Cruel Prince: A High School Bully Romance

by Ashley Jade

  I exhale sharply. “I know.”

  It’s why I haven’t been at school this week.

  Seeing her will rip me to shreds. Or rather, seeing her so upset and not being able to fix it will.

  But I can’t. Not without betraying Liam.

  As much as I hate to admit it, making Dylan pay for what I wrongly assumed she did was easier.

  At least then, I got to have little pieces of her while trying to convince myself it was okay because I was defending my little brother’s honor.

  Now I’m just back to feeling hollow and guilty all over again.

  Just like I deserve.

  I stand up and plug my monitor back in. “I have to get some work done.”

  Cole and Oakley exchange a glance.

  “Dude, seriously?”

  “Seriously what? I have work to do.”

  The company who purchased Z.I. asked if I could develop a sequel. The kind of money they’re offering will set me up for a while after I graduate, so I’d be dumb to screw it up.

  “Are you kidding?” Cole’s nostrils flare. “Dylan being innocent doesn’t mean anything to you?”

  “It means she’s a good person who didn’t deserve the shit I put her through, but…” I curb the end of my statement before I can finish it.

  “But what?” He wrinkles his forehead. “You waiting for some other guy to tap that ass and set down roots before you come to your senses?”

  My lips twist into a scowl. “What?”

  He opens his arms wide. “I don’t know, man. I’m just trying to figure out why you’re still moping around when you know Dylan didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Because it doesn’t change anything,” I bite out.

  I can’t have her.

  He looks at me like I’ve sprouted another head. “Like hell it doesn’t.”

  Huffing, Oakley walks over to my window and opens it. “I’m with Cole. Now that the truth is out, it’s time to man the fuck up and get your girl.”

  What don’t these idiots understand? “She’s not my girl.”

  Oakley takes the joint out from behind his ear and lights it. “Not yet.” Coughing, he hands it to me. “Give her a call and fix that shit.”

  “Sure. Want me to resurrect Liam too, while I’m at it? Because that would be the only way to fix any of this.”

  Confusion mars his face. “I thought we already settled this, my dude. Dylan didn’t do your brother dirty.”

  Bringing the joint to my lips, I inhale deeply. “I know she didn’t.”

  He snatches the joint from me. “Then no more ganga for you because you’ve obviously smoked yourself stupid.”

  I glare at him. “I’m not stupid, dickhead. I’m—”

  “Still letting your guilt over Liam’s death eat you alive,” Cole says with a heavy sigh. “Figured as much.”

  “You say that like I don’t have every reason to.”

  “You don’t.”

  “Well, unless you performed a seance and asked him yourself, I’m not sure why you would think that.”

  Cole was there that night. He knows what I did.

  Liam would still be alive if I wasn’t so goddamn selfish.

  He looks up at the ceiling. “I know Liam had feelings for Dylan, but it doesn’t mean you owe him the lock and key to your eternal happiness.”

  “I betrayed him.”

  Therefore, I deserve to suffer like he did. It’s only fair.

  “No, you didn’t,” Cole argues. “You fell in love with your best friend. Last I checked, that wasn’t a crime.”

  Cole doesn’t get it. Then again, his sense of loyalty has always been skewed.

  “It is when she’s not mine to fall in love with. I broke the rules.”

  And I’ll forever pay the price.

  Muttering a curse, he stands up. “There were no rules, Jace. Dylan was never his.”

  I open my mouth to argue, but it only makes him more enraged. “That girl has been looking at you like you strung up the goddamn moon since the first day you brought her home, you dumbass.” He pokes my chest with his finger. “Liam never stood a chance, because Dylan’s heart was already taken.”

  “I know.”

  Animosity surges in my gut. I loved her first.

  Hell, I loved her before I even knew her name.

  Back when she used to sit on the playground by herself with her headphones on…tuning out the world.

  I wanted to join whatever world she’d built.

  Then one day she walked over to me…and I got my chance.

