Forsaken: A bully romance (An Academy Twin Rivalry Series Book 1)

by Taylor Blaine

  After I got out, I wouldn’t have anywhere to stay. I had no doubt that Olivia wouldn’t want anything to do with me, if she thought I’d stood her up.

  The police officer I was with, pushed my head down as I climbed into the back of the cruiser. At least they hadn’t put me in the same car as Norman. The worthless piece of shit didn’t deserve anything but the trunk, but I bit my lip rather than say anything. As far as the police knew, I was the one causing all the problems. I had no idea what they’d been told because I was too wrapped up in what my mom thought of me and what I was missing out on to hear the stories or what they said.

  Instead of letting the stress overwhelm me, I revisited the night at DeGuido’s and what I was looking forward to with Olivia.

  I watched the lights blur past the car as the cruiser picked up speed through town to get to the square. Lights on most of the businesses gave a cheerier lighting than the cloudy night warranted.

  I shifted uncomfortably on the bench-style seat with my hands behind my butt. The position shoved my shoulders forward but I didn’t complain. Why make things worse than they were?

  The blonde had thought I was Braddox. And the things she’d said hadn’t left Braddox in a very good light with Olivia.

  That girl had fought back something fierce. She hadn’t balked at finding out Braddox had been with the other girl after their date – at least not in front of Staci. No, Olivia had handled the situation with a ferocity of spirit that made me want her more and gave me an insight into the fragile protection she gave her heart.

  Her eyes had hardened as her jaw had ticked when she’d realized what Staci was saying. As her chin came up, I realized that Braddox wasn’t going to get a second chance. Not with her.

  For some reason, when that should have left me feeling triumphant, I felt bad for Braddox. But wasn’t that the way it always was with him and me? I always gave him the benefit of the doubt, even when I knew deep down that he’d intended what he’d done.

  Watching as Olivia learned of Braddox’s disappointing behavior and the way she’d dealt with it by turning into my arms, I’d made a silent promise to myself and to her that I would never let her down.

  And there I sat, in the back of the cop car, letting her down in more ways than one.

  Everything passed in a fog as I went through the motions with the police. I watched as they went through my pockets, taking my cell, my wallet, and my pocket knife and bagged them. Then the large male cop with his balding pate and thick, brushy mustache pushed me toward the phone on the wall at the end of the hallway. “You won’t be out until Monday at the earliest. There’re no bail options ‘til then.”

  I wouldn’t be out until Monday. I couldn’t make it up to Olivia the next night or even explain to her.

  “You have one call. Make it count.” The officer held the handpiece out to me and I took it, the handcuffs previously removed when we’d arrived.

  I slowly accepted the phone, staring at the buttons emblazoned with the numbers in their centers.

  Who did I call? I didn’t have the same rights with my father that Braddox had. I had never been told I could call him, any time for any reason. I didn’t have access to his money or even his schedule. I had no idea what he was doing or what he would do, if I did reach out while I was in jail. Would I lose my job working for him? Would he even care that I’d been locked up because I was sticking up for Mom and myself? Would anyone care?

  Obviously, the police didn’t care. Although, I didn’t’ entirely blame them since they had to go off he said she said evidence. Things were probably easier to just collect everyone there and let a judge deal with them.

  Mom had all but disowned me right there on the landing. I couldn’t call her. She’d waste the call just to scream at me.

  Hesitating, my hand hovering over the one, I took a deep breath.

  How many times had I stared at Olivia’s number on my phone? I wanted to call her so many times, but I hadn’t. I could have texted her a lot more than I had, but I hadn’t.

  I punched in her number, slowly and deliberately. She had to answer, but would she? It was a foreign number and she was expecting me to come back.

  The phone rang.

  And rang.

  And rang.

  Then flipped to voicemail. I listened to the sweet sounds of her voice telling me to leave a message and then the beep telling me it was time to do my thing.

  I took a deep breath and forced myself to sound less stressed than I was. “Hey, Liv, I hate to put an end to our evening, but something came up and I can’t get out of it. I’ll see you in school. Maybe we can try the whole date thing again.” I closed my eyes and paused for a moment, wishing I had the right to say goodbye in a way that meant something.

  I replaced the phone into its cradle and glanced at the police officer who watched me with curiosity in his eyes. I shrugged. “First date wasn’t quite over yet.”

  The police officer’s eyes softened and he looked past me down the hall. “Tell you what. You only got a voicemail. Try once more. This time, try for someone who has money.” The cop had to know who I was. He’d seen my license. O’Donnell wasn’t a common name there in Shores. If you were an O’Donnell, then you had money and were part of that family.

  He had to know who I was and yet he hadn’t cared before I’d called.

  Sighing, I offered a grateful smile. “Thanks.” Picking up the phone, I did what he said. I called someone with money.

  This time I went to voicemail again. There was no forced joviality in my tone as I growled into the mouthpiece. “Braddox, I’m in jail. I don’t expect anything from you, but I need help. Mother kicked me out after… look. I don’t have anyone else. I can’t call Dad.” I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead temporarily against the phone body. “I need you.”

