The Westlake Boys

by K R Bicknell

  The Westlake Boys

  K R Bicknell

  Contents

  Title Page

  Before

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  After

  Hannah

  I hate the Westlake boys, like with a passion.

  Jacob, the playboy, party god, smirks at me with his cocky smile like he's picturing me naked.

  Caleb with his golden eyes and cold stares that pierce my chest and slow my heartbeat.

  Now I have to live with them, move in with the most feared and coveted boys in this town. My friends are afraid for my safety but I won't let them intimidate me. It's not my physical well-being that I'm afraid of, it's something else.

  Jacob

  Dad wants to move his w**re in, and her daughter. I know what he's thinking, but we won't be this big happy family. Not if I can help it. That daughter though, I've been watching her at school. She's something else, and cute too. I think I'm gonna enjoy this.

  Caleb

  I can't tell Dad that this is a bad idea. Not if he wants to keep her safe. There is something about the girl though, I can't keep my eyes from her. She's snarky, and spunky, and f**king terrified. Dad thinks he can keep her safe, but how do I tell him that danger lives in his own house?

  This is a contemporary romance, with themes of underage sex, drinking, drug use, and a hell of a lot of cursing. If these themes offend you I beg you, please don't pick up this book, but for the rest of you, welcome, and enjoy.

  Rating 18+

  Before

  Prologue

  Hannah

  I stumbled in and froze. Right in the middle of the dance floor. The music beat steadily around me, faster than my heart, the bodies swished and shimmered as schools of fish in an aquarium, and I stood frozen. A foreign object that didn’t belong. I took a ragged breath and looked around. They hovered on the side, whispering and smirking. The popular ones prettied up in satin and glitter. Some lanky limbed boys scowled and stared curiously as they sauntered around me and finally, I managed to make my legs work. As quickly and unobtrusively as I could I rushed towards a dark corner with my crate of Cheez-it crackers. I ran for the corner covered by a dark blue curtain that the decoration committee had just put up yesterday intending to prettify the stark gym and follow the ‘Under the sea’ theme of our annual winter dance. Unfortunately, the corner was already occupied by a couple of warm bodies.

  “Watch where you’re going, bitch!” I heard and swerved around to dislodge Annabelle Morris from someone’s lap.

  “Sorry, I....” and for the second time in a span of five minutes, my body froze again.

  In the dark corner, hidden by an even darker curtain, two bright hazel eyes stared back at me. My heart stopped and my eyes forgot to blink. It was him. Eisenhower High’s crown prince, reigning bad boy and basketball prodigy, Caleb Westlake.

  Involuntarily, my feet moved me backward.

  “What are you still doing here?” Annabelle asked, “Get out of here!”

  But I couldn’t, my sweaty fingers still gripped the corners of the cardboard box, held in front of me like a shield, and his eyes still held mine in a grip. I almost pleaded out loud for him to let me go. Maybe he heard the voice in my head because he tilted his. “That way.” His deep voice echoed, and I looked. The table! The snack table! And Mrs. Crenshaw, not five feet away! I moved away with relief.

  “Is she slow, or something?” I heard Annabelle whisper behind me, but I didn’t care as I deposited my load on the table with a sigh.

  “Oh, thank god!” Mrs. Crenshaw said, “I was running out of the cheesy cracker thingys.”

  I smiled wanly.

  “You want a soda?” she asked, and I nodded.

  This was not my scene, this school regulated social activity. In fact, I’d been called the most antisocial girl in my freshman class and would have been labeled that in the yearbook had Annabelle and her minions got their way. Luckily, or unluckily, no negative labels were allowed, and I’d almost been invisible in the yearbook for the last two years.

