In Silence: A Dark High School Bully Romance (A Black Falls High Novel Book 2)

by K. G. Reuss

  “They’re going to be state champs this year. Everyone is talking about Fox’s arm. Kid has a rocket. Says he’s got a full ride to Mayfair in the fall. The only problem I see is Kurt said he wants to major in writing. All that talent, and the kid wants to be a writer.” Dad snorted and shook his head.

  I stared down at my plate. I hadn’t known that was what Fox planned on doing. Memories of all his stories from when we were kids washed over me, making nausea twist low in my guts. I ground my teeth as the image of him and Juliet together in his bed swept through my mind, erasing all those fond recollections. My resolve was reinforced, and I blew out the deep breath I’d hauled in to steady myself.

  “That’s nice,” was all I said, taking another bite of my pancake.

  “We should invite him over for dinner,” Mom called out brightly. “It’s been so long since he’s been here. Maybe you and him can talk, Rosalie—”

  “I’m good. Thanks.”

  Mom frowned and looked to Dad who only shrugged as he sipped his coffee.

  “Rosalie, what’s going on with you at school?”

  I ground my teeth. I hated when Dad wanted to get conversational. Tryouts were coming up for the musical. I’d tossed out the song I’d worked on with the guys, vowing to never look at it or sing it again. After roles were cast, the drama department would start promoting it. I was tired of hiding it. But I knew Dad. It would have to be a secret until it wasn’t an option.

  “Nothing. Just homework.”

  “Jamie hasn’t been around much,” Mom commented. “Is everything OK with her?”

  “She got a boyfriend. I don’t like him.” I frowned, the nausea returning. “We’re better off not talking right now.”

  “I see,” Mom said softly. “Well, maybe you girls can work it out. Have you tried talking to her about it?”

  “No.” I gave her a tight smile. “I’m not that great at communication. It’s something I need to work on.”

  Mom patted my hand reassuringly. “You’ll figure it out. Boys come and go, but best friends are forever.”

  Right. Just like Fox. I’d believe that when I saw it.

  “I need to get to school.” I rose from my seat.

  Dad looked down at his watch. “Why so early? You’ve been leaving a half hour early lately.”

  “Just like going to the library and getting a jump on things. I stay focused better when I do,” I lied through my teeth.

  Dad nodded his approval. “That’s my girl. You know how important your future is. I admire how dedicated you are, Rosalie. You make Mom and me very proud.”

  That nausea in my stomach twisted around my heart as I offered my parents a smile. “I’ll see you guys tonight.”

  Once I was out of their sight, I snatched my backpack and went to my car. I’d tried not to look at Fox’s place since the Juliet incident. But sometimes I failed. Today was one of those days as I found myself glancing at his driveway. His black Jeep wasn’t there. Something about that bothered me. Every morning I made a mad dash to school to avoid him, and today he wasn’t home.

  It doesn’t matter. Get to school and get through this nightmare.

  I parked my car in my usual spot in the back of the lot and got out. Going around to the back door, I opened it and yanked out my backpack. When I turned around, I came face to face with Fox.

  A squeak of surprise left me as I stared up at him. His blue eyes were sad, black circles rimming them. His lips, lips I missed so much, were turned down into a deep frown. His leather jacket, white V-neck t-shirt and low-slung ripped jeans made him look like the incredibly sexy bad boy he was.

  “Rosie,” he said in a hoarse voice.

  “What are you doing here?” I answered, peering around the lot for signs of the other guys or Juliet. “Why were you at my house this morning? I told you I’d call the cops if you came back.”

  He reached out and started to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His lips parted, a pained expression crossing his face as I flinched away from him. “I wanted to talk.”

  “We have nothing left to say to one another, Fox.”

  “You know that’s a lie,” he murmured, reaching for me again, this time in an attempt to hold me at the waist.

  I shoved him away. “I said no, Fox. I know it’s not a word you’re used to hearing, but fucking learn it.”

  A muscle thrummed along his jaw as he stared back at me.

