Sins Of Her Venom
Chapter 73: Playing Dirty

Chapter 73: Playing Dirty

-Kathrine Andrews: ( Song of the Chapter: House Of The Balloons by The Weeknd)

The school hallways buzzed with the usual morning chaos—students laughing, lockers slamming, teachers yelling at some idiot for running.

Morning classes passed in a blur, mostly because I wasn’t paying attention. I spent half the time twirling a pen between my fingers, my thoughts circling around last night like a vulture over a carcass.

Glyndon.

Her hands on me. Her lips. Her skin under my fingers. Her voice.

I clenched my jaw and shook my head, shifting in my seat. This was exactly why I needed a distraction. A good, solid distraction. Something—or someone—to remind me who the hell I was.

And why I should not be thinking of Glyndon or of last night.

She is literally my enemy and now I suddenly started being soft on her instead of torturing her like she did to me.

What happened to the original plan? I was doing it perfectly before and suddenly I changed, and suddenly she changed.

The cafeteria was loud, the usual chaos of students talking over each other, chairs scraping against the tile floor, and the occasional burst of laughter from some inside joke I wasn’t in on.

The scent of greasy fries and whatever questionable meal the school was serving today filled the air, mixing with too-strong perfume and the body spray some of the guys thought was a replacement for showering.

I sat at my usual table, one leg draped over the other, fingers tapping against the surface as I half-listened to the conversations around me.

Daniel sat beside me, scrolling through his phone with an expression that was either deep focus or pure boredom.

Brandon and Michael were across from us, practically tangled together as they whispered and laughed about something. Lily and Emma were locked in a heated discussion about God knows what, and Ethan and Ryan were... being Ethan and Ryan—currently failing to balance spoons on their noses, like the absolute morons they were.

It was a normal day.

A regular, mind-numbingly predictable lunch period.

So why the hell did I feel like my skin didn’t fit right?

I shifted in my seat, rolling my shoulders, trying to shake the feeling creeping up my spine. But my mind was a traitor, pulling me back to last night, to the way Glyndon had looked at me, the way her lips had trembled, the way she had stayed.

Stayed.

I clenched my jaw, inhaling sharply through my nose. No. I was not going to sit here and think about her. Not in the middle of lunch, not while my friends were right in front of me, not while—

"Hey, Kathrine."

I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts.

A girl stood in front of me.

She was pretty. Really pretty. Long, curly auburn hair that cascaded over her shoulders, brown eyes, and olive skin like she bathed in sunlight every morning.

She was wearing a fitted black top that hugged her waist on top of her uniform, a short purple skirt, and thigh-high socks that made her legs look longer than they already were.

I tilted my head slightly, raising an eyebrow. "Hey."

She smiled, biting her bottom lip a little. "I, um..." She hesitated, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, like she was working up the nerve to say whatever she came here for.

Oh, this was interesting.

"I was wondering if I could get your number," she finally said, her voice just a little too confident for someone who had been hesitating seconds ago.

I smirked, leaning back in my chair.

This was my chance.

My chance to shove Glyndon Walton out of my head. To remind myself that she was nothing, that what happened was nothing, that I could do whatever the hell I wanted with whoever I wanted.

So I grinned at the girl, letting my gaze trail over her before I met her eyes again. "Yeah, sure," I said smoothly.

I pulled my phone out, unlocked it, and handed it to her. She took it, fingers brushing against mine as she entered her number.

From the corner of my eye, I caught Brandon smirking, Michael whispering something to him. Ethan, who usually ignored everything, actually glanced up, brow raised slightly.

When the girl finished, she handed the phone back to me, her fingers lingering for a second longer than necessary. "Text me," she said, a small, teasing smile on her lips before she turned and walked away.

As soon as she was out of earshot, my friends pounced.

"Ooooh," Bran drawled, grinning. "Kat got a girl’s number."

Lily snorted. "Not surprising. We all know she’s a chick magnet."

"More like a disaster magnet, She is screwing the Waltons Princess." Daniel muttered, going back to his phone.

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up."

But I was smirking, playing along, letting their teasing wash over me like it was nothing. Like I wasn’t trying to drown out something else.

