FURY: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rosewood High Book 6)

by Tracy Lorraine

  But I lie there doing nothing.

  I need to let her cool off. I can’t chase her. Yet.

  After long painful minutes of listening to her move about in her room, a knock sounds out on my bedroom door.

  After I got back, I refused to eat with, or even talk to, Dad and Lisa. I just wanted to hide. So after grabbing a couple of cans of soda and a bag of chips, that’s exactly what I did. Although not before Dad called out after me that I had twelve hours to get my shit together because tomorrow the principal was expecting me at Rosewood High bright and early to start my new life.

  Great. I can’t fucking wait.

  I thought I was nearly done with school. Okay, so I wouldn’t have graduated like Mom was hoping for, but I would have been done and free to do whatever I wanted.

  Now though, I’m going backward.

  “The perfect opportunity to start over and make something of myself,” Dad had called up the stairs as I walked away from him earlier.

  I guess that could be true. I could actually attend school instead of getting wasted and high with the Kingston boys and actually give myself a future. But dropping back to being a junior fucking sucks. Even if Rosewood has a killer football team. Do I really want to do it all over again?

  Whoever it is knocks again and I freeze. Did I miss her moving around and coming to my door? My heart pounds at the thought of her appearing in the doorway, but when I call out and the door swings open, it’s not Ruby standing there. I almost roll my eyes at myself, of course it’s not her, it’s Dad coming to give me a lecture I’m sure.

  “You busy?”

  I raise a brow at him. I’m lying on my bed doing absolutely nothing. Do I look busy?

  “No.”

  “Can you come down to my office? We need to have a chat.”

  I want to refuse, continue to be the asshole that I’m sure I’ve convinced him that I am since I moved here. But he’s right. It’s time we talked.

  “Sure, lead the way.”

  The walk down to his office is tense as fuck, but I fight my need to turn around and hide back in my room. This chat has been a long time coming, years actually.

  “Take a seat.” I do as I’m told, grinding my teeth the entire time.

  “I’ve spoken to Principal Hartmann. He’s gotten your transfer papers from your old place and he’s happy for you to join as a junior now ready to restart your senior year next semester. It sounds like you’ve had a glowing reference from your old coach, and Hartmann has already mentioned you joining the team. I really think you should consider it.”

  I nod at him, he’s not saying anything that I don’t already know. And as for the team, playing football will probably be the only thing that gets me through all of this, so yeah, I’m on board with that.

  “He will introduce you to Coach and some of the team tomorrow, no doubt. But I need to warn you that I’ve told him that you are going to take this seriously. This is your second chance, Ashton. Not many people get the chance to right their wrongs like this. Your attendance and GPA are poor, and if it weren’t for your skills on the field, I really think Hartmann would have had second thoughts about allowing you into his school. I’ve assured him that you’re going to be an asset to both the school and the team, and I really need you to be on board.”

  I stare at him, unsure what he’s really expecting of me. I’ve always hated school. Football is the only good thing about education as far as I’m concerned, so I’m finding it hard to get excited about this new start like I think he’s expecting of me.

  “Did you know Mom was saving all the money you’ve sent her since the day you left?” I blurt out, needing to change the subject away from me, having to promise something I’m already sure I can’t deliver on.

  “Uh... no.” The frown line on his head tells me that he had no clue.

  “I knew you sent money, she told me time and time again when I blamed our shitty living situation on you. So I just assumed you never sent enough.”

  “Ashton, every month I sent—”

  “I know, I found it.”

  “Found it?”

  “I discovered her journals in her room. I started reading this year’s. She kept all your money in an account. She was waiting until I finished school and she planned to move us both to Maddison County to start over. She wanted to buy a house, give me better opportunities, and for us to be closer.”

  “Wow, okay,” he breathes, slumping back in his chair.

  “I thought you were the bad guy who wasn’t looking after us—me.”

  “Ash, no. I know I left, but things weren’t good between your mom and me. I loved her, I always will, she was such a huge part of my life, but things were long over by the time I reconnected with Lisa online. My priority was always you, making sure you were safe, looked after.”

  “But you saw how we lived, you left us like that.”

  “Your mom was a stubborn and independent woman, Ash. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that. I tried to help, to give her more, to do what I thought you both needed but she wouldn’t accept it. She wanted me to be happy here just as much as I wanted you both to be. She didn’t want to drag me into your lives more than necessary because technically, I gave up that right when I left Seattle.”

  I blow out a long breath, dragging my eyes from his and staring down at his desk between us.

  “I won’t sit here and say that I did everything right, Ash, because I know that I didn’t. Our relationship wouldn’t have been what it has if I’d done things right. But I tried. All I wanted was for you to have the best start in life.”

  “You’re not the only one who’s fucked things up.”

  He shakes his head. “None of this is on you, Ash.”

  “I appreciate that, but it is.”

  He opens his mouth to say something but swiftly closes it again. After swallowing down his nerves or whatever it is that’s stopping him, he finally says the words that I know are coming.

  “We need to talk about Ruby.”

