I glare at Charlie who looks as though he’s about to be sick, but I couldn’t care less. His big mouth put me in this position and because of that, whatever we may or may not have shared over the weekend is long gone. “This is all on you.”
“Babe, I …”
He doesn’t get another word out before Colton’s large fist slams across his jaw. I duck, narrowly missing Charlie’s flailing arms as he falls back against Spencer. Colton keeps coming for him but Charlie isn’t one to sit back and take a beating—whether he deserves it or not.
Spencer and Jude quickly jump in though it’s unclear if they’re trying to break it up or land a few blows just for the hell of it. What I do know is that I need to get the hell out of here before I get nailed in the face and end up needing plastic surgery that I can’t pay for.
Milo grabs my wrist and yanks hard, pulling me away from the boys. “Come on,” he says, pulling me along toward the cafeteria door. “You need to get out of here before Dean Simmons finds a way to blame this shit on you.”
Fuck. He’s right.
I hurry out with him and after making a quick stop at my locker, I find myself down at the student parking lot with Milo’s Aston Martin keys firmly in the palm of my hand.
I drop down into the car and within seconds I’m peeling out of the parking lot, pissed at myself for being so upset that I can’t even take pleasure in this sweet ride. The same thing happened when I stole Colton’s Veneno. Why is it that every time I’m in an expensive car, it’s because I’m running?
This is bullshit.
I shouldn’t be running. I shouldn’t have to run. I did nothing wrong and because I'm a female, I'm going to be torn to shreds. Who cares if the boys send each other to the Emergency Room, who cares if the students thought it was appropriate to touch me, who cares if there’s a fucking brawl at the school? It’s all going to be pinned on me.
I need to get out of here but I have no other options. Though … that’s not entirely true. Nic would take me with open arms and he’ll give me the best kind of life that he can give. I should be thankful. I should be grabbing hold of that with both hands and not letting it go. After all, he loves me. I’m sure I’ll eventually be able to move past the whole cheating thing, but what happens when he takes over his father’s gang? That puts him right at the top with a target on his back. Hell, it would put a target on mine too.
That's not a way to live.
I have to do something. I have to break free without breaking mom’s heart. I have to get out of here, but how? I have nowhere to go, no money, no car. I’m useless. I’m stuck.
I need a plan, but what?
Not graduating just seems stupid. Maybe I could hang around for the next few months, keep my head down, and try to get through high school. If I somehow manage to graduate, that already puts me higher than 50% of the kids back home. But what do I do then? Where will I go? I don’t have the cash to take me anywhere and the thought of going back home kind of hurts. I love it there and my crew, but I want to be better, I want more for myself. Especially now after seeing what else is out there. I can be better. I will be. I refuse to sell myself short.
I need a job and to be honest, the answer is staring me in the face, but I’ve been too stubborn to do anything about it. I’m too proud, and too ashamed.
I have to meet with Charles Carrington and I won’t be walking out until I get what I need.
I guess now Colton really will have a right to call me ‘the help.’
Chapter 24
I race up the stairs of douchebags’ headquarters and fly through the front door. Ever since my plan wriggled it’s way into my brain it’s all I've been able to think about. I have to do this. I have to stand on my own two feet and prove that I can make it in this cut-throat world.
Sure, I may never be some billionaire in a fancy mansion but I’ll be happy and proud of what I’ve accomplished—assuming I actually accomplish something. I will though, I have to. There are no other options for me. I don’t want to be some gang leader's forgotten wife and I don’t want to be living off someone else’s money. I need a little independence and if Destiny’s Child taught me anything, it’s how to be an ‘Independent Woman.’
I bypass Harrison in the foyer who’s putting on a good show of being busy when we both know it’s all an act. The only reason he ever comes into the foyer is when there’s someone at the door and I highly doubt that he'll be here to open it for me. He’s come to learn Milo’s Aston Martin over the past couple of weeks and usually makes a point in not answering the door. The fact that he’s standing here right now means he’s curious. He wants to know why the hell I’m here and not at school and whatever reason it is, he’s hoping he can use it against me one day.
Men are so stupid. One day they’ll learn not to play with fire but until then, it’ll be fun watching them get burned.
With Harrison trailing slightly behind me, trying to keep far away enough so I don’t notice he’s actually following me through the house, I make my way to Charles’ incredible home office. Though the second my target becomes obvious, Harrison slinks away into the shadows almost as though he was never there to begin with.
As I reach his door, I find it slightly ajar and I poke my head through the gap while knocking for his attention. Charles stands by his massive floor to ceiling windows, staring out over his property, deep in thought.
My intrusion startles him and I cringe as his head whips around with a speed not safe for a man his age. “Sorry to interrupt you,” I say politely. “May I come in?”
His brows pinch in concern before he nods and sweeps his hand toward the chairs opposite his wide desk. “Of course,” he says, striding toward his desk. “What can I help you with? Has something happened at that school? Is it Dean Simmons again?”
A slight excitement lights his eyes and I realize that he’s hoping for me to say yes. He wants Dean Simmons out and is using me to make it happen. How could I have not seen this? I guess the first time I came in here asking for help, I was so blinded by shock, rage, and distress that I mistook his little game for kindness.
