Justice and Prudence. They like Just and Pru, since they’re rebels. Very uptight parents, right?
I laugh, loving that their names aren’t normal.
Could be worse. I’m Colton, after all.
But that’s charming. Their name makes us sound like hillbillies that wanted to run for the presidency at some point.
I’m full body giggling at her response. No one burns their family like Mel does hers.
I’d love to meet them.
Was that too forward? What’s wrong with me?
Hard to do when they’re still in Tennessee, but if you come with me for fall break, I’m sure we can make it happen.
My stomach clenches uncomfortably at that. Fall break. Cass and I always went home and spent the week hanging out with our moms, but what do I do now? Especially since they’re basically zombies...
Let’s make it happen. I always wanted to see the southern states.
First of all, no one but west coasters say that weird stuff. And two, really? I’d love for you to come. It’d make it easier to not deal with my father alone. He insists I come back even though we’re not on speaking terms and he’s trying to avoid being in prison. Her text saddens me. Much like my relationship with my parents, hers seems to be suffering too.
Isn’t prison for rich people nearly staying at home with an ankle cuff? I joke.
Practically. He’s laying low, only leaving to attend his court appearances.
That’s sad and must be hard.
We should just have sleepovers at this rate. We’re still teens after all. It’s true.
We’re teens who never truly act like teens. Maybe it’s being wealthy or forced to live alone once we turn fifteen. Either way, we should be allowed to act our age.
You’re welcome here whenever, Mel.
Be there in ten then.
I just chuckle.
No more than fifteen minutes later, she’s dragging in a duffel full of chips, drinks, and snacks. I’m staring at her disbelievingly. She has come prepared. I would have never had that much stuff on hand.
“How did you get all of this?” I ask in wonder. These snacks make my mouth water—jelly beans, jujubes, taffy, and everything in between. I’ve been slowly implementing foods. I’ll have to keep my consumption low, but I’m enjoying getting back to feeling human again.
Last week, the school-appointed concierge doctor checked me over while on a voice call with my primary physician. They agreed to take me off of my pills as long as I kept track of my blood sugar and continued taking my vitamins.
“Remember those twin brothers? Well, they keep me stacked high. I’m not sure how they get them to me, but there’s always a package from administration stuffed full of treats.”
I smile at that, knowing my brother would do the same if he wasn’t stuck on campus.
Or dead.
“Well, we should thank them.”
She looks at me with an as if expression and shakes her head. “You’re either into trying out twins, or there’s something more and I’m not privy to it.”
I practically choke. While I haven’t been with twins, I know what it’s like to want to be with several guys, and that’s not in the realm of what I’m thinking.
Letting out a self-deprecating titter, I smack her arm lightly. “I just miss my brother,” I mention, trying not to cry over it.
Understanding dawns on her features. “I’d be lost without mine. They may be total jackasses who love ruining my high school experience, but they’re—”
“Worth every ounce of trouble they cause,” I finish for her, knowing exactly how she feels.
“Yes, that. They’re my pain in the asses, but I wouldn’t trade them.”
New sadness festers inside me, and I bring her in for a hug. I’m not a hugger. Hell, I’m not too into being touched by people, but I think we both needed it. Case in point, she takes a second to realize we’re hugging before she squeezes the life out of me.
“He’d be proud of you for pushing forward,” she comments.
She doesn’t realize how untrue her statement is. I didn’t push forward. I’m stuck. The only difference between then and now is my parents forced me to come back here. More like, they’re unable to work around the fact that I practically starved myself nearly to death. They didn’t want to look at me and take care of me. My being gone was their easiest solution.
“Yeah,” I mutter, not meaning the word. “So, homecoming. Are you excited?”
She passes me a bag of chips, then flops a pillow on the floor, sitting cross-legged on top of it. After grabbing some tootsie rolls—the flavored kind that aren’t waxy chocolate—I start untwisting a blue one. Imagine my surprise as a kid when I realized the blue one wasn’t blue raspberry. It was the first ounce of betrayal in my life.
