I can’t answer. I try, opening my mouth, but no words come out.
“She…” Dexter looks at me for permission, but I can’t even stand to look at him. “She did.”
“Fuck!” Father slams his fist on the desk, making me tremble in my seat. “You’re such a goddamn slut, Pandora. Two boys since you’ve been back and it hasn’t even been three months. Fucking unbelievable!”
“I don’t think it was entirely her fault,” Dex speaks up, and I shoot him a pissed-off look. “They…”
“They?” Father’s bubbling with rage. “Who are they?”
“The… guys,” Dex manages to get out. “They were all there.”
“Your friends?”
“My-I guess we aren’t exactly friends now,” Dexter grimaces. “Lai. Julian. Caspian.”
“Now just tell me they all slept with her,” my father laughs bitterly, but the moment he looks at Dexter and my guilty faces, he knows that’s exactly what happened. “How is that fucking possible? What excuse could you possibly have for this, daughter?”
“It wasn’t consensual,” I spit out. “They fucking hurt me.”
“All of them?” Father demands.
“I…” I struggle to find the words. “Just those three… Easton… I wanted him to do it.”
“You’re done,” Father speaks up, and the calmness in his voice makes me very afraid. “You’re fucking done in Eden Falls. I’m sending you back to St. Cecile.”
“Don’t,” I beg, rushing forward to his desk and making him recoil. “Please, I don’t want to go back there. Send me back to Wildwood, just send me back home.”
“Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Father snarls. “You’d just love to go back there. Well, it’s not fucking happening. You’re my blood – unfortunately – and you’re staying in Eden Falls.”
Dexter and I wait for him to go on, but he merely rubs his eyes, sighing.
"Can I go to my room?" My voice is barely above a whisper and I'm shivering. "I just need to get some rest, please."
"Go," Father waves his hand dismissively. "I don't want to look at you. But we're going to talk about your Firstborn privileges soon, Pandora. I'm not inclined to let you keep them, especially since you've fucked them away what, five times now. Such a fucking slut. I can't believe you're my daughter. You're the black sheep of this fucking family."
I swallow back my reply, my eyes lingering on Dexter's before I turn around and leave them standing there in their silent face off. I'm not going to deal with them anymore. I need to get some rest before I collapse.
I go up to my room, softly closing the door behind me and crawling into bed. I feel dirty, but I'm so bone tired I can't even entertain the thought of a shower. First, I need to sleep.
I burrow under the duvet, closing my eyes firmly, but the demons that haunt me refuse to go away. I can't seem to get rid of the haunting sound of Easton's voice, of all the other guys as they fucked me. I'll never forgive them for what they did to me. They made me come when they were fucking me. They made my body think I was enjoying their cruel assault, and I'll never forgive them for it.
Knowing I need to plan out my revenge, I open my eyes again and stare up at the ceiling. I can't let them get away with this. They deserve to pay for what they've done, and I'm the only one who can make them pay for it. I need to make a plan. I need to figure out how to get back at them. I'm done letting them toy with me.
Now, it's time for them to fucking pay.
Sleep evades me even though I'm exhausted. The same images and sounds keep playing on and on in my mind, distracting me from getting some rest. Then, what must be hours after my conversation with my father, I hear the faint ringtone of my phone. I fish it out from under my pillow and frown when I see Dexter's name flashing across the screen. I bite my bottom lip, then answer the call.
"What the fuck do you want?"
There's a small pause. I listen to Dexter's deep, heavy breathing, which is oddly calming. Then, he finally speaks up. "I want to help you."
"Well, you've done a shit job of it so far." I'm pissed off and I don't care if he knows it. It's high time he started groveling. "I thought you were going to protect me, Dexter. You've done the exact fucking opposite of that."
"I'm sorry." I'm shocked those little words are actually part of his vocabulary, but I don't give him the satisfaction of an answer, instead waiting stubbornly for him to go on. And finally, he does. "I'm going to make sure they pay for what they did to you."
