“It’s wounded,” he says. “But it’s going to be okay.”
A weight lifts off my shoulders and for the first time since running out of that stupid little dungeon, I feel myself able to take a deep breath. Is what I did okay? No, not by a long shot but can I live with the fact that all I did was hurt him? Hell yes, I can.
I let out a shaky breath, not really knowing what to say but as I glance back up at Colton to find his lips pulling into an encouraging smile, my world finally begins to fall back into place. “There’s my girl,” he murmurs from the top of the stairs. “I’d thought I’d lost you for a while.”
His eyes are warm and fuck, I’ve never seen them so full of love. Just like that I know that no matter the outcome of what happened to Jude, Colton wouldn’t have looked at me any differently, and honestly, I don’t know whether that’s a good thing or not. But for now, it’s so much more than I could have asked for.
I smile up at him. “Is it wrong that I kinda want to celebrate? I mean, that’s kinda twisted, right?”
“So fucking twisted,” he laughs before spreading his arms wide. “My offer still stands though. If you want to stay here, I’m more than happy to spend the day helping you celebrate.”
I roll my eyes and walk down a few more stairs before glancing back over my shoulder. “I told your stubborn ass already, I’m going to school to play damage control from your sisters and there’s no changing my mind.”
“Have it your way,” he says darkly. “But just know, my offer won’t last all day.”
“Bullshit,” I grumble, skimming over the fact that he didn’t call me out on my comment about his sisters, and didn't even try to deny it. We both know it’s going to happen so there’s no point pretending that it won’t. Though, the fact that he also didn’t warn me to play fair also speaks volumes. “You and I both know that you’re going to spend your day thinking of all the ways you can torture me for turning you down and when I finally get home from school this afternoon, you’re going to be more than ready to go.”
Colton scoffs and takes a step back toward the open front door. “Get your ass to school, Jade.”
His lips pull into an affectionate smile and for the first time since that stupid dungeon, I feel myself actually giving a real smile, not the fake one I’ve offered everyone else, but a full-on, beaming one that comes straight from my heart. “I’ll see you later.”
Colton winks and with that, turns on his heel and stalks back inside his overgrown mansion. I look down at Milo and find my pace picking up, suddenly feeling a million times better. I have a renewed energy to help me through the day and I’m sure as hell going to need it.
“What the hell was that about?” Milo asks through his now open window when I finally reach the bottom step.
I skip around to the passenger’s seat and pull open the door. “Oh, nothing,” I say, glancing away and refusing to meet his eyes. Knowing he’s too curious for his own good, I give him a shitty explanation, one that I hope he won’t question. “I went for a drive last night and accidentally hit a stray. Colton checked in with the vet this morning and it looks like the dog is going to make it.”
“Oh, that’s a relief,” he says, putting his Aston Martin in gear and hitting the gas just as my door slams behind me. I hardly click my seatbelt into place before we’re halfway down the drive and my back is crashing into the soft leather of the passenger seat.
“You’ve got no idea,” I tell him.
He reaches down between us and hits a few buttons, rolling the windows down and blasting music through the car. "You're in a good mood this morning," I comment, finding his steering wheel drum solo and carefree attitude refreshing after the bullshit weekend I've suffered through.
Milo shrugs his shoulders and glances over at me for the shortest second but it’s enough to see the sparkle hitting his eyes. “Out with it,” I tell him. “What happened?”
His lips press into a tight line and I watch his inner battle to keep his mouth shut over the excruciating need to tell someone what’s been going on. “Fuck. Okay,” he finally says after the shortest pause. “I fucked around with Jess again last night.”
“WHAT?” I screech, slamming my hand down between us and adjusting the volume. I need to hear every little word of this and I need to make sure I hear it right. “What do you mean you fucked around with Jess? What happened to your big declaration of eating dicks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?”
