“Are you hungry?” my mum asked, breaking the silence.
I let out a strangled noise and stood up, my face still beet red. “I’m going upstairs,” I snapped, turning to leave.
“So you can make out with your boyfriend in the shower?” I heard her call out, which made me pause and turn back to her.
“You knew he stayed here?” I asked.
She smiled, her eyes twinkling. “He carried you from the car all the way to your room and your bed, just so that you wouldn’t have to wake up. I wanted him to stay here.” She looked away for a second. “Don’t let him get away from you, pumpkin. This one’s a keeper.”
A smile broke out across my face, and I bit my lip slightly to control myself from squealing and jumping up and down.
“Thanks, mum,” I said, starting to walk up the stairs.
“Oh, and honey?”
I stopped and looked back. “Yeah?”
“I’m glad you’re happy,” she said softly, her eyes shining.
“I am, too!”
“I’m sorry,” I groaned out.
“Bella, let go of my leg,” Connor said sternly, looking down at me.
Apparently, I took a very long shower and ended up using all the hot water. I still think he was exaggerating about nearly freezing to death though.
“I’m so sorry,” I dragged out dramatically, gripping tighter onto his leg.
“I could have died,” Connor said stubbornly, crossing his arms.
I rolled my eyes and let go of his leg. “What a baby,” I muttered.
“What was that?” Connor asked, towering over me.
“Uh…” My eyes widened slightly, and I stood up and backed away.
He took a step forward, I took one back. You know how the rest went. My back hit the wall and he placed his hands on the wall next to my face, leaning in.
“Wanna say that again?” he asked, pressing his body against mine. I felt the heat flood my face, and I looked away, biting my lip.
“I can be very, very dangerous,” Connor warned, his mouth hovering over my ear. He pulled away, flashing me a wicked grin. Even then, I couldn’t help but notice the seriousness in that statement, and I shivered slightly.
“So, uh, what do you want to do now?” I asked awkwardly, trying to change the subject.
We were in the living room now, supposedly on our way to get some food from the kitchen, but I guess we forgot about that now.
Connor pulled away a bit before a mischievous look crossed his face. “You,” he whispered.
“Wha——”
I gasped as he buried his face into my neck, his hands gripping my waist and pulling my body close. But the sound of a phone ringing caused him to pull away.
“Hello?”
I let my eyes roam his perfect features as he answered the phone, his other arm still wrapped around me. His brows furrowed, and he sighed.
“Yeah, I’ll be right there,” he said firmly, hanging up and turning for the door.
I guess the disappointment I was feeling really showed, because he quickly gave me a small kiss.
“Do you really have to go?” I asked, looping my arms around his neck.
“Yes, but you’ll see me tomorrow,” he said, giving me another kiss.
I pouted and sighed, slowly trailing my hands down his chest.
“Bye then,” I said, trailing my lips against his jawline.
He groaned and made a grab for me, but I sidestepped and walked to the staircase. By now, my mum had gone out with Luca and Sophie, apparently trusting me enough to leave me with Connor, who, by the way, found it very amusing that my parents thought we had sex.
“You tease,” he muttered, his eyes locked with mine, a look of lust filling them.
I gave him a small wink and walked up the stairs, swaying my hips. “Bye, bye,” I sang out.
After Connor left, I collapsed on my bed, exhaustion taking over. The one problem with the pain pills was the side effect—drowsiness. It literally made me feel like I hadn’t slept in ages. I let out a long yawn, closing my eyes.
“Goodnight, my princess.”
What?
Shrugging and keeping my eyes closed, I let the darkness consume me. I probably just imagined it.
“So you’re really not going to tell me why you ran out on me yesterday?” I asked, pouting.
Connor glanced at me from the driver’s seat, a smile etched across his face.
“Nope.”
I made an annoyed noise and turned my body away, looking out the window.
“Oh, come on! Don’t be like that,” Connor said, nudging my arm.
I crossed my arms and huffed, watching as we pulled into the school parking lot.
“Connor?” I asked, turning back to him as he parked.
When the car fully stopped, he looked at me. “Yeah?”
I bit my lip and glanced outside, taking a deep breath. “Do you ever think about what happened in the haunted house?” I heard his sharp intake of breath and looked back at him.
“All the time,” he said harshly.
I was surprised to hear that. Truthfully, I hadn’t expected him to think about it at all.
“Wh—”
“I should have murdered that guy,” Connor spat out, his hands gripping the wheel tightly.
“Co—”
“I bet it was Jack,” he said.
Now that, that really surprised me even more. I didn’t even have any suspicions on who it could have been. I actually stopped thinking about who it might have been since I went home… only that it was someone who had been waiting “too long.”
“You can’t just jump to conclusions,” I said.
Connor threw me a look of disbelief, so I added, “What I mean is, I know Jack seems like an asshole and all, but I don’t think he’d ever do that to me. I mean, my attacker said…”
“That son of a bitch talked to you? While he was attacking you?” Connor asked, his eyes flashing dangerously.
“He said, ‘I’ve waited too long.’” I said softly, not meeting his burning gaze.
“Why… why would you not tell me this before?” he asked, his voice tight.
