Tormented Part 2: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Elginvale High)

by Esme Devlin

  I try to seek her out in the morning before my first class, but I don’t see her. Since I’ve no phone, I stand in the main entrance area at morning break and try to intercept wherever she’s going.

  “Stevie,” I shout. She almost walks straight past me, but comes bounding over when she hears me call her name.

  “Where the fuck have you been? I text you like eight times,” she says, throwing her arms up in the air as she approaches.

  I smile at her. I hardly got the chance to speak to her on Monday, what with everything going on, and yesterday well… “It’s a long story. Come.”

  We head out to our little spot and I fill her in on the last 48 hours. As much as I can in the space of a fifteen minute break, anyway.

  “So Liam thinks they’re involved in weird shit too, then,” she says when I finish.

  Fuck all about the fact my dad’s forcing me to marry Liam and Shaun is hell-bent on stopping it, and WHY he’s so determined.

  I clear my throat. “Well, Liam said that at first, but then the next day it was all about how he’d be such a good husband and we were such a good match… so I think he was just saying that.”

  Stevie shrugs. “You might be right, but it is weird. And why can’t Shaun touch him?”

  “A ‘gentleman’s agreement’ he said? Whatever that means.” I kick my heels against the wall and watch her while she thinks.

  “The whole thing is fucking mental, Lace. What you gonna do?”

  That’s the million dollar question right there.

  Never in my life have I felt so damned if I do and damned if I don’t. And all the while Alice’s words ring in my ear — I’m putting all this thought into it like I actually have a choice.

  I don’t have a choice in any of it, but maybe I do get to decide who makes the choices for me. Which would come down to choosing between my dad, or Shaun.

  My dad who I’ve known my whole life, and Shaun who I’ve known five minutes. My dad is probably the person I like least in the world right now, but he’s still my dad.

  I like Shaun. I’m not afraid to admit that anymore. I feel… something for him. Whether that’s just lust and hormones and the rush of exhilaration I get when we’re sparring, or whether it’s something more, I don’t know.

  It’s too early to say if it’s real or if it’s not.

  But then again, it’s even earlier with Liam. I feel nothing for him, and what worries me is that as much as he claimed this was all just a business arrangement to keep me safe, he’s going to want something more. And by the time I find out, I’ll already be trapped.

  At least with Shaun, what you see is what you’re getting. I don’t know if his “forever” shit last night was just something he says when he’s fucking, to get him off, or if his insane ass actually meant it… but it seemed genuine.

  At least he’s consistent.

  “Lace?”

  “Sorry… I was in a daze. I don’t really have an answer.”

  The bell rings and we make our way back to the main building, arranging to meet back in the entrance hall for lunch.

  I’m on my way to class when I see Liam standing in the middle of the corridor, staring straight at me as if he’s been waiting for me.

  “Lacey! I missed you yesterday?”

  I don’t stop. I keep walking. “I was sick.”

  “I tried calling you,” he says. “My dad has started to make arrangements, with your father of course.”

  I don’t respond. He takes me by the shoulder and stops me in my tracks. I look down at where his hand is resting. “You need to get off me, now.”

  “Lacey, please? We don’t have a choice, can’t we at least try to make the best of it?”

  I look up at him. “You know, when you first told me about this farce I actually kind of pitied you. But now? Now you’re seriously starting to fuck me off. I won’t tell you again, get your hands off me.”

  He looks at me like I’ve physically hurt him but he doesn’t remove his hand from my shoulder. It’s only when he clocks on to something behind and his expression changes to stone, that he finally lets his hand slip.

  “Is this little cunt bothering you, princess?” I hear Shaun’s voice behind me and feel his arm snake around my stomach. He pulls me in tight against his chest and I look up to see his eyes locked on Liam’s.

  “He was just leaving,” I tell him.

  Shaun plants a single kiss on the top of my head and then pushes me behind him. “Get yourself to class,” he tells me, taking a step towards Liam.