Milo’s hands flap around on the steering wheel, the frustration in his actions loud and clear. “I don’t fucking know. I do love that. I love it so hard, but Jess …” A dreamy look appears in his eyes before his lips twist into an odd smirk. “You know she does this thing with her tongue that—”
“Okaaaay,” I cut him off before he can get too descriptive. “That’s more than enough information out of you.”
He lets out a heavy sigh, and I glance back at him. “I think you’re right,” he tells me, almost sounding disappointed. “I think I’m bi. All this time I’ve been so certain that I was just into dudes. I didn't stop to consider that chicks could do it for me too. Though … I don’t know. It’s not quite the same thrill that I get from being with a guy. I definitely prefer dick to a tight vag.”
I stare across at him, wondering how my day can go from talking about murdering a rapist with Colton to going over a pros and cons list with Milo and trying to work out his sexual preferences all before 9 am. “Well then, maybe it’s just Jess that has a little something special. I mean, she kinda walks like a dude and has oddly broad shoulders for a girl.”
Milo rolls his eyes. “I don’t know,” he says, seriously confused about what’s going on with himself. “No, I … I don’t know. Maybe I am just gay but like to fuck around with her for fun.”
“Maybe,” I say. “Do you get hard at the thought of fucking me?” His eyes bug out of his head and he gapes at me in horror. “No,” I snap, cutting off his bullshit response before it can come streaming from between his lips. “Just think about it before jumping to your go-to horrified rejections. Really think about it.”
Milo’s lips bunch up and he glances out through the windshield, watching the traffic as he drives. “I, um …” he starts, really thinking about his response. He shakes his head. “No, don’t take this the wrong way, you’re fucking bomb. I’ve never met a sexier chick with the hottest fucking body. I’m sure guys all over the world are dreaming about giving you a cream pie, but no … just no. I couldn’t. I can't. Vaginas are just so … ugh. They’re fucking weird. I mean, they’re not remotely sexy.”
I roll my eyes, skipping over that last comment because fuck him, my vagina is so fucking sexy that I’d turn lez for it if I could. After all, I’ve fucked it more than anyone else has, but I’m not about to tell him that. Though after Colton walked in on me in my bedroom that one time, I’m pretty sure that’s not such a big secret. I look back up at Milo and raise a brow. “So, they’re not sexy but you’ll fuck Jess?”
Milo groans low, his emotions all over the place. “What the fuck is wrong with me? Am I fucking sick?”
“No,” I laugh. “There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re just confused. Why do you even need to define it? Who cares what you are. You like dicks but every now and then, the right pussy comes along and you don’t mind fucking that too. Who cares? Just go with it.”
“Just go with it?” he questions, dumbfounded.
I roll my hand out like a wave. “Just go with.”
“That easy, huh?”
“So fucking easy.”
“Fine,” he finally agrees, relaxing heavily against his seat as he steers his Aston Martin toward my fancy new private school for girls. “I’ll just go with it. From now on, I dip my fingers into both pies.”
“That’s the spirit.”
“But I’m not going crazy,” he warns. “I’m not about to do a Charlie and start fucking everything with a pulse. I’ll stick to the blueberry pie but occasionally take a bite of a cherry pie. Yo
u know, if it’s on offer.”
I shake my head, wondering if he used blueberry and cherry as metaphors but realize that this is Milo I’m talking to and of course, it was intentional. “You know, sometimes I wonder what it’d be like living inside your mind. It’d be an interesting place.”
“Oh, you don't know the half of it, babe. I’ve learned to filter everything that comes out of my mouth so I stop scaring people away. It can get a lot worse.”
“You’re telling me that pie shit was filtered?”
His lips pull up into a sly grin and as he looks over at me with a sparkle in his eye. I realize that I probably don’t want to know the unfiltered version. I can only imagine how bad it gets.
Milo pulls up to the front gates of Bellevue Springs Private school and within seconds, I spy the devil twins being welcomed in by their long lost bitch friends. Girls crowd around the famous Carrington twins and a scowl instantly settles onto my face.
