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

by Nina Lincoln

  With a pang, I shut that shit down, for those thoughts are not only mean but petty - the girl is missing, for fucks sake. Regardless, the thought makes my chest pulse painfully.

  Dirk, Ramie, and George emerge through the doors and sit with us, ordering food and chatting animatedly. Hayden comes along a while later, and even though I wasn’t here when they were all friends, I can’t help but think the bands back together. Well, except for Nate anyway.

  Ramie sits beside me and looks at me with her luminous jade eyes, and I smile tentatively, uncomfortable under her scrutiny.

  “I’m sorry,” she says softly.

  “For what?” I ask, confused.

  Glancing away, she gazes over my shoulder with a thousand-yard stare. “Ben.”

  “Ra-“

  “I knew he was dangerous. I knew something was coming, but I did nothing.”

  “Knew...what?” I ask with a sinking sensation in my stomach.

  “That something bad was going to happen,” she says simply.

  “Did you know he was going to come after me?”

  Meeting my stare, she slowly shakes her head, and my breath leaves me in a whoosh. “Ramie, if you didn’t know, what could you have done?”

  Smiling sadly, her eyes turn cold as she says, “What I should have done a long time ago.”

  Standing before I can ask, she stalks off to the bathroom, and I stare after her bewildered, contemplating following, but maybe she just needs time?

  Turning back to the table, I spy Hayden staring after Ramie with a strange expression, but when he senses my gaze, his eyes drop into a blank stare, and he curls his lips into a smirk. Rolling my eyes, I look away, but I’ll not soon forget his interest.

  When my phone buzzes in my pocket, I pull it out absently, only to gaze with horror at the text.

  Did you like my gift?

  Glancing around, I spy nothing out of the ordinary.

  Finn: Gift?

  Why yes, dear Finn, I couldn’t let her threaten you

  Finn: Who?

  My fingers tremble as I type out the response hoping he doesn’t say what I think he’s going to. I don’t think I could bear it.

  Sarah

  Dropping my phone, it crashes to the floor with a thwack. Colt turns to me with a questioning expression that turns to concern when he sees my face.

  Clutching my cheeks, he says urgently, “What? What is it?”

  Spying all eyes on us, I shake my head slightly, and Colt pulls me from the chair, leading me down the hall toward the back exit and the bathroom.

  “What?”

  “He texted me...about Sarah.”

  After this, I burst into tears, clutching him to me when he wraps his arms around me. Did this crazy fuck really take Sarah? For me?

  The knowledge weighs on my chest like a ton of bricks as hysteria circles my spine, and I clutch onto Colt tighter. What if it had been Colt? I couldn’t bear it.

  “Okay, okay, sh,” Colt says, brushing my hair back from my face.

  “What’s wrong?” Ramie asks behind us.

  Pulling away, I glance at her face as she looks between us uneasily, and I straighten, wiping my face. Enough.

  Militantly, I grab Colt’s hand and lead him back to the group while Ramie follows behind reluctantly. Once we reach the table, I slam my hands against the cheap Formica to get everyone’s attention.

  “Finn,” Colt says in a warning tone.

  Shooting him a glare, I look back to my audience when he raises his hands in surrender,

  “Listen up,” I bark, which probably isn’t necessary because all eyes are already on me. “I’m done with this shit! Some stupid fuck thinks he can scare me? Well, no more. Now, if you’re my fucking friends, y’all better start throwing out ideas.”

  “Ideas?” George asks, looking me over cautiously.

  “Yes, you’ve all been friends forever, surely you must know who the creepy fuckers are? Who would have Ben working for him? Who would hate Sarah?”

  “Sarah?” Hayden asks, his chair dropping to the floor.

  “Yes, if I’m to believe the sick fuck, he’s the one that took Sarah. For me.”

  The silence after my statement is deafening as Ramie whispers beside me, “For you?”

  Sighing, I sit in my seat and rub my temple. “Yes, Sarah came to my house right around the time she disappeared.”

  “Why didn’t you say something?” Colt growls.

