“You saw that, huh? Jessica, I think her name was.” I rolled my eyes like it didn’t matter, even though it stung. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Why was I so bothered by a boy I didn’t know kissing some girl I didn’t know?
“You want me to kiss you, Sunshine?” Gavriel asked in a provoking voice. He leaned closer and playfully puckered his lips. “I bet a girl like you has never kissed anyone.”
I took a step back as a deep flush burned my cheeks. I was mortified. “I-I’ve kissed someone before,” I lied as Gavriel leaned even closer, the dare hanging from his plush lips.
My back hit the wall, and I gripped the fabric of my dress, feeling anxious.
My body felt heated and alive, a sensation I’d never felt before. I breathed in his scent, noting the skunky smell of pot clinging to his fancy clothes. Was he high?
“What are you doing?” I asked while twisting under his hard stare. I felt kinetic, every cell in my body vibrating uncontrollably. Having him this close felt too real, too tempting. I’d never felt desire like this before.
“I’m going to give you your first kiss, Sunshine. Then maybe you won’t be such a tragic little tease.”
I licked my lips, and Gavriel glared at my mouth. Things suddenly felt significantly less playful. “Don’t,” I whispered when he reached up to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear.
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t kiss me.”
I didn’t feel like myself. I felt like Summer Bright, perfect little doll for her parents. I wanted my first kiss to be this messy, inevitable thing. I wanted to be barefoot with my hair a tangle of curls down my back. I wanted to be with someone I felt safe with. I wanted it to be wild. Uncontrollable.
I was born dreaming about the first person I’d share that with. Ever since I saw my first princess movie, I imagined what it would feel like to be swept up in the arms of a knight and kissed deeply. A kiss was the first step in an inevitable line of pleasure and secrets. I wanted it to be meaningful, and although Gavriel Moretti felt like someone I could one day be friends with, I didn’t feel that way today. I felt like a joke to him.
He leaned in closer, his feathered whisper dancing over my skin. “Sunshine?”
“Yeah?” I replied. My voice was shaky. There was a husky tone to it I’d never heard escape my lips before. All of this felt so new and foreign. It was an awakening.
“I think your father is stomping our way,” Gavriel replied. At that, I immediately stumbled out of his orbit and spun around to face my approaching father. He looked just as I had expected.
Angry as fuck.
“Summer Bright, what are you doing?”
“I’m just talking—”
I didn’t even have time to respond, because Dad was reaching out to grab my arm.
“I don’t like having to track you down. And I especially don’t like finding you in compromising positions with some punk the Jamesons took in off the streets.” Though my father didn’t yell and made sure to keep his voice appropriately low, I knew with complete certainty that Gavriel Moretti heard him. With no one near to witness, he was cold and cruel as usual.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” I whined.
“Come on.”
I let my father pull me back toward the main room. Once again, one of my parents was dragging me away from Gavriel. And once again, I felt the damaged boy’s eyes on my back.
Chapter Five
Gavriel
IT HAD BEEN two days since the fundraiser from hell, and I couldn’t stop thinking about Summer Bright. Her name. Her silly outfits. Her damn hopeful expression. She looked stupid, wearing her church dresses and curling her hair like a three-year-old. And yet I was a little fixated on our moment in the hallway. I wasn’t planning on taking it that far. I’d teased girls before, and something about those ridiculously childish clothes she wore made me want to tug on her pigtails a bit and rile her up.
I wasn’t expecting her eyes to turn heavy or the pull of her lungs to drag my eyes to her chest.
Most girls our age were in a hurry to grow up—were practically begging to get their first kiss out of the way so they could say they weren’t behind. We all had milestones lined up like a checklist of popularity. You weren’t cool unless you could brag about tangling your tongue with someone else. I was no stranger to silly girls with puckered lips and giggles for days. I had enough of it because of my father’s gang back in New York. Being the sole heir to a billion-dollar crime syndicate had that effect on people. But the girls here lost their damn mind when I arrived. I was their first taste of danger, and everyone wanted to swallow me whole.