  “Shaun, don’t,” I say, grabbing on to his arm. Liam was annoying me but Shaun could probably kill him, and a caveman style fight over me in the middle of the corridor is not something that’s needed or wanted.

  Liam looks between the both of us, an amused smile spreading across his face. “Seriously?” He fixes his eyes on me now. “I always thought you were a bit dim, but never did I have you down as plain fucking stupid.”

  Oh.

  No he didn’t.

  “What are you saying?” I drop Shaun’s arm and now he’s the one holding me back from swinging for him.

  “I’m saying you’re a fucking idiot if you think he’s going to save you. It’s decided. It’s a done deal. If you want to spread your legs for him and get it out of your system, then by all means, go ahead. But make no mistake, when we’re married I demand respect.” His amusement turns into a grin and a flick of his eyebrows. “Enjoy whatever this is while it lasts, princess.”

  Now I want to take my fist and smash it against his pretty little jaw. But I realize that will probably hurt me more than it will hurt him.

  I try to let it slide over me, but I’m boiling. I’m still boiling when Shaun is dragging me away and Liam is waving at us with that fucking grin on his fucking face.

  “You can get off me, as well,” I tell Shaun, taking his hand and shoving it off my shoulder as soon as we’ve turned the corner. The bell rang ages ago and the corridors are practically empty now.

  He whistles and shakes his head, following me to god knows where I’m going. “I’d fuck your brains out right now if we weren’t in school.”

  “Teach me how to throw a punch that can break a jaw and I’ll consider it.”

  He pushes me, effectively slamming me against the wall and his eyes are locked on to mine instantly. “Deal.”

  “I wasn’t being serious,” I tell him, feeling my anger slip away only to be replaced with a new kind of tension.

  “You should consider it. Do you see what I mean? Do you believe me now? They won’t stop. You need to learn to listen to me, darlin’,” he tells me, pushing his body up against me and resting his arm on the wall at the side of my head. “Too fucking headstrong for your own good, sometimes.”

  I shrug at him. Maybe he was right. So what? I never agreed, but I never refused either, I just told him I needed time to think.

  Sensible, not headstrong. “I never said no to you.”

  He bites down on his bottom lip and lets it pop out, a smile playing across his face.

  “You’ll be screaming it later, though.”

  With that, he turns around and walks away, strolling down the corridor like he didn’t just play havoc with my insides and leave me wondering where the fuck I’m supposed to be.

  Chapter 8

  SHAUN

  I’m outside waiting for her about thirty seconds after the bell rings.

  “I’m getting Stevie to take me home,” she says as she approaches me.

  That’s what she thinks.

  Cute.

  It’s a bright sunny afternoon and her eyes squint a little as she tries to look at me but gets blinded. Maybe she’ll miss my eyes rolling.

  “Already spoke to Stevie, and that’s not happening anymore,” I tell her, turning around and heading for the car.

  “You’re a prick, do you know that?”

  I know that, but she follows me anyway so I’m assuming I can’t be that bad.

  “My gran told
me your dad got home this afternoon.” I open the passenger side door and wait as she hops in, before going around to my side.

  “I’ll speak to him,” she says, buckling her seatbelt.

  I’m sure that’s going to go really well for her. “Suit yourself. I’ll pick you up at eight. Bring clothes for tomorrow.”

  “I’m not staying with you again!” she says, huffing and looking out the window. I half watch her, half reverse the car.

  I could easily threaten her into doing it.

  I could tell her I’ll take her from her room again, pile her into the back of the car, and that if she makes me go to all that trouble then she will be spending the night in the basement. I’d keep her warm, obviously, though I wouldn’t make that part of the threat.

  But I don’t say any of that.

  I’m learning to choose my battles.

  “Alright… but if it doesn’t go well with your dad, then I want you to text me, and I’ll come and get you. Okay?”

  I watch her reaction while I shift up the gears and it’s impossible not to notice the hint of a smile playing on her lips. “Fine.”