  But Liam declared she was his and it all went up in smoke.

  Now he’s dead, Dylan’s heartbroken…and I’m still sitting here choking on the goddamn ashes of the mess I made.

  All because I didn’t know the feeling in my chest when I saw her for the first time was love.

  But Liam did…therefore he won the proverbial coin toss and got the girl.

  Only he didn’t.

  Shame crawls up my spine. “I can’t be with Dylan and grieve Liam at the same time.” My jaw is so tight I can barely get a word out. “I can’t truly atone for what I’ve done if—”

  “Listen to me and listen to me good,” Cole grits out through clenched teeth while pointing to his face. “You are not responsible for Liam’s death.”

  “If I’m not then who is?” If it wasn’t so tragic, Cole’s resolve would be laughable. “Not only did I betray him, I said some really awful shit to him that night. As his big brother and best friend, I should have been there for him…but I wasn’t. I wasn’t any of the things Liam needed me to be when it actually fucking counted.”

  There’s no coming back from that.

  His gaze cuts to mine. “Still wasn’t your fault.” He sits back down on the bed. “Liam, and Liam alone, chose a permanent solution to a temporary problem.”

  “A problem I created for him.”

  “How was loving Dylan a problem?” Oak interjects with a shrug. “I know Liam had a crush on Dylan and all but—not to be a dick— Liam and Dylan never dated. Hell, they never even came close. Given what Cole said, it seems like it was pretty obvious she was in love with you from the get-go and vice versa. Therefore, I don’t see how his death was your fault. Or anyone’s for that matter…except those assholes who teased him at school.” He looks around the room. “Or are we just going to keep ignoring that?”

  “Bullying wasn’t why Liam killed himself.”

  “And you know that how?” Cole bites out. “Were you with him in the closet that night?”

  “Of course not, but Liam killed himself hours after we got into a fight because I betrayed him.”

  “And hours after Tommy and those other dipshits made fun of him at the school dance.” He jumps to his feet. “You know he had issues, Jace. You and Dad can bury your heads in the sand all you want about that shit, but Liam was bipolar…just like Mom. The signs were all there. One second, he was happy…and two weeks later he was lying in bed the whole weekend acting like an irritable, miserable prick.”

  A spike of anger runs through me. “Just because someone is bipolar doesn’t make them an asshole.”

  “No, it doesn’t…but it does make them human. I know in your eyes Liam was a saint, but if he was here right now, he’d tell you he wasn’t. He’d also tell you he missed Mom, and how much it hurt him that Dad wasn’t around. And how much he hated being bullied at school and that it seriously fucked him up.” Shame etches his features. “He’d tell you what happened to him wasn’t your fault. Because you were the best brother he could have asked for. You protected him and loved him…which is a hell of a lot more than anyone can say for me.”

  Shit. “Cole don’t—”

  He slaps his chest. “I was his twin brother, Jace. I knew him better than anyone. Why do you think it was so goddamn easy for me to hurt him all the time? If anyone is responsible for what happened, it’s me.” He laughs, but it’s a dark, humorless sound. “Screw the kids at school, his biggest bully was r
ight here at home.”

  Fuck. I have no idea what to say to that. Cole and Liam had a shitty relationship. But I don’t want Cole placing this burden on his shoulders.

  I don’t want to lose the only brother I have left.

  I drag a hand over my scalp. “You can’t blame yourself.”

  “Well, then you can’t either.” Crossing his arms, he stares me down. “If you want me and Bianca to be happy…you have to lead the way. Show us good things can still happen, because right now it feels like all this fucked-up family is destined for is tragedy after tragedy.” He takes the joint from Oakley and brings it to his lips. “I don’t know about you, brother, but I’m getting really fucking sick of it.”

  Ain’t that the truth. “Me too.”

  “Then prove it.” Blowing out a cloud of smoke, he juts his chin toward the window. “Dylan makes you happy, man. And if you love me and Bianca—”

  “And me,” Oak chimes in.