Not that I minded. Not one single fucking bit. I was a teenage boy, after all. Despite having to grow up at a young age.
When I first moved here, I figured it would be a fucking waste of four years. I didn’t want to be in this nowhere town with nowhere people and nothing to do. It was boring as fuck, and the people were predictable. My foster parents, teachers, neighbors, social workers, and classmates were like broken records. Asking me the same things. Telling me the same lies. Whispering the same gossip.
But maybe I could have some fun. Kiss a few girls. Cause a little trouble. It was like a vacation from the real shit that went down with my father’s business. What was a little pot and graffiti when you came from cocaine and murder?
I’d already had three girls wanting to come over. They gave me their number like it was nothing.
But not Summer fucking Bright. She didn’t want a kiss. She told me not to. She just liked to watch me from her bedroom. She thought I couldn’t see her behind the shaded oak tree covering her window, but I could.
I didn’t mind. I kind of liked feeling her curious eyes on me. And hell, I was no hypocrite. I watched her just the same.
I’d be lying if I said my eyes weren’t on hers the entire fundraiser. I planned to just keep to myself in the corner, but my hard stare followed her every move. She said the right things to the right people and practically fucking bowed whenever people spoke. Old men patted her on the shoulder like she was a prized trophy, polished up for them to set on their shelf.
I didn’t want to go, but the Jamesons bribed me with cash. I knew my way around a suit. My father dragged me to enough events that I knew how to clean up and keep my mouth shut. But this wasn’t a meeting with local gang bangers. This was a charity event for rich, bored housewives.
I could only hope that my new foster parents would get tired of their shiny new toy soon. Their house was full of pictures from all their trips and excursions. Pretty soon they’d forget about pretending to be the doting foster parents and would go back to living their lives. I couldn’t wait.
At the fundraiser, Sunshine looked ridiculous. I saw a creepy old man trying and failing to look down her modest dress. This town was fucking sick. She was a cute girl, don’t get me wrong. I’m sure, behind all that frill and lace, she might even be hot. But watching her prance around with her hand held out for donations didn’t sit right with me.
I was getting ready to skip school when I caught sight of the girl in question outside with a backpack perfectly positioned on her back. She was clutching the straps and walking in the direction of the school. Didn’t her mom drive her most days?
Mrs. Jameson was hungover, and this was my one day to avoid that stupid hellhole of a school, but I was intrigued.
It took all of four minutes to decide that I needed to follow Sunshine. Fucking hell, this girl. I quickly got dressed and brushed my teeth while thinking about the way both her parents grabbed her. Twice I’d seen that girl manhandled. I was sure that it happened a lot. Maybe she wore those stupid ass clothes to hide bruises?
I started getting dressed faster. I seriously shouldn’t care about a prissy girl with a mouth like fire. I shouldn’t be wasting time on anyone, really. I was just in Chesterbrook to kill time. Once I was eighteen, I’d be going back to New York.
I ran outside, deciding to forget my backpack. I didn’t like how the st
raps dug into my gunshot wound. I was ready for the damn thing to heal, though I kind of liked how all the girls at this school drooled at the sight of it. They made me out to be this badass hero.
If only they knew the truth.
I wasn’t going to do schoolwork anyways. Hell, I’d probably just walk with Sunshine for a minute before heading back to the Jamesons’. “Hey!” I awkwardly called at her back. She didn’t turn around. I squinted. Was she deaf? “Hello! Sunshine!” I yelled, this time louder. After jogging closer, I noticed that she had fucking headphones in and was oblivious to me. I didn’t like that. Anyone could just walk up and kidnap her. Wasn’t her dad the Chief of Police? Shouldn’t he teach her to be aware of her surroundings? Why was she walking anyway?
I hung back and observed her like a fucking weirdo. She was wearing a pastel blue cardigan and jeans that didn’t completely swallow her skinny chicken legs. And was that...heels? She was wearing short wedges. She looked...nice. In a Stepford Wives kind of way.