“We had these huge dances back where I lived. They’re obscene with their monstrosity.” Her face takes on an annoyed gleam. “You had to do some outrageous asking skit, making sure you weren’t boring and simple. It was like a requirement.” She rolls her eyes, pops in another candy, and chews. “Then, we had to wear these big pins—mums, I think—that were more ostentatious than the frilly dresses they forced us to wear.”
I start to say something.
She begins again. “Not like your elegant dresses either. Think pilgrims went Hollywood. It was not pretty.”
I’m laughing at the distaste all over her face. If it wasn’t for the hilarity of this entire situation, I would think she ate a nasty candy.
I eat my chips as she goes on about how they made such a big deal about the events that she never went to a dance.
“Never?”
“Nope, not ever. Plus, my brothers would’ve scared the poor lad away.”
“That’s kind of my first experience.”
“Oh, tell me more.” She readjusts and grabs a couple tootsie rolls, leaning forward like we’re at a summer camp about to tell ghost stories.
“Last year, I was in Student Gov.”
She nods, then makes a face like this is gossip. Maybe in a way, it is.
“Four guys wanted to take me to the dance.”
She stops mid-chew and stares at me as if I’m some kind of hussie, but she digs it at the same time.
“I didn’t look like this,” I add, gesturing to my entire body.
“You’re hot. That isn’t a question. I’m just trying to think of a day you actually liked humans, and I’m coming up blank.”
I throw a chip at her, hitting her on the forehead. The orange dust leaves a mark. We’re both a fit of giggles as she realizes it.
“Well, Cassidy—my brother—wasn’t too fond of any of them, especially since they were known as players.”
She’s nodding and watching me intently. Like any girl who lives for snooping, she’s waiting on each bated breath for my next words.
“All of them asked me, not in some crazy way, but with a kiss,” I say conspiratorially.
Yes, they all kissed me when they asked, wanting to know if that would help me make the decision. The problem? It didn’t change the fact that I wanted them all and couldn’t just show them off as my boyfriends. Even as a group of people open about the idea, we never labeled it.
“All of them?” she whispers, as if that’s the only part that matters.
Maybe in the gist of it, that is all that matters. Four guys. All vastly different than the other, but all a part of me the same.
“Yup, they all wanted to date me, but I liked them all.” The words come out, and I’m so embarrassed. My face feels hot, and the way she opens her mouth makes me feel even more self-conscious.
“Four. Guys. Omigod,” she squeals. “Did they know you wanted them all?”
This is where it gets tricky. I don’t want to spread rumors. While they all liked me and knew I liked them and were okay with me being only theirs, they never admitted to being mine. People never witnessed me with anyone but Ten. He was the only one who didn’t care about my reputation and his cr
ossing paths. Even still, I wasn’t his.
“I’m not sure,” I lie. Keeping them protected is still at the forefront of my mind, even if they are all psychopaths who brutalized my heart whenever they deem fit. “But I didn’t ever pick just one.” Another lie. “Kept it platonic.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.
Imagine if our pants really caught fire if we lied. There would be a lot of scarred people. Lying is a trait carried through people, a natural one you don’t learn but is something ingrained before birth.
We come out lying, not screaming. They just don’t understand our language.
“Tell me what happened?” she pokes after I’ve gone silent.
“Come to homecoming with me, Colty. I’ll make it worth your while,” Ross muses, winking at me.
His eyes are full with promise, and I know it’s definitely auspicious. His tongue is wicked and not just with words. He grabs the back of my neck, bringing our lips together. With one swipe of his tongue, I’m a mess. As I give him access, he groans into me. When we part, his eyes are wild.
It’s not news I’m a virgin. All the guys know it. But the way he’s looking at me right now is anything but innocent.
“Don’t decide now,” he says, seeing the gears in my head moving at his question. “Tell me later. All the guys want you over. Movie night.”