  I’m confident enough that it’s not going to go well with her dad.

  I pull out on to the road and see her body relax when she realizes I am actually taking her home.

  “I meant what I said earlier,” I tell her.

  She glances over in my direction. “What did you say earlier?”

  “Right after you tried to swing for Liam.”

  She turns her head and full on looks at me now. “You said you wanted to fuck my brains out?”

  I flash her a smile. “Alright, maybe I never said it in the best way…”

  “Is there ever a ‘best way’ to say that?” she says, followed by a little snort.

  I push her away playfully while I laugh at her. “What I meant was, I’m proud of you.”

  She rolls her eyes at me. “You still felt the need to come barging in like some white knight and save me, though.”

  “Haha!” I throw my head back laughing, then I grab a hold of her hand and pull it to my lips, squeezing hard while I plant a kiss on it. “You’re confused. I’m not the hero, darlin, I’m the fucking villain, remember?”

  Like clockwork, she messages me just after 9pm.

  What are you doing?

  I tell Tony to move his arse to the back seat and do a U turn in the road.

  I’m on my way. I type back.

  “What’s the plan?” Tony asks, squeezing himself through the space between the two front seats. “Are we doing it tonight?”

  I think about it for a minute.

  Do I really want Lacey seeing this? She was acting like she wanted to swing for Liam earlier, but she calmed herself down in about five seconds. She’s going to see that it takes me longer than five seconds to calm down.

  But, maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe it’s good that she sees this. I told her that with me, she’d always know what she was getting and I meant that. We won’t last long if she throws a hissy-fit every time I deal out some much deserved retribution, and I don’t intend to live my life hiding it. She’s going to need to learn to live with that side of me, and I’ve already waited too long for this.

  My sister needs to know that he’s not going to walk away from what he did to her.

  “Tonight’s as good a night as any,” I tell Tony. “Get Calvin and the rest of them to meet us there, and tell him to pick Heather up, too. I feel like an audience tonight.”

  It doesn’t take long before I pull up outside her house. I beep the horn twice to let her know, and five minutes later she’s at the door and heading for the garden path with a bag over her shoulder.

  Her dad comes to the door and I roll the window down.

  “You get yourself back in here right now, young lady!” Laurence shouts from the door.

  “Not a fucking chance!” she shouts back.

  “Lacey, you’re being selfish!”

  She just laughs at him as she walks towards the car. I press the button on the console to open the boot for her. She throws her bag in and jumps in the passenger seat.

  I wave to Mr Tyler as I roll the window up and she grabs my hand and pushes it down.

  “I’m sorry your dad’s a cunt,” I tell her as I pull the car away.

  She shrugs. “It is what it is.”

  It’s not though. It’s not right. And she’s just shrugging it off like it’s normal. I hate his guts, almost as much as I hate Liam McGuiness.

  “Pass me your phone,” I tell her. She looks at me confused as fuck. “It’s important.”

  She lifts her arse up on the seat and pulls her phone out of her back pocket, unlocking it before she hands it to me.

  I open up her WhatsApp and find Liam’s name.

  “We need to talk. Meet me at The Undercroft at 10pm.” Locking her phone, I put it down the side of the door, in case he messages her back.

  “What are you doing?” she asks me.

  I smile at her, giving her thigh a squeeze. “Something I should have done ages ago.”

  She watches me carefully but doesn’t say anything else, and we drive in near silence to the pub. I park the car around the back and see Calvin’s already here.

  Tony jumps out first and gets the door for her, and I take her hand as we walk around to the front door. The Undercroft has always been my dad’s pub. Not physically — he doesn’t own it, but he might as well. I’ve been coming here since I was a toddler and the barmaids would give me lollypops and dip my dummy in the lager-froth so they could giggle when my face screwed up at the revolting taste.

  It’s changed a bit since then, though. They’ve done away with the sticky bright red carpets and tried to make it a bit more upmarket. The owner is still under my dad’s thumb, though.