I squeezed my hands together. “I don’t know,” I whispered. “What good would it have done?”
“Listen, Bella, and listen good.”
The commanding authority in Connor’s voice made me sit up and I bit my lip nervously, waiting for whatever it was he had to say.
“No one. And I mean no one can, or will, ever hurt you, not while I’m around,” he finished, his eyes locking with mine. “I won’t allow it.”
I nodded, a warm feeling burst through my chest. Is this what I think it is? Do I really feel that way about Connor?
I never felt this way about anyone before, not even Sam. But then, I didn't think it was ever really love that I felt for Sam. So maybe this one I felt for Connor was it?
Maybe… most probably, I thought to myself, grinning like a lovesick fool.
“Connor is perfect,” Jess gushed, her eyes shining.
I blushed and nodded in agreement. My eyes drifted upwards as someone walked into the room.
Anna.
“Jess,” I whispered, nudging her arm as Anna took her seat, not looking up once. I watched as she pulled out her notebook, immediately catching up on the notes she had missed.
“Have you talked to her since…?” Jess started to say.
“Since she came running out of Liam’s house?” I finished for her.
She nodded, and I sighed, looking back.
“Nope.” My answer was short because my mind was elsewhere. Truth be told, although I barely knew her, it seemed like something was happening with Anna. She had changed so much from when I first met her—going from the badass, fun girl to someone awkward and quiet.
“Do you want me to talk to her?” Jess asked, looking her over.
I tore my eyes away and nodded. “Thanks,” I said, grinning.
“No pro——”
“Excuse me, but is my class boring you two?”
I flushed and looked down at my desk. “Sorry, Ms. O,” I mumbled while Jess did the same.
Ms. O turned back to the board to continue writing. But when I looked up, I caught the burning stare of Anna. Her look lingered on me for a couple more seconds before she looked away, and continued to write.
Weird.
I really hoped Jess would be able to find out what was going on with her.
I was walking towards the lunchroom when a pair of arms wrapped around my midsection, dragging me into a dark room. I was about to let out a scream, when the lights turned on and…
Oh, how clichéd! I was in the janitor’s closet with… Connor.
“You jerk!” I cried out, smacking his chest with my hand as my heart slowly began to return to its normal pace.
He laughed, and leaned down. “Did I scare you?”
I bit my lip, holding in a smile. “Of course not. You’re not scary!” I chuckled and said, “You’re like a little teddy bear.” And for effect, I pinched his cheek and let out another chuckle at his horrified expression.
“A teddy bear?” he asked incredulously, shock flashed across his face.
“A little teddy bear,” I corrected him.
His look of shock was wiped away and was replaced by a smirk. “I can assure you, I’m anything but little,” he whispered huskily, pressing his body to mine.
I gulped and looked away, my face turning to a deep shade of red. But just as I was about to speak, my stomach let out a very audible growl, informing me that it needed to be fed… now!
“Seems like someone is as hungry as a bear,” Connor said with a laugh, pulling away a bit, grabbing my hand, and lacing our fingers.
“Don’t make fun of me…” I whined, looking down.
He laughed and gave me a kiss on the forehead. “Let’s go get some food,” he mused, ruffling up my hair.
I frowned and tried to smooth it down as he opened the door. To my horror, a group of juniors were outside, their eyes widened as they saw us.
“No! It’s…” I started to say, but they all hastily scampered off, and all I could do was let out a frustrated noise and glare at the laughing Connor. Of course, he found this funny.
“You… You… Ugh!” I said, giving up. Then I began walking towards the lunchroom, ignoring the strange looks I was getting. Surprisingly, not many people asked me about the stitches on my cheek, but it was obvious that it was what they were staring at.
“Bella!” I looked up to see Jess waving at me from a table. James and Matt were sitting with her. I smiled and walked over to them, sitting down quickly when I got there.
“Your friend is an ass,” I said, looking at James and Matt.
They both raised their eyebrows before laughing.
“What did he do now?” Matt asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
I opened my mouth, about to spill my ready rant, but someone else spoke up before I could.
“I took her hard in the janitor’s closet.”
I turned my head so quickly that I got a little dizzy.
“Shut up!” I hissed.
Connor chuckled and sat next to me, straddling the bench.
Then, I watched as he lifted his hand and lightly traced over my cut, his eyes clouding over.
“Oh, my God! Bella.”
I looked up at Jess, her eyes staring past me. I couldn’t help but gasp as I saw what—well, who—she was staring at.
Liam and Anna were by the entrance of the lunchroom. His head was dipped slightly, his lips moving quickly as his eyes locked with mine. He faltered slightly, and then stood upright, looking at Anna. I watched as she nodded her head to indicate that she understood what he was saying, and with that he walked off without another word or backward glance.
“I’ll be right back, guys,” I said quickly, walking off before anyone could say anything. My heart was pounding loudly within my chest as I made my way to the entrance, Anna’s eyes nearly popping out of her head. Ignoring her, I pushed past the doors, scanning the empty hallway. Letting out a sigh of defeat, I turned to go back inside, but someone blocked my way.
“Anna?” I asked, unsure of why she was just standing there.
