Just when I think I got away from Coach Darcy. Just when I think I can put that crap behind me, I almost trip over my own feet when I come to the top of the stairs.
This is fucking stalking!
“Go. Away!” I scream before I can get a handle on my emotions.
Everyone in the gym jerks their attention toward me. My eyes trail over all of them, seeing the girls laughing and giggling behind their hands. Then, my eyes stray to all four guys, seeing them tilt their head to look at me. Their faces turn stony and hard within seconds.
I don’t take the time to notice their half-naked bodies dressed in workout gear. Nor do I take the time to notice, or even care, that they’re not supposed to be in here. They allow only the baseball and softball team to be in the gym for practices—or tryouts—I should say.
In eerie synchronization, all four guys run their eyes from the top of my head to the bottom of my tennis shoes. Their gaze is slow, accessing. But when they finally bring their eyes back up to mine, I see the heat and fury dancing in their eyes.
Quinn breaks rank and stomps over to me, his muscles vibrating from thinly veiled control. “Who did this?”
“You all are irritating,” is all I say, making to turn away.
His hand slaps out, fingers wrapping around my wrist, tightening. “I will not ask again, Jess.”
Jerking my hand out of his hold, I round on him. My chest rises and falls rapidly, as I, too, fight for control. “Don’t pretend you—as if all of you—care.”
“This was your last warning. After this, we won’t play nice,” Callum calls out, and I can’t help the shiver that wracks my body.
Four sets of growls sound off as I turn my back on them, slowly making my way over toward the softball team. I couldn’t care less what they want from me. It doesn’t mean they will get it.
Not in this town.
Not in the real world.
Not in Silver Creek High.
CHAPTER 10
Silence, when defined as a verb, means—cause to become silent; prohibit or prevent from speaking.
When defined as a noun, it means—complete absence of sound.
Now, good people, riddle me this—does it say anywhere that silence means you have to be up someone’s ass all the time? Does it say if you don’t talk to someone that means you want to be around them?
No, I don’t think it does. I could be wrong about that, but, yeah, I don’t think I am. I may not be a Miss. Smarty-Pants, but I sure as shit know what one word means. But apparently to the guys, silence is a catastrophic tragedy, and “no” is not really in their vocabulary.
They follow me. Everywhere. Every day.
Callum even parks by the curb every fucking morning, then follows me to school. He does that because he knows if he tried to force me to ride with him, I would throw a bitch fit of epic proportions.
It. Is. Ridiculous!
It makes me homicidal! I haven’t had a smidge of privacy. Because, you know, they wiggled their way into my house, too. You think I’m joking, but no. They’re there. All the time. There is at least one guy at dinner every night. On the “special nights,” which aren’t really that special if you ask me, all four are there. Talk about an uncomfortable situation. Debra glaring at me, while the guys pretend to be staring at the walls. Also, the forced conversations, too. Especially from my side. Geez. Crickets, y’all. Crickets.
Yeah, it’s about as bad as your boyfriend coming to your house for the first time and your parents showing him your baby pictures. Not just any baby pictures, either. I’m talking about the embarrassing ones; the pictures where you are naked with only a smile and popsicle in your hand.
That’s me. That’s my life.
Oh, and don’t even get me started on their thought of personal boundaries. If I thought it was terrible before, it has nothing on how they are now. They don’t have any, and they enjoy slipping past mine.
Ever since that day in the gym, the guys haven’t left my side except to sleep, practice, and shower. Even then, I’m pretty sure one of them camps in the treehouse in my backyard. I can’t prove it, but I have my assumptions. The little Debbie snack cake wrappers dotting the ground by the base of the tree are a clear indicator of someone’s presence.
I didn’t think it would be this hard. When I walked out of Callum’s bedroom, I thought that was the end. They wouldn’t try to get with me and wouldn’t bother with any of that other shit. Oh, how wrong I was. This entire time, I thought they were just pretending, but let me tell you, if this is pretending, I’d hate to see reality.
They. Are. Everywhere!
