Hate So Good: A High School Bully Romance (The Hate Series Book 2)

by Nina Lincoln

  I’ve put it off, and I shouldn’t have because my fan could easily have attacked Colt instead of me. Clearly, the creep hates Colt, and to be seen together could be a problem, and although I don’t want to put distance between us, I also don’t want to see something happen to him—something I could have prevented.

  His brows lower over his eyes, and I gear up for an argument, but he cuts me off before I can explain my concerns.

  “Okay, Love. I get what you’re saying, but it’s too late for that now and too dangerous to leave you alone.”

  My heart skips a beat at the new moniker, but I push it aside for later. Colt’s safety is important, and I’d die if something happened to him.

  “Then what do we do? What if he goes after you?” I whisper through a tight throat.

  “Are you sure it’s not Ben?” he asks.

  “No. But why else would Ben say it? Colt, this is serious. Whoever he is, he’s made threats against you multiple times!”

  “Wait. What? How many times? Finn!”

  “I’m sorry,” I flush. “I didn’t know what to do, and we were barely talking…”

  He glances away and clenches his jaw, staring out the window before he turns back to me with a sigh, “I’m not angry with you, Finn. I’m fucking pissed some piece of shit is doing this to you.”

  Wiping my face, I nod miserably, and he pulls me into his arms, caressing my hair softly. “It’s okay, Love. We’ll figure this out.”

  “I think it must be someone we know,” I say against his shirt.

  It feels so good to be in his embrace, and I pray nothing comes between us again.

  Pulling back, he stares at me grimly, and I see the truth behind his eyes, he’s thinking the same thing.

  With a shiver, I turn away and look out the window at the students wandering by. It could be any one of them, and until somebody catches the fucker, I’m a walking talking victim.

  Hayden’s dark hair comes into view, his lazy smile and cold as fuck eyes easy to see from this distance. Nate lurks nearby, with a morose expression on his face.

  “Tell me about Portia,” I say, turning back to him.

  “What about her?” he asks dubiously.

  “Well, you all liked her? Fought over her? Why?”

  He turns away with a frustrated sigh. “She was one of us a long time ago. Back then, we were just kids, and when we all decided we liked her, we made her choose. It was ugly and stupid.”

  “And?”

  Giving me an impatient look, he says, “And nothing, Portia chose me. We dated for a while, but like I said, we were young. It didn’t last.”

  “What about Nate and Hayden? They were angry?”

  Slowly he nods, “Yes. At the time, it became a big competition to win her over. At first, she wasn’t willing to choose, and so we fought over her, and she liked it.”

  Ugh. So silly, Portia’s actions created a divide that those boys never came back from.

  “Do you think they got over it?”

  “How so?”

  “Well, Nate still seems angry about it?”

  “Nate’s a fucking douche. He’s always been the one to take things to the next level. When Portia chose me, he lost his shit. It wasn't pretty,” he says grimly.

  “And Sarah?”

  “Finn,” Colt says in a warning tone, but I ignore him with my expectant stare.

  “What about her?” he says with a sigh.

  “Did Nate like her or date her? Did you all fight over her before?” Talking about any bitch dating Colt makes my skin crawl, but I have to go there if I want answers, even if it makes Colt uncomfortable.

  Unfortunately, it also doesn't sit well with me because we’re so new in so many ways, and I’m not sure how far I can go before he backs away.

  It’s a shitty notion that.

  “No, Nate never dated her that I know of unless it was after me,” he says with a shrug.

  Studying his noncommittal expression, I ease a little, but I’m still stuck on the coincidences. “And Hayden?”

  His head whips around, his eyes narrowing icily. “What about him?”

  “Did he date Sarah before you?” I ask with a shiver, dropping my gaze to my lap.

  Sighing, he grabs my chin and drops a kiss on my nose, to which I smile shyly.

  “No, Love. Hayden dated Sarah after me. Why? I don't know. Maybe he liked her. I know he did fuck her while we were dating, though. Maybe he wanted my sloppy seconds,” he says sourly.