  “Let me explain everything. Enough time has passed, Rosalie. You’ve had time to cool off. We both have. Now let’s talk.”

  “How about you kiss my ass?” I snapped, shoving past him, my heart racing. “I told you to leave me the hell alone.”

  He caught me by the arm and tugged me back against my car, his body pressed against mine.

  “I’d love to do a whole host of things to your ass, but right now, I need you to listen to me.” His warm breath blew over my face. I tried to steady my trembling body. “Juliet doesn’t mean shit to me. You do. We fucking miss you, Rosie. Please. Meet me tonight at the treehouse.” He leaned in, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear as he gave my waist a gentle squeeze. “Let me fix everything.”

  I closed my eyes as he rubbed against me, his hard length apparent through his jeans. My fury took over. He thought sex was how to fix everything? The betrayal and heartache rose to the top of my heart and bubbled over.

  Fuck him. Even if I did miss him. Fuck him.

  “I’m seeing someone.”

  He stilled against me, his body tensing. I waited for his reaction, hoping the news hurt like hell. He deserved it. This was only the beginning of what I had in store for him. But then I remembered I was just a game to him and the guys. The only thing this did was put a damper on the bonus round for them.

  “Who?” he growled in my ear, his hold on my waist tightening enough to make me wince.

  “None of your damn business.”

  He moved a hand to my face and cradled it, a dark look in his eyes. “You belong to me… To Cole, Enzo, Ethan. I want to know who it is. Tell me.”

  “I belong to no one,” I hissed at him. “Least of all any of you. You all made that perfectly clear.” I tried to push him away from me, but he held fast.

  “You will always belong to me, Rosie. It doesn’t matter who you’re fucking. In the end, I’ll win.”

  “That’s not how this works, Fox. You don’t get to call the shots. I do.” I cupped his manhood in my hand, giving it a squeeze that made him wince. “You don’t have shit I want. Not anymore. Not even this.”

  This time when I shoved at him, he released me, his cheeks flushed pink.

  “Rosalie!” he called out to my retreating back. I paused, breathing hard from the encounter. I didn’t look back at him as I waited for him to speak. “We’re playing for keeps. You’re the prize, and we never lose.”

  “First time for everything,” I answered before walking away.

  Operation Takedown the Horsemen was off to a rocky start. First was Fox’s sudden appearance at my car. Then before lunch, I opened my locker to find a red rose inside with a handwritten message.

  Lunch on the bleachers? -Ethan

  I ground my teeth, crumpled the note, and pitched the rose into the trash. A thorn caught my finger, making me wince as a bead of blood ballooned out.

  Even their damn flowers hurt.

  “You’re a hard girl to track down,” Ian said, falling in step beside me

  “Good. Then my plan is working.”

  He let out a dark chuckle before he snaked his arm around my waist. I stiffened beneath his touch. If he noticed, he made no mention of it.

  “I broke it off with Jamie for you. She cried and cried. Begged me to reconsider.” He steered me down the hall. “Pathetic, really.”

  I hated that he tried to make it like this was all my fault. Prick.

  “Is she OK?” I murmured, glancing around to find curious looks aimed in our direction. I ducked my head as we stopped at his locker.

  He
lifted my chin with a finger. “I don’t really give a fuck if she is or not.”

  “Ian,” I hissed angrily.

  He rolled his eyes. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. It’s not like she put out anyway. I had to beg for any action and even that wasn’t as much or as good as I wanted.”

  I shook my head and ground my teeth as I turned away from him.

  “You’re mine now,” Ian said softly as his hand rested on my lower back.

  I stilled, my chest aching.

  “And you’re going to do all the things she wouldn’t.” His lips brushed against my ear as he spoke, “Turn around.”

  Clenching my teeth, I turned to face him. He smiled down at me as he cradled my face in his hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jamie come around the corner. He glanced in her direction, his lips turning up into a slow, wicked smile.

  “Kiss me,” Ian said, turning back to me.

  I shook my head at him, bile burning my throat.

  “Rosalie,” he growled. A warning. A threat. “We have a deal. Remember? Pay up.”