They tease me with their presence. Taunt me with heated looks and scorching, delicious touches before I can pull away from them. And, it’s not like I can say I don’t like it. As bad as I hate to admit it, I’m addicted to a man’s touch. Their voice, smell, taste—it’s become a living, breathing entity inside me. One I haven’t been able to feed in a long time.
They’re wearing me down, and I’m too stubborn to admit defeat. I still have this driving need inside me to ignore them, to disregard their presence as if they don’t light my entire world on fire.
“So, what’s for dinner tonight?” Asher sidles up to me. Again, I leave him with nothing but silence.
“I know what I want,” Ellis seduces, trailing a finger down my arm. Leaning in, he whispers into my ear, “It involves your legs wrapped around my head, and my tongue on that juicy, little clit.”
See! You see what I’m talking about! Who in their right mind can resist something like that? Their teasing is relentless.
It’s been a month of the same thing. Their mischievous taunts, barely there caresses—I’m at the end of my rope with all of them! My body is running high on adrenaline whenever they’re around, and I honestly have no idea how long I can keep this up. Eventually, I’ll crash, and when I do, I’m taking the lot of them with me.
I sigh, slamming my locker door closed. I go to swing my bag onto my shoulder, but a strong, steady hand stops me. This time, I huff in frustration. My gaze rises to the insufferable bastard smiling down at me, looking too sexy for his own good.
“Give in to me, little mouse,” Callum teases, his fingers trailing down my arm, causing fresh goosebumps to rise in his wake.
Silence is the only thing that meets him. His eyes crinkle with barely restrained laughter. “How much longer do you think you can hold out?” he asks, then steps forward. His movement forces me to step back until I’m flush against my locker. My body vibrates with tension—of the sexual kind. Leaning down, he puts his lips against my ear, softly kissing the lobe. I swallow hard as a jolt of electricity zaps through me. “All it would take is one word.”
He wasn’t lying when he said they wouldn’t play nice. I just didn’t take the time to believe a word out of his mouth. Now, though, the warnings he gave me are making a lot more sense. Where the guys can bring torture and pain, they can also bring extreme amounts of pleasure.
This is downright evil, using a girl’s body against her when she wants nothing to do with them. It’s bullshit, bullshit, bullshit, with an extra dose of bullshit!
I let myself slip for the first time in a month. “Go. Away.”
“Holy fuck!” Ellis cries out in mock pleasure. His boisterous voice has my gaze snapping to him, watching as he grabs his dick and heart at the same time, then falls back into the lockers. “I can’t decide if it’s my heart or my dick that’s about to explode.”
A round of snickers sound out through the hallway. But instead of the usual bullying timbre, they’re light-hearted. Not what they usually are in association to me.
“Ellis, you’re embarrassing,” I whisper, cheeks tingeing a delicate shade of pink. I barely refrain from stomping my foot in the process, which speaks highly of my restraint. I push against Callum’s chest, but all I get in return is warm muscles and a low-timbered growl reverberating inside his chest at my touch.
Silence has been my best friend for four long weeks. N
ow, within five minutes, I’ve broken that vow twice. Screw them! Why is it so hard to understand I need distance? You’d think, with as intelligent as they are, they would understand and grant my wish. No such luck, though. None.
If anything, it’s made them push me harder. I have no doubt they will continue to do this until I snap, then it will be all over. For all of us.
They’re even bothering Karma for Christ’s sake, and Davis isn’t too happy about that. I sincerely believe if Ellis touches Karma one more time, Davis will deck him—elite status be damned. Now, that will be a sight to see. Actually, I’d probably pay for it. Ever since the elite have been sticking to me like glue, nothing has happened. It’s awesome not needing to look over my shoulder at school, but it makes for an extremely boring day.
And a bored Jessalyn, is a Jessalyn that finds mischief to get into.
“Guys, she’s said something. Twice in one day,” Ellis chirps, smiling from ear to ear. “I think we’ve seen a miracle.”
I turn a glare on him. “I’m just tired of you all being up my ass.”
“I don’t mind that position,” he fires back with a wink.