“Yes, something has happened, however, it’s nothing that I can’t handle,” I explain, wanting to give him a little to work with in order to soften him up.
Confusion filters across his features as he slowly raises his chin. “Then what can I do for you, Ocean?”
A chill runs through my spine at his use of my name which is ridiculous but I try to ignore it and continue. I swallow my pride and hope to God that what I’m about to say isn’t going to fuck up anything for my mom. “I want to start by saying how grateful I am for everything you’ve done for mom and I. Without your help, I don’t know where we would have ended up.”
His eyes shine with pride but I’m not stupid enough to mistake it as goodwill, a mistake I surely would have made upon first meeting him. No, this is the look of a man who thinks that his act is paying off and knows how it must make him appear as a generous man among his rich friends. “Of course,” he says with a nod as an impatient flare shoots through his features. “What is it that you need?”
“A job.”
“A job?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Might I ask why?”
I raise my chin, trying to keep my pride but it’s quickly breaking away. “Sir, I mean no disrespect but after graduation, I need to learn to stand on my own two feet. Mom and I have no money saved up, no car, nowhere to live apart from your pool house and I don’t expect your generosity to continue after I finish school, so I’d like to prepare myself for that. Breakers Flats is my home, it's where I grew up and I have so much love for it, but if I can avoid going back, I will. I want to better my life and if I have to mop and scrub every room in this house, I will. I want to be better. I don’t want to be that girl who falls down a destructive path, gets pregnant, or forgotten. I want to succeed and I didn’t realize how badly I wanted that until I came here and saw how much more there was to the world.”
&nb
sp; Charles looks speechless for a moment and I watch as he gathers his thoughts. “I admire that,” he says, shocking me. “That’s one of the many reasons why I set you up with such a prestigious school. Having graduated from Bellevue Springs Academy on your resume will help open doors for you. Have you considered college?”
“College?” I laugh in shock. That’s certainly not a question I’ve been asked before. “No, college isn’t exactly something kids like me are taught to aspire to. Most of us are just hoping we can make it to the end of high school without being shot in a gang war, getting pregnant, or jumped in. All I want to do is save up some money so when that uncertainty after graduation comes, I’ll be able to land on my feet and have a little something there to keep me going until I can find a home and a job where I won’t have to sell either myself or drugs.”
“I see,” he says, his eyes narrowing in thought. “So, why come to me? Surely you must realize by now that Harrison is head of my staff. He deals with employment applications.”
“With all due respect, Sir, Harrison is a dick and would laugh me off before I even got a sentence out. Besides, this is your home and you hold the power. Why speak to Harrison when I could go straight to the top?”
A sparkle hits his eyes and I realize that I’ve said the magical words. Charles considers me a moment before finally nodding. “Alright, you may work weekends and after school once your homework is complete. You’ll need to report to Maryne and she will tell you where she needs you. However, Harrison is still your superior and you will show him respect.”
I nod. “Yes, sir.”
“Right,” he says, looking down at his watch. “It’s too late to return for the rest of your school day so you might as well get changed out of your uniform and get started.”
I nod again. “Thank you,” I say graciously, feeling ease settle over me knowing that I now have a shot at making it out of here. “I won’t let you down.”
“Good, now unless you’d like to start explaining why this couldn’t wait until you had finished your schooling for the day, I suggest you run along.”
My eyes bug out at the thought of having to explain to Colton’s father that I slept with Charlie on one of his many couches and then was humiliated because I rocked his world so greatly that every fucked-up student at school was passionately demanding a slice of heaven too. No thanks, I'll pass on that one.
I get up from the desk chair and silently thank Charles once again before scurrying away so he doesn’t get a chance to change his mind. I thought for sure he was going to tell me no or he'd make me work a little harder for it but it all came together and now I actually have a shot at survival after graduating.
Elation fills me as I skip around the house, heading for the back door. I make my way into the pool house and just as Charles had requested, I get out of my school uniform and find the comfiest sweatpants and tank that I own. My sweatpants aren’t actually mine, they’re Nic’s that I stole and refused to give back so I have to roll them at the hips a few times just to keep them up. My white tank also isn’t mine. I’m pretty sure Kairo gave me this after he found it in his room. It’s tight and cropped and I absolutely love it, you know, after I washed it a million times. It’s the benefit of having a bunch of guy friends. After they sleep with a chick and kick her out the next morning, they usually leave something behind and that something is always given to me. I'd like to claim it as a token of their affection but the reality is that they don’t want to give the girl a reason to come back.
Knowing that Maryne is going to make me earn every cent, I grab Nic’s red bandana and tie it around my hair to keep it off my face. The last thing I need is my hair falling into the toilet or accidentally getting sucked into a vacuum cleaner. God knows my dark locks have already suffered through hell.
Ready for my first day on the job, I make my way into the staff quarters and report for duty. Maryne is busy rushing around as usual but she finds the time to stop and help me out. “Alright,” she starts giving me a cheesy grin. “I heard that you’re my new protege.”