I squinted for a better look and frowned when I caught her wiping a stray tear from her eyes. What did Miss Perfect possibly have to cry about? She had a big house. Two almost normal parents. From what I gathered, she had perfect grades, was perfect with all her extracurricular activities.
And yet she was crying. I bet it had something to do with her boozy mom. I’d seen Mrs. Bright stumble to her car twice in the couple of weeks I’d been here.
She looked both ways before crossing the street and then stared at her shoes as she dragged her feet toward the school. Her shoulders were slumped. Her head bowed in sad contemplation. She looked pathetic. Sad. Empty.
I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it one bit.
Protectiveness blazed to life in my chest. I was trained from a young age not to care about anyone else. My father evaded prison for years because he lived by that mantra. You didn’t become a mob boss or the heir to an empire by giving a shit. You had to be ruthless and determined. You had to say fuck the world and do whatever’s necessary to stay on top. It hardened me. Hell, it got me shot.
But I followed her to school. I watched her walk up the front steps and roll her shoulders back as if she didn’t have a care in the world. I watched her wipe her eyes and walk through the front door like a fucking ray of Sunshine.
And I decided then that I wanted to say fuck it. I wanted to protect her. I wanted her light to burn brighter than this shitty town.
Chapter Six
Summer Bright
MOM WAS TOO hungover to drive me to school today.
I walked in the humid heat while thinking about how my life had become so lonely. I woke up and made myself breakfast. Bragged to myself about the good grade I got in Algebra, then walked by myself to school. It didn’t bother me before, but lately it wasn’t enough.
The day went by in a blur. I attended my morning classes and took notes like the good student I was. Pretty soon it was time for lunch.
“I heard his dad was a mob boss,” a girl whispered in front of me. I was following the crowd of people to the cafeteria. I was hopelessly gritting my teeth as everyone around me chatted about the new bad boy in town. It had been a couple days since the fundraiser, and I was reeling from it still. I wanted to forget the embarrassing showdown that happened at the fundraising event, but it seemed no matter where I went, the world wanted to bring him up.
My ears perked at the mention of Gavriel’s father. I had heard the same rumor, if I was being honest. My father mentioned it to my mother just a few days ago. She was bitching about the Jamesons, and Dad wanted to shut her up with some juicy gossip.
“I heard that he got shot,” another girl replied while twirling her hair on her finger.
“I heard he’s throwing a party at his foster parents’ house.”
“The Jamesons? They’re never home. This is going to be perfect.”
I listened intently. Mom would happily have it shut down if Gavriel threw a party next door. She was too competitive not to. Did he not know my father was the Chief of Police? We were neighbors. I should warn him...I should…
“Watch it, bitch,” a cold cruel tone yelled at me. I hadn’t even realized that I had walked into her. I was too busy eavesdropping on the people ahead of me to notice the girl that cut in front of me.
“Sorry,” I mumbled as the girl snarled. I vaguely recognized her as one of the dance team leaders. I’d heard rumors that she slept with the coach’s boyfriend, but I couldn’t be sure if that was true. Her rudeness wasn’t out of the ordinary. My place at this school was tumultuous at best. Most saw me as the ambitious girl next door or the unsocial nobody that hid in the back of the class. My family was well-known around town, but that didn’t mean people took the time to know me. In fact, some people liked to shove it in my face that my parents were overachieving socialites.
“Maybe you should watch where you’re going. Aren’t you supposed to be, like, stupid smart?” she replied with a casual flip of her hair. It was so painfully repetitive. I felt like an archetype of my own making, the innocent girl groomed to take hit after hit with no bruises to show for it.
I’d had enough. “You’re the one who cut in front of me,” I said with a frown. “Maybe you need to stop texting other girls’ boyfriends and look up from your phone for a change.”