With one last chaste kiss and a wink, he’s heading off to class, and I’m stuck in the campus courtyard, wondering how I got myself entwined with four other lives.
“Princess!” Lux calls out.
I gaze at the clouds. They’re puffy today, like marshmallow cream but less melted.
It takes Lux grabbing my chin for me to pay attention. Sometimes, my mind wanders, leaving me to wonder how it can fog so easily.
His hazel eyes meet mine. They’re so light and boyish today. No moodiness or brute arrogance. Soft. Serene. Mine.
He grabs a strand of my silvery blonde hair, staring at it as if it guided him across the universe to find me in this exact spot.
“Homecoming... got a date?”
It’s such a casual asking, nothing like the strong exterior of the boy I’m starting to care for. Out of everyone, he’s who I imagined to make a huge deal of it. He’s always stressing about perfection and making everything right.
“I—” I start to say.
But he’s using the grip on my chin to bring his lips to mine. Unlike Ross, he doesn’t use his tongue. He holds me there, memorizing, breathing me in, holding me in this moment. When he lets off, his eyes darken. He’s just like Ross in that sense. He wants more. They all do.
“Tonight maybe? Movie night?”
Do they not all talk? Is this what they all decide? Come to me and repeat? I raise an eyebrow at him and cross my arms over my chest, more than likely pushing my breasts forward.
Finally, I nod, and he turns, running toward class. That should be me, but I don’t want to go to Frasier’s class. It’s literally the first few weeks of school, and he’s already talking about how textbook this entire course will be. He’s my least favorite History teacher. He doesn’t love the craft, the knowledge, or teaching it as such. He makes us read a chapter and tests us on that chapter. Nearly word for word, too.
As the warning bell rings and I’m still in the same spot, I decide to ditch today. Why not? What’s the risk?
Heading back to my dorm room at Crystal Tower, I smile at the sight of Tennison standing, waiting, leaning against my door all chill-like. In his hand is a single kaleidoscope rose. It’s rainbow and bright. My favorite.
“Wait, wait, wait. You like roses, and bright ones at that?”
I roll my eyes at Mel and give her the finger. “I did. Now, it’s black on black on black.”
“Wow. I’m just shocked. Next, you’re going to tell me you’re an it girl.”
Heat flames my skin, and I hurry to continue my story.
His eyes meet mine, pewter and shiny, metallic and bright. They’re my favorite part of my moody boy, and yes, that’s what he is, the soft and moody one. He smiles at me, not a full one, just a small grin that tilts a little. It’s boyish and charming, just like the suitor.
Ten has always been my favorite. They tell you not to pick favorites, but we are always on the same wavelength, especially when it came to how I felt.
“Had a feeling I’d see you here, pretty girl.”
A blush warms my neck, and I’m sure it rises to my cheeks. Unlocking my door, I open it and wave him in.
“Didn’t feel like being bored to death, Ten. Nothing dramatic.”
“Or maybe it’s because you needed a little TLC from your moody boy.”
“You did not just call yourself my moody boy.”
“I did, and if you pretend you haven’t said it out loud—which is exactly how I heard it—I may scream.”
“You, scream? Now who’s dramatic?”
He grabs his chest, a low chuckle leaving him, and it’s only another reason why he’s my favorite. He just gets me.
“I’m sure every guy has asked you by now, but I think we both know who would make you have the funnest time,” he teases, twisting the rose in his hand.
Watching his strong fingers grip the stem, his rings shining against the light, makes my heart beat faster.
Moms always called me boy crazy. She’s not wrong. They make my belly flutter and my body ache. They’re the bane of most people’s existence, but they make me thrive.
“While I know you’ll bring the most to the dance floor, I’m not sure who I’m picking.”
He pouts, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. There, I see the cockiness I admire, the sureness that he’ll win, and the moodiness that says he’s not giving up. He stands from the office chair he took upon himself to sit on and makes his way to me. Smiling because that’s what he does to me, he taps my nose in response.
