A Hurt So Sweet: Complete Dark Bully Romance Series Box Set: Elite of Eden Falls Prep

by Isabella Starling

  "Wish you had your boyfriend to protect you, don't you?" Audra mocks me in her signature syrupy-sweet tone.

  "At least I have one." She flushes, but I'm not done yet. "And he's the hottest guy in the school."

  "Enjoy my sloppy seconds," she blurts.

  "Sure," I laugh out loud. "Is it really sloppy seconds if he just used you to get off? I don't think so, sweetie. You're nothing to him, and you never meant anything. How does that feel?"

  Her eyes flash with anger, and I know she's about to retaliate just as the lesson ends. She smirks in my face, saying, "Saved by the bell... for now. Keep your eyes peeled, Oakes, because I'm fucking coming for you."

  "We'll see," I purr, sauntering out of the room and toward the parking lot where I'm meeting Dex for the ride home. As I'm walking, I hear whispers and snickering again. I keep my head held high proudly and keep going, ignoring everyone's silence when I pass them.

  I don't see the attack coming, and when the object hits me, I cry out loud and feel the back of my head. It's sticky, something's dripping down my back. I feel the burn of tears in my eyes but do my best to ignore it. I turn around, coming face to fact with Audra. She smiles innocently, twirling a strand of perfectly highlighted blonde hair around her finger.

  "Oh, Pandora," she says in a sing-song voice. "You got some egg in your hair. Is that a new look? Because it doesn't look good on you."

  I smile in response. "Your face doesn't look good on you either, and yet you continue wearing it."

  She smirks. "Go wash up, little girl. You stink."

  I roll my eyes and clutch my books tightly to my chest. I keep walking without looking back again, pretending she doesn't matter, pretending I'm not hurt. But the moment I set foot outside, tears begin to blur my vision, threatening to fall. I passed the bathroom earlier and there was a group of girls in front of it. I was too embarrassed, but when I see Dex waiting for me, I regret not fixing my appearance.

  "What happened?" he demands before I've even reached the car.

  "What do you think," I mutter. "Audra."

  His mouth sets in a thin line. He's pissed. Just then, Audra and her group of friends walk into the courtyard, and Dex calls her name. She beams when she notices him, sauntering over with a smug smile.

  "You called?"

  "Yeah," Dex hisses. "Have you fucking lost your mind? You can't treat her that way."

  "Oh, and who's going to stop me?" Audra purrs. "You?"

  "Yeah, me," Dex hisses. "I'm still a Firstborn, Audra. Don't you fucking forget it."

  "That's true," she smirks. "But what exactly do you have, Dex? Nothing. You're a Firstborn to fucking nothing."

  It finally strikes me that Dex gave it all up - for me. His inheritance, his money, his position in the family company - it's all gone. All for me.

  Guilt threatens to eat me up from the inside and I do my best to hide it, hating the effect Audra's words have on me. Dex's hands form fists and I'm afraid he's going to murder Audra with words, but he doesn't say anything, just opens the car door and motions for me to get inside. I hesitate, not wanting to get his car dirty, but his death stare convinces me to do it.

  He closes the door firmly and gets in too, not saying another word to the blonde who looks too smug for her own good.

  Dex pulls out of the parking lot. We sit there in uncomfortable silence, and once again, I feel myself getting upset. But then, his palm finds its way to my knee. He rests it there, touching me gently. Reassuring me.

  "I want to leave this place," I whisper halfway through the drive.

  "Where do you want to go?"

  "Anywhere..."

  "Can I come with you?"

  My head snaps to face him. I'm surprised, but I try not to let it show. "You don't want to stay in Eden Falls? This is your home."

  "It's hell," Dex mutters, pulling up in front of the house. "Once I take care of... a few loose ends... I'll be free to leave."

  "With me?"

  "Yeah." His signature smirk makes my heart race even faster. "Is that okay?"

  I don't answer, muttering. "I want to go back to Wildwood. But first, I want to meet my mom."

  "You know where she lives?"

  "I do."