  That hurt to say and yet at the same time, it felt like I’d come full circle. I had pushed him away when he’d offered to help me when I’d first moved out and there I was, asking for help because I couldn’t do anything for myself. I was stuck.

  I hung up, more than certain the call to Braddox was the better move. He wouldn’t screw me over. He’d get me out of there. I knew it couldn’t be before Monday, but maybe he’d get me out as soon as possible.

  We didn’t have to talk to each other. I was fine with that. I just needed out of there and my damn twin was the richest kid in town. He could step up.

  I’d do it for him.

  And yet, even as the cop led me down to a holding cell, I couldn’t help the pit of anguish growing in my stomach. I was the type to always be there for Braddox, but he’d never been the type to care about others unless there was something in it for him.

  There was nothing in it for Braddox, if I got out of jail. In fact, if anything, it helped his cause to have me out of the way as he tried to move forward with Olivia – even if he’d been caught with Staci.

  No, Braddox was a charmer and if I wasn’t there to help remind Olivia of what Braddox was capable of, she’d go back to him and believe his lies.

  It wasn’t what was going to happen, but as of right then, I had to get through the weekend and hope Olivia hadn’t completely written me off.

  The more time I spent with her, the more I realized just how much I needed her in my life.

  Chapter 25

  Olivia

  I squeezed my eyes shut tighter as someone roughly shook my shoulders.

  “Wake up. Olivia, are you kidding me? Your phone is off and the door was left unlocked. What is seriously going through your mind? I thought you were dead. Wake up, already!” My mom’s irritation broke through the sleep-induced fog I was having a hard time waking from.

  I yawned, opening my eyes and looking around my room. Had Jaxon ever shown up? I bit my inner cheek when I realized he never had. He hadn’t bothered to wake me up and I doubted he would have come all that way only to go back to his place. But maybe that happened. Maybe he saw I was sleeping and he’d left. I doubted it.

&nbs
p; Jaxon would have locked the door before leaving. So, he’d never shown up.

  He’d said he would and he hadn’t.

  Rubbing my eyes, I ignored my hurt and insecurity that he’d never shown up and I focused on my mom. “You’re back. Where’d you go?”

  She took a deep breath and shifted to sit on the edge of my bed. I moved my legs to give her more room as I pulled my blanket up higher to my neck. It wasn’t cold in the apartment necessarily, just more like it was warmer under the bedding and I didn’t want my mom to see my sexy underwear and wonder why I was wearing it.

  She looked down at her hands and messed with her fingers. After a second, she looked up at me, her eyes wide and excited. She took a deep breath and held up her left hand, flashing a bright dime-sized diamond on her ring finger.

  My jaw slackened and I stared at the ring in disbelief. “What’d you do?” Dad had only been dead a handful of months. How could she replace him like that?

  She leaned back, her expression becoming defensive as she folded her arms over her chest. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  I sat up, securing my blanket to my chest. I pushed the mass of curls escaping from my braid behind my shoulder and huffed. “Isn’t it? What are you doing? Who? Did you marry your boss? I mean, Mom, come on. We can probably recognize Dad still in his coffin. There’s no reason to get married this fast.”

  I could tell I’d gone too far when she set her jaw and stood, clenching her hands into fists at her sides.

  She spoke slow and deliberately. “I’m not going to slap you again. You’re old enough to give me the respect I deserve. This is my life and you don’t get a say in who I’m with or what I do.” She poked herself in the chest, shaking her head. “I’m the mom, not you.”

  “Fine. I get that. But this is my life, too. Dad… he didn’t just die on you.” I wiped angrily at the tears leaking over the edges of my eyes and glanced away from her.

  She sighed and moved to stand at the window. Mom was a striking woman and still fairly young. I had no doubt she’d replace my father, just not this soon.

  When she spoke, I wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince me or assuage her own guilt. “We’ve been under a lot of stress, since…”

  “Dad died. You can say it.” Why wouldn’t she say it?

  She cleared her throat and turned around, looking at my sparsely decorated room. What did she think I was going to do? Decorate it like I was an Instagram blogger or something?

  “Anyway, yes, since your father passed away, things have been harder for us. I didn’t think I could care again for another man. Honestly, I’m surprised it’s gone so fast. I…” She fluttered her hands at her chest and then dropped them back to her sides as she pressed her lips together. “Well, the truth is, I want you to repack whatever has been unpacked. The movers will be here in an hour.”

  “The movers?” What was going on? I couldn’t keep up with the speed of her shifting topics.

  “Yes, the movers. I married Trenton O’Donnell this week while we were in Vegas. He and I discussed a lot of things, one of which was your possible continued relationship with Braddox. Since you’ll be step-siblings, we both feel it’s only appropriate that you discontinue your romantic associations. I don’t want to find out anything inappropriate is going in while you’re living under the same roof.” She blinked at me as if the topic were distasteful and she just wanted to get it over with.

  My chest rose and fell in disbelief as I shifted my gaze from her to the window. I shook my head. “No. This isn’t possible.”

  I didn’t want to move back to the west side and into Braddox’s house. I didn’t want to go from yards away from Jaxon to feet from Braddox.

