Unwritten: A High School Bully Romance: The Longlake Duet, Book 1

by Hattie Jude

  “You feeling better?” he asks, checking me out.

  I open my locker and avoid looking at him any longer. I need to keep him at a distance. One day of sweet behavior doesn’t undo the way he’s treated me. “I’m fine. It’s almost like you were worried about me or something. I was just having an off day.”

  “Do you get migraines a lot?”

  I shrug. “Not too bad. Just depends on the stress—” I stop there. Raf isn’t my friend. I don’t need to start opening up to him.

  “Listen,” he runs his fingers through his hair and I’m not used to seeing him so nervous, “as much as I dislike everything about you, I don’t like to see anyone in pain…that I’m not inflicting.” He smirks, stepping closer to me. He puts his hand around my neck giving it a slight squeeze. “Can’t afford to have you sick before the party tonight. Your mouth and my cock—”

  “I won’t be at the party.”

  If he could see inside my brain, he’d think I’m playing games with him, but it’s just that he changes my mind about how I feel about him every other second. I was this close to caving, until he had to open his jerk mouth.

  His face is thunderous as he leans closer to my face. “You’ll be there or we’ll have a big problem.”

  “Guess we’re going to have a big problem then.” I duck under his arm and skirt past him, grinning. It’s nice to get the last word with him for once.

  The day drags on forever. Ashton is waiting for me at my locker before the last class, smiling shyly.

  “What’s up?” I grab my things out of my locker and slam it shut. “You have a determined but nervous look on your face.”

  He presses his lips together, trying not to laugh. “Okay, that’s some spot-on face reading.” He sighs and I wait for him to spit it out.

  “Come to the game and the party tonight.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “I’ll make sure nothing goes wrong. I swear. And you need to get to know everyone. It’ll be fun, I promise.”

  “I don’t know how you can promise that.” I back up and lift my hand when he starts to say more. “Have a great game tonight.”

  “Just think about it,” he calls out as I take off for class.

  “What are you wearing on your date tonight?”

  And this is why I should never lie to my mother. I look at her for a moment and say the quickest thing that comes to mind.

  “Just jeans and a cute top. I’ll be leaving soon.”

  I don’t know where I’m going, but I will not be going to the game or the party. I’d hoped to drown my sadness in a long bath but forgot I’d lied to my mom about a date with Ashton. Dammit.

  I go through the motions of touching up my makeup and kiss her on the cheek when I leave. She looks so excited for me, I feel like an even worse daughter than before.

  I stop by a gardening store and lust after the plants for a long time before ending up at a cute bookstore. I devour several chapters of the new Sarah J. Maas book and sip a hot chocolate until they announce that they’re closing.

  When I’m walking to my car, I hear the chirp of another car and jump, but I don’t see anyone. I get a strange feeling, the hair on the back of my neck rising. I chalk it up to the lack of enough lights in the parking lot but hurry to my car and get out of there. It makes me miss my favorite spots in Vegas. I knew which places to avoid and which were safe to be alone. It’ll take time to fully be comfortable here.

  For this time of night, my street is hopping. There are cars lined down the street and through Raf’s gate, I can see his long driveway is full. The party must be in full swing. I pull into my driveway and am surprised that the music isn’t blaring. A responsible party-thrower. For some reason, that surprises me about Raf. Too bad my mom won’t have a chance to get mad enough to call the cops on the rowdy neighbors.

  Mom is waiting up when I walk inside and I grit my teeth and smile, aiming for excited exhaustion in my expression.

  “So…how was it?”

  “Great!”

  She smiles and then it falters when I don’t say anything else. “That’s it? Did they win?”

  Oh shit. “Uh, yeah! So great. And the party was a lot of fun too.”

  She nods and then her eyes twinkle as she leans in. “Did he kiss you goodnight?”

  I groan. “Mom. No. He didn’t, okay? We’re friends.”

  She lifts an eyebrow and looks me over. “Boys will never want to just be friends with you. Trust me. You probably intimidate him.”

