He nods. “They hurt you. They took it too far.”
Emotion swells inside of me. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep or the confusion that’s been intensifying day by day, but one second I’m hesitating by the door, and the next I’m crossing the bathroom and curling my fingers around the back of his neck.
My lips press against his as his hands sweep around my waist, pulling me in tight against his exhausted body. He holds me tenderly almost as though I’m some kind of valued possession, the same way I’d imagine him to hold the love of his life, and despite knowing what a bad idea this is, I can’t bring myself to stop.
It’s not like the forceful, domineering kisses we’ve shared over the past week, this is something different, something more and it terrifies me.
Colton Carrington should not have that kind of hold over me but clearly, he does.
Not allowing myself to get drowned in his trap, I pull away, refusing to meet his eyes before scrambling through the door like a terrified little bitch.
Chapter 20
“And then … and then,” Milo howls, slapping a hand on the table as we wait for Mr. Hall to arrive at our Economics class. “Then he showed me the ring and made a point that he was going to keep it in his safe for when I was ready to pop the question.”
“Are you kidding?” I laugh as tears fill my eyes and I try my hardest to wipe them away, only they come straight back again. It’s hard to believe that the black and white party was only three days ago. It almost seems like it’s been a lifetime since I poured bourbon all over the four famous shitheads of Bellevue Springs. I’m seriously experiencing life at fifteen what the fucks an hour. I wonder if every weekend is going to be so full on or if this past one was just special because Colton had a point to prove.
Today has been a bit wild for a Tuesday. Not only were there rumors going around claiming that the five grease monkeys that attacked me were involved in some sort of gang mugging last night, but they’ve also mysteriously been suspended after I saw my mother slipping into the back of one of Charles’ many cars, leaving the school grounds.
I can only imagine how that meeting with Dean Simmons would have gone. Mom was fuming about it all night. The second she finished with her shift, she let it all out and it’s clear that it’s all she could think about all afternoon. I’m scared of my mother on a good day, but to be on the end of her anger after someone hurt her only baby in an environment where she’s supposed to be protected, I can guarantee that Simmons would have been shitting his pants. That woman knows how to get what she wants and she’s not afraid to take it with both hands.
“I wish I was kidding,” Milo says. “Mom couldn’t stop gushing about how my wedding day was going to be the best day of my life.”
“Anyone who thinks their wedding day is the best day of their life clearly has never experienced the joys of having two candy bars fall out of the vending machine at the same time.”
“Where the hell do you come up with this shit?”
I raise a questioning brow. “You can’t deny that I have a valid point.”
“Maybe,” he says. “But to be honest, none of the idiots around here would know that feeling. We don’t have vending machines.”
“Oh, that’s right. You guys have butlers and maids that fetch your candy bars for you.”
“Damn straight, wifey,” he grins widely. “Now, do you want to hear about our wedding or not?”
Milo continues with his story but my attention is drawn away as Colton walks into the room with Jude and Spencer at his back. Just like always, his eyes come to mine first, and just like always, I can’t tear my gaze away.
He scoffs and looks away as though having my attention is a humiliation that he can’t stand to have and it grinds on my nerves. He’s more than happy to have me patching him up all night, he’s more than okay to jump to my defense and beat the living shit out of five boys he’s most likely known his whole life, and he’s more than on board with the idea of kissing me at four in the morning, but having the rest of the world know that he has my attention is a no go.
He’s infuriating.
I clench my jaw, wishing I could march right over there and smack the smirk off his face.
Colton is a completely different person when we’re at home. It’s as though in the comfort of his own home he has a soul that’s kind, caring, and filled with confusion—it’s not so bad. Here at school, it’s as though I don’t even exist. He treats me like the trash he always claims me to be, and soon enough my patience is going to wear thin and I’m going to snap.
Patience has never been my strong suit. Just ask Mia Bodegraven from third grade who was on the receiving end of my most iconic tantrum yet. She didn’t think I was cool enough to be invited to her stupid pamper birthday party and told the whole school that I had boy germs because I prefer to hang out with them. I showed that bitch. I stole mom’s phone and texted all the parents of the kids she’d invited and told them the party had been canceled and then I had my own party, and guess who wasn’t invited? I like to think I was a conniving kid and it’s only helped me to become the baddest bitch these fuckers have ever dealt with. Oh, not to mention that I might have also punched her in the nose when my mom found out and demanded I apologize to the little cow. That was also my very first suspension. I was so proud of myself.
Colton drops down into his desk chair at the back of the classroom as other students begin to gravitate toward him, all wanting his attention, all wanting to hear what he has to say and then claim it to be gospel.
A quick thirty seconds pass before Mr. Hall finally walks in and breaks up the gag-fest at the back of the room. Milo hushes beside me but refuses to finish his story until every last word is out. Apparently, our wedding will be set in the Hamptons during spring on his father’s holiday property. He already has a caterer and photographer in mind, though the ceremony part has to be in a church otherwise Milo’s grandmother would die of embarrassment, and we couldn’t possibly have that happen, especially on our wedding day.