  He shrugs when we look at him. “What? I was starting to feel left out.”

  Cole smirks. “And Oakley, you’ll man the fuck up like he said and get your girl.”

  Either Cole just manipulated the hell out of me, or he knows me better than I thought.

  Either way, it worked.

  It’s impossible for me to be truly happy without Dylan.

  She’s the one this fucked-up thing in my chest beats and bleeds for.

  I’m tired of living without the other half of my soul.

  I’m tired of missing my best friend.

  I’m tired of waking up every day with nothing when my everything is right there.

  Determination flows through my veins. “Where is she?”

  Oakley lights another joint. “Home.” He blinks. “Wait…nope. She’s gone.”

  I bolt out of my chair. “What do you mean she’s gone?”

  “Crystal felt bad about Wayne blowing a gasket and threatening to kick her out yesterday morning, so she got her tickets to some rock concert tonight.” He takes a quick drag and blows out a puff of smoke. “Sawyer was supposed to go with her, but her boss wouldn’t give her the night off work.” He shrugs. “She asked if I wanted to go, but I told her I’d rather shove a fork in my eye than listen to that crap.”

  It’s all I can do not to wring his neck. “You let her go to a rock concert alone?”

  He looks at Cole. “Was I not supposed to?”

  Cole winces. “Judging by the murderous look in Jace’s eye, probably not.”

  His gaze swings back my way. “My bad. I thought—”

  “What concert?”

  “Shit, I don’t know. I think it was Jimmy eating…something. Wait, maybe it was Lenny. Nope, it was definitely Ben—”

  I don’t hear the rest of Oakley’s sentence because I’m charging out the door to get my girl.

  Chapter 46

  Jace

  “I need to see your ticket.”

  I slap a stack of hundred-dollar bills in his hand. “This should cover it.”

  “I can put you in the second row or you can stand in the pit. Which one do you want?”

  “Pit’s fine.”

  It’s where Dylan will be.

  He hands me a badge with the words, VIP on it. “Need a poncho?”

  “No.”

  I just need Dylan.

  He lifts up the rope. “Have fun.”

  After walking through a tunnel that goes on for too fucking long, I enter the outdoor amphitheater.

  Despite the rain trickling down and the thunder rolling in the distance, it’s still packed.

  Flipping my hood up, I trek down the pathway leading to the entrance of the pit…but pause when I spot her.

  Eyes closed and one hand thrust in the air, Dylan’s singing every lyric to “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World into the sunset while swaying her body to the music.

  She looks so gorgeous and carefree it makes my breath catch.

  The people in the pit are getting frustrated due to the impending storm, but Dylan doesn’t give a single fuck.

  It’s one of the things I love most about her.

  The sky opens up and the rain starts coming down in buckets, soaking her hair and clothes…but my girl keeps singing and dancing, never missing a beat.

  Determination fuels my steps, but it’s quickly replaced by rage when some guy comes up behind her and places his hands on her hips.

  A haze of red mist clouds my vision and I clench my hands into fists as I push through the crowd.

  He’s a dead man. I’m going to crush every bone in this motherfucker’s body and…

  Dylan sails her fist into his jaw two seconds before I reach her.

  The asshole staggers back before running away like a little bitch.

  Well, shit.

  “You just ruined my big romantic gesture.”

  Her eyes widen with shock when she peers up at me. “What are you doing here?”

  At least I think that’s what she says. It’s hard to hear her above the music.

  “I’m an asshole.”

  It’s not the best opening line, but hell if it’s not the truth.

  Scrunching her pretty face, she gestures to her ear. “What?”

  Evidently, she can’t hear me either.

  Closing the distance between us, I place her hand on my chest, right over the organ that belongs to her.

  Then I repeat the same words I told her in the closet that day, picking up right where I dropped the ball.

  “The Mariana Trench isn’t deep enough for what I feel for you.”

