Bullied

by Vera Hollins

  I watched her face fall in pure pleasure, finally able to let her feel some of her poison. Still high on adrenaline and power, I snatched Christine’s drink out of her hand and poured it over Natalie, sending the liquid all over her face and chest. She shrieked and gaped at me.

  Melissa went into a fit of laughter, and Jessica looked at me in awe. I felt so proud of myself, which was a long-forgotten feeling. I wished it could last.

  “You ugly freak,” Christine spat. “You’re going to regret this.”

  The people around us turned to watch, finding amusement in Natalie’s predicament. Josh’s eyes were two menacing slits, staring at me with such hostility that a shiver rushed down my spine. In an instant, my instinct screamed at me to move away from him. He curled his hands into fists and took a step toward me.

  He’s going to hit me.

  “Hey, hey, hey!” Melissa threw herself in between us, stopping him. “Hold on! Don’t you fucking dare put a single finger on her! Do you hear me?!”

  He looked like he was going to hit her, but then Natalie grabbed his arm and drew him away from us.

  “Let’s go,” she bit out and laced her arm with Josh’s. “I don’t want to stay here even a second longer.” She gave Melissa a dirty look. “I won’t take a step into your trashy house ever again.”

  Melissa clapped her hands, grinning. “Wonderful! Now you really made my day. You know where the door is. Off you go!”

  I shook my head when they walked away, finally able to breathe normally. Phew. I couldn’t believe I poured a drink over Natalie. I fought, and I won.

  I did this.

  Oh, the victory felt so good!

  “That was awesome!” Melissa high-fived me, sharing my joy. “You rock, girl!”

  “Yeah,” Jessica agreed, smiling from ear to ear.

  “You turned into Super Wonder Woman Sarah and kicked their asses!”

  I looked at Melissa in amusement. “Super Wonder Woman?”

  “Yes! You were totally hot and dangerous, and your eyes were flashing with some power and—”

  “Okay, okay. I get it. I was awesome.”

  “You really were,” Jessica confirmed.

  “You were awesome, too,” I told Melissa. “Thank you for sticking up for me.”

  “No need to thank me. I would do it again if needed.” She formed a deep frown. “They have some serious issues.”

  I shrugged my shoulders, too deep in my alcoholic daze to dwell on it.

  “Anyway, girls, I think we should forget about those idiots and drink something else! Let’s go to the kitchen.”

  I wasn’t so sure about it anymore. Not after I saw Josh, Natalie, and Christine, which could mean that Hayden was here too. Melissa led us out of her living room before I could voice my doubts, and as we pushed through a large group of people blocking the way to the kitchen, I thought it would be better if I left. There was no way I could stay if Hayden was here.

  We entered Melissa’s spacious kitchen, and I stopped in my tracks. It felt as if someone was squeezing my heart so hard and blocking my airway when I saw Hayden sitting on the kitchen island countertop kissing two girls.

  A blonde wearing a mini skirt and a golden top was in between his legs, moving her hands over his chest while kissing his neck. He was leaning into the redhead girl sitting next to him, kissing her passionately with his hand positioned low on her waist, and I had to look away, extremely embarrassed of what I saw. An unpleasant feeling spread through my chest, and I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t bothered by it. I was just ashamed and disgusted.

  Obviously, Hayden and Christine were in their breakup phase again.

  “Those are Blake, Hayden, and Masen,” Jessica exclaimed into my ear, and I looked around. Blake and Masen were necking with some girls in the corner of the kitchen.

  Just why did all of them have to be here, of all places?

  I must get out of here. If any of them saw me—especially Hayden—they would create mayhem.

  “Do they have any shame? Kissing like that with those girls? Look at Blake! That girl is straddling his lap and grinding against him! Why don’t they get a room or something?” Jessica continued, but I didn’t bother to answer, plotting our escape tactic.

  I tried to even my breathing, my heartbeat too fast. I was about to tell Melissa that Jessica and I needed to go to the bathroom, but it was too late because Melissa didn’t even notice us stopping, on her way to the fridge on the other end of the kitchen.