"No need," I hiss. "I can take care of myself. You're pretty useless at it, anyway, as you've proved time and time again."
"Pandora, you need to let me help you."
"No, I don't need to do anything." I want to scratch his face. Unfortunately he's not in the same room. "You realize what it means if Father takes away my Firstborn privileges, don't you, Dexter? I'm as good as done in this town. I won't have any authority. Everyone's been picking on me already. What's going to happen if I'm no longer a Firstborn? I'll be a nobody. Vulnerable. Can't you understand that?"
"I can." His voice is gravely serious. "That's why you need to let me help you, Pandora. I'm here for you. I'm going to make it all better, I promise."
"How?" My voice is trembling, breaking. Despite wanting to be confident, I need some guidance. I have no idea how I'm going to survive in Eden Falls without someone helping me.
"Just trust me," he goes on. "Let me take care of you."
"I can take care of myself," I manage weakly.
"I know you can." Dexter's voice is shockingly sweet. It actually sounds like he wants to help me. "But sometimes you need to let people in so they can make things a little easier for you, okay? I just want to help."
"You'll forgive me if I'm cautious," I spit out. "I don't think I should trust you. All you've done since I've been here is try and make me miserable."
He's silent on the other end again, then finally, he speaks up again. "I promise I'll make things right, Pandora."
"You better."
"How can I help you now?" To see Dexter fucking Booth this eager to help me is a win in itself, but do I really want his help? It's something I have yet to decide on.
"I just want to rest," I whisper. "I'm tired as fuck. And I can't fall asleep."
"Why?"
"What do you think?" I cry out. "Because of what they did to me, Dexter... Because of what your fucking friends made me go through!" I feel the traitorous burn of tears in my eyes, and now I'm grateful Dexter isn't in the same room so he can't witness my breakdown. I hate people seeing me get weak. I want to be strong. Always.
"Let me help you sleep," Dexter speaks up. "Just listen to me and lie down, get comfortable."
"Your voice isn't that calming," I groan, but still, I get comfortable in my bed surrounded by fluffy pillows. I don't tell Dexter the reason his voice isn't calming is because it still makes my heart race and my pussy ache, despite everything that's happened. I don't want him to know that. He'd be too fucking proud of himself, and I don't want to feed his damn ego. "But fine, let's try it. Work your magic."
"Just imagine I'm there next to you." His voice is rough, strained with emotion. "Lying next to you in bed. Can you do that for me?”
"Yeah," I whisper.
"Good girl." Still, the two little words send a shiver of excitement through my body. "Close your eyes for me. Imagine I'm there - or if not me, someone that could comfort you. Maybe your sister?"
My bottom lip wobbles at the mention of Andie. I miss her so much it fucking hurts. "Okay," I manage to get out.
"I'd hold you so tight right now, Pandora," Dexter mutters. "I'd hold you right against my chest and whisper in your ear that everything's going to be okay. That I'm going to take care of you. That I'll make sure they pay for what they did to you. Can you imagine it for me? My arms around you. My lips against your forehead. Just holding you and telling you everything's going to be okay."
"Yes." My eyes are getting heavy. His words are actually helping, t
hough I'll never admit it. "Keep going, Dexter... please."
If he's surprised that I asked him to keep going, he doesn't show it. Instead, he keeps talking to me in low, calming tones, and they slowly lull me to sleep. My eyes close with the phone still pressed against my ear, and when I wake up hours later, the call is over, and I'm all alone in the darkness.
Chapter Three
Pandora
I drag myself out of bed the next morning, groaning when I look at my reflection in the mirror. I look like I’ve been dragged through the mud.
A long, hot shower makes me feel marginally better, and I draw out the time spent in my bathroom, scrubbing myself down until my skin is burning. It's time for another family breakfast, one I'm dreading, because I know it's going to change the course of my life. Father already threatened to take away my Firstborn privileges before, and I have a feeling I won't be able to convince him to keep this secret.
Getting dressed in a simple white dress and black tights, I slowly make my way downstairs. I'm the first one at the breakfast table, and I slide into a chair silently, my eyes glued to the plate in front of me.