  “That doesn't make sense. Hayden doesn't care about any girl in particular.”

  “I don't know why. Maybe you should ask him,” he says irritably.

  Grabbing his bag, he looks at me expectantly, and I follow him from the truck, the sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach confirming he’s hiding something. But what? What could possibly matter now?

  Colt grabs my hand and pulls me toward the door, bypassing Hayden with a grim expression, and I give him a nod, to which he returns with a curious look. I feel better knowing there are a few people out there looking out for me, but I don't know if those are the same people of whom I should be wary.

  We’re eating lunch after a tiresome day of classes when Hayden turns from where he’s sitting and says grimly, “Yo, did you see the news?”

  “No?” Colt says, giving me a saucy wink to which I smile feebly.

  He’s been quiet since this morning, he’s pulled back in his head, and it hurts my hurt to feel the distance between us.

  “Sarah’s missing,” Hayden says.

  “What?” We both say in unison, turning to him with matching incredulous stares.

  “Yeah, her parents reported it a few days ago. She left for school a week ago and never came home. Never made it to school either. Police are looking for whoever saw her last.”

  “A week ago?” I whisper.

  It wasn't long before that she showed up at my house, freaking out and waving a knife in my face.

  Colt is grim beside me, sharing a look with Hayden I can't decipher, and I look between them expectantly, but they offer no explanation.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Nothing,” Colt says heavily.

  “What? No way. Tell me,” I demand.

  “It's just,” Colt runs his hands through his hair, “it just reminds me of Portia.”

  “Oh. Do you think it could be related?”

  “Probably not. That was several years ago,” Hayden says dismissively, but I see the tic around his eye.

  What are the chances two girls both Hayden and Colt dated would disappear? I mean, it seems a little too coincidental to me, but what did that mean for them and me? Were they getting letters and grotesque gifts also? Or am I climbing up the wrong tree?

  “Who else did Sarah...date?” I ask.

  Hayden snorts, “Who didn't she ‘date’? She fucked half the student body of Northside High and was well on her way through South.”

  It doesn't go unnoticed that he’s referring to her in the past tense. Glancing around uneasily, I say, “Did she, maybe, get notes or something? Did she have a secret admirer?”

  Colt stands from the table so abruptly the chair flies into the kid behind him, and the entire cafeteria grinds to a halt.

  With a fierce expression I can't decode, he stalks away, slamming through the doors into the parking lot without looking back.

  Staring after him with my jaw to my knees, I turn back to Hayden when he says, “Don’t worry about him. He’s just being stupid.”

  “Why?”

  “Colt’s always been a lit fuse. It just takes longer for the explosion.”

  “Okay,” I say, looking toward the wall of windows worriedly. Is he angry with me?

  “As for Sarah, I wasn't aware of any notes. But we didn't exactly chat, you know? Besides, Sarah was into some stupid shit. Whatever she was doing was shady as fuck. She refused to talk about it and insisted it was fine, but I don't know.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like she had a
friend who she hung around with. Whoever it was would give her ideas, and she’d play them out. Totally ruined some chick's world last year when she revealed her sordid relationship with her stepdad. Sarah’s the type to catch a butterfly and pull out its wings just to watch it squirm.”

  “And yet you slept with her,” I say dryly.

  He shrugs, “She had wet pussy.”

  Throwing a napkin at him, I grimace. Dude’s are so disgusting.

  “Okay, what about Portia? Did she get notes or anything?” I ask, turning the topic back to real shit.

  “Not that I know of, but that was a long time ago. Finn, if you’re trying to see a connection between you and them, there isn’t one.”

  “How do you figure? Two of the girls that dated Colt are missing, and I’m getting weird as fuck notes, not to mention attacked by an unknown stalker who has the power to send a stand in to come and get me,” I say, agitated.

  He looks at me askance before slowly nodding his head, “I guess. Yeah. But I don't think Sarah had a stalker. She’s more likely to beg the sick fuck. And Portia? I don't know, that was a long time ago.”