  And I’ll gladly bleed my heart out to prove that shit to her if that’s what it takes.

  She points to her ear with her free hand, signaling she still can’t hear me.

  Oh, hell.

  I know a better way we can communicate.

  Cupping her face in my hands, I crash my mouth against hers.

  Chapter 47

  Dylan

  Jace is kissing me like I’m the oxygen he needs to survive, in the middle of a rock concert…in the pouring rain.

  I want to pinch myself to make sure it’s real, because I’m positive this is exactly what sweet dreams are made of.

  My head spins and my heart pounds against my ribs as he teases me with little flicks of his tongue, coaxing me to give in.

  The moment I do, whatever tether we had between us snaps and the kiss becomes desperate and all-consuming. His fingers dig into my hips and he lets out a low, rough grunt that has me throbbing with need.

  I never want to come down from this high.

  Unfortunately, this magical moment is bittersweet, and it comes at a hefty price.

  Because I know the second Jace pulls away, his guilt will consume him, and he’ll look at me like I’m a mistake. Again.

  I don’t want that for him...or me.

  Being this close to me rips him to pieces, and I love him too much to let him keep hurting himself.

  I love myself too much to keep spinning on his merry-go-round.

  It’s not healthy for either of us.

  Pressing my hand to his chest, I push him away.

  I would do anything in the world for Jace Covington.

  Including giving up my happiness to spare him from his sorrow and guilt.

  “I can’t do this.”

  He looks so bewildered it slashes right through my heart.

  He tries to reach for me again, but I pull away from his touch.

  We can’t be together…so it’s best we stay far apart.

  Before he can stop me, I push through the crowd and start running, putting as much distance between us as I can.

  When I reach the parking lot, I make a beeline for the small row of taxis and Ubers.

  “Where you headed, Miss?” the driver asks after I get in.

  I quickly rattle off the address for Sawyer’s job and he steps on the gas.

  If anyone can reassure me I’m doing the right thing by walking away from Jace, it’s her.

  I pull out my ph
one so I can text her, but the driver snaps, “Stop riding my ass.”

  I look up. “Everything okay?”

  “Sorry, sweetheart,” he says. “This damn car has been riding my bumper since I left the parking lot.”

  Well, shit.

  I look out the windshield behind me, and sure enough, a royal blue Lexus is tailgating us.

  The driver slams on his horn. “What the fuck!”

  My heart jumps to my throat when Jace’s car swerves into the next lane, narrowly dodging a vehicle driving the opposite way, before cutting us off.

  A moment later, his Lexus is nothing but a blue speck in the sunset.

  The driver snorts. “Can you believe that asshole? Some people are so—what the hell? He’s blocking the road!”

  My mouth drops open as we skid to a stop.

  He’s out of his goddamn mind.

  Irritation races over my skin as I open the door and step out onto the shoulder. “What the hell are you doing?”

  My heart stops and then picks up, pounding as Jace stalks toward me.

  His lip is curled, his jaw is tight, and his dark eyes are shining with so much vehemence he looks like a predator.

  “You fucking left me,” he seethes.

  He’s got to be kidding. Considering all the times he’s left me, he has no right to be so hostile.

  “We’re not good for each other.”

  His eyes flash. “Bullshit.”

  I’m trying to do the right thing. “Ja—”

  “Tell me what it will take to get through to you?” he roars. “Name it and I’ll fucking do it.”

  No. He doesn’t get to fight for me this hard…not now.

  Not when he’s just going to push me away again.

  “You can’t.” Frustration rises in my chest when he opens his mouth to argue. “Jesus, don’t you get it? Every time we touch, you look at me like I’m a mistake. I’m hurting you and you’re hurting me.”

  He faulters. “I’m sorry.”

  Never in a million years did I think I’d ever hear Jace Covington apologize.

  But for once, this isn’t his fault. “For what? You can’t help…” I pause because I don’t want to say the wrong thing. “Neither of us can change what happened.”