The others walk in without saying a word to me. Tatianna, beautiful and somewhere far away in her thoughts. Bryony, who pays no mind to me and places a single wedge of orange on her breakfast plate from the massive selection before us. I guess that's her breakfast.
Father and Brazen walk in together, deep in a discussion I'd rather not hear. We are all there now, and we pile our plates and dig into breakfast. The feeling of dread in my tummy won't go away though, and I shiver thinking about what Father will do next. I don't have to wait for long. Not even ten minutes into the meal, he clears his throat and says my name in his authoritative voice that leaves no room for arguing.
I look up at him, eyes wide and pleading with him to have some mercy for me, even though I know it's hopeless. His own gaze is harsh and unrelenting, and he begins speaking without so much as asking me how I'm feeling after last night.
"I've come to the conclusion that I cannot keep forgiving you for your transgressions," Father says. "I've done it for long enough, and all it's done is enable you. It's time you became a proper member of this family. I don't make excuses for my children, and I have been going easy on you since you came back."
I'm tempted to laugh out loud, but his serious expression stops me in my tracks. Best not feed with the beast.
"Given my decision, I'll be the first to explain what's going to happen next." He places his hands on the table, his eyes drilling into mine. "As of today, you are no longer a Firstborn."
My heart sinks at the words. He might as well give me a death sentence. I'm done in Eden Falls now. I don't argue right away, too stumped for words as I listen to him go on.
"As of right now, all Firstborn rights and privileges are going to your brother," he says, giving Brazen a firm smile. "I trust you'll make me proud, son."
I follow his gaze to Brazen, his eyes shifting away from mine, as if he can't quite bear to look at me. Of course he fucking can't. He knows as well as I do - as well as Father does - what this means for me.
"So that's it," I manage. "It's over, just like that."
"No," Father hisses. "It's not over, you spoiled brat. You still have a duty, a role to fulfill in this family."
"Is that so?" My words are dripping with sarcasm and I toss my napkin on the table. "And by that you mean I have to marry whoever you think will give you the most advantage in this town."
"Listen, you ungrateful little whore," Father says, his voice shockingly calm and a sharp contrast to the words leaving his lips. "You're a pawn. The sooner you realize that, the better. Be lucky I haven't sent you back to St. Cecile to spend the rest of your sorry life there."
"You don't own me."
"That's where you're wrong," he tells me with gusto. "And don't you fucking forget it, daughter."
I look at Tianna and Bryony for back up, but neither of them wants to meet my eyes. "Fine," I snicker. "Let it be that way, then. You can have your picture perfect family. But don't think I won't spend a lifetime fighting this. Fighting you."
"I'd like to see you try." I hate how confident he is. How easily he dismisses me, as if I'm nothing but a silly little girl who needs to be disciplined and sent on the right path. "Now, Brazen, as I've already explained, you'll have some new duties given the status you've just gotten. I expect you to treat me with respect, as opposed to your bratty sister here."
"I'm not-"
"Shut up," Tianna mutters, bumping my leg under the table and giving me a meaningful look. "Seriously. You're only digging yourself a deeper hole."
I sulk instead, glaring at Father as he explains his new role to my brother. But I can't hold my comments back for long, and soon enough, I open my mouth again.
"Who's Brazen going to marry, then?" Brazen's eyes warn me to shut up, but I refuse to heed the warning. "Can he marry anyone he wants?"
"He'll marry Coco Rose," Father says calmly, making me burst out. "What, you stupid girl? What is it now?"
"Coco Rose?" I repeat. "But he doesn't... he barely knows her! And you know he's in love with-"
"Pandora." Brazen's voice is dripping with venom. "I think you should shut the fuck up now."
"And I think you should-"
"Enough!" Father's hand slams on the table, rendering us all speechless. "You need to start listening to the people who outrank you, Pandora. And you need to start being such a smart-mouthed brat, because it's not going to work out for you."
