Tragic (Cherry Grove Book 1)

by Cole Lepley

  I cock my head to her. “Again, why do you care? You have Dylan like you wanted.”

  She scoffs. “Yeah, I have Dylan alright. All he ever talks about is that stupid fucking play and how cool it is that you two get to hang out so much.” She presses her fingertips to her temples. “If I have to hear your name one more time, I’m going to fucking scream.”

  “Elliot!” Oliver calls from the side porch. “Is that you?”

  Cameron’s eyes widen, and I stifle a laugh.

  Oliver strolls over to us and shoots me a look at our position in front of the enemy.

  “It’s okay, Ollie,” I say quickly. “Cam knows.”

  He slings his arm over her shoulder, and I swear she blushes. “Risky, but if you trust her who am I to argue?”

  Cameron’s body visibly stiffens as Oliver continues to stand beside her. My mind drifts back to the comment she made about him being attractive. Oliver does owe me a favor—or twelve.

  “I was just about to catch the highlights from the game.” He nods to Hunter pointedly. “Care to join me?”

  Hunter nods. “Yeah, sounds good.” He leans into my ear. “Come get me when she leaves.”

  Hunter steps forward to follow Oliver as he pulls his arm from Cameron. “Later, Red.”

  I wait until the side door closes before I speak again. “Okay, what else do you want?”

  “You were always a terrible friend,” she sneers.

  I pull my hands into my chest. “I was a terrible friend? I’m not the one doing the blackmailing right now.”

  “You don’t understand because you already have everything. You’re always first, never second.” She angrily brushes away a tear. “It sucks always being second.”

  I sigh. “Cam, I don’t want any of this. That guy in there,” I point my finger toward the house, “that’s what I want. I love him and I’m tired of fighting it. I don’t care how much it terrifies me or how much trouble we could be in, he’s worth it to me. You can have whatever you want as long as I get him.”

  She quiet for a minute, staring down at the pavement.

  “You want Judah?” I offer.

  She laughs once. “Please. He’s madly in love with you. This is going to kill him.”

  I shake my head. “Don’t even joke about that,” I say firmly.

  “I’m sorry,” she says holding her hands up. A devious expression crosses her face again. “I want to be prom queen too.”

  “Fine, I’ll withdraw my nomination.”

  Her eyes narrow. “You don’t care about any of this do you?”

  “No, I really don’t. It means nothing, Cam. Next year we’ll be at college and nobody will care who the fucking prom queen was.”

  She balls her fists at her sides. “Well, it’s a big deal to me!”

  My eyes widen. Cameron is known to be dramatic, but this is a bit much. “Okay, you’re right. Just don’t tell Judah. I don’t want to hurt him.”

  “Are you kidding me? You think that cheating on him isn’t hurting him?”

  My jaw clenches, and I close my eyes, taking deep breaths through my nose. “Cameron, you don’t know the whole story. Let me handle Judah, okay? You can have whatever you want, just leave him out of it.”

  She slings her bag roughly over her shoulder. “Fine. Opening night, you get the stomach flu or something.”

  I nod and give a curt smile. “It’s your story.”

  “Your damn right it is.” She opens her car door and leans against it. “And I have a feeling things are going to be a lot different from now on.”

  Anger surges through my veins as I watch her pull down my driveway. Of all the ways I envisioned us being caught, this wasn’t one of them. I must have stood here for longer than I realized because Hunter’s arms come around me again. He presses his lips to the side of my head. “You okay, baby?”

  I turn around in his arms and shake my head. “No. This is completely fucked.”

  He smiles and I glare at him. “It’s not. Cameron is a nobody.”

  “Well, her desire to be a somebody is going to destroy us.”

  His arms close me in tighter, and I bury my face into his chest. “We’ll figure it out. We always do.”

  All I can do is sigh and pray that he’s right.

  As planned, I stage a dramatic vomit session in the ladies room an hour before curtain. I don’t actually throw up, but I’ve heard Janie Thomas do if for real so many times after lunch it wasn’t hard to imitate.