  “Because I thought you were fucking her,” I snap but soften my gaze when he reels back as though slapped.

  “What did she want?” Dirk asks.

  “She threatened me. She was super weird, going on about Colt. Chased me down the street with a knife before she gave up and said something about letting him take care of me. At the time, I thought she was talking about Colt. But what if this mysterious guy she was hanging out with was my fan?”

  I’m met with dead silence as they all stare at me with disbelief.

  Beside me, Ramie says, “She’s a snake in the grass, always has been. But this?”

  Hayden slowly nods, “Yeah, but she was into some stupid shit. Constantly scheming, causing trouble, and she was super secretive.”

  “She threatened me,” Dirk says reluctantly.

  “What about?” Colt asks, his face is ashen.

  He’s been remarkably silent during this conversation, and I worry he’s about to fall down the hole and retreat as he often does, but this is important, and I’m not willing to back down.

  Dirk shift’s uncomfortably, and I wonder if this is when he plans to recap his whatever with Colt’s half-sister, but Colt’s phone buzzes, and he glances down before standing abruptly, “It’s my mom.”

  We all watch as he walks away before tuning back into our conversation. “Maybe it’s farfetched, but we have to consider Portia too,” I say.

  Hayden shifts uncomfortably, and I zero in on him with narrowed eyes. “What?”

  I can see he’s gearing up to lie, and my mouth pulls back in a snarl, “Just fucking tell me!”

  Glancing behind us to where Colt’s standing on the sidewalk speaking into his phone, he says grimly, “Portia was pregnant.”

  “Come again?” I ask.

  Sighing, he runs his hands over his hair and mutters, “When she disappeared, she was pregnant.”

  “How?” I whisper. When Hayden gives me a heated glare, I raise my hand and say, “How do you know?”

  “Because she told me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because she was playing us all, and she didn’t know who the father was,” he says firmly.

  “Us?”

  “Me. Colt. Nate…”

  Portia was pregnant? And Colt…?

  My mind spins at this new revelation, and I jump from my chair, walking back to the bathroom rapidly. I need a moment to process this without all their fucking eyes on me.

  Slamming into a stall, I lean against the flimsy wall and take deep breaths. It shouldn’t matter. This was long before me, but knowing he got someone else pregnant or maybe did creates a cavern of pain in my chest that hurts - badly.

  Not to mention he’s denied anything with her up one side and down the other. If he’s said nothing about her, what else is he not saying?

  After a few more minutes of misery, I wash my face and exit. From here, I can see Colt is still outside pacing as he talks on the phone, and with a pulse in my chest, I take a deep breath and will the hurt away. Was this what he said he’s not proud of?

  “Finn?”

  Turning, I see Tiffany standing before me with a vicious grin before everything goes dark.

  *****

  Slowly I open my eyes, glancing around with a shiver, but it’s cold and dark, and I can’t see a damn thing. Sitting up, I wince when I smack my head into something above me, the pain in my brain ratcheting to DEFCON 1 levels.

  “Fuck.”

  At this point, I should probably be worried about brain damage. How many times can you get hit in the
head before it’s permanent?

  Glancing around the darkness, I squint until shapes slowly form around me. There are stairs or steps below me and at the bottom is a tall pole with something attached at the top, the soft glow of an exit sign shining across the way.

  Am I in the...gym? The stinky smell of sweat and plastic singes my nose as the idea pops into my head.

  Confused, I stand on shaky feet and grab the bar above me, pulling myself up on the bleachers and weaving on my feet as I clutch the railing tightly and step down them carefully.

  My shoes make a faint squeaking sound, and I wince, glancing around cautiously. The last thing I remember is the news about Portia, well that and Tiffany.

  But why am I here?

  A light clicks on behind me, and I scream, spinning toward it, but I can’t see beyond the brightness, black spots dancing behind my retinas.

  “Here you are. I’ve been waiting for this, Finn,” a silky voice calls out, causing chills to race down my spine.

  Fuck. Glancing around wildly, I take a single step back, gasping when I hit something firm behind me, and find Ben standing there with an evil leer, his eyes bright with wicked greed.

