Entangled (Spellbound #1)

Chapter 17

"Making new friends?" Raj asked when Gray crossed the hall to his side.

Gray really did grimace this time. "Hardly. Maintaining Charlene's façade is all."

"Uh-huh."

"What?"

"Looked like you were having a good time playing the role."

"Don't be a jackass. I'm just good at hiding my inner cringe. Anyway, I bet you'd think a lot better of Brittany if you knew she declared you 'doable.'"

Raj laughed. "In her dreams."

"Look at you all puffed up. Imagine what it'd do for your ego if I told you that even my own dear friend Thea said as much to me before I kicked the bucket."

Raj craned his head toward Gray. "Thea Johnston thinks I'm doable?"

"You know her or something?"

"We have some classes together. She's always seemed really cool."

"Then why don't you ask her out or something?" Gray snapped. Her frown stretched to her chin. Why shouldn't Raj think Thea was cool? She was really cool.

"Whoa, who said anything about asking anyone out?" Raj lifted his hands. So far his lighter hadn't appeared in either hand. Gray kept expecting him to retrieve the blasted thing and start snapping it open and closed. Heck, she felt like flicking the dang Zippo a few times herself. "I'm still processing this information."

"That's right, gloat all you want—two girls at McKinley vote Raj McKenna decidedly doable."

"And you don't?"

"You wish."

"Why not?"

Gray pressed her lips together.

Raj chuckled the longer she refused to respond. Gray picked up the pace. "Speaking of doable, I have to go get my morning embrace with Blake over with."

Raj caught Gray's arm. She was about to demand he let her go, but the words died on her tongue when their eyes met.

"I don't like him touching you."

"It's not me he's touching."

Raj stared deep into Gray's eyes. "It is you."

She swallowed. "Don't worry. I can look out for myself." Gray pulled free from his grasp.

"I don't like it," he repeated as she hurried down the hall.

Raj's words followed Gray right up to Blake Foster, who awaited her at her locker. The grin on his face was sickening. "Last night was incredible," he whispered, invading Gray's personal space and running his gropey hands all over her before she had the chance to cast a rash across his body. "You are one naughty schoolgirl."

So that was what Charlene meant by damage control.

Blake reached a hand up Gray's skirt at the same time he bit down on her earlobe. Gray didn't have enough wits about her to cast a spell. She did, however, have the full force of her natural reflexes and smacked Blake across the face with a resounding slap.

The hand that'd been under Gray's skirt was now pressed against Blake's cheek. Anger flashed across his eyes.

Uh-oh.

Gray chuckled nervously. "And you're a naughty schoolboy."

Blake didn't bite. "Not cool, Charlene," he said. "Not cool at all." And then he stormed off.

* * *

Gray spent first period on the edge of her seat biting her fingernails—a habit she'd supposedly kicked before entering high school. Ryan didn't mention Blake so he must not have heard about it yet.