She glanced around, her expression remaining blank. “Stay away from Connor,” she said, her voice wavering slightly.
My jaw dropped a fraction at that, and I crossed my arms. This better not be one of those “I liked him first and you’re just a whore, so stay away bitch” speeches.
“Excuse me?” I asked, my voice hard and tight. This time, the fear was evident in Anna’s eyes.
“Please stay away from Connor,” she pleaded.
“Why?” I said, keeping my voice calm and steady as I struggled to scrutinize her.
She bit her lip, looking around once again before speaking. “He’s not good for you, and he's a bad influence. He’ll just use you and then throw you like yesterday's trash.”
“What the hell, Anna?” I spat out, my anger getting the best of me. “Where is this coming from?”
She sighed and looked at me. “Connor is a dangerous guy, don’t deny it. Be realistic, Bella. He’ll never love you. He’ll just use you like he did with the rest of us, and not even think twice about it.” Her voice grew stronger with each word, but her eyes seemed shielded, as if she was hiding something from me.
I flinched at what she said, trying to brush it off. She noticed my reaction and began speaking again.
“Does it not bother you that he has practically fucked every girl in the grade, in this school?” she snapped.
Her words felt like another blow to my heart.
“And you,” she scoffed, “you think you're different? Well, here’s a news flash, you’re not.”
Straight to the heart.
“You fucking bitch!” I couldn’t help snapping at her.
Anna’s eyes widened and she stared behind me, growing pale. Then, an arm snaked around me and held me to his side.
“You have no right to say that,” Connor hissed. “While some of that may be true, I’ll let you know that I’ve changed. Whether you believe me or not is all up to you. But frankly, I don’t give a shit what you do. Just stay away from Bella.” Connor’s every word was laced with venom, and Anna didn’t have to be told twice before she quickly scurried off.
“Bella,” Connor softly said.
I stared at the spot Anna formerly occupied, tears blurring my vision. Those words, they really hit home. But what Connor said… I couldn’t even think.
“Bella, you’re not like the rest,” Connor said, his hand gripping my chin as he gazed into my eyes. “You’re everything I could want in a girl. And I know, I know I’ve done sickening things, but I’ve been trying…”
“Trying to what?” I asked, my voice cracking.
“I’m trying to be everything you want,” Connor replied, sounding vulnerable himself.
Tears began flooding my eyes and I buried my face in his chest, hugging him tightly.
“You don’t even have to try,” I whispered, shutting my eyes tightly.
“That’s it!” Jess snarled, standing up.
I yanked her hand, pulling her back down. “Jess, don’t,” I pleaded, squeezing her hand.
She sighed and nodded her head, giving me a reassuring squeeze back.
“At least let me talk to her,” she said, her voice now calm and steady. “This isn’t like Anna at all.”
I thought it over for a couple of seconds. “Okay, but please don’t kill her,” I said.
Jess nodded and held up her hand. “I solemnly swear to not kill Anna.”
I laughed and let go of her other hand.
“Good luck,” I said, and she stood up, giving me a small salute. I glanced down at all the homework I laid out before me and gathered them all into a small pile.
“Hello, Bella.”
An ice-cold feeling washed over me and I looked around, my eyes locking into the soft blue ones of the bo
y I just cruelly dumped.
“Liam,” I stated, a rush of emotions taking over me.
“How are you?” he asked, his voice emotionless as his eyes trailed over me, resting on my cheek.
“Good…” I trailed off, placing all my stuff into my bag.
“That’s good.”
“Okay, Liam, cut to the chase. Why are you here?” I snapped, standing up, surprising myself.
His eyebrows rose, and his eyes narrowed down at me. “I go to school here,” he said.
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. “Obviously. But why are you talking to me? You haven’t been to school in so long. You’ve ignored all my calls and texts and visits.”
He shrugged and said, “I’ve been busy.”
“Why were you talking to Anna?” The question escaped my lips, and he raised an eyebrow at my second outburst.
“Am I not allowed to talk to her?”
“Stop beating around the bush, Liam,” I said, grabbing all my stuff and getting ready to walk away.
“Wait, Bella.”
I stopped and looked at him, waiting for him to continue. He scratched the back of his neck and looked away for a moment. “I’m sorry.”
“For?” I asked, confused.
“For acting so immature. You made your choice and I shouldn’t have gotten mad at you over it.”
I was completely taken aback, and could only dumbly nod back in response.
“So, can we be friends?” he asked hopefully, the old Liam showing through.
“Yes,” I said quickly, ignoring the warning feeling I got.
A smile broke out on his face and he pulled me into a tight hug. “Thank you so much. I promise you, I won’t do anything to jeopardize our friendship,” he said seriously.
I smiled back and pulled away. “Thank you, Liam. I’ve got to go now though,” I said, giving him one last smile before walking out of the library. A feeling of relief washed over me. For a second there, I was afraid that he was going to give me the same speech Anna did. And truthfully, if he did, I wouldn’t be able to handle it.
The last bell rang and I opened my locker, looking for my math book. I watched as a small piece of paper fluttered at the ground. Frowning, I picked it up, turning it over.
Being the Bad Boy's Victim Page 24