  Shit. If Ben’s behind me, who’s behind the light?

  Spinning so I can see both him and whoever’s behind the fucking spotlight, I say shakily, “What do you want?”

  Chuckling rings out, and it’s so creepy, I shiver, wrapping my arms around my middle. Can you hear evil in just a tone? Because whoever it is, sounds completely mad, and it scares the shit out of me.

  “You Finn, I want you.”

  “Why? Why all this? Why not just talk to me like a normal human being?” I ask desperately.

  “Because you’re special. I’ll admit, at first it was just a game, but then I saw Finn, I saw you,” he says reverently.

  “A game?”

  “Yes, just a little game,” he says casually as though no harm was done.

  “You’re a fucking psycho!”

  “Enough! This can end very badly for you, Finn. Don’t make me hurt you,” he growls.

  “And Sarah?” I whisper.

  “You don’t need to worry about her any longer. A shame since she was good at what she did, but she became a liability.”

  “What did you do to her?” I whimper.

  This is all so surreal I’m not sure my brain has caught up with the adrenaline surging through my system. How can it? It’s utterly unbelievable.

  “I cut off her tongue,” he says baldly.

  “Wh-what?” I gasp, stepping away, but Ben’s behind me and makes sure to block my passage.

  “Why?” I say, unable to stop the tears that well. Poor Sarah.

  If I thought my fan was dangerous before, now I know whatever I considered pales compared to the reality. This isn’t a simple crush. He’s fucking insane.

  “Because she threatened what’s mine,” he says firmly. “And let’s be clear, Colt’s fucking next. I told you to stay away from him, but you just wouldn’t listen. You think that dick loves you? Jokes on you. He’s played the same damn game with others. Has he told you you’re his light? Has he said he can’t live without you? Newsflash Finn, Colt said the same damn thing to poor little Portia before he knocked her up and dropped her. He has no soul that one. He’s not capable of loving you, not like me. Finn, I love you. Me!”

  Flinching, I bow my head, wondering if this is it. I’m going to die here, by a psycho with no moral compass.

  “Do you understand, Finn?”

  “I don’t understand anything,” I say miserably.

  “No? Well, let me help you, then. Every step you take, I’m watching. I know who you're with. I know who you fuck. I know who you hate. Why do you think I took out Sarah? For you! All of this is for you!”

  “No,” I scream, “No, I don’t want this!”

  “Too fucking bad! You think you can defy me?” he roars.

  Cocking my head to the side, I think I recognize the timbre of his voice, but he quiets, and it's gone.

  “Enough! This is it. I’ve been waiting for this, and Colt, with his fucking lies and games, isn't going to take it from me. He’s a fucking liability, Finn. He doesn't want you. He wants to crush you!”

  ‘Maybe, he does,” I whisper, “but this doesn't change the fact that you’re a fucking psycho.”

  “Bitch! You want to fucking mess-”

  The blaring light flickers and then blows, leaving us in darkness once again. Without thought, just the visceral need to live, I spin on my heels and take off for the nearest door.

  Thankfully, I’ve been in the gymnasium for pep rallies and other bullshit, otherwise, I’d be lost, having skipped PE this year.

  “Fuck!” Ben curses behind me.

  “Don’t let her leave!” The other voice barks.

  Adrenaline surges through me like crack, and with a heave, I slam through the doors entering the dark hallway. Ben’s right behind me, and it’s dark enough he can’t easily see me, but this means I can’t see a fucking thing either.

  Plastering myself against the wall, I blow out a shaky breath, relieved when he goes the other way.

  Tiptoeing the opposite direction, I trail my hand against the wall as a guide, tripping over something on the floor and freezing when my shoes squeak loudly against the linoleum.

  Fuck. Panic rolls down my spine painfully as I wait for Ben to jump out at me at any moment, terror causing me to breathe so heavily I can hear myself panting.

  Slowly I start moving again, sweat trickling down my back as I ease along the floor, afraid to make any sound. I need a phone. I need an exit. I need out of this fucking nightmare.

