving from students in the classroom, watching her with curious eyes, gossiping with their friends about how Greyson Evans was talking to the shy new girl.

“Do you live with your father?” Greyson pressed, very aware of the students whispering about Indianna and him. However, he didn’t care about what other people had to say about him.

“No,” Indianna answered after a silence. She fiddled with the ring on her finger. “He’s not with us.”

“Away,” Greyson murmured and raised his eyebrows. “Okay.”

“Why are you talking to me?” Indianna asked suddenly, surprising herself that she had the confidence. Indianna knew of boys like Greyson, and she knew that they did not waste their time with girls like her.

“Because I want to. And I always get what I want.” There wasn’t a sliver of doubt in his voice.

Indianna frowned, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear, wondering what Greyson truly wanted, but she nodded and said, “Okay.”

“What’s this?” Greyson asked, catching Indianna’s wrist and turning it over.

Indianna paled, and her eyes went wide. Greyson felt her whole body go tense, and he could feel her pulse quicken. “Greyson, l-let go of me.”

“What is it?” Greyson asked again, raising his eyebrows at her.

“You’re making me uncomfortable!” Indianna squirmed and tried to pull her arm away, but she was not successful. She looked up into Greyson’s dark eyes and swallowed nervously. He seemed annoyed, and she was pretty certain that he was not going to let her go without an answer. “You can see what it is,” she whimpered eventually.

Greyson blinked once and said, “How did you get it?”

“How else do you get a scar of a bite mark on your wrist?” Indianna asked with a bitter edge to her voice that Greyson was surprised to hear. “You get bitten.”

“You were attacked?”

Indianna was silent.

“Answer me, Indie. I do not like being ignored.”

Indianna gulped and looked away from Greyson. He was starting to scare her, but she knew that the easiest option was to answer his questions, no matter how uncomfortable they made her.

“Yes, I was attacked.”

Greyson released Indianna’s arm, and she immediately shot out of her seat, attempting to get away from the boy who was intimidating and scaring her. But as quick as she thought she was, Greyson was quicker. He blocked Indianna’s path and looked down at her with an amused smirk.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Indianna looked up at him in shock, her eyes widening in anger. “Are you insane?” she hissed. “Do you like terrorising the new girls? Is that what gets you off—” She groaned in frustration when Greyson blocked her way again and pressed her palm to her forehead. “Please, just let me pass!”

“Don’t move,” Greyson said sternly.

“You can’t tell me what to do!” Indianna snapped. Indianna was quiet and reserved. She had a temper, but it was buried very deep down. Greyson seemed to have no trouble digging it up. As Indianna’s temper grew, her shyness faded away. “Get away from me!”

Greyson’s jaw was clenched, and he grabbed Indianna’s arm, holding her in place. “I said,” he whispered in her ear, his voice resembling something very close to a growl. Shivers ran down Indianna’s spine. “Don’t move. Now sit the hell down and do as I say.”

At this moment, Indianna was scared of Greyson. However, her anger was easily overpowering her fear and shyness. She thought she had met boys like Greyson before, but she was wrong. She had never encountered this before.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Indianna demanded. “My father? You can’t order me around, you’re freaking crazy! Now, get the hell out of my way or I will scream.”

Suddenly, the cold look on Greyson’s face was gone, replaced with an expression that wasn’t kind, but a lot softer than it was. His grip loosened, and Indianna’s arm slipped through his fingers. His eyes darted back and forth as he looked at Indianna. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks slightly flushed.

“It’s anger,” he said after a moment of silence.

Indianna blinked, shocked at his sudden change in personality. “W-What?” she spluttered.

“Anger,” Greyson said. “It brings out your confidence. It helps you to stand up for yourself.”

Indianna’s mouth dropped. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you? You were trying to piss me off?!”

Greyson’s lips twitched. “I wanted to test a theory,” he shrugged and dropped back into his chair.

“You were scaring me! Why would you do something like that?”

“I wanted to see how quickly you’d get angry.”

“Why? That’s cruel!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Greyson said dismissively, and he gestured to the chair next to him. “Are you going to sit back down?”

“Tell me, Greyson!”

“It’s not the right time.”

Indianna suddenly froze. The voice had said that to her earlier.

‘It’s you.’ Indianna looked at Greyson as she spoke the words in her mind. He was looking up at her, but there was no change in his expression. His face was blank. With a sigh, Indianna sat back down in her chair, not seeing Greyson’s lips form a smirk.

‘I have no idea what you are talking about.’

The voice made Indianna jump, and she immediately looked at Greyson, growing. She realized that she could feel a presence in her head. It felt like this person was pushing his way through her mind, forcing himself in and invading her privacy.

“Are you okay, Indie?” Greyson asked with a curious tone in his voice.

Indianna narrowed her eyes and looked at her hands. “I’m fine,” she muttered and focused on the presence in her mind.

‘You do know what I’m talking about,’ she insisted.

‘No, I’m afraid I do not.’

‘Just tell me who you are and what you are doing in my head! If you’re in my head, does that mean…’ Indianna stopped herself, but the voice answered her unanswered question.

‘Yes. Yes, I can read your mind.’

“Oh my gosh,” Indianna whispered. ‘Who are you?’

‘I can’t tell you yet, Indie.’

Indianna gasped, and she looked up at Greyson, who was now on his phone. He slowly turned to her. “Do you want something, Indie?”

“I… er…” Indianna shook her head hurriedly. “No, it’s nothing.”

‘You’re going to drive me insane,’ she said to the voice in her head.

‘I’m glad I could be of service, sugar.’

‘Sugar?’ Indianna questioned.

‘Is there something wrong with me calling you sugar?’

‘Yes. I don’t like it.’

‘Then it’s perfect.’

Indianna had only had two conversations with this boy, but she could imagine him smirking. He was making her blood boil. She already hated him.