A snort at my back made all of us spin around. Gavriel Moretti stood there with a smirk on his face, eyeing me up and down before brushing past. His shoulder bumped mine tenderly, as if the single graze of our skin were the only thing he’d allow to be exchanged between us. “Fucking ray of Sunshine,” he whispered, low enough only I could hear. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. “Nice heels.”
I looked down at the strappy wedges wrapped around my feet and cringed. Was he being sarcastic? Most days, I looked like a child. I felt like a child. Clutching my binder to my chest, I blushed and pushed through the crowd to get away. I just wanted out of here. I wanted to escape Gavriel and throw a pity party in the library.
A hand landed on my shoulder, and I winced. It was the same spot where Mom had grabbed me to yank me out of the Jamesons’ house. I stopped running away to look up at the person holding me in place. Of course it was Gavriel. “Why are you running away, Sunshine?” he asked while looking around. Some people lingered, pretending to have conversations in the hallway outside of the cafeteria so they could watch our exchange.
I looked at where his hand was and scowled when he squeezed it again, as if testing to see if it hurt. I flinched when he pressed on the bruise my mother had caused, and he pulled away. “Where do you sit for lunch usually?”
“Wherever there’s an empty table,” I replied honestly.
“Not today.”
Gavriel grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from the open cafeteria and down an abandoned hallway. I could feel my classmates’ eyes on my back, but I was too focused on Gavriel’s hand against my burning skin to care. His touch was this harsh, demanding sort of thing. My skin felt like fire wherever we touched. What did he want with me?
He led me toward the doors and outside without a care. The sun was beating down on the plush green grass. Wind whipped at my cheeks as Gavriel led me to the shaded area away from the school. “Where are you taking me?”
“Away. Let’s chat.”
“About what?” I asked while planting my feet by a towering oak tree. Gavriel let go of my wrist to fold his arms across his chest.
“Tell me about yourself,” he demanded in that unrelenting tone I’d quickly come to embrace about him. Did he learn it from his father?
“There’s not much to know,” I replied with a shrug.
“Bullshit.”
My brows shot up in surprise. “You dress like a four-year-old. Your mother is a drunk. You’re on every committee and extracurricular team at this damn school. You act like no one can see you, but when you’re around me, you snap—which I like, by the way.”
He liked that, huh? The comment only gave me a little boost in confid
ence and was quickly overshadowed by his comment about my clothes. I ran my hands along my cardigan, smoothing the material as a pang of embarrassment hit me in the chest. “Oh? What else do you think you know about me?” I challenged.
“I know you watch me,” Gavriel said while stepping closer to me. The foot between us felt like nothing.
“Why do you go outside every night and sit on the curb?” I asked.
“Why do you watch?” he asked. “You got nothing better to do?”
“I’m curious about you,” I replied honestly. In this town full of lies, the truth was the only thing we had.
“I figured you knew all there was to know. Seems everyone at this school has made their mind up about me,” Gavriel replied. I was wondering how he was adjusting to everyone’s infatuation. He was shiny, new, and beautiful. “Is it true?” I asked.
“Is what true?”
“That your dad is a mob boss. That you were shot.”
Gavriel took a step closer, a smirk on his face. “If I told you, I’d have to initiate you. You wanna join my gang, Sunshine?” That playful lilt in his voice was like emotional whiplash. I couldn’t keep up with his mood swings.
“Depends. What’s in it for me?”
Gavriel reached up and tucked a stray hair behind my ear, and a shiver traveled down my spine. He then leaned in impossibly closer. “The same sort of benefits any member gets,” he whispered before pulling away and clearing his voice. “Protection. Family. Security. You’ll get to be a part of something bigger than yourself. You’ll get me for life.”
The way Gavriel spoke made me realize that the rumors were absolutely true. He spoke as if the crime industry was his way of life. I already knew this, but the confirmation in his tone hit me with stark honesty. It felt like a mantra, almost. Like a doctrine ingrained in every cell that made up his body.
I swallowed. “And what’s the cost?”
Gavriel smiled. It was a rare sort of gem that felt sinister and bold.
Bully Me: Class of 2020 Page 30