Mr. Hall gets started on today's lesson while I try to ignore the growing presence at the back of the room. My whole body screams to turn and look at him, just to see if he’s as aware of me as I am of him. Maybe I could drop a pen and sneak a peek.
Shit. What is wrong with me? I need to get a grip and pretend he’s not even there. Out of sight out of mind. Yeah, that’s a load of bullshit. Whoever came up with that stupid saying clearly never had a spider disappear in their bedroom.
A loud screeching tears through the room and sends chills down my spine. My head whips around as every student in the classroom sits up a little straighter.
It’s an alarm.
Fuck.
Panic sits heavily in my bones as silence falls across the room.
No, no, no, no, no. This can’t be happening again.
“What are you doing?” I yell at Mr. Hall who stands at the front of the room doing absolutely nothing. In fact, no one is making a fucking move. They should be diving into the corners of the room, away from windows.
This is the real out of sight out of mind. This is the ultimate fucking test.
I look around in horror before it becomes startlingly obvious. These guys have never had to deal with a threat like this before. They probably just assume this is the kind of shit that only happens in movies but for me, it’s all too real.
I fly across the room so fast that I don’t even remember moving. “Get down,” I yell, diving against the classroom door and slamming it shut while simultaneously closing the blinds on the little window at the top of the door.
After turning the latch I look around in a panic to find all the guys watching me in confusion while slowly rising to their feet. “Oceania,” Mr. Hall scolds. “What do you think you’re doing? Get off the floor and move out of the way.”
“ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE? Why aren’t you doing anything? Can’t you hear that alarm? There’s a fucking shooter in the school and you’re screwing around, wasting time.
You’re going to be responsible if one of these fuckwits get shot—”
“Miss Munroe.”
For fuck’s sake. This guy is a joke. He should be doing something to help. All this time I thought this school was so superior and it turns out they don't even have policies and procedures in place to deal with these kinds of emergencies. Back in Breakers Flats, we were running these drills every two weeks after Shawn Landers brought a gun to school and opened fire at his history teacher. He missed by miles and was tackled to the ground by a senior student then promptly knocked the fuck out, but I’ll never forget the fear that rattled through my bones. Hearing random gunshots around Breakers Flats isn’t exactly a new thing, but having it inside the school that was filled with innocent lives was terrifying.
I fly to my feet, scrambling around the room. “Someone help me get all the blinds down,” I demand, knowing we’re all going to be safer if we can work together and get ourselves hidden. I wonder if this classroom has some kind of storeroom.
“Ocean, babe,” Milo’s voice cuts through the noise and I look to him with fear. “No one has a gun. It’s the fire drill alarm. There’s no shooter here.”
I look to him in confusion, because I don’t believe what I’m hearing. “What?” I question, my heart still pounding in my chest.
Milo nods, but it’s not until I look at Colton at the back of the room and see the concern lining his hazel eyes that I finally start to get it. He nods so discreetly that no one else would be able to see it and in that moment, relief washes over me, taking the fear of my memories with it.
I notice the faces of the students around me. A fuck up like that should have them all laughing, but all I see are somber expressions and for the first time since being here, I think they might just understand the type of world I’ve grown up in.
I take a shaky breath, looking back at Milo. “It’s just a fire drill,” I murmur to myself, almost as though I need to hear the words repeated over and over again to make it more real.
“Yes,” Mr. Hall demands with a sour tone to his voice. “It is a fire drill and you’ve made us appear incompetent of clearing the classroom in a timely manner. Now, please unlock my classroom door and promptly file out of the room and make your way to the designated meeting area.”
Well, shit.
I nod and turn on my heel, feeling like a fucking idiot.
I hightail it out of here, not giving a damn that I have no idea where this designated meeting area is. All that matters is getting out of here before someone has something to say about my little performance. Standing in a towel in front of the whole student body is nothing compared to being confronted and questioned about one of the scariest days of my life.
“What the hell was that about?” Milo demands, quickly catching up with me.
“Nothing,” I rush out. “Just a startling reminder of how different our worlds really are.”
“Did that shit used to happen a lot back home?” he questions, his voice low and full of concern.
My eyes drop to the floor, not wanting to discuss this. “More than you’ll ever know.”
Milo picks up on my hesitation and drops the topic, choosing to slip his hand into mine and pull me along to the gymnasium where the whole school is lined up in alphabetical order, far away from the main buildings of the school. Milo explains what’s going to happen and ten minutes later, I’m standing with the rest of the M's waiting for my name to be marked off.
Ten minutes pass and then twenty before I lean over to the guy beside me. “What’s taking so long?” I ask, trying not to laugh at the horror on his face as I speak to him.
“Oh, um…” he starts, stumbling over his words. “They like to be precise. They have faculty checking every classroom, storage room, and bathroom to make sure they have everyone accounted for. There are always a few kids who disappear during this shit to get us out of class.”
No shit.
“In that case,” I say with a smile. “I’m out of here.”
I slip through the crowd as I hear his voice trailing behind me. “Wait, no. You can’t.”