  Nate walks through the cafeteria doors with his friends, his head tilted back in a beautiful smile, his pretty dimple out in full force. Grabbing a chair at a table nearby, he waves when he sees me watching, and although the look is cautious, I return it. I know he’s struggling with my choices, and I hope eventually he can see his way through to accepting them.

  “Hayden?” I ask him.

  He’s sucking face with one of his bitches, and I roll my eyes when he pulls away with a slurp. “Seriously? Anyway, did Nate ever date Sarah? Or show an interest?”

  “Sure, he fucked her at least once.”

  “How do you know?”

  “It was at a party last year, at the beach. We go every year just before school lets out. They fucked on the beach for all to see.”

  Wrinkling my nose, I say, “Okay, um gross. But they didn't date or anything?”

  He chuckles. “Sarah didn't date. The only one she really ever entertained the idea with was Colt until he found out about her secrets and dropped her. Except when he used her against you,” he says silkily.

  My heart clenches at the remembrance, and I look out the windows once more. Colt hasn’t emerged, and it's almost time for the second half of the day. Where did he go?

  “Like sleeping with everyone?”

  “That and she's the one who spilled the beans about Colt’s dad.”

  Oh fuck. “Wait, are you telling me that Sarah told Colt about his dad's wife?”

  So, this was the bitch at school?

  Hayden smirks, “Yep. Apparently, she knew but never said anything, at least not until she wanted something. Sarah thought she could get away with pushing him to do whatever she wanted, he declined, and the rest is history. He shut her out, and she came to South.”

  Reeling, I get up when the bell rings, drop my food into the garbage and join the masses in the hall. If Sarah knew about Colt’s dad and she’s the one who informed him his life was a lie? Bad news.

  Of course, if I were Sarah, I’m not sure what I’d do with the information either. I mean, how do you tell someone something like that? Especially Colt? The information adds a layer to the dimension of Colt’s bitterness toward his mother and Sarah. Maybe the whole sleeping around thing didn't matter as much as others have let on. In which case, were they really that close to begin with?

  Gah. I’m just going in circles.

  Not to mention Colt conveniently left out a key piece of the story. Why not tell me it was Sarah who spilled the beans?

  I spend the rest of the day worrying about Colt. He never appeared in any of our classes, nor did he answer any of my texts, and I’m torn between being angry and scared. I know all too well how serious my stalker is, and he or she doesn't want me anywhere near Colt. It can't have gone unnoticed that we’re dating. What if something happened to him?

  When I emerge from the building into the lot after school, I’m relieved to see Colt standing by his truck with a grim expression but following that is resentment.

  Giving him a good glare, I approach and speak before he can, assuming he planned to.

  “Where have you been? I was worried?” I exclaim.

  “It doesn’t matter. Are you ready?” Colt says with an emotionless expression.

  “No, I’m not ready. Colt, what’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” he says gruffly.

  Turning from me, he opens my door and rounds the cab, getting in on the driver’s side and staring out the windshield grimly.

  “Colt?” I ask softly, stepping forward, “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Nothing is wrong. Now, will you get in the fucking truck?”

  Stepping back, I ignore the hitch in my chest and say, “Fuck you. Don’t go to any trouble. I can find a ride home.”

  “Finn,” he says with a pained expression.

  But I step further away because I can’t stand to look into the void of his ice-cold eyes any longer.

  Spying Hayden walking by with a girl under each arm, I call out, “Hayden? Can you give me a ride home?”

  “Finn,” Colt growls in warning, but I’m already walking away.

  Hayden looks between me and the truck curiously but nods, and I follow him to his car. Colt doesn’t move from his spot, not even after Hayden pulls away.

  *****

  I don’t hear from Colt all evening, and the misery I’m reduced to is fucking pathetic. I don’t know what this means, if he’s done or just going through shit, but I’m tired of the whiplash.

  Not to mention, his ex is missing, two of them. I’d be stupid not to consider the ramifications, but I’ve come this far with Colt. I refuse to believe he’s some sick psycho who preys on girls.

