Trophy: High School Bully Romance (Kennedy Academy Book 3)

by Mae Doyle

Then I notice it. She smells a little different than she normally does. Nora smells like fear and paint, sometimes with a touch of cinnamon when she’s been eating something sweet after school, but never like this. I take a whiff, catching notes of caramel. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear that she had been in my room. The thought gives me chills. We park, not in my normal spot up near the school, but in the back gravel lot, the small rocks spitting and spinning out from under my tires as I pull into it and slam the car into park.

  She braces herself on the dash and turns to look at me, fire dancing in her eyes. “Any reason why you chose today to drive like an asshole and kill us both?” The venom is thinly veiled and my blood responds to it, just like it would if she were a serpent. My blood would clot, killing me, but her voice freezes it, slowing it down as my heart pumps harder and faster to force it through my arteries and veins. It makes me catch my breath when she speaks.

  “You’re different.” I lean across the truck to her, brushing a loose strand of her hair from her face. When my fingers touch her skin, she jerks back, the shock of our contact too much for her. I yank my fingers away from her, even as I feel something pulling me to her. There’s a twisting in my gut and a longing to reach for her and press my lips to her, but I have to ignore it.

  She’d kill me if I tried to kiss her right now, and I don’t blame her one bit. The look she’s giving me right now is almost daring me to lean over and kiss her, and for a moment, I consider. But then she turns and throws open the truck door, breaking the spell. I watch for a moment as she stalks through the parking lot up to the school. Even though I’m not really welcome back in the locker room right now since I’m not technically on the team, that’s where I’m headed. I need to clear my head, and getting as far away from Nora as possible is the best option that I have.

  The morning flew by, even though I had to listen to people talking about the new and improved Nora. She’s no longer the girl who threw up in the trash can. She’s gorgeous, and everyone at school is realizing it. I don’t like it one bit, but it’s not until lunch that I realize I need to put a stop to it.

  “Have you seen Nora?” Robby sits down next to me at the picnic table, dropping his tray so hard that his drink bounces off and he has to grab to catch it. I wait, one eyebrow raised, while he gets himself under control before answering him.

  “Not since I dropped her off this morning. What’s going on?” He gestures with his chin and I follow the movement to see Nora, not sitting on the ground as usual, but standing and talking to someone. Leaning on the bench, I crane my neck to see who would be talking to her, but I can’t tell from here. “It’s Jeremy Gibbons. You know, the nerd? He’s had her cornered since she came out here, but I don’t think that she minds.”

  Fuck. Something uncoils in me and I stand, my eyes locked on the two of them. Maybe I haven’t been as clear as necessary to make sure that everyone knows that Nora belongs to me. Any guy talking to Nora would be bad, but Jeremy is the worst. Robby may think that he’s just a nerd, but there are things about Jeremy that I know, and I don’t like. Nora can’t ever know that the two of us have history together, and to keep things quiet, I need to stop this friendship before it really gets started. I remember when Clay stood up and claimed Elle in the middle of the cafeteria. It seemed over the top at time, but now…now I get it.

  Slamming my hands on the picnic table I stand and stalk over to the two of them. Jeremy has his back to me, but Nora catches a glimpse of me coming and her eyes widen. Good, I want her to be afraid when she fucks up.

  “Nora.” Without really thinking, I slip my arm around her waist, squeezing her hip, and pull her towards me. She resists at first, but once I dig my nails into her skin, she leans into me. But she never takes her eyes off of Jeremy, and she never stops talking to him.

  “So, if you don’t mind, I’d love to come over some afternoon and paint with you.” She pauses, her eyes locked on his face, waiting for his response.

  Jeremy doesn’t answer. At first, he looks at me, his eyes flicking across my dark face, then back to her. When he looks at me again, I shake my head, the smallest possible movement, but recognition flashes in his eyes. If he lets Nora come over to paint, then I’ll kill him.

  “I…uh, I’m not sure that that’s the best idea, Nora. You know, I don’t want anyone getting the wrong impression.” He stutters out the sentence and Nora frowns.