“Let me show you a good time, pretty girl. You deserve to have more fun than any of those losers can offer.”
Unable to help the eye roll, I try covering it with a giggle. “You guys are relentless. What if I wanted to go with someone else? Someone that isn’t you four?”
Ten growls, his face darkening. It’s like I’ve stolen his toy and ran off with it. He grips my hips, bringing them flush with his, and trails his palm up to my jaw. He cups both sides, his hardened palms rough and inviting against my softness.
“There is no one else,” he barks before kissing me, taking every argument away.
He doesn’t stop there. He slides his tongue between my lips, making my body shake with awareness. Then, he’s lifting me, my legs are wrapping around his, and we’re taking it to the bed. Our mouths don’t break, he teases me with his fingers and mouth until I’m moaning his name and promising him it’s only them four and no one else.
Sixteen
“Wait.” Mel throws her hands up in exasperation. “What about this forth guy?”
I stare at her, not realizing Bridger wasn’t mentioned.
For some reason, him asking me seems too personal. The way it happened still throws me. It’s probably what tipped me over the edge to go stag. Not that I didn’t get wined and dined by each of them. I just refused to be shackled to one. It would set a bad precedent to choose only one.
Why would I ever choose?
How would they feel if I did?
“Oh, him. Well, he... It wasn’t worth remembering.” My face flushes, thinking of how big of a liar I’ve become in the last year because it was definitely worth remembering. It was something I used my BOB for. Often.
At some point, Ten and I passed out and slept through half the day in each other’s arms. It was perfect. Waking up to a scowling Cass was not. You see, he and I share a key to my dorm. When I miss class, he tends to become a father figure and yell at me.
Right now, it’s worse. Ten and him are having a stare off, and I’m too grumpy to care. I haven’t had a lick of caffeine today, and that sets for a bad and grumpy Colt.
“The fuck is this loser doing here?”
I scrunch my face at that. My brother doesn’t swear in front of me unless he’s mad mad. It’s his way of showing he’s not respecting me. I don’t care if he curses, the moms do, though. They’re all about leading by example.
“We fell asleep,” I grump, rubbing my eyes.
Ten doesn’t move, but his stance is not any less frigid and protective. He stands over me, almost like he’ll punch my brother if he so much as says the wrong thing.
“I’m sorry I missed class, Cassidy. It won’t happen again. I’m just a little exhausted after last weekend.”
He looks at me with understanding. Moms confronted Mom about cheating. And it didn’t bode well. We were stuck in the middle as usual, fighting our sadness with every minute that passed.
“Don’t bring him here. You know the tower rules. No boys in the girls’ dorms.”
I nod numbly, hating how much of an enforcer he is. They picked the right guy for the job. My brother never bats an eye to writing students up for mistakes.
“Can you go away?” I ask. “Tonight is movie night.”
He groans and walks away. My brother doesn’t know I’m practically dating four guys, but he definitely hates every single one of them and our Friday night movie hangs. We watch a random movie and end up fooling around a bit. Then, I either fall asleep in someone’s arms, or they convince me to stay the night with them. Our movie nights are at the cabin in the woods, a place no one quite wants their kids going to hang out. It’s a Student Gov and Emerald building meant for get-togethers, not the fuck pad most of them use it as.
Ten gives me time to shower after he leaves, and I know I’ll be trying to look my best. When I say we fool around, it’s usually all four of them bringing me orgasms that make my toes curl and them working out their frustration through their fists.
I’ve wanted more. So many times, I’ve wanted to have them all inside me, sharing me while they share each other too. I’m a freak, and I’m sure it has everything to do with the books I read. It’s not helping that I’m obsessed with reverse harem high school books where a chick has five plus guys to her disposal.
I’m addicted.
A-dick-ted.
Here Lives a Corpse: A Dark Bully Academy Romance (Here Lies Book 1) Page 11