I lose him in no time and start making my way around the gymnasium. There are teachers everywhere, most of them lingering by the main entrance so if I want to get out of here undetected, I’m going to have to go exploring.
There’s only one door that’s mostly out of sight and I quickly duck through it to find a back hallway. I have no other choice but to follow it and then find myself laughing as I walk right through to an Olympic sized swimming pool. I should have known there was one of these here. I wouldn't even be surprised to find this thing heated. The good news is that a pool like this is bound to have a proper entrance that I’ll be able to freely walk through, assuming it’s not locked.
I start walking around the massive pool and find myself gawking up at the grandstand. They must be able to fit at least two thousand spectators in here. Why the hell would they need this much seating? Is rich boy swimming that popular? Who would have known?
I get halfway around the pool when a voice calls out from behind me, so close behind me that it sends chills sweeping across my skin. “Seems we’ve got a stray.”
I whip around to find Jude hovering with a nasty, smug grin, watching me like a hawk. I roll my eyes as a show of annoyance even though it’s something very different that I feel rushing through my veins. “Fuck off, Jude,” I say with an irritated groan, discreetly taking a step away from him.
He walks with me, meeting me step for step. “No gun today?” he questions, eyeing me up and down. “Damn, baby. You don’t seem so tough now.”
“I’m warning you, Jude. Back the fuck off. If you touch me, I’ll fucking ruin you.”
“Touch you?” he laughs. “Look at you. You’re nothing. I’d fuck anything with a heartbeat but I wouldn't waste my time with you. Maybe at the start I considered it, but your putrid low class has me rethinking. You’re the kind of bitch to purposely get pregnant and try to dig your claws into my money, but I’d fucking bury you before that happens.”
I give him a sugary sweet smile. “In order to insult me, I must value your opinion first. Nice try though.”
Jude’s features darken. I’d dare say the guys of Bellevue Springs aren't the type who are used to women fighting back.
My face scrunches as I look at him with distaste. The guy seriously thinks he’s a fucking prize. He’s the kind who thinks every woman wants him but he couldn’t be more wrong. Sure he’s attractive, but the second he opens his mouth, he ruins his chances. I turn and walk away, only the fucker follows me. “You are the reason why there are directions on shampoo bottles. What didn’t you understand? Leave me the fuck alone.”
“I’ll leave you alone once I’ve finished dealing with you,” Jude scoffs.
I spin around, no stranger to a threat. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I demand, getting in his face and throwing him off guard.
Jude’s grin twists and becomes wicked. “It means you’re a fucking problem.”
His arms snap out with a speed I wasn’t prepared for. Nails dig into my skin and panic rises in my chest. He moves to the side, blocking me from getting away and using his body to force me toward the pool. “HEL—”
A hand is slammed down over my mouth and I try not to panic. There’s no doubt that I’m going in this pool but panic is only going to make it harder to get out of it, that’s assuming he’s going to let me out.
Jude gets his hands around me and I’m lifted off the edge of the pool. I claw my nails against his skin, desperately trying to inflict as much pain as possible.
“Yo, what the fuck are you doing?” a voice comes from somewhere around the huge room.
“Fuck off, Spence. This is between me and this bitch.”
I push against him, desperately trying to free myself. “Let me go.”
“Leave her alone, man,” he says sounding bored, almost as though he isn’t going to do shit about this. “She’s probably going to squeal the second
she gets a chance. You’re only causing more problems for yourself.”
“I’m fucking solving one,” he spits back, grunting as I fight against him. “This bitch won’t be a problem once I’m through with her.”
Oh, fuck.
Jude gets my hands trapped in one of his and I know it’s game over. I can’t get out of this, not without getting thrown into the pool.
“I’m going to fucking kill you,” I screech.
“Not if I kill you first,” he promises just moments before he throws me hard, sending me hurtling toward the deep water.
I suck in one last desperate breath just as my body crashes down hard against the still water. Panic creeps up on me. I’m not a great swimmer. I was lucky the other night when Colton tackled me into his pool that his arms were around me and we were mostly in a shallow part of the pool, but this water must be at least eight feet deep.
The momentum from Jude’s throw has me diving nearly all the way to the bottom and I try to remind myself to keep calm. Panicking isn’t going to help my ass get back to the surface. My momentum slows and I find myself concentrating on getting to the surface.
It’s just like taking a swim at the local swimming hole. I’ve done it countless times before. This is nothing. I can handle this.
The panic begins to seep out of me and as my feet come under me to push up off the bottom. I find myself opening my eyes and looking up through the water. Jude hovers above the edge of the pool, looking down and watching the show and while I can’t make out his feature, it’s damn clear that he’s intent on causing as much harm as possible. I bet he’s counting on the fact that a poor girl like me wouldn’t have taken swimming lessons as a kid. He’d be right, but that doesn’t mean that I’m completely hopeless.
If he wants to play, then we’ll play.
I have enough oxygen in my system to make him doublethink his tactics. I should have filed a report against him when I had the chance. An attempted rape case would look good beside his attempted murder one, but he won’t be getting the best of me.
Tough Sh*t: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rejects Paradise Book 1) Page 22