  “The wrong impression?”

  Barking out a laugh, I turn, pulling her with me. “Don’t worry, Jeremy, nobody would think that you were man enough to score with Nora. She’s mine, anyway, so make sure that people know it.” He doesn’t move and I turn to him, locking my eyes on his. “I don’t want anyone trying to talk to Nora without my permission, do you understand?” He stares at me, but I can feel that he’s going to back down. Of course he’s going to back down.

  Nora looks pissed, but there’s more to this than she knows. Out of all of the guys in the school to fuck around with, she had to choose Jeremy Gibbons. He doesn’t move, and I pull Nora away, guiding her back to where I was sitting with Robby. The last thing I want to do is babysit her, but I can’t have her fucking everything up by hanging out with the wrong people.

  “Your permission?” Nora’s voice is a hiss in my ear, but I ignore it as we walk away. “Your permission? Who the hell do you think that you are?”

  Turning, I move my hand to her wrist and pull her close to me, resting her hand on my chest. She can feel my heart pounding as I stare at her. The magnetism between us so strong that it wouldn’t take much for us to kiss. The thought of her lips on mine gives me chills.

  “I think that I’m the guy saving your reputation. People still think that you’re a virgin, remember? Unless you want me to tell them the truth.” Leaning down, I gently swipe my lips across the soft curve of her ear. She shivers and digs her nails into my skin. I can smell her better this close to her and I’m even more convinced that she got into something of mine. She smells delicious and I slide my lips across her cheek before pulling back to look at her.

  Her face darkens. “I want you to leave me alone.”

  “No can do, darling. We shared something special and now you’re stuck with me. Besides, after getting to see that perfect little body of yours, why in the world would I walk away now?” She has no idea how close I’m coming to telling her the truth. I may hate Nora and want to destroy her, but there’s something about her that makes me crazy.

  I want her for my own, but I don’t know if I want to keep her or just have her as my trophy.

  Nora twists her face into a grimace and tugs her wrist out of my grasp. “Maybe because I hate you? Leave me alone, Teague, I want nothing to do with you.”

  Without thinking, I reach up and run my hand down her side, gently touching the swell of her breast. She sucks in a breath through clenched teeth and bites down hard on her lower lip. A spot of blood wells up, and before I can stop myself, I lean down and lick it off.

  It’s warm and salty the taste a bright tang in my mouth. For a moment, I consider kissing her and sucking more of her blood from the bite, but the look on her face tells me to back off. I still got a little taste, though, and I’m not going to let that go without lording it over her.

  “You know, Nora, it’s wild. Every single part of you tastes absolutely delicious.” I’m close enough to her that my words are for her ears only, and she’s staring at me, unable to move away.

  We may both go to hell, but we’re going to go there together. Nora and I are connected, no matter how much she may hate it.

  “I hate you.” She’s missing some of the venom from her voice.

  “I love tasting you.” Grinning, I turn to walk away, but she grabs me, digging her nails into my arm.

  “Why?” The look on her face is pained. It’s the first time I’ve seen this expression on her face since she was faced with the Nora Puking t-shirts. “Why in the world can’t you just leave me alone, Teague? I don’t want to do this with you a
ny longer. I want to just…end this.”

  The look she’s giving me would be enough to melt the heart of most people, but I’ve about had it with Nora’s shit. Not only did she refuse to believe me when I deleted the pictures of us having sex, but then she ruined all of my shit in my locker.

  No, Nora’s passed the point of when I was going to be kind to her. I’ve moved on from that, and she needs to, too.

  “Because, Nora, you shouldn’t have come here. Everything was just fine without you here and you had to ruin it all. I could have forgiven you not wanting to play my games – ”

  “You mean when you tried to rape me in the woods?” She cuts me off but I ignore her.

  “But this bullshit with the turpentine was too much.” Crossing my arms, I stare down at her, but she doesn’t wince away. Instead, she draws herself up to her full height, her chest puffed out, her eyes locked on mine.

  “You ruined my painting!” She throws the words at me like I’m going to be impressed or give a shit about her flower painting.

