"Yo, long time no see, Hawthorne," the blonde called out, his grin stretching impossibly wide. My stomach dropped. Hawthorne? They know each other? How?
Elias's eyes narrowed and he scoffed, his body shifting into something hard and protective. "Scott. I thought you had died."
Scott laughed, more like snorted. "I'm sorry to have disappointed you. I just thought you'd be too lonely without me," he said lightly, tilting his head in amusement.
I stole a glance at Elias, who looked furious. No one needed to tell me there was history here, something unspoken and charged, and I had no idea what it was. But the air around them felt thick, crackling like a storm about to break.
Other students started trickling out of the buses behind Scott, laughing and nudging each other, oblivious to the tiny war unfolding on the porch.
Scott's gaze swept past Elias and landed on me. His smirk deepened, eyes glinting with mischief, or maybe something more dangerous.