  We come in and I head straight for the bar.

  “Calvin through the back?” I say to Derek, the landlord.

  He nods. “Got here a wee while ago, do you want something?”

  I look at Tony who just shakes his head. “Glass of rose for the lady, mate.”

  Derek nods and flicks the dishtowel he’s been using to dry the glasses over his shoulder. “I’ll bring it through the now.”

  I nod towards the back door for Lacey and Tony to head through, then I lean over the bar, so only Derek can hear me. “When Liam McGuiness shows his face, tell him Lacey’s waiting on him through the back, will you?”

  Derek nods. “No bother, son.”

  I follow the others through to the back room. Calvin is gulping down a pint while Doeboy takes his shot at the pool table. I clock my sister in the corner of the room, speaking to Stevie, and Lacey is already heading over to them.

  “Fucks she doing here?” I say to Calvin.

  He shrugs at me. “She was already in the car when you messaged, and wouldn’t take getting dropped off for an answer.”

  Whatever. Stevie seems like the type who could stomach what’s going to happen… It’s Lacey who I’m worried about.

  Derek comes through with a bottle of wine and takes it to the girl’s table, and it’s not long before they’re cackling away like the fucking Sanderson sisters. I stick a pound coin on the pool table, intending to play the winner, and stand back to watch Doeboy annihilate Calvin at the pool table.

  “You’re meant to aim for the pocket, spaghetti armed wee fanny,” Doeboy says as Calvin misses the shot by a mile.

  Calvin flips the cue around and taps the fat end of it, flashing his teeth. “I’m gonna aim this right up your shiter if you don’t give me peace, prick.”

  Scoot chuckles beside me and shouts over, “No one likes a sore loser, Calvin.” He turns around to face me. “What time you expecting him?”

  I check the time on my phone. “Soon,” I tell him, handing him the rest of the pound coins that were rattling around in my pocket. “Get some music on that jukebox, will you?”

  He nods and makes his way around the pool table. A few moments later and Avicii is blasting
through the speakers. I look over at the girls and clock Stevie up dancing while Lacey laughs at her.

  If this was any other night, and I wasn’t here for a reason, I’d probably call this a good time. I’ve got my mates, drink, music, a pool table, my sister’s here and my girl is with her best mate, a big fucking smile on her face. But I can’t shake the feeling of rage that’s bubbling under the surface. It’s like a blackness, doesn’t matter how bright everything else is, it’s there, sucking the soul out of me.

  When this is done, I’ll feel better.

  Not too far gone 10pm, the door swings open, and in walks Liam McGuiness.

  It takes a second for him to realize what’s going on and when he does, he doesn’t turn and run. That would be stupid, Tony is right beside him ready to grab him and lock the door if needed. Calvin, who was just about to take his shot, looks up and then straightens.

  Liam thinks he already knows what’s going to happen. He smiles at me, the prick, and then looks over at the girls table. I don’t know what gets me more angry, that he’s looking at my sister or that he’s looking at Lacey.

  The fact that he has and will hurt both of them is enough reason for me.

  I’m judge, jury and executioner.

  And I feel absolutely no remorse.

  “Tony get the door,” I tell him, and he bolts it shut. “Scoot, turn that jukebox down for a minute.”

  I walk over to Liam. I had planned to kick the fuck out of him myself, but as I approach him, he blows a kiss towards the girl’s table. I look over at my sister and see the venom in her eyes, and I get myself a better idea.

  I swing for his jaw, just the once. He buckles over and his hands fly to his face, but he quickly straightens himself. I’m not bothered that he recovers so easily, that one wasn’t for my sister — that one was for Lacey.

  “That the best you can do?” Liam spits at me, and then he starts laughing. “You’re holding back, Keagan. I know you could kill me with a single blow if you wanted. Does Lacey know about that unfortunate incident?” He shouts that last little nugget over to Lacey, and now I want to give him another one.