  “You ruined my life.” That’s not entirely true, but it’s how it feels right now. If it weren’t for her and Bethany getting into it then I’d still be on the football team, not driving her home every day and then going off on my own into the woods to burn off some steam. Inspiration hits me. “You know, Nora, since you’re the reason I don’t get to play football anymore, I think that you should have to entertain me. You know, make it up to me.”

  “Go to hell.” She shifts her weight, rocking back a little to get away from me, but I lean forward, not wanting her to move too far away.

  “No, I like the idea, Nora. So how about this – you decide what you want to do this afternoon since I can’t play football and you’re sure as hell not going to Jeremy’s house for a painting session. Sound like a date?”

  “There’s no way I’m going on a date with you.” Disgust drips from her voice and it makes me angry. I feel rage building up in me but I try to stay calm. We’re in the quad, not out in the woods, and I can’t teach her a lesson like I want to.

  “You don’t have a choice, Nora. It’s not like anyone else is going to give you a ride home from school. Look around you.”

  She does, and I follow her gaze as she turns in a circle. Other students are staring at us, but nobody has made a move to come over and see if she’s okay. When she looks at them, they quickly drop their heads, talking to each other, but not making eye contact with her.

  Finally, she turns back to face me, her dark eyes blazing. Taking a moment, I lean forward to look at them. They’re deep pools that I feel like I could get lost in. She’d drown me in her eyes if given the chance. Murky and thick, I feel her swirling around me as I stare into her eyes, and I have to focus to pull myself back out of my thoughts.

  “So, Nora. I’ll see you in the parking lot. Enjoy the rest of your classes, but make sure that you don’t lead anyone on. Poor Jeremy look positively heartbroken that you would play with him like that when you know you’re not going to be allowed to see him.”

  “Fuck. You.” She steps forward and slams her hands onto my chest, pushing me back.

  “Woah,” I laugh, easing regaining my balance. “Promises, promises, Nora. Or do you want everyone to know the truth? It didn’t take me as long as I’d thought to get into your pants.” Before she can answer, I stroll away, walking back to Robby to finish my lunch. Her eyes are boring holes in the back of my head, but I’m not going to turn around and give her the satisfaction of looking at her again.

  I don’t have to see Nora until after school. That gives me a few hours to work out how I’m going to bring her down a notch or two.

  Chapter 4

  Nora

  I never had any idea how hard it was to concentrate on classes when there was an asshole taking up most of the room in my head. The rest of the day flies by, but not because I’m paying attention. I have no idea what’s going on in any of my classes, but that’s just because I can’t stop thinking about Teague.

  I should be thinking about what I’m going to do to ruin his life, but instead, I can’t stop thinking about his tongue slipping across my lip and him licking up my blood. Absentmindedly, I reach up and touch my lower lip. It’s still sore and swollen, but there’s no more bleeding. All it would take would be one hard kiss to break it back open.

  I’m lost in thoughts when I hear my name. “I’m sorry, what?”

  The calculus teacher, Mr. Buchanan, regards me over his glasses and then sighs. “I asked you if you knew how to solve for sine.”

  No, I do not know how to solve for sine. The classes at Kennedy Academy move much faster than the classes at my old high school, and I’ve been lost since the day I set foot in this math class. I never should have been placed in it, but I guess the administrator was overeager to show that his school could education anyone from the unwashed masses.

  That’s me. The unwashed masses. My face flames as I shake my head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Buchanan, but I don’t know how to do that.”

  His face falls and he grunts. “You need a tutor, Nora.” The entire class keeps looking at me, and I spot a few shameless grins from people that I don’t really know. “I know someone who can help you out. Do you have afternoon plans today?”

  Glee replaces the panic and anger that I feel and I have to stop myself from grinning. Teague is going to be so pissed that I suddenly have tutoring and can’t do anything with him after school. Any time that I can get away from his going to be good and will keep me from doing something stupid.

  Like kissing him. I swear, my body was going to turn on me at lunch when he licked my lower lip. I remember what his tongue feels like sliding across my tongue, and a heat rushes through me to settle in my legs when I think about his hands on my naked skin.