“News travels quickly,” I laugh, having only walked out of Charles' office less than five minutes ago.
Maryne shrugs her shoulders. “What can I say? We like to be on the ball here. Now, I don’t have a uniform your size but I’ll get some ordered. Until then,” she says with a pause, looking up and down my body with a frown, “this will have to do.”
I don’t know whether to be offended or not so I put it to the back of my mind and follow her as she starts leading me through the staff quarters, going over the same introduction that mom had gone through with Harrison. Though I don’t know why she bothers, I know where I am and what’s going on. This is my third week here.
“Okay,” she says, twenty minutes later. “I don’t have a list of jobs set out for you just yet but for now, you can start by taking a few things off your mother’s list. She’s been working around the clock making sure everything is perfect. She’s worth her weight in gold.”
“She is,” I smile, proud of mom for doing so well in a job that she seems to really be enjoying.
“Why don’t you start with the formal dining area?” she questions. “The room needs to be cleaned, swept, mopped, and dusted. Charles is having a business dinner there tomorrow evening so it needs to be in pristine condition. I’ll choose the table settings while you’re cleaning and once you’ve finished that, you can set the table and have it ready to go.”
I nod, my eyes wide as I realize just how much preparation goes into one dinner, and that’s not even talking about the menu or entertainment. Her job must be ridiculously busy. It’s no wonder she hasn’t had time to have kids of her own.
Wanting to impress her, I scurry away and find everything I need to get started. I make my way into the formal dining room and look around. The room is huge, but I can handle it. It’s not like it’s littered with crap. It’s already in pristine order like the rest of the house but things get missed and I’m determined to make sure that it’s absolutely perfect.
I walk around the massive dining table and put each of the chairs up so I can get right under the table as I clean. I get halfway through before realizing that something is missing. I pull my phone out of my pocket and press play on my music.
Delacey fills my ears with ‘Cruel Intentions’ and I can’t help but get lost in the music as I get back to work. I dance and move while gliding the broom along the marble floor. This really isn’t so bad, in fact, it’s oddly soothing. After my shitty day, I feel like I finally have control. I feel like some part of my life is dictated by me and me alone and no one can take this away from me. This is me finally stepping out and making something of myself, setting up a future that I can be proud of.
I finish sweeping and get halfway through mopping when footsteps sound on the marble floor behind me. I whip around to find Colton striding through the dining room, his eyes on me, no doubt having just seen me dancing.
He walks straight over the wet floors, smirking and knowing just how much it would be getting under my skin. Maybe I set my expectations too high. Colton is going to make this hell. How could I have not even considered that before begging for this?
His eyes rake up and down my body and despite knowing that I look damn cute, he makes me feel like trash. His lips pull up in a disgusted sneer and although it’s not the first time he’s looked at me like this, it’s the first time he’s actually truly made me feel this way. A scoff comes tearing out of him. “I guess you're nothing but the help after all.”
“What do you want?” I demand. “You’re ruining the floors. I’m going to have to start again.”
He steps in closer, so close that I can feel the heat coming off his body, making my fingers itch to touch him. “Stay away from my friends.”
I raise my chin and grin up at him, knowing just how much my cockiness irritates him. “What’s the matter, Carrington? Jealous I let Charlie get a little too close? He didn’t even have to try, unlike you who can't seem t
o stay away.”
“You fucking wish,” he snaps. “You acted like a whore and you got what was coming your way.”
“You mean a mind-blowing fuck-fest with your best friend or the whole school assaulting me? Come on, Colton, don’t tell me you’re one of those arrogant assholes who blame the victim. ‘She asked for it.’ ‘She wanted it.’ ‘If her skirt wasn’t so short …’”
“Fuck off,” he snarls, clearly not fond of that accusation. “Your behavior is embarrassing the Carrington name. What happened today was unacceptable. Everything you do reflects on me.”
“Hold on a second,” I say, obnoxiously studying his face. “Forgive me, Charles. I thought I was speaking to your douchebag son.”
His eyes harden. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what, baby? Don’t call you out on your bullshit? Don’t get under your skin? Don’t make you want me so bad that you can’t resist getting in my face every moment of every single day?”
“You’re fucking kidding yourself if you think I want you,” he spits. “Sure, you’re fucking hot and I’m down if you want to fuck, but with a girl like you, that’s all you’ll ever be. A means to an end. Just another whore begging for a little attention. That’s the way it was with Charlie, right? He fucked that tight little cunt and all but forgot you existed. He couldn’t wait to go bragging, sealing the deal so you’d never come running back for more.”
“Fuck you,” I growl, unsure why his words cut so deep. “You don't know what you’re talking about. Charlie isn’t like that.”
“Isn’t he?” Colton laughs. “You’ve known him for two fucking seconds. I've known him my whole life. You’re a fucking game and he played you just how he wanted.”
No. I refuse to believe it. It wasn't like that with Charlie. I know boys. I can smell their bullshit from miles away and Charlie is a genuine guy despite his many flaws. He wouldn’t intentionally hurt a woman like that … I don’t think at least.
Tough Sh*t: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rejects Paradise Book 1) Page 26