  There weren’t many people here, so if Hayden decided to finally break that long kiss he was sharing with the redhead, he would spot me immediately. Opening the fridge, Melissa glanced at us over her shoulder. “Sarah? Why are you still standing there? Come here!”

  As if someone used a spell on him, Hayden immediately broke his kiss and looked in my direction. The shock on his face was evident as he took me in. He gave me a slow once-over, and I grew unusually hot, extremely self-conscious. The urge to run away was overwhelming.

  “Jessica, come with me.” I swiveled around and caught her hand, hoping to hide us among all these people, but Hayden was always there to catch me whenever I tried to escape. We barely managed to get out of the kitchen, when Hayden took a hold of my arm, breaking my connection with Jessica, and dragged me after him. I glanced over my shoulder at Jessica, extending my hand toward her, but the crowd separated us and Hayden took me away.

  Why couldn’t he just let me go?

  He forced me inside a small bathroom underneath the stairs before I could protest and slammed the door behind him. I couldn’t believe him!

  The panic rose in my chest when the darkness enveloped us, his body flush with mine. This room was too small for us two. His large frame was taking all available space with no way for me to break the contact between us. He turned the light switch on, and I blinked a couple of times to clear my blurred vision. He was staring at me in the way that paralyzed me, his eyes containing pure fire.

  I was too aware of his body. I was too aware of how we touched and how warm and strong he was. His black jeans and shirt hugged his muscles all too tightly, revealing those perfect curves and lines of his body. He looked too handsome for his own good.

  “What are you doing here? Who invited you?”

  “I could ask you the same question,” I jeered at him, surprising us both with my alcohol-induced boldness.

  I was confounded because my response didn’t further aggravate him. On the contrary, it slightly cooled down his anger. He looked at me with a newfound interest, and my gaze fell onto his separated lips. Had they always been so ample and kissable?

  Kissable?

  Oh hell no. That stupid thought didn’t cross my mind. It didn’t.

  “You were always so weak and pathetic, and it was repulsive watching you crawl around and beg for mercy, but now all of a sudden, you think you can talk back to me like this?”

  He placed his arms against the tiles, trapping me in between them. His smell mixed with his cologne, alcohol, and cigarettes did wonders to me. He wasn’t completely drunk, but his glimmering eyes indicated he wasn’t sober either.

  “It’s only fair because you were torturing me for quite a long time. You deserve much more than that.”

  His nostrils flared, his breaths coming out more quickly. “What did you just say?”

  I was supposed to be scared. I should shut up, try to calm him down, or do anything that would help me get out of this place that reduced the whole world to only Hayden and me. Only we mattered.

  No, I wasn’t scared. I was excited. I loved being this daring and saying what I’d always wanted to say. I loved seeing him react like this. What is wrong with me?

  “You heard me well, or are you deaf, on top of your stupidity?” I used the exact sentence he said three months ago when he wanted me to twerk in front of the whole cafeteria, catching him off guard.

  He clasped the back of my neck. “You’re playing a dangerous game now. I think you forgot who owns who her
e. You don’t get to boss me around.”

  He wound his other arm around my waist, pulling me to him, and my pulse spiraled faster. I fisted my hands against his chest. As much as I pretended to seem unfazed by his nearness and actions, I was on edge. My eyes widened when I felt something hard press against my stomach.

  He smirked, noticing my reaction to his erection. “Surprised? Don’t think you’re anything special.” He ground against me, and I didn’t know if I hated more that he did it or that I didn’t dislike it. I’m a contemptible person. “It’s just a natural reaction.”

  He was making out with those girls just a few minutes ago. “This only proves you’re a manwhore.”

  “And you’re a hypocrite. You’re actually enjoying this.”

  His smirk was too punishing, and I realized he could see right through me. The longer I stayed here, the more dangerous of a game we played, and I didn’t like not knowing the rules of the game. It was sick and twisted, and I willed myself to remember all the terrible things he’d done to me.