  It worked perfectly, and Cameron showed off some of her acting skills by pretending to be the concerned friend. No one questioned it when she stepped in to take my place, although I could tell she was pissed they were worried about me.

  Judah came to help me orchestrate my exit and is currently driving me home. He’s quiet again, and I wish I knew what he was thinking. Even though I had to convince Hunter to be on board with this, I also had to convince myself. I know the damage it’s doing to both of them. I can’t even imagine how I would feel if Hunter had to pretend to date his ex. I’m not typically a jealous person, but with him I think I might be.

  When Judah pulls into my driveway, he puts the truck in park, but doesn’t cut the ignition. He stares straight ahead with one of his hands on the steering wheel.

  He bites his bottom lip, clearly choosing his words carefully. I mentally prepare myself for whatever he has to say. “I know Hunter isn’t cool with this.”

  “Would you be?”

  He laughs, shaking his head. “Nope.” He looks at me, and his gaze makes my stomach flip. “I’m not even okay with it now.”

  I open my mouth to respond, but he keeps going. “—but I understand why this happened. I should have never left you alone and at least I can be thankful he was here for you when I should have been.”

  My words get caught in my throat again. I’m still struggling with the honesty I’ve been getting from him lately. I try not to dwell too much on the ‘what ifs’ in our situation. Everything happens for a reason I guess, and if I could have one wish, it would be that Judah finds someone deserving of everything he has to offer now.

  He turns toward me. “I want you to know I’m not doing this so you’ll take me back. I know you won’t. I know you’ve moved on, and the only thing left for me to do is to make sure I protect what’s left of us.” He gives me half a smile, but it’s still so sad it makes my heart ache. “I want to be friends with you and try to be supportive even if it’s hard. I can’t imagine my life without you in it and I hate even more when you’re sad, so I want to make sure you get to be happy.”

  “I want you to be happy, too,” I whisper.

  He bites the inside of his cheek and nods. “Yeah, I’m working on that.”

  I take his hand, lacing my fingers through his. “I can’t think of a single person that would do what you’re doing. It’s the opposite of selfish and if you’re doing it because you feel like you need to make up for something, I want you to know you don’t have to. I forgive you. We all make choices we regret, and I don’t blame you for it.”

  Judah stays quiet for the longest time, staring down at our hands. His face is shadowed in the darkness of the cab of his truck so I can’t read his expression. After another moment, he sighs.

  His eyes flick up to mine. “It’s hard to walk away from something you thought you’d always have, but I can see how much you love him.” He laughs once. “It fucking kills me, but I would never take that away from you. You deserve to be happy, Elle.” He gives my hand a squeeze and finally smiles a little. “That’s why I’m doing this.”

  36

  Rumor Has It

  Elliot is wrapped into a cocoon of blankets when I enter the game room downstairs. I motion toward the TV. “Please don’t tell me you and Judah were watching Netflix?”

  She tosses a pillow at me. “Get over here.” She pulls her blanket down and smiles at me.

  It doesn’t take long for me to cross the room and take the seat next to her, pulling her against me. I
hug her tightly and my chest starts to ease for the first time all night. Leaving her with Judah all of the time is starting to wear on me. I still don’t trust his intentions, and I probably never will, but it’s something I’m going to have to deal with, I guess.

  Elliot pulls back and places her hand on my face. “I missed you.”

  Instead of answering, I press my lips to hers and kiss her hard. I miss her every time I’m forced to be away from her. Especially since that time away now usually involves her hanging out with her ex.

  She grips the back of my neck and climbs onto my lap, straddling me. She deepens our kiss, and I run my hands down her sides to grip her ass. I pull her closer and get lost in the urgency of her lips on mine. Every moment feels so fleeting I’m never sure when I’ll get another one.

  I curse myself for even thinking that when Oliver comes bounding into the room. He flops down on the recliner beside us with a grin. “Geez, Elle. You should have never faked sick. The play was a disaster.”

  Elliot readjusts her position so she is sitting next to me. “What do you mean?”