  "Then let's go," Dex says firmly. "We'll plan it. You're free now, Pandora."

  I nod thoughtfully.

  He's right.

  I am free.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Pandora

  My father called this morning, telling me I was to attend a dinner back at Oakes Estate with some of his family friends. I had laughed at him, but he quickly made it clear he'd make my life a living hell if I didn't show up.

  And so it is that I find myself back at the house I hate the most in this whole damn town. Kelley gives me an apologetic smile as he opens the car door for me.

  "I hope you get through it okay tonight, Miss Pandora," he tells me kindly. "I'll be here to drive you back when you're ready."

  "Thanks." I heave a sigh and accept his helping hand, holding up my black glittering gown - another one of Lily Anna's hand-me-downs - as I make my way to the house.

  If Father is forcing me to attend, I'll play a game of my own to fuck with his head. I got the dress with Minnie's help, and I've done my makeup and hair in a way to match Lily Anna's. I snuck out of the house before Dex could notice, because I have a feeling it would piss him off - but that's the goal, after all. I want a reaction out of Father. I want to humiliate him.

  I'm also fashionably late. Everyone inside is two hours into dinner. I deliberately kept Kelley waiting, cringing for how evil I was being, but I wanted to piss Father off. Now that I can't keep an eye on Minnie anymore, I do anything to divert his attention so he doesn't hurt her again.

  Climbing the stairs, I enter the Estate, and a pale-faced Belle leads me into the salon where several pairs of eyes lift to meet mine.

  There's Bryony, as far away as she usually is, doped up on her pills. My brother smirks when he sees me, and even Tianna looks pleased. Several businessmen fill the armchairs in front of the fireplace, but Father is nowhere to be seen.

  "Hello," I greet them. "What did I miss?"

  Nobody answers. The intense stares follow me as I sit down next to Tianna. That's when Father stumbles in.

  He looks disheveled to say the least. His hair is messy, he has scruff on his jaw, and his shirt's halfway unbuttoned. He slurs something and then comes to a full stop, eyes widening when he sees me.

  "Lily Anna," he breathes, and a pain shoots through my chest when I realize he's drunk, and once again mistaking me for his other daughter. The one that wasn't really his at all.

  I don't correct him, crossing my legs at the ankles like she used to, according to Minnie.

  He walks over to me, and I flinch when his fingers wrap around my chin, making me look up at him.

  "Is it really you?" he mutters. I stare at his scarred face, hating him for everything he's done to me and feeling sorry at the same time. I can't help it - he's such a sad figure, lost in some sick fantasy he'll never get to live out.

  "I take it this is your other daughter," one of the suited-up businessmen speaks up, devouring me with his eyes. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, feeling the weight of his gaze on me. The dress I'm wearing is much more revealing than something I'd pick out myself, and I'm starting to feel naked.

  "That's my only daughter," Father snarls, stumbling toward the bar cart in the corner of the room. I flinch again. I look at Bryony, but her pale face is unreadable, and Tianna won't meet my eyes.

  "What are you gentlemen doing here?" I finally ask.

  "You can guess," the second of the three men smirks, placing a palm on Tianna's knee.

  I glance between the two of them, horrified. "You know she's not eighteen, right?"

  He laughs, not replying, and my blood boils. I'm on my feet in seconds, slapping the prick's hand off. Tianna looks like she has completely tuned out, and Father hasn't even seen what happened, too busy mixing himself a do
uble drink.

  "You monster," I tell him. "You brought these men here... for what? You're going to take it out on her now that I'm gone?"

  He turns to face me with his drink in hand, eyes devouring my features. He seems lost in his own world, as if he hasn't even heard what I've been saying.

  "Hello?" I demand. "You need to send those men home."

  "Is that what you want?"

  "Yes." I cross my arms. "Send them home, now."

  He turns to face the three men. "You heard her. Fucking go."

  I'm shocked by the outcome. The men don't need to be told twice. They get to their feet, their eyes lingering on Tianna until I stand in front of her, shielding her from their predatory hunger.

  "Leave," I spit out. "Go. Now. Bye."

