“She’d had a thing for Dax for a couple of years now. They talked to each other quite a bit. They had plans to go on a date that weekend.”
“What?” I throw up both of my hands. “Why didn’t you come forward with this information?” I growl. Why does this entire town fear them? They can’t take out everyone. That would put a bull’s-eye on their head.
“Because no one would believe a child of the system,” she says quietly.
I sigh, leaning back in my seat. She’s a foster kid, just like Brenda was. Running my hands through my hair, I close my eyes, and my jaw tightens. Goddamn them for doing this to these women. “We can …”
“Why are you sitting with her?”
I look up to see Natasha Halls has sat down next to the girl. I loathe Natasha. She’s a conniving, lying little slut. She spread some very hateful things about me on social media, and I want nothing more than to grab her hair and slam her face into the table. But that would just give her what she wants—it would prove to everyone that I am mentally unstable. I’m not ready to make that move yet, but it will come when it’s needed.
“I told you,” Lacey growls at her. “I believe her.”
Natasha snorts. “Brenda was just as crazy as she is.” She juts her chin toward me.
I grip my spoon in my hand, thankful it’s not a knife. I’d stab her eyes out. “You …”
“Ah Satan.”
My heart picks up at the sound of Dax’s voice as he enters the cafeteria, and my eyes go to him without thought. He wears a white T-shirt that fits him like a glove, showing off every muscle, ripped jeans, and tennis shoes. His Gucci sunglasses shield his eyes.
I figured they would stay away from me for a few days after his party. But I guess my time is up, and my actions have granted me their attention.
Lucky me.
He, Scout, and Law may have interrupted my night with Datson, but he let Scout do all the talking. Until now. He’s planning something. My palms begin to sweat. I quickly look around for the other guys, but they’re not present.
“Fuck off, Dax,” she spits.
My brows lift. She said it with so much hate, yet she believes he’s innocent. Why does she hate him so much? Maybe she made a pass at him, and he turned her down.
“I’d fuck anything but you,” he replies smoothly, confirming my thoughts.
She lets out a growl, shoves her tray across the table, then stands and stomps out while the other kids laugh at her.
He’s such a dick. He used to be charming and sweet. He made everyone laugh.
Thanks to this unlucky day, he plops down at our table. “Good morning, gorgeous.” He runs his tongue along his upper lip, the ball of his piercing peeking out from underneath his tongue.
“Why do you call her ‘ah Satan’?” Lacey asks, genuinely curious.
He smirks. “’Cause that’s Natasha spelled backward.”
“Oh.” she frowns.
“What do you want?” I ask, getting to the point. The cafeteria is packed, and everyone has their eyes on us. No one says a word because they’re too busy watching our exchange.
He pushes his shades up to reveal his dark eyes. They’re the lightest brown I’ve ever seen with specs of green in them. Absolutely stunning. It’s a shame he’s such a dick, rapist, and murderer.
“We have a home game this weekend. This is me extending an invitation.”
Lacey stiffens, and I just stare at him.
“I’m serious,” he adds.
I lean forward, lowering my voice. “No, you’re not.” I used to actually love football. Now I fucking hate the sport.
“Come on, Henley.” He leans back, and I stiffen myself, knowing he’s about to allow the entire room to hear what he has to say. “It’ll be like old times. You can wear those fishnet tights for me again.” He winks, and my stomach drops when the students snicker. “I know you remember that night.” His dark eyes drop to my chest. “I know I haven’t forgotten it.”
Blood rushes in my ears, and my cheeks heat at that memory.
A Year Ago
I look at myself in the mirror and smile. A soft laugh bubbles up as I run my hands over my massive cleavage. Who knew you could get these puppies this high? My chin practically sits on them.
Turning around, I pick up the heels off the end of my bed and slip my feet into them. Then I bend over and buckle the leather strap around each ankle. I turn back to the mirror and line my lips with Roussy by Chanel.
I pick up my phone, debit card, and license ’cause that’s all I have room to carry.