  I’m sad for Sarah. At her worst, she didn’t deserve whatever may be happening to her now, the parallels between my almost abduction and hers making my stomach churn. It could just as easily be me missing, with no one the wiser of Ben’s machinations.

  Speaking of Ben, he’s still out there somewhere, and I don’t know if he’s given up or waiting for a more opportune time. I don’t even know if he was lying, and maybe he’s my fan. It’s all a cluster.

  I’m wallowing in my misery when Teddy texts me later that evening, and I roll over eagerly only to deflate when I see it’s not Colt.

  Teddy: Hey, did you hear about Sarah?

  Finn: Yeah…

  Teddy: Fucked up shit

  Finn: I know. I hope she’s okay

  Teddy: Me too

  Teddy: Everything is so crazy. How are you feeling?

  Finn: I’m okay. Just you know, worried, I can’t help but wonder if the Sarah stuff isn’t related

  Teddy: How so?

  Finn: I mean, Portia and now Sarah? It could’ve been me missing if I hadn’t gotten away

  Teddy: Yeah, that’s true. But maybe Sarah got into her own trouble. She was into all kinds of weird shit

  Finn: Like what?

  Teddy: Word around is that she hooked up with some dude, and he was bad news. Not to mention she liked to make people suffer

  Finn: Oh, wow. I wonder who she was dating?

  Teddy: No clue, but it could just as easily be she found trouble she couldn’t see her way out from

  Finn: True

  Teddy: I’m worried about you, Finn. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do

  *****

  There’s still no word from Colt by the following morning, so I’m surprised to see him sitting in his truck at the curb. Approaching slowly, I try to gauge his mood, but with all things Colt, he’s got an uncanny ability to close himself off when he wants to.

  Opening the door, I stand at the threshold but refuse to get in. He looks me over with his pale eyes, and I breathe a sigh of relief to see the desire written there. At the very least, he still feels something. I guess the rest will come with time.

  “What’s up?” I ask guardedly. />
  He works his jaw for a moment before saying in a low voice, “Finn, I’ve done a lot of shit I’m not proud of, sometimes I’d prefer to leave that shit in the past.”

  “Okay?”

  “Look, I don’t want to see what you think of me when you know some of it. I don’t want that to ruin this,” he says, waving between us.

  “Colt, what could you possibly have done that's worse than the shit you did to me?”

  His mouth quirks up in a grim smile, “Plenty.”

  “Okay, but Colt, you can’t shut me out. It hurts,” I say softly.

  His eyes darken with remorse, and he slides across the seat, pulling me into his arms, “Oh Princess, I’m sorry. I just, sometimes the feelings I have for you freak me out. I wasn’t prepared for this.”

  Melting into his embrace, I wrap my arms around his waist. “You know it's not easy for me either.”

  “I know. I’m sorry,” he says, snuggling into my neck.

  Shivering, I lean my head to the side, and he chuckles, peppering kisses along my skin, as I close my eyes and revel in the goosebumps spreading across my neck.

  “Colt,” I moan, need unfurling inside of me.

  “Mm, we don’t have time, Princess. But I will be fucking you later,” he growls.

  Whimpering, I agree, feeling the loss acutely when he pulls away, and I follow him into the truck.

  We haven’t spoken about Sarah or Portia, and it’s a conversation that we can’t avoid for long. Beyond that, I have a pulse of worry regarding his words. What could possibly be worse than what he’s already done?

  Chapter Eight

  News of Sarah’s disappearance is all anyone can talk about, and with the specter of what she must have gone through is the realization I may have been one of the only people to see her before she disappeared.

  Not a single soul knows, not even Colt. It’s not on purpose, but with the shitshow of events that follow me around, it hasn’t come up, and I’m torn. I should report it to the police, but what will happen?

  She was acting crazy, but it could be construed in a way I don’t want anyone to think. I mean, she walked away, but not before we faced off.

  After class, we head to the pizzeria, and I can’t help but shiver when we pass the table where she sat not too long ago. Colt’s grim expression tells me he’s got the same thoughts running through his mind. Does he miss her?