by Mia Belle
“Let me go,” I say, trying once again to free myself. Eric still won’t let go.
Ryder digs in the bag. “I got the stuff.” He takes out my shirt, jeans, and my shoes, and holds them out to me.
I thrash around. “Let me go!”
“We told you we’re not going to hurt you,” Eric says. “We want to help.”
“Bullshit. You hate me.”
He swallows hard. “No…no. I don’t.”
I narrow my eyes. “Let me the hell go or I’ll go to the cops and tell them everything you’ve been doing to me.”
He lifts his hands. “Okay, okay. Sorry.” He tilts his head toward the clothes in Ryder’s hands. “That’s yours. We’ll leave and stand guard as you change.”
I glare at them. “Get the hell away from me.”
He looks away. “Okay. Come, guys.” At the door, he faces me. He opens his mouth like he wants to say something, but shakes his head like he can’t get the words out. Then he follows his friends outside.
I stare at my reflection in the mirror. What the hell is going on? Eric saved me from the embarrassment of running through the halls practically naked. Why? I’m not stupid enough to believe they’re actually trying to help me. They’re planning something. Something to torment me further.
I want nothing to do with them or anyone else at this school. They can all piss off.
My eyes take in the clothes Ryder left on the sink. They definitely did something to them. Maybe sprinkled them with itching powder or something. I’m not falling for it.
What other choice do I have, though? To stay in here forever?
I lift my shirt and sniff it. Smells normal, like me. Digging in the bag, I find my underwear. Avery and the guys didn’t tamper with it? I still don’t know what’s going on, but if I want to continue going to classes today, I need to risk putting my clothes on.
Once I’m dressed, I take another look at myself in the mirror. I look fine—relatively. On the outside, anyway. I’ll never forget what Avery and her friends did to me. And she took pictures? Will she post them online? Oh, god. How will I ever get through this?
Chapter Twenty-One
Ryder
There’s some sort of commotion in the girls’ locker room as Eric, Caden, and I make our way to the cafeteria for lunch.
“They stole Pigget’s clothes!” one girl yells to her friend, while the other laughs. “And Avery’s taking pics.”
Eric grabs the girl’s arm. “What do you mean she stole her clothes?”
The girl grins at him. “The pig was taking a shower and Avery stole them.” She giggles again.
Eric turns toward the boys’ locker room.
“What are you doing?” Caden asks.
“Helping her.”
He disappears inside, then emerges with his huge towel. At that second, Daphne bolts from the girls’ room with nothing on but a tiny towel. There’s a huge crowd around.
“Find her clothes,” Eric grits out to me before he and Caden run after her. Eric wraps the towel around her.
With my hands fisted at my sides, I bang on the girls’ locker room. “Avery,” I command.
It takes less than a second for her to show herself. She’s half dressed, but I’m hardly looking at her. There’s nothing about this girl that attracts me one bit.
She runs her finger up my arm. “Yes, Rydy?”
I whack her finger away. “Where are her clothes?”
She thinks about it for a second, then tsks. “Really, Ryder, you shouldn’t be near the girls’ locker room. Some of us are getting dressed, you know.”
I clench my teeth. “Give me her damn clothes.”
She laughs. “Whose?”
I step toward her, glaring into her eyes. “Give me Daphne’s clothes or I’ll throw this door wide open, and I don’t give a damn whose dressed or not.” It’s a complete lie, but it’s the threat that matters.
She narrows her eyes. “Why do you want her clothes? We were thinking of burning them. Or throwing them over her house. Can you imagine her underwear hanging there for the world to see?” Her laughter grows louder and stronger.
I get in her face. “Avery, don’t make me ask again. You have ten seconds before I march inside.”
She pouts. “Fine.” She turns to one of her friends behind the door. “Get Pigget’s stuff.”
Her friend vanishes, then appears with a garbage bag. “It’s all in here,” Avery says to me with a wide, flirty smile. “Anything else I can do for you?” She runs her finger across the hard muscles of my chest.