  I stayed behind the snack table slowly sipping my soda and pretending to scroll through my Instagram feed. Not that I gave a fuck about the celebrities on social media, but I had to pretend to do something to keep my mind away from that dark corner behind me. Thankfully, the music was too loud for any sounds to radiate from the couple, but I knew they were still there. My heart still beat that slow, irregular way it did whenever I was unlucky enough to be within fifteen feet of the boy. I hated him. I hated him with a fury only shown to my heavy bag and Percy, the trainer at the gym that housed said object of my salvation. Percy knew. He didn’t know the names of the two boys and their father who inspired this hatred but saw the results.

  The couple did not leave the corner and I started to feel suffocated. I stepped out from behind the snack table.

  “Oh, Hannah, you forgot your soda!” Mrs. Crenshaw handed me the open can, I grabbed it and turned, and ran smack into a hard body.

  “What the? Shit!” Jacob Westlake cursed as he looked down at his now wet and sticky blazer.

  “What the fuck did you do!” He shouted as I mumbled, “Sorry.”

  “I’ll pay for it.” I started to say.

  “You’ll pay for it! You’ll pay for it? You, Hannah Johnson, will pay for this? Do you know how long your mother would have to work to pay for this...”

  “That’s enough, Mr. Westlake.” A deep voice rumbled behind me, “It was an accident.” Mr. Jackson, our vice-principal reprimanded Jacob in his authoritative voice.

  Jacob exhaled and I ran out.

  I didn’t know where I planned to go, my mother wasn’t supposed to pick me up for another couple of hours, but I had to get out of there. I hated it. I hated my school; I hated all the students except my friend Mandy. I hated them all, I thought as I paced down the dark sidewalk in front of my high school. But most of all I hated my mother. I hated her for falling in love, after all these years of the two of us living peacefully, she had to declare that she was in love. Not only that, but she also had to fall in love with the richest man in town, Harold Westlake, the father of those two pricks. Caleb and Jacob, the most infamous, feared, and coveted boys at school. God, how I despised them! I paced and fumed. I wanted to leave so bad. All I needed was a ride to my neighborhood. Percy would open the door in a heartbeat once he saw my state. He understood. He understood being rejected, insulted, ignored. All because these others had the luck of being born in that part of town, in their expansive mansions with the wrought iron gates and five-car garages. What had they ever done in their lives but be born? God, I hated them! And I hated myself, I hated myself for letting them get to me.

  Eventually, my anger dissipated, and my speed of pacing slowed down. Soon I’d have to go back in and help Mrs. Crenshaw and the rest of the committee clean up. Mandy had warned me not to volunteer but no, community service hours, college applications, I had had my myriad reasons for being here tonight.

  I heard a bush rustle behind me and froze.

  “Don’t mind me, I’m just enjoying the show.” An orange tip of a cigarette glowed in the darkness. I turned to look at him, his face hid in the shadows.

  “Glad I could provide entertainment,” I said sarcastically.

  “Figured you owed me as much since you ruined my jacket,” Jacob answered.

  “Thought I couldn’t afford your jacket, maybe I should add to the show, dance, or something.” I said.

  “Y
ou should,” he laughed, his teeth shining in the night, “I’d like to see that.”

  I heard slow, heavy footsteps walk up to him and stayed mum.

  “Ready to go?” Caleb asked in his smooth deep voice.

  “Oh no, brother, I was just enjoying the entertainment, Hannah here is gonna dance for me.” Jacob said.

  I saw his brother’s hazel eyes flash to me again. Was the man a cat or a werewolf? My heart beat once, slow and loud.

  “Come on.” He said to his brother, “I’m bored.” And began walking towards the parking lot.

  “All right.” Jacob sighed.

  A soft, wet form hit my chest and slid to the ground.

  “You should be able to afford the dry-cleaning, snack.” Jacob scoffed as he followed his brother. I bent down and picked up the jacket.

  Jacob

  Shit, that girl!

  Who the fuck does she think she is?

  Just because my dad is fucking her mom, I don’t even get why he is.

  I mean, I get it. We all get it. Her mom’s hot, and the old man’s got an appetite for pussy, yeah, both of us brothers inherited it, so I get it.

