Glass Heart Savage: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Glass Heart Academy Book 1)

by Lindsey Iler

  “Calm the fuck down, Palmer,” I demand, pointing at her as if it will keep her in place.

  She watches my every move as I make my way into the kitchen. I grab a towel and place ice on it, tying a knot at the top. When I come back to the living room, I expect her to be gone. She’s not. There Palmer sits, heavy breaths escaping her lungs, inspecting her knuckles.

  “Here.” I offer her the ice. She takes it with a cute grimace. “You good now?”

  “Why’d you pull me off of her?” She glances up from the makeshift icepack.

  “I let you at her for longer than I should have, but you looked like you needed the release.”

  “You aren’t supposed to be here. I was told you weren’t coming.”

  “I’m sorry if my being here is upsetting you.”

  “No, you aren’t.”

  “Can’t we just try to make the best out of it?”

  “Fine, stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours.” She stands, leering at me before storming off.

  Not a chance in hell, doll face.

  ******

  “What’s the whole point of this?” Palmer tugs her jacket tighter to her body.

  I offer my hand, guiding her through the woods. She takes it, reluctantly, pulling herself closer beside me.

  “This is supposed to be fun,” I groan, glancing over at her. “You could at least try to make the best out of this weekend.”

  “That’s cute coming from you.” She rolls her eyes. “Didn’t we say we’d stay out of each other’s hair? Please explain to me why you volunteered to be my partner for this.”

  The joy I get from tormenting this girl is a sickness. I should be institutionalized.

  “I figured since you didn’t know the property, it was probably best if you went with someone who did,” I lie, because ‘I get a hard-on when I fuck with you’ isn’t a rational answer.

  The only reason I’d offered is because Dillon Johnson, our quarterback, had stepped forward when Palmer claimed to not have a partner. There is no way in hell I was letting him waltz out into these woods with her. I threw caution to the damn wind to save her from him. He’s not exactly the gentle kind. Ironic coming from a guy like me. There’s one difference. My girls are always willing participants.

  “Don’t lie to me,” she deadpans, turning around to walk backwards, keeping her eyes dead set on mine.

  “Trust me when I say he’s not someone you want to get mixed up with.” I grab her biceps, holding onto her tight because she’s about to trip over a thick vine running the length of the trail.

  “Coming from you, I’ll take that with a grain of salt.”

  “I’m not kidding, Palmer.” I grab her arm as she spins around.

  She pulls away, understanding crossing her face. “Okay, noted.”

  Despite the hell we’ve caused Palmer, she somehow perceives a little bit of humanity in me. She trusts me enough to believe me about Dillon.

  We walk deeper into the woods without uttering a single word. This is probably for the best. Quiet is necessary to survive this first part of the game. Once we are a good mile in, I stop and listen to every noise around us. A loud boom echoes in the distance, signaling the beginning of the contest.

  “Now, what?” Palmer asks.

  “Now, we try to stay alive.”

  “That’s metaphorical, right?” Her eyes widen, fear crossing them, draining a little bit of the beauty from her.

  “I guess you’ll see soon enough.” I trek forward, pulling the checklist from my back pocket.

  Palmer leans over, reading the paper. “We have to do all this and document it with a picture before we’re caught?”

  “Which one would you like to start with?” I glance up from the list, and our stares lock. “Are we going the easy way or the hard way?”

  “How about this one?” She points at number seven.

  “Easy it is, then.” I tuck the paper into my jeans and walk forward.

  Palmer follows me through the thick trees. Sticks snap around us, and in the distance, I spot Breaker and Delaney. I tug Palmer down, shielding her from them.

  “The whole point of this game is to complete the tasks without being found,” I explain. Palmer acknowledges my hand on her arm by pulling it away. Amused by her antics, I move my hand to the back of her neck. “Once someone snaps your photo and sends it to the ringleader back at the house, you’re out. The last couple standing wins.”

  “What do we win if we survive until the end?” She wiggles, forcing me to loosen my hold on her neck.