  Finally, my trembling fingers meet the lip of a door, and I slide around until I find the knob, but it’s locked, and with a low moan, I keep going, my hands running over a poster before finding the cool wall again.

  Something whines behind me, and I freeze, slowly plastering myself against the wall again. I’m shaking so badly it’s a wonder I can stand at all, my heart pounding so fiercely, I can feel it in my aching skull.

  After what feels like hours, I turn back to my quest when nothing emerges, trying three more rooms, my hands brushing over more posters, a light switch, and a fire alarm before I find one unlocked.

  Pausing for a moment, I glance back at the wall, which is stupid - I can’t technically see much of anything. Whatever.

  With a deep breath, I fumble with the fire alarm, cursing when it doesn’t fucking work.

  Desperately, I wrench on the damn handle and jump a foot even though I know the damn thing is going to be loud when the harsh wail blares overhead.

  Glancing behind me frantically, I slip into the classroom, closing the door behind me and locking it before backing away slowly.

  I hit a few desks and stumble before finding the opposite wall. It’s lighter in here near the windows, and sliding down the wall, I stare at the door until sirens sound in the distance.

  *****

  Maggie sits beside me with a grim expression while I lay shivering in the hospital bed and stare at the ceiling. I can’t stop. I’m cold, so cold.

  The cops just left, and I answered all their questions, including my interaction with Sarah and my fan’s words. Through it all, Maggie was silent.

  I haven’t spoken to Colt, and beyond asking Maggie to let him know I’m okay, I haven’t asked. I’m reeling under the information spewed by my psychopathic fan, running over the cruel words over and over. Obviously, he’s jealous of Colt and me, beyond his nefarious plans. I just wish I knew what they were.

  And I don’t know what to think regarding what he said about Colt, but clearly, he’s heard the words Colt has spoken to me before, which reminds me that Sarah said them as well when she was ranting at me with the knife.

  Colt told me the first time we were together that I was the light to his darkness. At the time, it made me feel special, and now I just don’t know.

  Could Colt be playing me still? To what end? It doesn
’t make sense. He’d have to be truly fucked in the head.

  But then where did my fan hear it? Portia, Sarah?

  Is it possible Colt’s still playing a game?

  I don’t know, and my mind is so fucked I can’t see my way past everything to what’s real. Because if this is a game, Colt will never admit it, not if he’s still sick enough to be playing it out.

  Turning to my side, I sigh and close my eyes, the tears I’ve been holding back sliding down my cheeks silently.

  I love him. But maybe he doesn’t love me.

  “Kid, I think it’s time we consider sending you away,” Maggie says softly.

  “To where?” I ask numbly.

  “Anywhere, but here.”

  I open my mouth to argue but close it with a snap. Maybe I do need to leave. I’ve battled nothing but heartache since I came to this place but will leaving change my fan’s mind?

  “What if whoever this is, follows me?”

  “Well, I guess I don’t know. Frankly, I assumed it was a student.”

  “I think it is, maybe. But Maggie, whoever this is, they’ve had multiple people working for them. I’m scared. What if it doesn’t matter where I go?”

  She sighs and shifts in her seat, “We’ll figure it out, kid.”

  Right. Grimly I smile. The only way to figure any of this out is to confront whoever it is and bring them down. Otherwise, my life will just be a series of playing hide while this fucker seeks.

  *****

  I’m released the following day. I don’t have my phone. I left it at the table when I went to the bathroom. Foolish. I should’ve never left the table alone.

  Standing in the threshold of my room, I stare around at my belongings, disgust rolling through me. How many times has he been in my room?

  How many people have lied to me since I came here? Who can I trust? What’s real and what’s fake? Everything feels like a fucking lie.

  With a weird pulse in my chest, I pull down a poster I brought from my old room and halfheartedly hung here to make me feel closer to home. Next comes a string of lights hanging over my bureau. Everything comes down as I rip it apart with my hands and throw it to the floor.

  It's all meaningless. It’s all a fucking lie. This place. These feelings. Me. A fucking lie.