Walking down the stairs, I hear the boys in my father’s den. I trip over the last stair but manage to catch myself with the banister. As pretty as these heels are, I hate them.
Taking in a deep breath, I strut down the long hallway and right into the open den. Dax sits on the couch with his right hand lifted as he changes the channel on the TV. His signature Gucci shades sit on top of his head. He’s dressed in a shredded pair of jeans and a black Armani T-shirt and Rolex watch. And of course he has his diamond studs in his ears. He flaunts his expensive taste every chance he gets.
He spots me first. The pen he was chewing on falls out of his mouth, and the remote bounces onto the floor. His brown eyes widen for the briefest second before he licks his lips.
Law sits next to him, looking down while texting on his phone. Grayson Law goes by his last name because he and his father share a first name. He has an I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude. He does what he wants, whenever he wants. He’s never seemed interested in anything other than football and girls. Multiple ones. He always has one lined up. “Hey, Noelle just messaged me. We going to that party tonight?” he asks, typing away.
“No.” I hear Scout answer, but I don’t see him. He must be bent down behind the minibar getting something out of the mini fridge. They come over here and go through my father’s shit all the time.
We’ve been doing it since we were little. The first time I ever got drunk with them, we were fifteen, and my father was away on business. All five of us shared a bottle of gin and were sick for days. Over time, we’ve each seemed to build up a tolerance, and now we could each go through a bottle ourselves. And it doesn’t help that the guys are twice the size they were then. All they do is workout, play ball, and party. I don’t play any sports. They’ve never been my thing.
“Oh, we’re going,” Dax mumbles and slaps Law on the chest.
“What the fuck, man?” he snaps, looking up, and he sees me. His blue eyes start at my heels, run up my fishnet tights and the black spandex booty shorts before he gets to my black lace-up corset. When his eyes make it to my tits, he swallows hard. “Yeah.” He nods to himself. “We’re going.”
Law has that surfer boy look going for him. Curly brown hair that he keeps slicked back with a hat on his head, blue eyes, and a pretty boy smile. It’s easy to see how he keeps the girls lined up. He could treat them like shit, and they would continue to crawl back.
“No, we’re not.” I hear Scout growl right before he pops up from where I knew he was behind the bar.
Ryan Scout is their leader, and I’ve had the biggest crush on him for as long as I can remember. His dark green eyes, dark hair, and tan skin make him mouthwatering gorgeous. And his smile. Fuck, he could melt a woman’s panties off. Every girl wants him, but he doesn’t fuck around. Not that I know of anyway. I’d be crushed if I found out he was with someone other than me. He’s the quarterback of the football team, and I’m in love with him.
He spots me, and his green eyes narrow. A muscle jumps in his sharp jaw. “What the fuck are you wearing, Henley?” he demands.
I place my hands on my hips. “Don’t like?” I bite my bottom lip, pushing my hip out.
Law tries covering a laugh with a cough.
Dax shuffles in his seat and nods his head. His eyes on my legs. “I like.”
Scout storms around the bar and points at the hallway. “Get your ass upstairs and take that shit off.”
Je
alous much? “Hmm ... nah.”
“Henley,” he growls.
Maybe it’s the fact that I find him more attractive when he’s angry, or maybe it’s my father’s bottle of Patrón I sipped on while getting ready, but I find myself walking over to the couch.
Dax sits up straighter, and I fall onto his lap, straddling him.
“Ahh …” Law begins to scoot farther away from us.
“I wanna go to the party.” I pout at Dax. Grabbing his hands, I place them on my waist. He stiffens, but he’s not gonna shove me off. No, he allows his dick to control him too much, and right now, I feel how hard that fucker is inside of his jeans. I lean forward, smashing my tits to his chest, and whisper, “I need a ride.” Then I pull his earlobe into my mouth, sucking on it. The diamond stud filling my mouth. His hands squeeze my waist before moving to my hips.
“Damn.” I hear Rellik’s voice as he finally enters the room. “Who forgot to inform me we were having a party? Hope I have enough condoms,” he jokes as the leather creaks from him plopping down in the recliner.