  “Win and you’ll find out.” I check the area and find Delaney and Breaker gone. “Now, do you want to do this one, or should I?”

  “Be my guest.” She smirks, too happy to allow me to complete this task.

  I hand her my phone and step out into the distance, peeling off my clothes as I go and dropping them at my feet. Last year’s lesson has stuck with me. When it comes to this game, if ditching clothes is required, you’re going to want them close by, just in case.

  Unabashed by anything, I turn around, all my glory on display for anyone close enough to see. Palmer stands with the phone in front of her, her eyes locked on my body. For the first time in my life, I feel self-conscious and a little lost under her watch.

  “You going to snap the photo, Palmer, or keep staring at me?” Like there’s a direct connection between her mouth and my own, a smile spreads across her face.

  The flash goes off, and we both panic, afraid of revealing our position. I hustle to grab my clothes, scrambling to dress while Palmer giggles.

  “Shh!” I cover her mouth. Her tongue darts out to lick my palm, forcing me to drop my hand from the surprise of her childish games. “Mature.”

  “What, this is so stupid, Marek.” She holds her arms out to her sides and spins. “We’re teenagers, running around the woods playing a game, for what? Bragging rights?”

  “Does everything you do need to have a purpose?” I finish buckling my belt and pull on my shoes. “Sometimes it’s nice not to think too hard.”

  “I don’t have the privilege.” She shrugs as if it’s no big deal. “Growing up, my parents demanded perfection from me.”

  I follow her as she navigates through the woods. I pull out our list and hand it to her. “Pick one. There are no expectations for you out here. Be free.”

  She inspects the list like it’s the most important thing on this planet right now. Typical Palmer. Everything is approached with intensity and determination.

  “Okay, number three.” She hands the paper back to me.

  I read it and smile. “Really?”

  “What, you don’t think I can do it?” She offers me a smug grin, pulling her hair into a ponytail.

  “I never imagined you being the kind of kid that did this, but let’s see what you got, Weston.” I stand at the base of the tree, my phone ready to snap her photo.

  With little effort, she grabs a branch and swings her leg over it, then pulls herself up like a gymnast, continuing the graceful climb until she’s perched on a high limb. She presses her foot on it to check its stability, gripping tightly to the one above her. At the bottom, I ready myself to catch her falling body.

  “Will you take the photo? You want to win, right?” She’s suspended in air for a moment, a gleeful, proud smile on her face.

  “It will all have been worth it to see you do that.” I focus the camera and snap the photo. “Now, climb down before you break your neck.”

  “Marek Hawthorne, are you worried about me?” She bounces on the branch, rattling the leaves. I jolt from her movement. She must see my grimace because she starts to climb down. “Calm down, I’m safe, back on the ground.”

  The rest of the scavenger hunt flies by. We have no run-ins. Everyone has managed to stick to their own corner of the woods.

  After we’ve completed our tasks, we head in the direction of the house, knowing our time is running out. These woods have given me a gift I hadn’t realized I’d needed.
The dark surroundings have stolen Palmer’s hatred and distrust, allowing me in for a bit. For a split second, it feels like we’re friends. That is stolen quickly when I realize where we are.

  “Let’s go back this way,” I say, trying to lead Palmer away from this area.

  She doesn’t listen, of course. Fuck. This forest holds some of my biggest secrets.

  “What is this?” Palmer points to the tree beside her.

  “Lovers’ tree,” I whisper. Hello secrets, meet her sister.

  The initials R.W. and M.H. are like a siren blaring in my ear. Memories flood my mind, times of happiness and destruction. That’s what Reed had been for me. Her relationship with the four of us had been complicated, but only in the sense that none of us had ever quite known where we stood with her. She had been rocky seas, and we’d tried our best to navigate her.

  “But your initials are with Reed’s. Why?” Palmer retreats, putting more distance between us. “I thought she and Byron were the real thing, and the rest of you were just . . .”