And then—

I felt it.

That sharp, unmistakable sensation of being watched.

I glanced up, and my eyes immediately locked onto Glyndon’s.

She was sitting at her table, across the cafeteria, surrounded by her friends. Alex was beside her, talking, but she wasn’t listening.

No.

She was staring.

More like glaring.

Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her hands clenched into fists on the table. Even from this distance, I could see the tension in her shoulders, the storm brewing in her dark eyes.

Something in me—something cruel, something reckless—wanted to push her further.

So I smirked. Leaned back in my chair. Pulled my phone out, unlocked it, and deliberately typed out a message to the girl who had just walked away.

Glyndon’s jaw tensed.

I could see the way her fingers dug into the fabric of her skirt, the way her chest rose and fell just a little too fast.

Oh, this was fun.

Maybe even more fun than I thought it would be.

I hit send, watching the little message bubble disappear. The second it did, the girl’s phone lit up where she was sitting a few tables away. She glanced down, then looked back up at me, flashing a playful little smile before typing a response.

My phone buzzed.

Unknown Number: Hey, Kat, it’s Savannah. Thanks for giving me your number.

I smirked, typing back.

Me: No problem. You caught me at a good time.

She answered almost immediately.

Savannah: I was kinda nervous to ask, but I had to shoot my shot. You’re even hotter up close, by the way.

I didn’t even read it twice. I didn’t care.

What I did care about was the way Glyndon’s eyes darkened, the way her nails tapped against the table like she was seconds away from snapping. Her jaw was locked so tight I thought she might crack a tooth.

Alex nudged her, saying something, but she didn’t respond. She just kept staring, her glare burning into me from across the cafeteria.

I took a slow sip of my drink, dragging this out, letting the tension between us stretch.

God, I was an asshole.

But if I was going to be miserable, then so was she.

"Are you even listening?" Lily waved a hand in front of my face.

I blinked, breaking eye contact with Glyndon, and turned to my friends. "What?"

Lily huffed. "I asked if you actually like that girl or if you’re just messing around."

"Does it matter?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It does if you’re using her as a distraction," Bran said, his voice suspiciously knowing.

Michael leaned in. "Yeah, like... are you trying to make someone jealous?"

Daniel, without looking up from his phone, muttered, "You guys are so dumb."

I scoffed. "I don’t like making anyone jealous. That’s childish."

Lily gave me a look. "No, but you do love pissing people off."

I just shrugged.

Because, yeah. I did.

And right now? I wanted Glyndon to be pissed. I wanted her to squirm, to feel that same awful, clawing frustration that had been sitting in my gut since last night.

She wasn’t supposed to stay.

She wasn’t supposed to look at me like that, touch me like that.

And I sure as hell wasn’t supposed to like it.

But I had.

And now? I was playing dirty.

I grabbed my phone again, tapping out another message to Savannah.

Me: So, what exactly were you hoping for when you asked for my number?

I knew Glyndon was still watching. I could feel it.

Savannah took a moment before responding.

Savannah: Maybe a date. Or just an excuse to talk to you more. Everyone at school hates you, but I think you’re kinda amazing.

Me: You think?

Savannah: No. I know. And maybe I wanted to see if you’re as dangerous as they say. I like how you give the bullies their shit back. I like how good you are at Hockey.... And, I like you.

I typed slowly, deliberately, as if I was writing something particularly interesting.

Me: You might not be ready for that answer.

And then, just because I could, I let out a quiet laugh, shaking my head like she had said something funny.

That did it.

I caught the exact moment Glyndon’s patience snapped.

She shot up from her seat so fast her chair nearly toppled over. Alex looked up, startled, and grabbed her wrist, trying to pull her back down.

She shoved him off.

Didn’t even say anything.

Just stormed out of the cafeteria, fists clenched, jaw tight, her movements stiff with anger.

A smug grin pulled at my lips.

Yeah.

That’s what I thought.

Maybe this was cruel. Maybe it was stupid.

But if Glyndon Walton thought she could get under my skin and walk away like nothing happened?

She had another thing coming.

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