  “Let me go.”

  I hated him for being able to make me forget everything, for making me lost in the present moment and in these confusing, overwhelming feelings. What was happening to me? I hated him. I wanted to be far away from him, yet here I was, not even trying to move away. I’m so contemptible .

  “Hayden, let me go!”

  “I won’t until you say you’ll leave the party. Did you already forget you aren’t allowed to go to parties?”

  “Enough. Just stop. You can’t control my life and treat me like this. I have friends now. Friends who want me here.”

  Anger clouded his features, his grip on me increasing. “You became unpredictable these last few weeks, talking back and defying me, but I’m done playing around.” His hand traveled down my back and to my bottom, squeezing it. “How about I take you right here and now?”

  Oh God, he was crazy. He couldn’t be thinking that seriously!

  I didn’t know this Hayden. Hayden never threatened me with sex, yet these last several days he crossed that line and made me feel things I couldn’t even name.

  I was in no way ready to deal with what was happening right now, and no amount of alcohol could give me enough courage for this.

  Terrified that he could finally snap and break that boundary here, of all places—both figuratively and literally—I grabbed an air freshener spray from the sink next to me and sprayed it onto his face.

  He jerked away from me and covered his eyes, hissing. “Bitch!”

  I pushed him off me, not wasting time. I opened the door and dashed out of the bathroom, reaching the safety of the crowd in the other part of the house. Only then I allowed myself to stop.

  What have I done?! Am I crazy?!

  The bubbles of hysteria climbed up my throat, and I started laughing, unable to contain myself. I fought him back too! That felt so good.

  I just hoped Hayden wouldn’t get that air freshener out of his eyes any time soon.

  Chapter 25

  I INTENDED TO LISTEN to Hayden and leave the party. All the excitement and pleasure of this evening had evaporated into thin air, and as long as he was here, I couldn’t relax even for a second.

  I was afraid Blake and Masen would harass Jessica, and I hoped she’d managed to avoid them somehow. It would be best if she and I left immediately.

  I searched for Melissa and Jessica around the house, determined to find them, but had no success. I went to the backyard as my last stop, but they weren’t there. I halted next to a large pool illuminated by floor lights, enjoying the fresh air after being confined in a small space infused with Hayden’s intoxicating scent. I gazed at the clear, star-spangled sky, wondering what was going on between Hayden and me.

  How did it turn into the nearness, touches, smell, and the quickened heartbeat that blurred everything that happened before? What was it in his eyes that screamed his deepest thoughts at me? I saw inexplicable passion in his gaze that opposed everything we’d gone through so far, and I didn’t know what to make of it. He hated me. He even tried to kill me. Still, his proximity and the way he kissed me confused me...

  No, I was overthinking now. Hayden might be unpredictable and able to turn from fire into ice in a matter of seconds, but there was no doubt that he didn’t feel anything for me.

  He would make me pay the next time he saw me. I was certain of it.

  I spun around, determined to leave right this second, but then I noticed Jessica and Melissa running in my direction.

  “Hey, girl,” Melissa said loudly. “We’ve been searching for you everywhere. Steven’s pal just grabbed you and took you away... Are you okay?”

  I nodded and glanced at Jessica. “And you? Are you okay? Did Blake and Masen see you?”

  “Yes, but luckily, Melissa intervened before Blake could do anything.”

  “Seriously, those guys need a mental check up. They’re like rabid dogs,” Melissa said. “What do they have against you anyway?”

  I didn’t have a chance to answer her, because Mateo appeared in my line of sight, and my heart dropped. Oh no, Mateo.

  I completely forgot about him.

  I checked him out, noticing how attractive he looked in those dark jeans that hung low on his hips and a green button-down shirt. He spotted me and grinned, striding to us.

  This wasn’t fair. This wasn’t how this night was supposed to be. I was supposed to be free to enjoy my time with Mateo and see if there could have been something more between us. Instead, I hoped to leave this party as soon as possible, ditching Mateo in the process, so I could run away from Hayden.