The flush on my cheeks deepen, spreading down onto my neck and the top of my chest. As I’m about to say something else that might result in another lewd remark, I’m saved by the bell. Karma walks up to me with Davis trailing behind her. His eyes immediately seek out Ellis,’ penetrating him with a slanted glare. It’s not even like Ellis touches Karma inappropriately or anything, I just think Davis hates him.
“Do you want to hit up a party tonight?” Her eyes go from me to the behemoth holding me against the lockers, appearing unfazed.
I love that she thinks of me now. Ever since I found out Karma and Davis had been going to parties without me it chaffed my ass a little. When I told her that, she assured me that wasn’t her intention. She just didn’t think I would want to go to either Lovell or Tannenbay’s parties, which she was right. Now, though, she runs things past me even if I decline the invitation.
“Who’s throwing it?” Out of the corner of my eye, my wall of three bodyguards all glance between each other. There would be four, but the fourth won’t get the fuck out of my personal space.
They’re eerily silent, which isn’t like them. I know I should chuck it up as a miracle, but I can’t fight the feeling that they know about this party and chose not to tell me. If that’s the case, then I really want to know, because that means they didn’t want me to attend in the first place.
“Guys?”
Asher smiles cheekily. “We’re not going. We have plans tonight.”
Yeah, the same plans they do every godforsaken night, but that doesn’t mean mine have to be the same. Remember? I’m on a mission. The “fuck them and stay silent” kind.
Turning toward Karma, I give her a wide smile. “I’m in.”
“Then we’re in,” Quinn says, leaning back against the row of lockers. He gives me a flirty smile, but the only thing I give him in return is a blank stare. No emotions. No nothing. Just a blank-as-fuck glower.
“Why do you all insist on torturing me?”
Callum chuckles, the sound hitting me right between the apex of my thighs. “This is your own doing, little mouse, I gave you fair warning.”
My breath catches in my chest when I feel his lips graze my cheek. Holy shit. He needs to back up. Like, right now. I haven’t had a release in months, and if I come just from the lightest touch of his lips against my skin, in the middle of this hallway, it will piss me off.
Don’t lose your shit. Don’t lose your shit. Don’t lose your shit, I repeat the mantra in my head over and over. Callum is the one that tugs at the nerve more than the others. Honestly, if the other three hadn’t done what they did at the beginning of school, they wouldn’t be that bad to hang around. But they did, therefore, I must hate them.
“Cal, step off,” I grit out.
“Mmm.” He runs his nose along the side of my neck, an arm wrapping around my waist to pull me closer. “I love it when you try to be forceful. Come on, babe, make me.”
My legs squeeze together, trying to mute the ache blooming in my core. Callum must feel the movement, because his lips pull back from his teeth against the skin of my cheek in a predatory smile. He knows he’s getting to me, and he’s loving every second of it. But I hate it. Not the feeling, just the person causing them.
My eyes flit to Karma, seeing hers round in shock. “Little help here, Karm.”
Callum has been a little more hands on today, and to be frank, it’s frustrating. It also makes it extremely hard to stay mad at him; especially when I know he deserves all my ire. He doesn’t get forgiveness so easily. He doesn’t deserve it. Even if my body is yelling at me to give in, I won’t.
“Um,” Karm stammers, peering between the two of us. “Davis help me out here, please.”
I hear a huff of indignation sound from behind her before Davis steps around her, meeting Callum’s stare. “Lockridge, man, it’s about time to admit defeat and you all go on your way. Jess has told you plenty of times to leave her alone. Respect her wishes and fucking do it.”
Even I can hear the hesitance in his voice. Few people at this school willingly go toe-to-toe with the “great” elite boys. Instead, they usually hide behind fist bumps and half hugs, like they are the best of friends, when in reality they’re killing them with their glares. It’s sick if you really think about it. People are so thirsty for a bit of spotlight that they will go along with what these four guys say.
“No one asked you, D. You sure you want to do this,” Callum says, putting a bit of a bite in his words. It makes me squirm more. There’s just something about that … damn, it makes me want to climb him like a tree.