  I cringe and shake my head. “Not true.”

  I walk past her and hear her behind me. “Well, that’s not an all bad thing, I just mean—”

  “Night, Mom. I’m tired.”

  “Oh, okay. Goodnight, Josephine.”

  I sleep in the next morning and when I wake up I scroll through Instagram. I’ve looked for Raf online before and there hasn’t been much. He seems to avoid having his picture taken. But with a little snooping, I find gold. On Heidi Serrin’s feed, there’s a picture of Raf with his arms around her. I enlarge it and my eyes narrow on how cozy they are. She’s laughing like she’s the happiest girl in the world and I glare at the picture for minutes, hating him more the longer I look at it. The picture already has a few hundred likes. My stomach grumbles and I swallow hard, feeling a pang in my throat. I scroll down and see another photo and nearly throw up. It’s a group shot of Henry next to Melanie Wethers, Ashton has Jen Ames in his lap, and Heidi’s tongue is touching Raf’s cheek.

  Gross.

  I see red.

  My face and body feel like they’re on fire and I toss my phone on the bed. I have no right to feel anything. I don’t even like the guy. What right do I have to be angry at Raf? I even knew he’d most likely be with Heidi. I heard about her plans to reconnect—looks like she got her way. But knowing it and seeing it are two different things.

  This guy is trouble. I need to stay as far away from him as possible. I can’t afford to feel anything where he’s concerned.

  I’ve just had a shower and am starting a movie when I get a text from Ashton.

  Ashton: Missed you last night. What are you doing?

  Watching a movie.

  Ashton: Can I come over?

  I pause for a moment, not positive what he expects from me. I imagine Heidi’s tongue on Raf and all the things I didn’t see that most likely happened last night and start typing. I need to give Ashton a chance, at least as a friend. Sure.

  Ashton: :) See you in five.

  I meet him at the door and we go upstairs to my room.

  “How was the game?” I ask once my door is closed.

  “We won.”

  I’m glad at least that lie was true.

  “Congratulations.” I forge ahead. “Looks like you had a successful night with Jen.”

  He grins and gets comfortable on the floor in front of the TV. “She’s always aggressive after I win a game.” He waves his hand. “Not interested. We’re friends. What are we watching?”

  “Oh. Why not?”

  He glances back at me as I pick up a pillow and hold it up to my chest. “Why am I not interested?” He makes a face. “Just not feeling it.” He shrugs. “Do I need a reason?”

  I smile and point to the screen. “I’d started It’s Complicated, but we can watch something else.”

  He laughs. “My mom loves this movie.”

  “I used to watch it with my grandma all the time. Missing her, I guess.”

  “Let’s watch it.”

  We start the movie but don’t get far before my mom knocks on the door. I jump and hop up, opening the door. Mom blinks when she sees Ashton is here.

  “Oh, hello. I didn’t realize we had company. Sorry to interrupt.”

  I’m so shocked by how calm she is about me having a boy in my room, I don’t say anything. Ashton stands up and comes over to shake her hand.

  “Hello, Mrs. Sinclair. I hope you don’t mind—Gabriela and I were just watching a movie.”


  “Oh, please, call me Sarah. And of course I don’t mind. You’re always welcome.”

  He grins. “Thanks.” He goes back to the floor and gets comfortable.

  Mom’s eyes widen at me and she bites her lower lip. It’s like we’re two excited girlfriends all of a sudden. I return her crazy eyes, warning her to not be so obvious and she just grins and backs out of the room.

  So weird, but I’ll take it.

  My phone starts going off and I ignore it. Ashton pauses the movie. “Do you need to check that?”

  I shake my head. “Let me just turn off the sound.”

  I pick it up and see four missed texts from an unknown number. I gasp when I read the first message and look at Ashton to make sure that wasn’t too loud. He’s engrossed in the movie.

  Since you completely disregarded my invitation, you’ll have to pay.