Milo turns in his seat, raising a brow as he shoots daggers at me. “You mean to tell me that the fucking wicked witches of the west are back and you just forgot to mention it?”
“I …” I cringe. “I mean, I had a lot going on with the whole running over that stray dog thing last night …”
“Not even a quick text to say ‘Hey Milo, guess what? Bitch one and bitch two are home to destroy my life.’ Jesus, Ocean. Where’s your head at?”
“Sorry,” I say, scrunching my face. “They showed up yesterday afternoon and declared that they’re going to ruin me and after Momma Carrington basically said that she was going to take Colton away from me, I kinda forgot they existed.”
“Dammmn,” he grumbles, leaning back in his seat and watching out the window at the over-the-top display playing out before us. “I have a feeling shit is about to get interesting.”
“I can guarantee it. I don’t doubt that they’ve already started spreading whatever awful rumors they’ve cooked up.”
“I can only imagine. They would have sat up all night with notepads and pens working out some ridiculous little plan to humiliate you, and I can assure you, it’s going to be epic. These girls don’t come to play, they come to win.”
I raise my brow and give Milo a silent reminder of who the hell he’s talking to. “You’re right,” he continues. “They can’t touch you. I mean, they can. They can say a million kinds of awful things but it’s going to take a fucking army to take you down.”
“And what don’t they have?”
“An army.”
“Exactly. I have the school at my back. They’ve been gone for too long, so let them say what they need to say because, in the end, their little games aren’t going to work. They can’t touch me.”
“God, I wish I had your balls.”
A knock sounds at Milo’s window and both our heads whip around to find Jess bending down, trying to peer through the dark tint of the window. “Argh,” Milo grunts, looking back at her smiling face in horror. “What do I do? Make it go away.”
“Hell no. This is far too entertaining,” I laugh, crawling over Milo’s lap and finding the button for the window. “Hell, why don’t you take the morning off and get your dick sucked instead.”
“Ocean,” he snaps.
“Too late.” The window goes down and I grin up at Jess who gives me a strange look for being sprawled out all over her little chew toy’s lap. “Hey girl,” I smile, grabbing the door handle and swinging it open. “Come around. Take my place.”
I climb over Milo as Jess happily squeals and hurries around to the passenger side. “I’m going to fucking kill you,” he grumbles before groaning when I accidentally knee him in the balls. “Get the fuck out of here.”
“I’m trying,” I laugh, getting stuck and having to swan dive through the open door, landing on the pavement, then scrambling to my feet and fixing my skirt. I get all of one second to grin widely at Milo before my school bag comes hurtling towards my chest. I catch it with a grunt and don’t even get a chance to laugh at Milo before the Aston Martin is peeling away from the curb with Jess’ high-pitched squeal telling me she’ll see me later.
With Milo and Jess out of the way, I focus my energy on getting through the school gates without getting mauled by bitchy comments and nasty glares. Putting one foot in front of another, I make it through the gates, but not without the stares of my fellow peers, but they’re not the stares that Casey and Cora were hoping I’d get.
Just as I’d suspected, the devil twins have gotten here early to spread the word that there’s a war brewing. But the girls at BSP aren’t looking at me as though I’m the enemy, they’re watching me with excitement, with power, knowing damn well that if anyone was going to take them down, it’s going to be me. If they aren’t looking at me like that, then they’re sitting back to watch the show, because I can guarantee that the Carrington twins going up against their brother’s girlfriend will be the talk of the town.
This is the kind of shit that reality TV shows are made of. I should be checking out all these girls and figuring out which one has a daddy in entertainment law. I bet this could make me as big as a Kardashian. I wonder what kind of paycheck goes along with that?
The locker beside mine closes with a loud bang and I jump, whipping my head around to find Hendrix staring back at me with a wide grin. “Oh, girl. What kind of shit have you gone and got yourself involved in now? The rumors going around about you … dammmmn.”