“You apparently didn’t ask her, either,” Davis deadpans.
“Step off, D,” Ellis hisses.
“You’re going to let your girl get you hurt.” Quinn smiles like he likes the sound of that. Psycho.
Tense silence flows between all four guys and Davis for several minutes. It’s long enough that some students walk by gawking, while others—inconspicuously—hold up their cell phones, hoping they can get a little video of the altercation. But it’s clear that Davis knows he’s outnumbered, and I’d really hate for Davis to get hurt on my account. He did nothing wrong. I’d feel like total shit if he were to get injured mid-season.
I sigh. “Don’t worry about it, Davis. It’s not like they’ll listen, anyway.” It’s true. They haven’t yet.
Relief is palpable in the drooping of his shoulders. Karma gives him a dumbfounded look before he takes her hand with his. She gives me a tight smile, her eyes flicking to the surrounding boys, before she allows Davis to pull her away. I know what she’s trying to say without voicing it. She’s worried. You know what, so am I. If I thought they bullied me hard before—well, when they want something, they go balls to the wall even harder.
“Now that’s taken care of, what are we doing tonight?” Callum says, pushing his face into the curve of my neck. He places soft, open mouth kisses along the column of my throat, compelling a tremble to rack my frame.
They’re never going to stop. No matter what I do or don’t do, they will always be there, tapping on my window in hopes that I’ll let them in. It is apparent because they keep disregarding what I say. It was even more apparent with the way they all went against Davis just now.
They will never stop. Not until I concede just a little and make them believe they’re wearing me down.
“I guess we’re hanging out at my house.” I sigh.
I can withstand whatever these guys do because I have to. To save myself; to save what little piece of heart I have left. I got this. They can try to storm my walls and chip at the ice surrounding my heart, but I won’t give in. I will be strong.
I hope.
CHAPTER 11
Late fall turns into early winter. The trees have long since lost their vibrant leaves, and now most of them are brown and decaying on the
ground under my feet. Cold wind cuts through me like a knife, but instead of leaving behind cuts like a serrated edge of a knife, it’s sort of invigorating.
I make my way toward the school, arms wrapped tight around me. My slightly longer hair twirls and slaps against the side of my wind burned cheeks. It’s perfect. Besides spring, this is my favorite time of the year. With Thanksgiving over, I can now focus on being one stop closer to it being my birthday.
I take a quick glance over my shoulder, but the sight that greets me is the sight I’ve been seeing since I stepped out of the house this morning. Callum and the guys didn’t follow me. I didn’t know until I was halfway to school how much them being there became such a huge part of my daily routine.
Also, as bad as I hate to admit it, there was this little knock in my heart when I didn’t see them. They would always smile from the car, wave or blow kisses, then follow me to school as if they are my personal bodyguards. I hate that I take notice. But in the back of my mind there’s this tiny little voice saying, you know you like it. Admit it. It’s so frustrating because I know it’s the truth. A truth that makes me feel so unbelievably weak.
I heave my bag high onto my shoulder, a weary sigh slipping from my chapped lips. How did I let this happen? They wiggled their way into my personal life, and by the time I realized how ingrained they were, it was far too late. Now if dinner starts without at least one of them, Debra asks me—like a sane person—where they’re at. I don’t know if it’s because they are children of very influential families, but I’d be a damn liar if I said their presence didn’t make my life easier at home.
“Jessalyn!” Someone shouting my name has me stopping with a jolt. Craning my neck, I see Karma skid around the corner, almost face planting into a row of lockers.
“Jesus Christ, Karm.” I grab her to keep from her falling. “What’s the rush?”
Her eyes catch on mine, and the fear practically bleeding from her irises cause my breath to catch. “Y-You need to come now.” She turns to leave, and when I don’t follow, she grabs ahold of my arm and jerks me after her. “Right now! I’m not kidding.”
Tease Me, Baby: A Reverse Harem High School Bully Romance (Silver Creek High Book 2) Page 8