  “Just what, Palmer? What do you think we were?” I brush my hand down my face, frustrated. Never once did the possibility of us colliding with my past out here cross my mind.

  “Were you all in love with her?” Palmer shifts from side to side like she’s trying to find the answer somewhere on my body.

  “It went beyond that,” I admit.

  “Then why are your initials with my sister’s?”

  It’s a valid question. A hidden secret of our past. Something no one knows, and I had intended on keeping it that way. If the guys ever found out, they’d never trust me again. I’d broken the rules, the guidelines we’d set to insure not one of us would end up hurt.

  “Let’s go back to the house.” I grab for her hand, trying to pull her towards me. “I’ll explain everything. It’s not what you think it is.”

  “Don’t gaslight me, Marek.” She shoves off me. “I’m not one of these idiot girls who takes your word as gospel.”

  Before I can stop her, she’s racing away from me.

  “Fuck!” I yell, trying to follow the same path she’s taken. The white of her Converses may be soiled with the dirt from our hike, but they shine like a beacon in the darkness.

  We run for quite a while until she disappears into thin air. Where did you go? As I pass two large oak trees, something forces me backwards, knocking the wind out of my chest. My back and head hit the hard surface of bark, and stars prickle behind my lids.

  I open my eyes to Palmer in front of me, a silver blade hovering at my throat. This girl has some nerve. I don’t fight her, allowing her to believe she has some sort of power in this situation.

  “You want to know the truth, the truth only Reed and I knew?” I say, easing my hand over her arm and onto her wrist to hopefully control her movement a bit. “Once I tell you, there’s no going back.”

  “Why are your initials in the tree next to my sister’s?” She presses forward, and the cool blade hits my skin.

  I grip her wrist, pinching her skin, and force her to loosen her hold. With her distracted by the pain, I twist her body around, pinning her arm behind her back. She drops the knife on the ground, and I lunge and grab it, placing it against her neck.

  “What was the plan, Palmer?” I pull her arm further, feeling the stress I’m putting on it. “How did you see this playing out?”

  “Go to hell.” She attempts to step on my foot. A nice self-defense tactic, but I’m stronger than her, pressing her chest deeper into the tree.

  “Don’t you see, Palmer. We’re already there.”

  “Please don’t hurt me.”

  “Do you honestly believe the world would care about another dead, rich girl?” I ghost the knife along her neck. “Don’t push me, Palmer. I may not have killed your sister, contrary to what that pretty little head of yours is trying to convince you, but a man can only be pushed so far.”

  “It seems to me you’re hell bent on keeping this little secret, but why?” She shakes her head. “Tell me why, and we’ll forget this little run-in ever happened.”

  “I can’t tell you because you aren’t the first person who deserves to know.” I shut the pocketknife and press the cold metal into her open palm.

  “Byron?” She covers her neck, putting the pieces together too late.

  I push past her. “They deserve to hear it from me first.”

  A horn screams in the distance, alerting the players the games are finished.

  “Game’s over, Palmer.”

  ******

  Back at the house, everyone who’s participated hands over their evidence. For the first time in four years, no one has been caught by anyone, and every task has been completed.

  “I’m prepared for this rare occasion,” Mackenzie announces, holding a silver bowl in front of her. Small folded pieces of paper cover the bottom. Everyone is anxious, knowing damn well what this is. It’s Glass Heart Academy students’ dirty little secret, the part of the night no one talks about.

  We don’t force anyone to do anything they aren’t willing to do. You are more than welcome to walk your pretty little ass from this house if you aren’t down to play by our rules.

  Palmer is across the room from Breaker and me. Delaney is tight at her side, shooting daggers from her eyes into my boy’s skull. Damn, she’s pissed off at him. Their time in the woods clearly didn’t dim her anger.

  I overhear Delaney offer to drive Palmer back to campus. Leaving isn’t an option, though. Palmer’s too proud, too eager to prove herself to me. Her strength rattles my cage a bit. I’m man enough to admit it.