I throw her hand off. “Yeah, there’s one thing. Delete every single photo you took of her.”
She gapes at me. “What?”
“You heard me. Every one.”
“But—”
I glare into her eyes. “Every last one. And don’t you dare back anything up. Because if I find out you kept those pictures or posted them anywhere, I will end you.”
She swallows, a shiver running through her. She knows whose family controls whose. The Pentecost Empire isn’t even worth half the Kensingins’. She knows pretty well that my threats aren’t to be taken lightly.
She pulls out her phone, her fingers trembling as she thumbs through it. “Eric wanted this.”
“Things change.”
She stops, staring up at me. “What are you saying?”
“Leave Daphne alone.”
She laughs lightly. “Oh my god. Is she that desperate that she offered to sleep with you guys so you’d stop bullying her?” Her face drops. “Wait, what the hell? You’re cheating on me?”
I pierce her eyes with mine. “No one offered anything to anyone. Are you done with the pics?”
With a roll of her eyes, she holds up her phone.
“Good. Now put some damn clothes on.” I turn on my heels, garbage bag tucked in my hand, and take off for the bathroom Eric, Caden, and Daphne dashed into.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Daphne
I take one more look at myself in the mirror before deciding I’d better get to lunch before the bell rings. Not that I expect anyone to let me in, but I might as well try.
Eric, Ryder, and Caden are standing outside the bathroom, like they’re my personal bodyguards. What the hell are they playing at?
Eric lifts himself off the wall. “Ready to go?”
I push past him on my way to the cafeteria. Why in the world is he talking to me like we’re friends, like the past few weeks never happened? I don’t want to see him or talk to him or have anything to do with him. And I sure as hell do not trust him. So whatever he’s trying to do won’t work.
I enter the cafeteria, grab a tray, and wait in line. The Kings take a table and sit down, each with their own lunch. Right. Ryder’s so rich I bet he orders gourmet meals for them all the time.
After I get my lunch, I look around. All the tables are occupied, which doesn’t surprise me one bit. Avery makes sure there are no tables for me. Hell, it’s a shock there’s no blockade this time.
I plop down on the floor with my greasy pizza and try to force it down. It tastes like crap, but I’m hungry. I didn’t eat much this morning because I was nervous to go to school after what happened on Friday with the egg pelting.
As I’m downing some water, footsteps approach, stopping before me. Glancing up, I find Eric standing there.
He stares down at me with a look I can’t describe. My first instinct is to run. I’ve had enough of his torture, but I sit my ground. As much pain as he put me through, I’m still determined to stay at this school.
He drops down next to me, rubbing the back of his neck. “We need to talk.”
I glare at him, my hands squeezing the sides of the tray I’m balancing on my knees. I turn my head away, not bothering to respond. As far as I’m concerned, he’s wallpaper.
“Daphne, look, I know I treated you like shit,” he says, voice low and smooth like honey. “And I want to give you a proper apology, but not here. Can we go outside?”
I narrow my eyes. “Get away from me. I want nothing to do with you.”
He nods slowly, swallowing hard like a golf ball is stuck in his throat. “Fine, I’ll do it here, then.” He looks into my eyes, so deeply like he’s trying to read my soul. “What I did to you was wrong. I was a jerk, an ass, an idiot. And I’m sorry. I know you’ll never forgive me and I don’t deserve it. I just want you to know that I’m sorry and I’ll never hurt you again.” He gets to his feet on shaky legs and turns to head to his table. Then he faces me. “You’re a good person, Daphne. You knew the truth and wouldn’t stop fighting for it. We were all too stupid or blind. I…” He shakes his head. “I hate myself for what I did to you.” He takes a deep breath, running his hand through his hair, before marching back to his friends. Caden and Ryder haven’t taken their gazes off me.