  Everything within me fought my next move. I’d saved Jamie. Maybe she’d never know it. Maybe she’d hate me forever, but I’d saved her from him.

  In the process, I’d broken myself, trying to take over places maybe I shouldn’t tread in. In only moments, everyone would know. I’d be the talk of the town. More gossip. More rumors. But I was going to take all of them down. Each one who’d hurt me would suffer. I’d do what I had to do. Willingly.

  For Jamie. For revenge. To rule.

  I leaned in and pressed my lips to Ian’s. He pulled me close, his tongue sweeping against mine.

  If it wasn’t with Ian, I’d have said the kiss was decent. Nowhere near the caliber of anything the guys could do, but not terrible. If I didn’t hate him so much, I may have even enjoyed it.

  After a few seconds, I broke the kiss off and wiped at my mouth.

  “Rosalie?” Jamie choked out mere feet from us. Her face had gone white. She trembled where she stood, her eyes darting between me and Ian. “Ian?”

  “Hey, Jamie,” Ian greeted her brightly.

  “You said you needed space,” she croaked, tears snaking down her cheeks. People stared at us as they slowed in the hallway to watch. “You said there wasn’t anyone else.”

  Ian shrugged and glanced at me, his arm still around my waist. “Guess I lied.”

  She opened her mouth, more tears trailing down her cheeks as she turned her glare on me. I held my breath as she approached me.

  “You’re supposed to be my best friend, Rosalie,” she choked out. “Why would you do this to me?”

  I stared back at her, wordless.

  “You had the elite. You had the fucking horsemen! I guess when they were done fucking you, you decided to keep up your whore persona,” she continued, her voice rising. We were drawing a crowd. “Is that it? Figured you’d fuck your way through the entire school before graduation?”

  “It’s not like that, Jamie,” I answered softly.

  Ian chuckled beside me.

  I closed my eyes for a moment to compose myself.

  “It’s really not, Jamie,” Ian broke in. She moved her gaze from me to Ian. “The night of the party—”

  “Ian, no.” I widened my eyes at him.

  “Baby, she knows we’re together now. It doesn’t make any sense to hide the truth,” he cooed.

  “Ian, please. You promised—”

  “She deserves to know. What sort of friend would you be if you didn’t tell her?” He gave me a Cheshire smile before he turned back to Jamie. “I fucked her that night. That’s why I was upset with her. She wouldn’t talk to me after. You kept asking me long after it happened. Now you know.”

  “You asshole,” I snapped at Ian.

  He pressed a kiss to my temple and dug his fingers painfully into my side.

  “Fucking slut,” Jamie breathed out. One moment she was in front of us, the next she was swinging at me. What little bit of self-preservation I had left kicked in as I avoided her hit. It grazed my shoulder before her fingers tangled in my hair. A hiss escaped my lips as she fisted a mass of my red curls and gave a tug.

  Instinct took over as she pulled my hair, calling me every name imaginable. People gathered around us, cheering.

  With as much strength as I had, I shoved her. She tumbled to the floor, and I was on her in an instant, pinning her arms.

  “It’s not like what he says. I’m trying to save you, Jamie,” I whispered, frantic and breathless. “You wouldn’t let me explain. You have to let me tell you. He’s bad, Jamie. He lies. He was going to hurt—”

  “You’re a fucking slut,” she sobbed, the fight leaving her body. She twisted her head away from me, my words falling on deaf ears. She wasn’t going to listen. Not here. Not now.

  “Maybe,” I murmured, releasing her arms. “But not this time. Not with Ian. I’m doing this for you. Please. I-I need you to talk to me, Jamie.”

  She wept harder as she lay on the floor, covering her face with her hands. Warm hands brought me to my feet. It took all the willpower I had not to burst into tears.

  “Come on. It’s over,” Ian said, steering me away from a sobbing Jamie. The crowd parted for us, and we walked through it.

  And then, there they were. The horsemen. Fox. Cole. Enzo. Ethan. Staring from me to Ian to Jamie then back to me, disbelief on their faces. And anger. So much anger I flinched, drawing my body away from them and closer to Ian.