  I exchange a look with Oliver. “Let’s just say you were the one keeping Dylan on track. He messed up some of his lines, and Cameron had a complete meltdown on stage.”

  Laughter bursts out of her. “Well, you know what they say. Karma is a bitch and so is Cameron.”

  Oliver smiles. “That may be true my dear sister, but she’s not finished with you yet.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Considering her plan didn’t work out how she had hoped, her new plan is to destroy you in a different way.”

  Elliot shoots up from the couch to the floor and begins to pace. “No way. We had a deal. I can’t help it if Dylan is an idiot.”

  Oliver grabs the bag of popcorn from the end table and shoves a handful in his mouth. “Doesn’t matter. She wants the throne.” He makes a very serious face, but ends up laughing anyway.

  She crosses her arms. “Okay, so now what?”

  Oliver dusts his hands off dramatically, and she glares at him. “She told everyone you got sick tonight because you’re pregnant.”

  She rolls her eyes. “No one’s going to believe that.”

  Oliver’s expression shifts again to serious. “That’s not the worst part—she said it’s not Judah’s.”

  The look of horror on Elliot’s face matches the churning in my stomach. “And who’s the father then?”

  Oliver leans in and mock whispers to us. I fight the urge to punch him. “Rumor has it—it’s a teacher.”

  Tears pool in her eyes. “She wouldn’t.” Her jaw clenches tight as she balls her hands into fists.

  I stand up from the couch and hug her to me. “Don’t panic yet. She didn’t say who.” I look to Oliver. “Right?”

  He nods while still chewing obnoxiously. “For now.”

  Elliot clutches my T-shirt. “See, this is what I was afraid of. We are—"

  I press my lips to hers to silence her. “We’re going to be fine. I’ll put in my resignation first thing Monday morning.”

  Elliot pulls away and gives me an incredulous look. “Really, Hunter? That will make you look beyond suspicious. The hottest teacher at Central suddenly resigns in the wake of a scandal.”

  Oliver scoffs loudly. “Hey now. I think that’s up for debate. I say we declare a vote.”

  Elliot rolls her eyes again. “I’m surprised you’re not the one in trouble.”

  Oliver shrugs. “Easy. I don’t fall in love.”

  That’s where Oliver’s wrong. It’s not easy. Falling in love with Elliot was inevitable. The feelings I had for her were simmering beneath the surface for so long it was only a matter of time before the heat was turned up and they boiled over. The despair on her face breaks me. I need to find a way to fix this.

  Elliot clasps her hands together. “Okay, I have a plan.”

  “Um, should I be scared?” I grip the back of my neck nervously.

  She plants a chaste kiss to my lips. “You’re just going to have to trust me.”

  Elliot’s idea of a plan is scaring the shit of out me. She is currently wearing an actual fucking school girl outfit. Bare mid-drift, pleated plaid skirt, and those sexy fucking knee high socks. I’m definitely getting fired today.

  I can say one thing, showing off her body like this will certainly put to rest any rumors. At least I hope so. She saunters down the hallway like she always does attracting attention with every sway of her hips. Oliver comes up beside me, twirling a Twizzler around in his mouth.

  “What’s she doing?” he asks.

  I cover my mouth with my hand. “I have no idea.”

  “Well, whatever she’s doing, it’s definitely causing a scene.”

  My eyes go wide as I watch the crowd forming around her. She smiles and flips her hair, saying God knows what, while everyone eats up every word. Elliot really is a force to be reckoned with. Cameron is stupid.

  Something pokes me in the side of the face. I look to Oliver in irritation. “Twizzler?” he asks with a smirk. He flops it around in front of me, and I slap his hand away.

  “Don’t you have a class to teach?”

  He looks thoughtful for a moment. “Good question.”

  I shake my head and continue to direct my attention to the dramatization in the hallway. Cameron shoots daggers in Elliot’s direction from around the corner. I watch her grab Dylan by the shirt and drag him down the hall. The warning bell rings, and everyone scatters like rats from a sinking ship. Elliot shoots me a wink as I step into my classroom.