Tossing my hair to the side, I look over my shoulder at Rellik throwing back a beer. He spits it out when his ocean blue eyes meet mine. “Henley?” His wide eyes shoot over to Scout, who still stands behind the couch.
I roll mine and crawl off Dax. He doesn’t keep me on his lap, but his fingers glide down over my ass as I stand. “Never mind. I’ll find a ride.”
I exit the living room, and my heels clap on the floor as I walk down the hallway.
A hand grips my upper arm, and I’m yanked back before slammed into a wall. Scouts green eyes drill into mine. “You’re not fucking going anywhere dressed like a whore.”
I’d be pissed if I wasn’t drunk, but the liquor makes me frisky. “Want me to be your whore, Scout?” I reach out and grab his crotch, wrapping my hand around his hard-on.
He jumps back, grips my wrists, and restrains them above my head. He leans down, our faces nose to nose. I can practically see the steam billowing from his ears.
“Henley.” My name is a growl. A promise that if I keep pushing, I may not be leaving this house.
“Wanna fuck me, Scout?” Leaning forward, I run my tongue along his bottom lip. Then I whisper, “Then get it over with and fuck me.”
His eyes fall to my tits. His lips are parted, and he’s panting. He’s almost there. Weak enough to use.
Then he takes a step back, and my arms drop to my side, slapping my fishnet thighs.
He reaches up and runs his thumb across his lips before he gives me a smile. It unsettles me. He’s like a switch, turning emotions on and off at any given time. “Have fun playing the role of the slut, Henley.” Then he lowers his voice. “We both know under that whore-ish outfit, you’re nothing but an innocent virgin who wouldn’t know how to use a dick if it was offered to you.” Then he turns and leaves me leaning up against the wall.
I storm back into the living room. “Dax?” I snap.
“What?” He jumps to his feet. His sunglasses fall into his face and quickly shoves them back into place.
“Drive me to the fucking party,” I order.
He nods. “Yes, ma’am.”
I give him my back and smile. Well, at least he’s getting easier to control. We make our way out to his car, and I fall into the passenger seat. I watch him through the windshield as he rounds the hood. He’s mumbling to himself as he pats his pockets like he’s doing a mental check of his wallet, keys, and phone.
He gets in and shuts the door. I wait for him to start it up, but he doesn’t. Instead, we just sit here in the driveway. In silence.
I look over at him, and he’s staring at me. Well, my chest and legs. We both know under that whore-ish outfit, you’re nothing but an innocent virgin who wouldn’t know how to use a dick if it was offered to you. Scout’s words echo in my mind.
“What are we doing?” I growl.
“Waiting.” He clears his throat and starts up the car.
“For what?” I ask.
“The others.”
“They’re not coming,” I assure him.
“Oh, they are.”
I look over at the house and see Law and Rellik exiting. But no Scout.
Law comes over to Dax’s driver’s side window, and he rolls it down. “I’m going to drive Rellik and me.” Then he looks at me. “Sure you wanna do this?”
They all know that Scout and I have been going round and round. I’ve done everything short of throwing myself at him, and he hasn’t acted on it. He wants it just as much as I do, but for some reason, he refuses to take that step with me. “Yes. Let’s go.”
Law sighs and takes a step back from the car.
Dax peels out. And I look over at him. He’s got his signature shades on his face even though it’s nighttime. His sleeves are now rolled up, showing off the veins in his arms that make every girl drool. He shifts his car from the paddles on the steering wheel. And my eyes drop to his light wash jeans. He’s no longer hard, but I don’t think it’ll take much.
As we pass other cars, I lean back in the seat and close my eyes, preparing myself. I’m gonna fuck Dax tonight. I will lose my virginity. Because Scout was right, I’ve been pretending to be the slut. I’m the good girl. Well, not anymore. And I’m going to do it just to piss Scout off.
The memory of that night unsettles me, and the smirk on his face tells me that he knows it. I get up and storm off, exiting the cafeteria. I need to put some space between us to clear my mind.
“Are you alright?” I hear Lacey ask from behind me.