  I inhale a long, shaky breath and keep reading, my heart picking up with each text.

  Tomorrow at 4.

  My house.

  You on your knees.

  I put my hand on my head and ignore the image his words brings to mind. I look at my phone again and there’s a new message.

  Next time you ignore my request, you’ll be on your knees for a week.

  As angry as his texts make me, after Ashton leaves, I fall asleep thinking of the pictures of Raf with Heidi and how wrong it felt to see him with someone other than me.

  Chapter Seven

  I’m a bottle of nerves the next day. I take a shower and then a bath when I’ve sweated through two shirts. I put on makeup, which I don’t usually bother with on a Sunday, but I need something to pass the time. Mom has backed off of lecturing me about how much makeup I wear to school, and in turn, I’ve toned it down a bit. I let my hair fall in loose waves instead of straightening it. When four o’clock rolls around, I’m still pacing the carpet in my bedroom. My heart is in my throat. I’ve lit candles, hoping that would calm me down, but nothing is helping. I keep finding new ways of spiraling down again.

  I hear pounding on the door and I clutch my throat, shaking like a leaf. This is ridiculous. He doesn’t have an ounce of control beyond what I give him. I say it out loud in front of my mirror the second time and give my T-shirt a tug as I walk down the stairs. My mom opens the door before I can stop her.

  “Oh, hello,” she says.

  He smiles and it sends a jolt between my legs. I’ve never seen him so polite.

  “Hello, I’m a friend of Gabi’s.”

  “How nice to meet you. I’m Sarah,” she says, holding out her hand.

  He shakes it and then glances past her to see me standing at the bottom of the stairs. “Hi, Gabi.”

  I hold up a hand and can’t find my words.

  My mom turns to me with huge eyes and if I thought she was excited about Ashton, it’s nothing compared to seeing Raf’s hotness. Her mouth drops open and she mouths, “Wow.”

  “I wasn’t expecting you,” I manage to say.

  “Oh? We had a plan for 4, right?” He studies his watch and grins, all charm.

  Oh, he’s good. He’s really good.

  “Did you forget a date, Gabi?” my mom asks.

  I narrow my eyes at both of them and point upstairs. “Let me grab my books.”

  Raf follows me up the stairs and my heart pounds harder with each step. When we reach my room, I close the door, my hands perched on my hips. Before I can say anything, his hands rest on the door on either side of my face.

  “My mom is gonna think it’s weird that you followed me up here,” I whisper. She probably won’t mind at all, but he doesn’t need to know that.

  “You have two seconds to walk across the yard to my house or we’re doing this here.” His demeanor is unruffled, completely calm and nonchalant. If his chest weren’t rising and falling more rapidly than usual, I’d think he was completely unfazed by all of this.

  “I don’t understand. What are you doing?”

  “Here or my place?”

  I grab a book so my mom will be appeased and glare at him.

  He opens the door and motions for me to step out. We walk downstairs.

  “Walking to the library,” I tell her.

  “Okay, sweetheart. Have fun. Nice to meet you—you know, I don’t think I heard your name.”

  But he either doesn’t hear her or is in too much of a hurry because he’s already walking out the front door. “Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Sinclair.”

  Neither of us bother to tell him it’s no longer Missus.

  I walk outside behind him and he takes my hand. The contact burns through me, a spark making contact for the first time. It feels like we’re in a dream when we walk down each long driveway and then upstairs to his bedroom. He shuts the door behind him and leans against it, folding his arms.

  The next thing I know, he has me pinned against the door, leaning down so his lips are an inch from mine.

  “Are you ready?”

  “For what?”

  “You’ve eye-fucked me for long enough. It’s time you deliver.”

  His words should repel me, but he’s right. I’ve stared at him like he’s an open candy box and I can’t wait to eat my fill.