I just stare at their table as I think about what just happened. That apology? It has to be a joke. I mean, he seemed sincere, but maybe he’s a good actor.
I watch the Kings eat. Their shoulders are hunched over like they’re carrying the world on their backs. Avery and her friends aren’t sitting with them, which never happens. Did Ryder break up with her? Is this some joke? Some way to terrorize me even more?
I don’t believe his apology. And I never will. Because Eric Alexander is a jerk who only cares about himself.
He was an okay guy before his brother died. We didn’t say much to each other during school, but Zoe was always chasing after the Kings, so we interacted a little. He seemed like a good person. And completely different from his brother. Blake surrounded himself with girls. The girls chased Eric, but he was more focused on swimming and his friends. I can’t remember if he ever had a girlfriend, but he must have.
Why am I even thinking about him? He’s a bully.
I catch his eyes on me as he plays around with the fancy vegetables on his plate. I have no idea what his face is trying to tell me.
But I do know one thing: I’m not lowering my guard. I might be confused, but I won’t let that distract me.
I’m playing a game on my phone as I eat some chips, when a new set of shoes interrupts my line of vision. These shoes look expensive, something you’d find in a palace.
Looking up, none other than Ryder Kensington stands there.
“Want to join our table?” he asks. Unlike Eric, his voice rings confidence.
Ignoring him, I focus on my phone.
He gets down on his knees, covering my phone with his hand and forcing my eyes to meet his. “Daphne, come sit with us,” he says softly. “We’re not going to hurt you, and this isn’t a joke or a trick. We’re inviting you to sit at our table.”
I look behind him to where his friends are watching us. So is the entire cafeteria. Avery’s jaw practically sweeps the floor.
Either she’s really shocked and has no idea what her boyfriend is up to, or maybe she’s putting on an act. Hell, that girl is fake all over.
“Daphne?” Ryder stares into my eyes with his green ones. I still remember when he ran his finger along my jaw, can still feel the chills climbing up and down my spine. And that’s not in a good way.
I shove my foot into his leg. “I said get the hell away from me. I don’t want to see you or your friends as long as I live.”
He stands, wiping the dirt off his expensive jeans. He walks off, joining the others at their table.
A few minutes later, all three of them saunter over to me, eliciting murmurs from the rest of the kids. Avery looks like she wants to gauge my eyes out with a spoon.
The guys drop down beside me with their trays. Like I expected, they must have ordered from some fancy restaurant.
“Hi,” Caden says with a small smile. I don’t know what I’m supposed to make of that. “How are you feeling?”
I crawl away from them. “What do you want?”
All three of them exchange a glance. “I told you,” Eric says, “we want to apologize for what we did to you.”
I flare my nostrils. “And I told you I don’t want to see any of you as long as I live. So leave me the hell alone.”
Eric shakes his head. “Can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“We want you to sit with us instead of on the floor like some peasant. But since you decided to sit on the floor, we decided to do the same.”
I blink at him. “What?”
“You heard me.”
I scramble to my feet with my tray and half-eaten potato chips. “Stay away from me.” After dumping my tray with the others, I leave the cafeteria, feeling the guys’ and everyone else’s gazes on me. I don’t turn around.
Something fishy is definitely going on. Why would the Kings of Leighton High choose to sit on the floor with me? Why weren’t they sitting with their worshippers?
***
After last period, I’m at my locker opening the door, when a mountain of garbage crashes down on me.
It’s not strong enough to knock me down, but I’m covered in food scraps and all that other crap that smells like sewage.
The kids gathered in the hallway chuckle, Avery the loudest.
“Wow, Pigget, better clean up all that garbage before you get detention again.” She laughs harder.
Footsteps march down the hallway before Avery is pinned against the wall. Ryder places his hands on either side of her, glaring into her eyes.
I feel hands brushing the food chunks out of my hair and eyes, and when I look up, I find Caden there, eyes soft as he cleans up the mess. I don’t see the third King anywhere. He must have already left.