I've heard enough of Father's threats to know he's serious, so I take his advice and keep my mouth shut. Despite everything I can't help but feel a little sorry for Brazen. He's in the same conundrum as I was now, forced to marry someone he barely knows and certainly doesn't have any feelings for.
I stay quiet for the rest of our meal, and the moment Father gets up to leave, I push my chair back too, eager to get the hell away from them.
"Pandora," he calls out after me, and I look at him over my shoulder. "I'm not done with you. I do think you should get a punishment, though I'm sure having your Firstborn privileges taken away will be enough to send you on the right track."
The bastard knows what they're going to do to me in school. As if it's not enough I have to look at the boys who fucked me starting tomorrow and probably for the rest of my life. I'm going to have to endure the torture of everybody else, all those students who'll be just delighted at the chance of torturing the new girl who never belonged there in the first place.
"Do you ever think your actions will catch up with you?" I ask Father. "Because I think they will. And I can't fucking wait to watch you pay for everything you've done to us."
With those words, I leave him standing there, walking away from the mess that is my life, and right into another situation waiting for me in my bedroom.
I close my bedroom door behind me, turning around and getting the shock of my life when I see Easton Brantley sitting on my bed.
"You fucking prick," I hiss. "What the hell are you doing here?"
I'm on him in seconds, fists hammering his broad chest and the tears I've held back all night finally fighting their way out of my eyes. He lets me hit him, not even making a move to push me away. The bastard just takes it, which only enrages me more.
"How dare you show up here," I scream. "Who let you in? How dare you snoop around in my room, you fucking bully, you monster, you... you... rapist!"
"Keep it down," he finally speaks up, grabbing me by the wrists and forcing my arms down. "Do you want me to get tossed out?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," I hiss at him. "How dare you show your face here after what you've done. I never want to see you again."
"Tough luck." His eyes burn against mine, and I still feel the remnants of sparks between us, the ones he put out so readily. We could have been so special if he hadn't fucked everything up. "You're stuck with me for now, Pandora. No one's listening, right?"
"Not that I know of," I mutter
. "What the hell do you want, anyway? Just tell me and get the hell out of here."
"This doesn't concern the other night." He stares me down. "What happened had nothing to do with you as a person, Pandora. You were a pawn in Booth's game, and you got used like one."
"Fuck you. I wonder how that excuse would fly with the police."
He smirks, saying, "Good luck convincing any police officer in Eden Falls to arrest a Firstborn. Besides, Pandora, from what I remember, you were a very willing participant in our games."
"Shut up," I hiss.
"It's the truth, isn't it? By the end you were fucking begging for it." He laughs in my face, the prick. "Not that it's important right now. I came here for a different reason."
"What is it?" I demand. "Just spit it out and get the hell out of here."
"I told you, a Brantley always keeps his promise."
I nod, feeling numb as we look at one another. "So? What's that got to do with anything?"
"I promised I'd help you find your mother," he finishes, and my heart skips a beat. My mother. The woman who is as good as dead in Eden Falls, and hasn't even attempted to find me this whole time. "I'm here to make good on that promise."
"You found her?" My voice is barely above a whisper, my hands trembling as I grab hold of his shirt. "Where is she?"
"Calm down." He pries my fingers off him. "I've got her address right here." He pulls out a simple envelope and waves it before my eyes. I try to snatch it up, but he's too fast for me. "Now you have to make me a promise first, before I can let you have it. You understand that?"
"Yeah," I get out through gritted teeth. "What do you want?"
"You don't make any trouble for us, we don't tell anyone how much you secretly loved it," he explains. "It's simple. And I'll give you the address in exchange for your... cooperation."
"You're a piece of work, Brantley."
"As are you, Miss Oakes." He flashes me a brilliant smile and waves the envelope again, once again too fast for me to grab it. "So, we got a deal here?"
"Fine." He lets me snatch the envelope from his fingers and I tear through the paper to get to the address written on the back of Easton's business card.
A Hurt So Sweet: Complete Dark Bully Romance Series Box Set: Elite of Eden Falls Prep Page 34