  “I’ll draw names, and then we can see where the night goes,” Mackenzie announces.

  Delaney whispers in Palmer’s ear. Her eyes widen, and her confidence leaches out of her face. She’s a certain kind of perfection, and I hate having to do what I’m going to do tonight.

  “No one said you couldn’t have fun before it all goes down.” Breaker nudges me in the side.

  “Trust me, I plan to.” A rush of adrenaline sears through my body at the thought.

  The crowd is starting to get restless, and Mackenzie can tell. She plucks her rich little hand into the bowl and pulls out the first two pieces of paper, reading off the names. This happens several times, and each time, the girls search the crowd, looking for their partner. Some are apprehensive, taking short steps to reach each other. Others have been biding their time to get their hands on each other.

  Mackenzie draws one of the last few pieces from the bowl. “Marek Hawthorne,” she announces.

  Palmer straightens her back, avoiding my side of the room. She’s nervous, too scared to own her own curiosity. The pulse in her throat is proof. The swipe of her tongue across her bottom lip, and the way she fidgets with her shirt, though, tell a completely different story. She’s holding her breath, praying her name slips from Mackenzie’s mouth. But why, baby? What makes you want to be near me after the shit storm in the woods?

  I lean over and whisper to Breaker, “How’d you rig this?”

  “She promised to pair you and Palmer, if she and I got paired up together.”

  “You whored yourself out, risked Delaney hating you even more, for this?” I question.

  “We need to know, right? And if this helps, then so be it.” He pats me on the back, turning towards the girls.

  “Palmer Weston,” Mackenzie announces.

  Like the oxygen has been vacuumed out, everyone goes silent. Their eyes shift between us. No one in this room lacks knowledge of the shit we’ve been putting this girl through. They see our pairing as an opportunity to indulge themselves with bullying they’d never actually execute on their own accord. Being cruel isn’t easy and simple. They leave the heavy lifting to us.

  Mackenzie hands me both pieces of paper with our names scribbled across them. “You have the top bedroom. Best view in the house.”

  I know this room. I’ve been in this room before. A stairwell leads to the hidden space. From the outside,
it looks like a subtle peak in the roof, but inside, it’s like walking into the sky. Large glass windows adorn the ceiling, spanning the length of the room. Stars twinkle above you while you sleep.

  I cross the room and stop in front of Palmer. She takes a deep breath before gazing at me. Her eyes sparkle with unshed tears.

  “Haven’t you had enough?” She swallows the rest of the words she’s dying to say to me.

  I tuck her hair behind both of her ears, bending down to be eye-to-eye. Once I know I have her attention, I lean forward, resting my lips against her ear. “Never.” She hisses from the intrusion. “You want to understand your big sis, now’s your chance.” I turn away, knowing damn well this girl is going to follow me anywhere I go.

  Even with how much she hates being in my presence, and rightfully so, once she’s made the trek, she pauses at the top of the stairs. Her captivation of the beauty of the third floor doesn’t surprise me. We are already in the mountains, but at this height, it feels like a completely different world.

  “This isn’t right,” she says, walking over to the balcony French doors and swinging them open. Cool air takes over everything. “You set this up, didn’t you?” She strolls outside, leaning her forearms on the railing, looking out at our home for the next forty-eight hours. “All of this is a game to you?”

  I pin her in, resting my hands on the railing. “Like I’ve said before, you can leave anytime you want.” Unable to resist, I press my lips to her temple. “You’re the one that keeps coming back.”

  “How do you do it?” She turns, forcing our faces together when I refuse to move my hands.

  “Do what?”

  “Make all this seem normal, like you haven’t done deplorable things to me.” Her eyes are urgent, uncertain as they take me in. “You did the same thing on that first day in class, and again at the club. We can’t forget about the first night after we hooked up, followed by you releasing that sound bite.” She holds her hand up to my cheek. Her touch is light as feathers, hypnotizing me, The quick sting of a slap grounds me.

  My head tilts away from her. I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from audibly giving her credit for her assault.