I close my locker and let out a frustrated sigh. “Let’s hear it,” I tell her, falling against the cool metal of my locker. “What are the devil spawns saying about me?”
Chapter 5
By the time lunch rolls around, I’ve created a mental list of all the things being said about me and I have to give it to the devil twins, they’re creative. But so far, their little lies aren’t enough to have the student body believing a word they say. They're at least twenty different rumors going around, and every single one of them is just a little too dramatic. Eyes seem to roll when a new rumor pops up, everyone knows it's just a little more fuel on the fire.
There’s the usual ‘she’s pregnant’ rumors, the ‘she’s transexual’ ones that come from being enrolled in BSA for my first few weeks in Bellevue Springs, then of course, the obvious ‘she’s fucking Colton to get ahead in life’ rumors.
None of them hold any merit and as the girls at this school have gotten to know me over the past few weeks, they’ve come to learn this shit isn’t enough to faze me. All of it is too obvious, too much too soon.
The bitches only just arrived back at the school and within seconds, rumors are flying like announcements being made. If they wanted to make it believable, they should have waited a few days and then spread it like Chinese whispers so the gossipy girls would take their word for it. Instead, they just look like a bunch of bitches, annoyed that their big brother’s attention is somewhere else. Besides, the girls of this school would rather hang onto me with my connection to Colton than be on the side that’s so clearly against him.
I drop into my seat in the cafeteria and take a bite of my sandwich as Drix drops down beside me. “Girl,” she laughs. “Have you heard the latest rumor?”
I groan and roll my eyes before glancing over at her. “Is this one actually worth mentioning or is it some stupid shit about being abused as a child?”
“Oh no, nothing like that,” she tells me. “They’re starting to get a little more creative.”
“Oh, yeah?” I question, actually intrigued for once.
Drix nods. “Yeah, so the word is that you were booted out of BSA because you were having an affair with that PE teacher that got arrested.”
“Hmm,” I say, thoughtful, trying not to gag at the thought of getting with that predator. “That one’s got a little bit of merit. It’s certainly more entertaining than the pregnant one and would leave someone wondering. I give it a solid six out of ten. Though, they would have earned extra points if they combined the pregnant rumor with that one. Now that’s a scandal that
would have got the student body talking, but in reality, they’re only doing me a favor by highlighting the very real issues within that school.”
“Right?” she laughs. “They really haven’t thought this one through. But I’m not done yet. It gets a little juicier.”
I wave my hand out, inviting her to continue. “Then what are you waiting for? Hit me with it.”
Hendrix laughs, knowing all too well that these rumors have been bouncing straight off me. I mean, after spending my night fretting that I was maybe a murderer and having Nic and the boys tear my life apart with the truth of who I am, a little scandalous rumor isn’t going to hurt me.
“So, you were screwing the old PE teacher and then dobbed him in when you thought you were going to get caught, but instead of having the Dean kick you out back then, you started screwing him too and that’s why he allowed you to stay there for so long.”
“Ewwwww. Dean Simmons? He’s balding, fat, and has a sweaty, body odor issue.”
“I know,” she laughs. “but don’t worry, that one won’t stick either. As if anyone is going to believe you were dropping your panties for them when you were screwing around with guys like Milo, Charlie, and Colton.”
“You know I never actually screwed Milo, right? We’re just friends.”
A knowing grin spreads across her face and she gently nudges me with her elbow. “Uh-huh. Really, really good friends.”
I roll my eyes. Clearly, she thinks I’m holding back on that one but whatever, it really doesn’t matter. The more girls that people think Milo’s been with, the better for his whole ‘hiding out in his closet’ thing he’s got going on.
Realizing I'm not about to give her anymore to go off, she moves the conversation along but the excited sparkle in her eyes instantly puts my nerves on edge. “You know, I think our parents really hit it off at the Gatsby party. Who knows, we could be sisters one day.”
Barbie B*tch: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rejects Paradise Book 3) Page 4