“Fine,” I lie, picking up my pace. I round a corner …
“Whoa. Where are you going so fast?” Scout asks, stepping in front of us.
We come to a halt, and she squeals.
His green eyes are on mine. “Tell her to go.”
My jaw sharpens. “Scout...”
He steps into me. “Tell her to go, or Dax is going to remove her.”
I feel him come up behind us. I always feel them like electric currents running through my veins in the worst possible way.
“I’ll meet you after class.” I squeeze her hand, and she gives him a go to hell look as she walks off down the hall.
“What do you want?” I cross my arms, refusing to back down to them. This is what I wanted. I need to get close to them, no matter what I must do.
“To talk.”
“About?”
“Why you tried to make us jealous?”
My heart thumps in my chest. “Hooking up with Datson had nothing to do with you.” I hope he believes the lie, but I was always easy to read. Plus, almost fucking the guy in Dax’s house was a dead giveaway. I didn’t think it through. I just wanted to act. I needed their attention. And fuck, did I get it.
I go to walk around him, but he steps to the side, blocking my retreat, and his hands lands on my waist. “Don’t touch me,” I snap, stepping back, but I hit Dax.
I stiffen as he leans down and whispers in my ear. “You have three seconds.”
My eyes narrow up at Scout
“One ...”
“Who I choose to fuck is none of your …”
“Two …”
I clamp my mouth shut.
“Three.”
Scout smiles down at me. “You picked the wrong shirt today, Henley.”
I look down at my plain white T-shirt, wondering if I dropped ketchup on it when I’m picked up from behind. I scream out in surprise as Dax’s arm wraps around my waist. His free hand clamps over my mouth, and he begins to drag me back down the hallway. I fight him, kicking my feet, but Scout picks my ankles up. My arms can’t reach him, and I can’t get a hold of Dax. I try to twist out of their hold, but it doesn’t work.
I start to panic when I see where they’re taking me. The boys’ locker room. Scout kicks it open, and they walk me past the rows of lockers and over to the showers. One is already running. I try to shake my head, but Dax’s hand is still over my mouth, his fingers digging into my cheeks. They
toss me into the running shower, falling onto my side. The freezing cold water hits me, and I scream as it soaks my clothes, hair, and body. I scramble to the corner where the sprayer doesn’t reach and grab my shoulder that I landed on.
The guys stand there, watching me—no smile on their faces or laughing. Just stare like I’m some kind of experiment as I shiver and pull my knees to my chest.
“Look how wet we made you, baby,” Dax says, cracking a smile. “We have that effect on women.” His eyes drop to my chest. “Especially you. You remember, don’t you?”
Tears run down my face, and I’m thankful that I’m wet so they won’t be able to see them.
Dax kneels in front of the shower as Law enters the boy’s locker room and comes up behind them. He watches me with a careless look in his eyes. “You’ve always wanted the four of us, haven’t you?”
I shake uncontrollably.
“You know the difference between three jokes and three dicks?” Dax asks at my silence.
I don’t answer.
He smirks. “You can’t take three jokes.”
I push myself further into the wall. The tile freezes my skin along with the puddle of water I’m sitting in. He stands and walks out with Law on his ass. Scout stays kneeling before me.
I push myself up to my shaky legs. My eyes narrow, and my lips thin. Wrapping my arms around my soaking stomach, I look down on him. “You’re no different than him.” I manage to get out through clenched teeth. My soaked clothes hang off my bones, making me feel a hundred pounds heavier.
He stands to his full height and shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I never pretended to be anything than who I am. You’re the one who hid behind a fake smile and a pretty face, Henley.” I shake my head at those words. “You were the one who tried to feed the town full of lies but will choke on them in the end.” He reaches over and picks up a duffel bag I hadn’t noticed before. He tosses it to the floor. “Don’t say I never did anything for you.” With that, he turns and exits the locker room.
I swallow a sob that tries to bubble up. I will not let him get to me. So, what that I got a little wet? That he threatened me? They’re just words. He can’t hurt me. Or they already would have.
Bully Me: Class of 2020 Page 64