  It’s my free period, but pulling double duty teaching drama has me really behind. I get lost in my notes and don’t even hear my door shut. Elliot props herself up on the edge of my desk, crossing her legs toward me.

  My eyes travel slowly up her body until I reach the glimmering in her eyes. She’s going to get me in so much trouble today.

  “You like my outfit?” She casually fluffs her skirt, and I bite the inside of my cheek.

  I swallow hard, running a finger up her bare leg. “Yes, I do.”

  She tilts her head and twirls a strand of hair around her finger. “You don’t think my skirt is too short?” My eyes go dark as she lifts the hem of her skirt up right below her panties.

  “I think I warned you about the dress code before.” My voice is thick as my finger travels just outside the lacy thong she is killing me with.

  She pulls my finger from between her legs and slides it into her mouth. I take in a sharp breath through my teeth as she sucks on my finger with a skill that I don’t want to think about. Before I can stop her, she slowly releases it from her mouth and places it back between her legs, pushing it all the way inside with her hand.

  Her head tilts back as I add a second and slowly guide them in and out. “This is starting to seem like a pretty dangerous plan, baby.” She licks her lips, and for first the time in my life premature ejaculation seems like a possibility.

  When she starts to rocks her hips against my hand I can’t take it anymore. I stand up and lean into her ear. “Did you lock the door?”

  She nods, but it doesn’t ease the pounding in my chest. The whole purpose of today was so that she could dispel any rumors about her sex life, not get caught red-handed in my classroom. I place a kiss on her neck and slowly pull my hand away. She gives me a look of protest, but I smile and kiss her lips quickly.

  “Go to class before my new uniform becomes an orange jumpsuit.”

  She grabs the front of my shirt, keeping me close to her lips. “I think you’d look sexy in orange.”

  I laugh because I know she’s kidding, but the thought still makes me shudder. She kisses me once before standing and readjusting her skirt. She tilts her head and hold her arms out to her sides. “Better?”

  I nod. “Much.” She turns to walk away, but I grab her arm and pull her back to me before she can take a step. “You can’t wear this to school ever again.”

  Elliot smiles. “See you after sch
ool, Mr. Graham.” With the same level of stealth she used to get in here, she leaves my classroom.

  My heart is still pounding when I slump down in my chair. Elliot is out of her mind, but I have to hand it to her, her plan works. By the end of the day, the pregnancy rumors are long forgotten. All anyone can talk about is how hot Elliot looks after getting back together with Judah.

  Cameron goes home early.

  All hail the queen.

  37

  Catching an Edge

  “Are you afraid of heights?” Oliver asks, readjusting his grip on his poles.

  I swallow hard as I take a long look at the ground below us. “No, why?”

  Oliver laughs, shaking the already precarious lift. “Because you have a death grip on the handrail and you look like you’re going to puke.” He pulls a flask out of his puffy coat and hands it to me. “Here, this might take the edge off.”

  Although falling to my death still feels like a real possibility, I take it from him. The scarier part of this outing is what’s on the lift in front of us. Somehow Oliver got us raked into a fun evening hitting the slopes with their dad Mason and the principal Mr. Bellamy. He actually insists I call him Trevor, which is weird all things considered.

  I take a large swing and the liquor burns its way down my throat. My chest is on fire and I let out a cough, handing it back. “Geez, what the fuck is in there?”

  Oliver winks at me. “Some shine I confiscated from some kid in my fourth period class. Dumbass kept it in his locker.”

  I pat him on the shoulder. “I’m glad your students have someone they can look up to.”

  He smiles. “Thanks, man.” Oliver’s deluded sense of self never ceases to amaze me.

  My anxiety decreases minimally as we begin to ascend the top of the slope. I manage to make it off the lift without falling, which is a victory in itself. My eyes widen as I take in the sign next to the peak. I punch Oliver in the arm. “Hey, dick. This is a black diamond slope. I’m going to seriously die.” I risk a glance over the crest of the hill. “It’s like straight fucking down.”