  I nod because I knew I wasn’t getting out of this room without her coming up.

  “I’m sorry,” I say, shocking the fuck out of him if his lowered chin is anything to go by. “Honestly, I’m not sure I’d have got through the last week without her. She’s a fucking angel.”

  He nods. “Y-yeah, she is.”

  “I hated her to start with. She had everything I wanted. You.” I slump down in my chair, not really wanting to admit these things to him but at the same time knowing that we need to get all of this out. “I can’t even put into words how much I missed you when you left. And then I see pictures of you playing happy family with Lisa and Ruby. It hurt, Dad. It hurt so fucking bad.”

  “When I came here last year, it was with the intention of hurting her. Of hurting you. Showing you that leaving me behind and starting over with a new family wasn’t going to be that easy. Only... she wasn’t what I was expecting and when I got her at her weakest, she spoke to me in a way no one had before. She affected me like no other and I freaked and—”

  “Left,” he interrupts, nodding as if he’s putting the missing pieces of a puzzle together in his head. “It was you.”

  “W-what was me?” I ask, my brows drawing together.

  “After you left, Ruby, she... she kind of fell apart. She... changed. We thought it was just a teenage girl thing. She was acting out, getting drunk—shit, I probably shouldn’t be telling you this.”

  “No, no go on,” I say with a smirk.

  “Jesus, Ash. What do you want me to say here? She’s my stepdaughter. I love her almost as much as I do you.”

  “Say whatever you like, we both know that if I don’t like it then I’ll just ignore it.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I’m worried about.”

  He blows out a long breath and scrubs his hand down his face. “Lisa is going to kill me for this,” he mutters to himself. “Is it serious?”

  “Uh...” I hesitate because how am I actually supposed to give him
a serious answer. We’ve had a couple of angry, emotional moments together. I doubt they could be classed as serious in anyone’s books.

  “Is how you feel about her serious?”

  I rub at my jaw wishing I was anywhere but here and having this hellish conversation with a man I feel like I don’t know anymore.

  “I-I think so. This is all new to me, but I can tell you that I feel differently about her then I do any other girls I’ve fu—” I cut myself off when his fists curl on top of the desk. “Spent time with.”

  “I can’t stop you doing whatever it is you want to do. I’m not stupid enough to even try. But I need you to promise me something.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Go big or go home, Ash. You either want her and you’re serious, in which case you need to prove yourself to her, to me—to us. Or... you walk away now before you cause any more damage, and you allow her to get on with her life while you restart yours. I want you both to be happy and I trust both of you enough to be able to choose the right thing for yourselves. But if you go after her and you hurt her, well... I might not be so nice after that. I want you here, Ash, but you’re eighteen soon...” He trails off, leaving his warning about being kicked out of his house hanging in the air between us if I do anything to fuck this up or hurt Ruby.

  “I get it, Dad.”

  “Good, because I’m serious. I want you here more than anything. I want everyone I love around me. But if you hurt either Lisa or Ruby in their own house, I’m not going to have a choice.”

  “I know. I’ll do the right thing.” I hope. There’s got to be a first time for everything, right?

  “We done?” I ask, pushing to the edge of the seat. We’ve just talked more than we have in years and I’m more than ready to go and hide on my own in silence once more.

  “Yeah.” I’m at the door before he speaks again. “I’ll talk to Lisa about this but maybe don’t repeat exactly what I said to you.”

  A smile tugs at my lips. “Sure thing.” I can just imagine how his go big or go home statement would sound to Ruby’s mom.

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “I want to trust you, Ash. Please, don’t let me down.”

  I nod, unable to make any promises. The one thing I seem to be good at is letting people down and fucking things up.

  I pause at my door when I get there. I desperately want to keep going and knock on her door to see if she’ll even talk to me, but I don’t.

  There’s going to be plenty of time to talk. I owe her a little space after everything.

  I might not have made any promises out loud to Dad, but I fully intend on at least trying because she deserves it. She did everything she could for me when I was at my lowest, the least I can do is what she asks of me.

  For now, at least.

  “Ashton Fury, I’ve heard a lot about you,” Principal Hartmann says after introducing himself and inviting me into his office.

  I might have only walked through the admin part of Rosewood High but already the differences to my old school are glaringly obvious. For a start, the staff I’ve seen look like they actually want to be here, the buildings don’t look like they’re about to crumble to the ground and the students look... happy. It’s weird.

  “All good, I hope,” I reply, dropping down into the chair in front of his desk and shoving my hands into the pockets of my hoodie.

  “If we’re talking about on the field then yes, in the classroom... not so much.”

  “Huh, I’m surprised the teachers noticed,” I mutter, looking around his office before my eyes land on the photograph of his family sitting on his desk. My old principal didn’t dare do something like that for fear one of his students would go after his kids. It just proves that this really isn’t Seattle.

  “Your GPA leaves something to the imagination, young man. If you think you’re going to come in here and wow us with your football skills and we’ll ignore your academic progress, then you’ve got another thing coming.”

  I nod, knowing that his words are right.