  But he could’ve done better. What’s the use of having all that money, if you don’t use it to snare some prime grade..anyways I digress. I love that blazer. I fucking love that blazer, there are very few clothes that I feel this strongly about, and that one wasn’t even a hand me down from my taller, larger brother. I looked good in it, I looked damned hot, and that blind bat had to ruin it.

  I did feel a little bad about the way I yelled though. I don’t lose my cool it’s just not the Westlake way, but whatever...

  She’s snarky though, the chick, and hot, though in that way that you know she doesn’t know it yet.

  I’m gonna milk this accident for all it’s worth. It could be fun.

  Caleb

  what the fuck?

  Here I am almost at my goal, to be balls deep in this girl, Anna? Bella? don’t know what the fuck her name is, and I don’t care. I am a little buzzed, have to be, it’s the only way to tolerate these school dances.

  Anyways, I’ve got her in this dark corner and I’m almost there, she’s ready to let me in, hot and panting, and we’re interrupted.

  It’s her.

  and I can’t.

  I’m fucking done, can’t do it.

  “Oh Caleb!” the girl on top of me moans, and I just want to throw her off me.

  “Babe, babe, listen!” I say pulling her head back with her hair. “Later, okay?”

  “Caleb?” she asks, at least one of us knows names.

  “I don’t want to do it here.” I say.

  “Oh, but I need you.” she pants.

  Why the fuck are they always so needy?

  “Later.” I kiss her swollen lips, “Okay, maybe, the afterparty?”

  “Sure! Okay.” she relents, “Are you going to Cole’s?”

  “Yeah.” I say as she climbs off my lap and stands up.

  Maybe I’ll stop by, I may be in the mood later.

  I walk out the side door to hear that voice.

  “Maybe I should dance?” she says.

  Who is she talking to? Is she here with a guy? She could be, who am I to say?

  I walk towards her voice and there she is, my very own personal cockblocker, swaying on the dark sidewalk.

  I recognize the dark form in front of her as my own dipshit little brother and I sigh.

  He’s such a little fucker, he knows she’s off limits.

  She stares at me again, the little body frozen, those big green eyes drilling holes into my soul. I don’t look for long, I know I won’t be able to look away.

  I don’t know what she is but I know my dad wants to add on to this small nothing family of ours and because of that, that girl we can’t fuck with.

  Chapter 1

  Hannah

  “What do you think, Hannah?”

  My head jerks up in shock as I looked at the whiteboard with bleary eyes, my mind in a thick haze. I’d nodded off again.

  “Yes?” I ask as girls snigger around me.

  Mrs. Bradford, my English teacher turns around with a sigh, “And what is the answer to my question?” She asks.

  “I’m sorry, Mrs....” I start as the laughter becomes louder.

  My teacher looks at me in resignation and then away towards the back of the room.

  “Yes, Jacob.”

  “I believe she was napping,” Jacob, the smart-ass, explains. I sigh and stare at my desk.

  “Yes, Jacob, I’m aware of that.” Mrs. Bradshaw says with an exhale.

  “I think she should be allowed to go to the nurse’s.” Jacob continues and I look back at him with a scowl.

  “I mean it could be that time of the month,” Jacob says as his friends laugh.

  I sigh again and look up at my teacher.

  “Would you like to leave, Hannah?’ She asks.

  “Yes, I would,” I say and picking up my backpack walk out of the classroom.

  It wasn’t that time of the month, but it was no use explaining to these lowlifes that I had worked the whole weekend and then stayed up till 2 am working on my science project. Instead of going to the nurse’s office, I walk out of the building. The sun was bright and the breeze cool and I had forty minutes until my next class. I took my phone and headphones out of my bag and turning on my music walked towards the track. It should be empty at this time.

  As I passed the senior parking lot, I couldn’t help but glance at a silver BMW as the door opened and a dark, tousled haired boy slid out. My body slowed down and so did my heartbeat as my gaze found the sidewalk in front of my feet. I heard the flick of a lighter and then the sweet smell of pot but still didn’t look up. The birds were chirping in a distance and I could also hear conversations from far away, but I couldn’t not hear the slow inhalation and exhalation of the man in front of me.