  But I don’t trust him, so I can’t be with him. I want to hurt him like he hurt me, no matter what my body wants.

  “This afternoon is perfect.” He nods and I settle back in my chair, not even caring when some of the other students throw me curious glances. I have the best excuse not to hang out with Teague now and I’m thrilled to use it. He’s going to be pissed, and I can’t wait to see his face.

  ***

  Even though I probably should have told Teague myself that I wasn’t going home with him after school, it felt really good to have Robby be my messenger. He’s one of the only people who’s not terrified to talk to me after lunch today, but even he looked surprised when I walked up to him at his locker and gave him the message to pass on.

  Taking a deep breath, I walk back into Mr. Buchanan’s room. He had told me that the tutor would meet me here right after the last bell so that we could get started right away. I’m smiling as I walk into the room, but the smile fades off of my face as soon as I step one foot in the door.

  “What are you doing here?” Teague’s sitting by the window watching his team practice football. If he thinks that he’s just going to sit here while I get tutored so that he can keep an eye on me then he has something else coming. My hands curl into fists and I march up to him.

  Slowly he turns from the window and grins at me, leaning back in the chair and stretching his arms over his head. A flash of skin shows his abs and I swallow hard, remember how he looked in my room when he tossed me his towel. No high schooler should be as ripped and gorgeous as Teague is. His body is perfection, all strong muscles wrapped in a perfect tan.

  “I’m here to tutor someone in calculus. What are you doing here?” The grin he shoots me pins me to the spot. He looks cocky and proud of himself, and I know in that instant that he’s here to tutor me.

  “No. Not a chance. You’re not my math tutor.” Backing up until I hit another desk, I try to put some distance between us, but Teague doesn’t even move. “I mean, come on. You can’t know how to do calculus. You’re not that smart.”

  He frowns. “That hurts, Nora. And yes, of course I can do calculus, but why should I help you? I mean, honestly, what have you given me since you came here but
trouble? You’re just a non-stop pain in my ass, you know.”

  “You have to help me.” I’m instantly angry at how easily he turned the tables. I don’t want him to be my tutor, but I also can’t handle the thought of him leaving me to my own devices. If I don’t get help then I’m really screwed. “You have to, because Mr. Buchanan told you to.” I don’t want him to be my tutor, but the thought of him trying to worm his way out of helping me makes me angry.

  “No, he asked me to. There’s a big difference.” Mindlessly, he drums his fingers on the desk. “Sit, Nora. Let’s get started.”

  I fall into the chair but angle my body as far away from him as possible. Teague grins and leans over, grabbing my chair and pulling it to him so that we’re pressed up next to each other. I can feel the heat from his arm through my shirt and I angle my body away, trying to scoot my chair back to where I was.

  He follows, moving his chair right along behind me.

  “If you don’t mind, I need some space.” I scoot again, and he follows.

  “Calculus makes you all hot and bothered? Or is it something else that’s making you flush?” He looks calm and cool, but there’s a smile playing on the edge of his mouth that makes me want to smack him.

  Or kiss him. I’m not sure. I know what it feels like to have his hands wrapped in my hair while he runs a trail of kisses along my neck. Just the memory of being with him sends shivers up my spine and makes my stomach twist. It feels like I’ve had a lot of soda and everything is bubbling and twisting in me. Kissing him would only make things worse. I have to keep reminding myself that.

  “It’s just being in such close proximity with someone I hate,” I tell him, trying to shoot daggers with my eyes. I must fail because he laughs again. The sound curls around me, caressing me. It’s so rare to hear Teague laugh than when he does, I want to do anything to make it happen again. I could easily become addicted to the sound of his laugh, and I’m pretty sure that he knows it.

  “Oh, Nora. You don’t hate me.” He drapes his arm around my shoulders and pulls me in tight to him. At first, I relax, and I close my eyes, enjoying what it feels like to have someone want me near them like this. Hell, to have Teague want me near him like this. But then I remember that we’re oil and water, fire and ice, a creator and a destroyer.