  “I’ve spoken to Coach and he’s more than willing to let you attend his conditioning sessions starting this afternoon if you’re up for it, but getting a place on his team is going to require dedication and an improvement in your grades.”

  “You got it.”

  “Okay,” he says, studying me, probably wondering why I’m making this so easy for him. It makes me wonder exactly what he has heard about me. I might not have been the best student in the past but I was far from the worst.

  “I’ve got your schedule here, there is some flexibility should you need—”

  “I’ll be great, thanks.” I lean forward and tug it from his fingers. My past performance might lead people to think I’m not capable of achieving anything, but that’s far from the truth. I’m not stupid, just bored.

  I run my eyes over the piece of paper, spotting all the usual subjects and nothing I can’t cope with.

  “Okay, so... do you have any questions for me?”

  “Nope. Just point me in the direction of...” I glance back to the schedule to see how my week is starting. “Chemistry, and I’ll get out of your hair.”

  “Actually, I’ve arranged for someone to give you the grand tour.”

  “Great.” I just about manage to hold in my groan. I really don’t need someone to hold my hand, I’m sure I can navigate my way around this place without too much effort.

  Thoughts of a peppy cheerleader happily showing me around fills my mind, and I start to wonder if he’s going to have arranged for Ruby to be my guide. Surely, I’m not that lucky.

  “It’s probably best you get to know each other, you know, captain to captain and all that.” Hartmann winks at me and I push from the chair.

  So not Ruby then. I try to keep my disappointment off my face.

  He hits the intercom button on his desk before barking, “Can you please send Jake in?”

  A polite voice agrees before the door opens and a dark-haired guy wearing a Rosewood Bears jersey steps inside.

  “Jake Thorn, this is Ashton Fury. Ashton was captain of his team in Seattle. He’s going to be joining you for conditioning in the hope of making the team. Jake is our current captain. He led us all the way to the championships.”

  “Okay, great. Shall we,” I say, nodding to Jake and walking out of Hartmann’s office.

  “So you were captain. You win anything?”

  “Nah. Our school... it wasn’t like this one. The sports funding was shit but we did the best we could with what we had.”

  “Well, I hope you’re good because our best players are about to graduate.”

  “I guess you’ll find out soon.”

  “I guess so.”

  I trail behind Jake as he gives me a brief tour of the place, pointing out where I do and don’t want to go, where the team hangs out and how things work around here.

  “That’s your first class down there.” He points to a green door at the end of the hallway.

  “Great, thanks for the tour.” I turn to leave him but he stops me.

  “Fury,” he says, taking a step toward me so our chests are only a few inches apart. “I don’t give a shit how good you are on the field. You hurt Ruby, and my boys and I will make sure you never play again. You got that.”

  I stare into his narrowed eyes, not standing down in any sense as a smirk pulls at one side of my mouth.

  “Warning heard loud and clear, captain. But I should warn you that I’ve eaten boys bigger than you for breakfast. So I’d like to see you try.”

  I don’t wait for him to respond. I spin and take off down the hall, ready to introduce myself to my first teacher.

  “We’ll see, Fury. We’ll see,” I hear him mutter after me.

  I’m still smiling when I step into the classroom.

  Silence fills the room immediately at my interruption.

  “Oh hello, you must be Ashton,” the teacher says softly. She’s young, almost too young to be teaching high school, but whatev
er. It’s not her who captures my attention because when I turn to my left, I lock eyes with the one person I do want to see.

  My smile widens as she swallows nervously and sinks down in her chair as if she’s going to be able to hide behind her desk.

  Nice try, little one. Nice try.

  32

  Ruby

  I wasn’t surprised when my body woke me before the sun came up this morning. I’ve been doing it for so many weeks as we prepared for nationals it’s become almost normal.

  I tried to force myself to roll over and go back to sleep but it was pointless.

  In the end, I got up and got ready as if I had somewhere to be. The sun was barely up when I pulled open the front door and made my way to my car.

  I figured there was no chance of bumping into Ash if I left this early.

  Mom accosted me when I escaped my bedroom last night for a snack and confirmed that he would be starting at Rosewood today and that Stephen was talking to him, warning him to give me some space.

  I appreciated it, but Ashton has proved to me time and time again that he doesn’t really listen to rules, especially when it comes to me.

  She warned me to be careful but thankfully, she steered clear of talking about anything else to do with the two of us. I can only hope I got through to her in the bathroom at Leanora’s funeral and that she’s going to back off and let us make our own mistakes.

  I let out a sigh as I pull open the gym doors and walk inside the dark space.

  I flick a couple of the lights on, just enough to see where I’m going and to alert anyone to the fact that I’m in here.

  I cross my legs and sit right in the middle of the room as I run the events of the weekend through my mind.

  Chelsea was right, our routines and performances were killer. I know I was hard on myself when we didn’t score first place, but it’s only because I want it for all the girls who have put everything into this. I want it more for them than I do for me. I wanted it for Chelsea. She deserved it.

  I rest back on my palms and tip my head up to the ceiling as I wonder what the next few months will hold.