  “What are you—”

  His mouth is on mine before I can finish, but I inhale him in and we devour each other. The kisses I’ve experienced before were nothing like this. Not even close. And I can’t believe it’s Raf. I’ve wondered what it would be like, but I didn’t think it would actually happen. His tongue flicks across mine and I whimper. He puts his hands on my ass and lifts me up so he doesn’t have to bend so far down to reach me. And I lose all desire to put a stop to this.

  I am drunk on him.

  He grinds into me and kisses me so hard, I’m sure there will be bruises tomorrow.

  Every single one will be worth it.

  He wraps my legs around him and carries me to the bed, sitting down so I’m straddling him. He pulls back and brushes my hair off of my face.

  “What’s so bad about this?” he asks.

  “Not a thing.”

  His tongue lines the shell of my ear and I shiver.

  “Kiss me.” He makes me lose my mind again with his tongue. His soft, full lips work their magic.

  I don’t know how I’ll ever keep my hands off of him now that I know he can kiss like this.

  This is his destruction.

  He knows the torment he’s capable of inflicting on me now.

  I shouldn’t let him know how much I like everything he’s doing, but it’s impossible to stop.

  His hard length presses against me and he moves me so we’re lined up perfectly. It feels so good I can hardly think straight. I arch against him and he groans. The feeling is such a power trip, I know I will be craving this from now on. When I grind into him again, he arches up to meet me. His hands go to my hips and he sets the rhythm, moving me up and down. I get lost in him, in his soft groans, the way his hands set me on fire. I’ve never felt anything like this. It’s all too much, too much sensation, too many things I’ve never felt by anyone other than myself, and it doesn’t take long before I shudder against him, crying out as I fall apart.

  He inhales my sounds with his mouth and every inch of my skin feels alive. Just then, a horn honks outside and he pulls away, and the moment is lost.

  He moves me off of his lap and I hurry to straighten my clothes, the heat rushing to my face with embarrassment of how I let myself go in front of him.

  “You have to go,” he says. “Now.”

  “Oh. Okay.” I put my hand to my cheek and turn around, so scattered I don’t know if I should go out the door or out the window.

  He shoves me toward the window. I guess that answers that.

  I crawl out and latch onto the tree, looking down before I risk jumping. Toby Matthison is walking toward the front door and in the next second, the doorbell rings. Why would Raf care if we saw each other? Once I’m close enough, I leap to the ground and run to my backyard without anot
her glance.

  My humiliation is complete.

  What was that even about? I guess it could’ve been worse. I’m surprised Raf bothered to make me feel good and then threw me out before I could return the favor, but the shame is right up there with the time I got caught making out with a guy named Louie at a homeschool co-op. A parent caught us and she told my mother within the hour. I was grounded for three months and after the day we got in trouble, he never spoke to me again.

  Not to mention what created the After. I can’t stand to think about that time. It was definitely worse than this, but it’s way too close for comfort.

  I wonder how Raf will treat me tomorrow.

  I’m so confused right now, I don’t know which end is up. I can’t wait to get out of Longlake and move on to the next phase in my life, far, far away from here.

  I dream of Raf, waking up several times in the night and falling asleep to his eyes spearing me and his cock creating friction in just the right place. I wake up more than once, breathless and shuddering as I whisper his name.

  How has he managed to work his way in, when every day he gives me more reason to despise him?

  It’s a crazy sorcery he has over me and one I’m going to have to fight even harder from now on.

  I’m stronger than this, smarter than this.

  Chapter Eight

  My mom is all smiles the next morning. I managed to avoid her when I came home from Raf’s yesterday, but she has clearly not forgotten where we left off.

  “Now I know why you were so nonchalant about Ashton,” she says, her hands clasped together and eyelashes fluttering. “My god, that boy is gorgeous. I didn’t know they made high school students like him.” She picks up a pot holder and fans herself.

  I wrinkle my nose and stick my head in the refrigerator. I let the coolness calm my heated skin and pull out a yogurt.

  “Gotta run, Mom. See you later.”

  She sighs. “Okay, but I want the details of this new development later.”

  “It’s nothing.”