  One by one, they leave the room. The salon door slams behind the last one, and I turn to address my so-called family. "Do you mind if I have a moment alone with Father?"

  "By all means," Brazen mutters, helping his sister up. He's gentle and kind with Tianna - the way he never was with me. It hurts.

  Bryony gets up too, giving me a saccharine smile before tottering out of the room on her impossibly high heels. Good fucking riddance.

  In a few moments, it's just me and Father. I approach him slowly, holding my shimmering gown up and sitting on the floor before him. He leans forward, a glass of whiskey in his hand, and softly smoothes away the hair from my face.

  "I know you're not her," he mutters. "But you're close enough."

  My heart shouldn't hurt, but it does. "Why can't I be enough? Me, Pandora?"

  His lips tighten and twitch. He hates just hearing my name. He wants to live in the fantasy where Lily Anna is still alive forever.

  "She's gone," I whisper. "She's dead."

  "No," he shakes his head, closing his eyes.

  "You know it's true," I keep going. "She's gone."

  "No!"

  "She's not coming back." I can't stop myself now, the words are spilling out. "Never."

  "No!" He throws his whiskey at the wall. Glass shatters, and a deafening silence falls on the room before he starts to groan. I realize he's sobbing moments later. He covers his face with his hands, ashamed of his own emotions.

  "You're so fucking weak," I tell him. "You're falling apart."

  "I'm nothing without her."

  "She's... she was your daughter. It's sick," I spit out.

  "I loved her." His crazed, drunk eyes meet mine. "I loved her like nobody else."

  "Dex loved her too," I grind out. "And you drove her away. You're the reason she's gone."

  His scarred face twitches and it's the first time I feel genuinely sorry for him. He's a mess. A wreck. And I'm glad I got out when I did, before I had to witness Emilian Oakes' downfall.

  "She's alive, you know," he says as I pick myself up from the floor. "I can feel it in my bones."

  "Even if she were," I mutter. "She's better off without you."

  He falls to his knees before me. "I need to hurt someone."

  "Then hurt yourself," I spit out. "You're the one who deserves it the most."

  After our conversation, I leave Father sprawled on the floor and make my way to my former bedroom to collect some belongings I left behind. I feel strange being back in my room, alien. I never belonged here in the first place.

  I pause in the doorframe of Lily Anna's closet. All her things are there, pristine, unworn in years, and a constant pain for Father, whose sick obsession just doesn't end. Her things are only making it worse.

  I walk into the closet, fingers gliding along the rails upon rails of pretty things. I wonder whether my plan is wrong. Then I think about all the things I went through because of Father, everything he put me through. And I know he deserves this.

  I start pulling things off the racks. I make a huge pile on the floor. Everything goes on there - her school diplomas, her rosettes from riding competitions, her drawings when she was a kid, all her clothes, all her possessions.

  I stare at the pile before me with emotionless eyes for a minute. Then, I start pouring the bleach on it.

  The color leaks first, and I watch in fascination as it runs from the clothes. The paper starts melting. It's a rainbow mess on the ground. Her scent disappears. She disappears.

  I stare at the mess I've made, unsure whether I should hate myself. My fingertips wrap around the one thing I saved, safely enclosed in my pearl clutch.

  "Goodbye, Lily Anna," I mutter before leaving the room. I walk out of the house, my only companion the sound of my own footsteps. Outside, I'm surprised to find Dex waiting for me, leaning against the car.

  "Came to watch the world burn, did you?" I grin at him.

  "You could say that." He pats the car hood and I join him on it. We lean back, staring at the starry sky. "Are you sorry you did that?"

  I shake my head, meeting his gaze.

  "Are you?" He shakes his head too. We stare at one another in silence until it becomes too much. I look away first, looking back at the house. "How long until he finds it?"

  "Let's wait and see."

  We lie on the hood of the car and watch the night pass. Somewhere during the hour that passes, Dex's hand finds mine, and I don't pull back. My heart hammers in my chest, each beat a repetition of his name - Dexter, Dexter, I'm yours, Dexter.