I pull away from Caden as Ryder yells at Avery, “Who did it? You?”
She just smiles.
I busy myself with tossing the garbage out of my locker and stuffing my backpack with books. Caden helps me, but I wish he’d leave me alone. I don’t want him anywhere near me.
Ryder hauls the garbage can so strongly it falls on its side, rolling back and forth and throwing up what’s left of its contents.
“Clean up all this garbage,” he barks at the kids crowding around them. They quickly drop to the floor and do as he orders. I slam my locker shut and weave through the group, heading toward the doors. I’m not sure because I don’t want to turn around, but I’m almost certain Caden is following me.
As I pass Ryder and Avery, I spot him press her against the wall, his teeth clenched. “Eric called off the hunt,” he hisses. “So why the fuck are you still going after her?”
I freeze. The…hunt? Is he talking about me? And what does he mean that Eric called it off?
Avery still wears that wide smile, and I’m pretty sure this is all an act to make me lower my guard.
I hike up my backpack and continue heading toward the doors, Caden at my heels. I don’t bother listening to Avery’s response. It’s just more lies to try to hurt me further.
I shove the doors open and burst into the beautiful weather.
“Daphne,” Caden calls, catching up to me.
I whirl around. “Stop following me.”
He’s about to say something, when Ryder emerges from inside, downing the steps and joining us.
“Going home?” he asks me. “We’ll walk you, then come back for swim practice.” He glances around. “Is Eric here?”
“Must have already gone home,” Caden tells him. He turns to me. “Can we walk you?”
I squint at them. “I don’t know what the hell you’re planning, but I’m not falling for it. So leave me alone.”
They exchange a glance. “What do we have planned?” Caden asks. “We just want to apologize. We’re sorry for everything.”
Ryder nods. “Very sorry for all the crap we put you through. No one deserves that.”
I play with my backpack strap. “I’m not stupid. As if you would ever apologize to me. And all that with Avery in the hallway just now was bullshit. Stay the hell away from me.”
They look at one another again.
“No. We meant the apology, every word,” Ryder says, eyes
pleading. “And we want to walk you home.”
Right, so they’ll corner me in that alley and do whatever they want with me? Last I checked, they were the ones who ordered everyone to pelt me with eggs. They must have spent the whole weekend coming up with some crazy plan to make my life even more of a living hell.
I give them each another glare before whisking around and stomping toward home. I can feel their eyes boring holes into the back of my head. I walk as fast as my feet can carry me, before they really do catch up with me and pull me into the alley.
***
As I lie in bed staring at the ceiling after dinner, I try not to think about what happened at school. I don’t know how I’m going to go there tomorrow, when I’m a hundred percent sure they’ll put their plan into motion.
Something nags at me, though. I know for a fact that Avery and Ryder put on a show, but would he really demand the other kids clean up the garbage? Why not force me? And what was the deal with Caden cleaning the food scraps? Right, to make me lower my guard.
Rolling around, I shut my eyes. I’d rather them torment me without all these games and lies or whatever they are. I’m okay with the physical stuff—ha, sure—but it’s the mental and emotional crap that drives me insane. Pretending to be nice to me to gain my trust? Could those boys truly be that cruel?
“I hate them,” I mutter under my breath, squeezing a pillow to my chest.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Caden
“Caden, you haven’t touched your chicken,” Grandma says, pulling me out of my thoughts. I blink down at my plate. I have no idea how I even got to the dinner table. Last I remember is pulling the garbage out of Daphne’s hair and trying to walk her home.
Ryder and I watched her go, slumped low with her backpack on her back. Of course she doesn’t want anything to do with us. We made her life hell.
It was Eric’s idea to watch over her. He sent a text to the whole school, calling off the attacks on Daphne. So why did Avery and those other girls go after her in the locker room?
Did they think it was a joke? Eric wouldn’t joke about something like that.