  “I was looking for you,” he said and halted in front of me. He didn’t take his eyes off of me even once. He surprised me when he leaned in and left a lingering kiss on my cheek, his rather unpleasant cologne enveloping me, and I scrunched up my nose a bit.

  I couldn’t even be excited about this anymore. I couldn’t enjoy my time with him, because my mind kept coming back to Hayden in that bathroom, who was probably planning my demise at the moment.

  I took a slight step back. “Mateo, I...” I felt even worse because he was smiling so softly at me.

  “Girls,” he finally acknowledged Jessica and Melissa, nodding at them. I introduced Jessica, catching on the way Melissa was smiling at me. She looked like she was plotting something.

  “I think Jessica and I should go get another drink,” she said, clearly bent on giving Mateo and me some space. I wanted to stop her and say that wouldn’t be necessary, but Jessica agreed all too quickly with her.

  “But what about them?” I asked Jessica, referring to Blake, Hayden, and Masen. I was worried about her safety.

  “Don’t you worry about a thing,” Melissa replied instead of her. “Everything will be fine. You two kids should enjoy now.” I watched her take Jessica by the arm and scurry away with her, avoiding Mateo’s gaze in embarrassment.

  He cleared his throat, and I met his stare reluctantly. He was amused.

  I giggled, all nervous. What now?

  He grew serious. “There is something I need to tell you.”

  “Yes?”

  “I thought a lot about our last conversation. I crossed a line then, but I was so confused and angry when I saw that fake profile.”

  I cast my eyes down. I didn’t want to talk about my stupid reaction and that fake profile. “It’s okay.”

  “It’s not okay, Sarah. I know I don’t have the right to interfere in your life, but I felt furious. I wanted to beat the assholes that were responsible for that.”

  A warm, joyous feeling spiraled through my chest, and I soaked in the feeling of someone really caring about me. I felt happy and ashamed at the same time because I didn’t want to bother him with my problems.

  “That isn’t necessary—”

  “It is, Sarah. We barely know each other, but I can’t stop thinking about you.” Oh my God. “I like you, as I already told you. I don’t want to push these feelings on you, but know that
I want to protect you from anyone who harasses you. I want you to give me a chance.”

  The doubt greeted me again because of what Melissa said about Mateo’s love life.

  “Um, Melissa told me you don’t actually date...” Great. I said the worst thing I could say, probably totally ruining my chances with him.

  “Actually...” He stepped closer to me and cupped my cheek. My breath hitched. “Melissa was right. But .” He flashed his cute smile at me. “I’ve never met a girl like you before. Other girls were always the same. Clingy and predictable. You were different from the start. You’re so smart, and whenever you smile, your face glows.” I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. “And I love your blush.” Oh.

  He caught a strand of my hair and tucked it behind my ear. “You look so beautiful tonight.”

  My throat constricted. “Thank you,” I answered timidly, desperately searching for something better to say. Somehow, everything was happening fast, and even though I’d been preparing myself for this, I felt unusually shy.

  He glanced at my lips and lowered his head. This is it... My heart thumped faster. He was going to kiss me...

  “Get away from her, piece of shit!” An instant later, Hayden shoved him away from me and punched him in the face.

  Hayden’s hit sent Mateo to the ground, and horror consumed me. Hayden looked animalistic, with bared teeth and veins popping out on his head. He was furiously shaking, his eyes two pools of fury and hate. He didn’t give Mateo time to stand up, jumping on top of him and dealing him a punishing blow after a punishing blow.

  “Hayden, stop!” He was going to kill him! “Stop hurting him!”

  From the looks of it, Mateo didn’t stand a chance against mad Hayden, who kept hitting his face, beating the crap out of him. There were a few people around us, and all of them seemed stunned to see them fighting, not doing anything but glancing hopelessly at each other.

  What the hell, people?! Isn’t anyone brave enough to stop this mess?!

  I curled my hands into fists, adrenaline pumping through my body. I had to do something.