  “Babe, where did you fling my bra?” A high-pitched voice said from inside the car and I looked up.

  His eyes narrowed as they focused on me.

  “Babe?” The girl said. He ignored her. She huffed and looked out of the back window. She was a blonde senior whose name I didn’t know, not Annabelle.

  “Just get out now,” he said impatiently, “You don’t need a bra.”

  I walked past hurriedly.

  “But everyone will know!’ I heard the blonde whine as I felt his gaze on my back.

  “Good!” He finally said.

  I didn’t walk the track when I got there, but just sat in the shade of the bleachers and stared into the abyss.

  Another week and finals were over.

  “Vacation time!” My bubbly friend Mandy intoned when I got to my locker, Friday afternoon.

  “God, Yes!” I moaned, “Can’t wait! I’m so sick of school!” I said as I opened my locker and packed my bag.

  “He’s staring again.” She whispered.

  I turned around to see Jacob Westlake smirk before throwing his arm over one of his beefy buddies and sauntering down the hall.

  I scowled down at my backpack.

  “Don’t know why he hates you so much, you gave him back his jacket, didn’t you?” She asked.

  “Yes, all cleaned and ironed,” I said.

  “Well, anyway, ignore him. It’s time to party!”

  “Neither one of us gets invited to parties so I don’t know what you’re gloating about,” I say as I close my locker.

  “Not till now, but tonight, we have one.” She sidled sneakily as we walked down the hall to the doors.

  “No.” I said, “No, no, no. I just want to go home and sleep forever.”

  “Don’t be a buzzkill, you can sleep tomorrow. Peter’s going to pick me up at seven.”

  I took a deep fortifying breath.

  “Peter, huh?” I said as we stepped outside in the chill afternoon, “You slept with him yet?”

  “No!” she whined, “Not yet, but I want to, so bad!”

  “Sheesh, so I’
m being dragged to this party just because you’re horny. Can’t you go without me, there’s more of a chance of you getting laid when you don’t have to worry about a third wheel.”

  “You’re not a third wheel, you’re my best friend!”

  “So what, I’m not gonna help you get laid,” I said.

  “But I need all the help I can get!” she put an arm around my waist and squeezed.

  “Eww!” I said and stepped away from her hold.

  “Gawd!” she groaned, “You’re the only seventeen-year old I know who’s doesn’t like sex. You sure you’re not gay?”

  “Yes!” I emphasize, “I just don’t want anyone, at least not anyone I’ve met so far.”

  “Maybe you’re one of those,” she said.

  “What?”

  “Asexual.”

  Maybe she was right. Despite all the hormones swirling around me daily, I had no desire to get close to any guy, or girl.

  My best friend gasped as we passed the busy parking lot, “Don’t look, don’t look!”

  But it was too late, my gaze was again snagged on a striking pair of hazel eyes squinting at me from the side of the silver BMW. Caleb was now surrounded by a group of nubile, willing females. Annabelle included, along with his fling from this morning. They seemed to be gushing and chattering amongst themselves while he stood like a god between them. Tall, dark, and silent, his penetrating gaze directed outside his circle towards me.

  My feet dragged as my body fell under the spell yet again. Thankfully my friend dragged me onwards.

  “God, he’s so creepy, he freaks me out!” she said.

  “Don’t say anything,” I whispered.

  “Oh, he can’t hear me,” she said.

  Then why did I still feel him?

  “I swear if those two weren’t so rich, they’d be in jail.” Mandy continued her rant.

  “Seriously!” I added.

  “No, I mean it! they’re criminals! Every weekend they’re getting into a fight, they’ll drink or inhale or shoot every drug they can get, and fuck every pussy, willing or unwilling!”

  “Shush! We’re still on school grounds.” I said.