  “What have you done, Sunshine?” Enzo murmured as we passed by.

  “What I had to,” I answered, holding my head up.

  This moment would be the last piece in a puzzle of definition, defining the woman I had to become.

  And I would take no prisoners to finish this.

  Revenge was a bitch. Or maybe I was. It was open for debate.

  Four

  Sometimes you have to eat shit to get ahead in life. To win. To come out on top.

  I rinsed my mouth out in the bathroom, practically gagging as I thought about what the hell I’d gotten myself into. I could’ve walked away. I could’ve let it all go. But I was so tired of being on the bottom rung with everyone using me as a foothold to gain dominance. I wanted to take over. I wanted to be on top for a change. And so, I ate shit.

  God, I was a fucking mess. This was a mess. But I’d done it to myself and to everyone else.

  This was me at the edge. I felt like I was going to finally break. I couldn’t let them win. I couldn’t. That was why I was doing everything.

  But at the cost of my dignity. At the cost of losing myself in a game where no one could win. Maybe that was the appeal. The challenge. To take over in a place I never belonged. To prove I had what it took to be. . . hell, I didn’t know. Something. Anything more than what I was.

  I stared at myself in the mirror.

  “What a mess,” I muttered at my reflection before wiping my mouth and grabbing my bag. I left the room, the door slamming closed behind me. I had one class left, and then I could go home. It offered me some semblance of comfort.

  “Hey, Rosalie,” Cam, one of the guys on the football team, called out to me.

  “Hey,” I muttered, walking past him.

  “I have a message for you.”

  I stopped and turned back, wondering what the hell he could want. I narrowed my eyes at him. He approached, the students in the hall jostling past.

  “What’s the message?”

  He leaned down and spoke quickly. “Bleachers or your place. Choose wisely.”

  I swallowed thickly. “Thanks for that. Tell whoever sent you I’ve chosen my place. Alone.”

  Cam frowned, nodding. “Right. Then I have a second message for you.”

  “And what’s that?” I asked dryly.

  “Don’t go to war if you aren’t prepared to lose everything.” He backed away as I glared at him, his hands held high in surrender. “Don’t shoot the messenger,” he called out before joining the throng of students.<
br />
  “Jerk,” I muttered, turning and going to my classroom.

  Let them show up at my place. Hell, I was prepared for war, so their threats held no weight. They’d broken my heart. I wouldn’t let them break my spirit. I knew going into this there’d be casualties. There always were in a war. Jamie. Myself. Even the guys. I’d accepted the painful reality of it and had solidified the nightmare moments ago in the bathroom.

  Words Cole said to me when this first started with all of us flashed in my mind.

  I like the torment.

  He’d better hope he did because that was what he and the guys were going to get. Whatever the cost, I’d pay it because that was just how deep the anger ran in my body.

  “My place. Tonight,” Ian said, winding his arm around my waist as I walked through the parking lot later that afternoon.

  “How about no, kiss my ass?” I shot back.

  “Rosalie, you’re not a good girlfriend. How am I supposed to fuck you if you keep fighting me on it?”

  We made it to my car. I spun and glared at him.

  “Listen, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I didn’t fuck the horsemen. I messed around with a couple of them, but I didn’t just lie back and spread my legs. If I didn’t do it for them, then I sure as hell won’t do it for you. You want it from me?”

  He stared down at me, hunger in his eyes.

  “Work for it. I’m not your warm hole for nesting in. Treat me with respect. I’m not going to just fuck you, Ian.”

  “I get where you’re coming from, Rosalie.” He reached out and clutched my waist, drawing me to him. “But I want what I want. And that’s your warm hole.”

  “Pig,” I snarled at him.

  He let out a dark chuckle. “You’re a fucking whore, Rosalie. My whore. I know the extent you went to just to get your pussy eaten, not by one guy. But by multiple. Just consider me another notch.”

  “The only thing I consider you, Ian, is another bitch to take down.” I leaned into him, my hand on his chest.