  I don't say it though, keeping my feelings close so he can't use them to hurt me.

  "Look," he finally says, motioning to the house. "There's a light on in your room."

  I follow his gaze to the house, and sure enough, the light is on. Someone screams - Father. Masculine, wounded and truly devastated, the sound cuts through me like a knife.

  Shame threatens to swallow me up. What I did was petty, awful. Regret washes over me, but my stubborn side refuses to let it stay.

  He got what he had coming. His sick obsession needed to end. I was just helping him.

  Dex helps me off the car, opens the door for me and spends a second staring at me as we listen to Father's screaming.

  "I'm going to fuck you tonight," he tells me firmly.

  "Okay," I shrug, pretending I don't care even though I'm dying for him to touch me already.

  "You're a different person than you were when you got here, Pandora."

  "Different as in... better?"

  He doesn't answer, grinning as he closes the door. He gets in on the driver's side and we drive home slowly, in silence. When we park, he waits a moment before getting out.

  "I don't know if it's better or worse," he admits, and I realize he's been thinking about the question since it slipped from my lips. "But you're definitely one of us now."

  "What do you mean?"

  "This town." He shrugs. "It changes you."

  "I haven't changed." I feel offended by his words. "I'm still me."

  "Are you?" His imploring eyes drill into mine, searching for the truth.

  "Yes," I reply firmly, unbuckling my seatbelt and getting out of the car. "Fuck you, Dex."

  "Oh, you will," he tells me with a grin. "In fact, because you're such a fucking brat, I'm going to make you beg for it."

  I roll my eyes. Luckily, it's dark enough outside so my blush isn't obvious. If only Dexter Booth could read my thoughts... then I'd truly be doomed, because he's the only thing on my mind anymore... and I don't even want that to change.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Pandora

  My heart is racing as we walk into the house. Dex locks the door behind us and silently points upstairs. I walk into the master bedroom feeling like I've just signed my death sentence. But then why am I so excited about what's going to happen?

  He closes the bedroom door, his eyes burning with cold fire as he turns to face me.

  "Strip."

  "I can't," I say. "You have to unzip me."

  I turn so my back is faced toward him, and he works the zipper until the dress slides down my shoulders, leaving me exposed. I let it pool around my feet. I'm not wearing a bra, just a black lace thong, and I feel
unbearably naked in front of him. But this time I don't try to cover up. I cling to the remaining shreds of my confidence and face Dexter Booth.

  "So?" I ask. "What do you want to do?"

  "Fuck you," he grits out. "Palms against the wall, toy. Stick your ass out for me."

  I do as I'm told, feeling his hungry gaze devouring my body. "Are you going to hurt me?"

  "Of course," he says, his voice gentler. "That's what you like, isn't it?"

  I don't answer, and he spanks my ass, hard. I don't make a sound, making him laugh out loud.

  "I've taught you so well, toy... You're turning into a good girl right before my eyes. Who would've thought. You were so feisty before..." His fingertips soothe the area he hit. "You gave in so quickly. You just can't resist, can you?"

  I don't answer, and he smacks me again, leaning against my ear to whisper in it.

  "You don't have to admit it, you know... We both know the truth after all."

  I hear him unzipping behind me, and my mouth waters at the thought of his cock. I feel his tip pressing against me then. He pushes the fabric of my panties to the side, pressing his cock to my pussy lips.

  "I wonder if you still want it in here..." he mutters, then slides his tip higher, making me whimper. My ass clenches. "Or maybe you want it in here... What do you think, Pandora? Have I turned you into an anal slut yet?"

  I grit my teeth together, my old brattiness demanding I bite back. But I don't. I stay well-behaved and obedient, just the way he wants me.

  He pushes his tip inside my ass and I groan out loud, feeling him stretch me out. His cock fits inside me so perfectly. I want him everywhere. I don't want anyone else. Just Dex... Always Dex. My Dex.

  "You break so well for me," he compliments me. "It's my favorite thing about you. So fucking bratty and yet you're putty in my hands..."

  "Dex." The word escapes me before I can stop myself. "Fuck me."