  I shook my head and looked back at Mom. “Braddox and I aren’t together anymore. Monday night was… A fluke. He just gave me a ride and I fell asleep in his car. That’s all. I’m… well, I’m not interested in him anymore.” There was no way I was going to tell her I’d shifted my attentions to his twin brother or just how much Brax had hurt me.

  At least Jaxon hadn’t been in my bed when she’d shown up. While I might be upset with him for not coming back when he said he would, a huge part of me was relieved that whatever had happened had saved me from a serious lecture from my mom. Who knew what else might have happened? I’d never had issues growing up, being called a goody-two-shoes on more than one occasion. That would have changed everything.

  Mom furrowed her brow, coming back to the bed and sitting down. “I’m sorry. Not going to say I wish things had worked out, but I’m sorry you have to deal with whatever separated you two. He’s a very polite boy who isn’t hard on the eyes.” She half-smiled and reached out, patting my elbow that poked out of the folds of the blankets. “Maybe going back to your old life and school will help you stabilize your life. I know you’ve had a hard time of things.”

  “We’re really moving back?” I didn’t want to face Braddox in all his lying and manipulations. I didn’t want to go back to West Shores Academy after the last party. I would have left my classes as a popular girl only to return as a social pariah.

  She shrugged. “Yeah, well, he doesn’t want to move here. Can you imagine?” She winked. “Just think. This time tomorrow, you’ll have been in your own room with your own bathroom, and all of the things we’ve missed.” She rubbed her hands together and stood, almost giddy with excitement.

  The petty part of my heart wanted to keep my mouth shut, but the part of me that loved my mom couldn’t help saying, “Congratulations, Mom. I hope he makes you happy.” I offered a tight smile, unwilling to offer more when I was having such a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I was about to be doors down from Braddox late at night. I hadn’t had a chance to face him since finding out about Staci.

  Would I be able to talk to him when I knew she was sneaking out of his room in the middle of the night?

  And what about Jaxon? He hadn’t shown the night before but I’d pretty much decided on him. Didn’t that mean I owed him something like an explanation?

  He would never understand if I just disappeared and then suddenly was living with his brother. Anyone but Braddox.

  I reached for my phone. The batteries had run out the night before. I plugged it in, waiting the few minutes until it had enough of a charge to turn on.

  A missed voicemail caught my eye and I listened to it. Jaxon apologized and said something came up.

  I sighed in relief, deleting the message and hanging up. I pulled up his number and tried calling, disappointed when it went directly to voicemail.

  “We need to talk. Call me as soon as you get this. I hope everything is okay.” I couldn’t be mad at him. Not when there wasn’t a lot he could do about things coming up. Unless of course it was Staci and he’d gone to her place to get a piece.

  I laughed as I climbed from my bed at the thought, even though a small part of me worried that something exactly like that had happened. Isn’t that what had happened with Braddox?

  I had less than an hour to get my things together and move back to the west side. The constant moving around was going to give me whiplash. I’d been changed in those few months since losing Dad. I was tougher and ready for anything the assholes at West Shores Academy threw at me. I’d already made it through the east side. They didn’t like me on principle.

  West Shores would be a cake. With Braddox ruling the halls, maybe I could get some revenge for the way he’d treated me.

  Or maybe I’d just stay away from all of it and pursue something with Jaxon.

  There were too many maybes. Anxiety bloomed inside me because I was going to be moving into the same house as Braddox.

  We already had an attraction to each other. How much of that could I ignore in favor of my anger toward him?

  Hopefully more than I’d been able to with Jaxon.

  Either way, things were going from bad to worse, no matter which way you looked at it.

  ***

  Jaxon and Braddoxx are so d
elicious. Which team are you on? Braddoxx has his reasons for being a jerk, I promise. Who does Olivia choose and what’s going on with her father? There’s so much more going on in Shores. Grab the next book and find out what problems come about as Olivia moves in with Braddox and Jaxon has to face his present and his past before he can accept his future.

  Want some more angst and heart-breaking choices? Check out the O’Donnell twins as they rule opposite sides of a town and fight over the one girl who loves them both. She only gets one. In The Rivalry High Series bully romance gets a whole new twist.

  Never miss out on a Taylor Blaine book – sign up to get an email on new releases and sales. Maybe even some stupid stuff that she’ll come up with at the last minute. Who knows, it could be fun!

  Thank you so much for joining me with the Jameson cousins. I love them so much! Stryker… sigh.

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  More bully romance titles by Taylor Blaine

  Bad Boys of Jameson Academy

  Her Challengers

  Her Brawlers

  Her Champions

  The End

  Forsaken

  Chapter 1

  Olivia

  Chapter 2

  Jaxon

  ~~~

  Chapter 3

  Braddox

  Chapter 4

  Olivia

  Chapter 5

  Jaxon

  ~~~

  ~~~

  Chapter 6

  Olivia

  Chapter 7

  Olivia

  Chapter 8

  Jaxon

  Chapter 9

  Olivia

  Chapter 10

  Jaxon

  Chapter 11

  Olivia

  Chapter 12

  Braddox

  Chapter 13

  Olivia

  ~~~

  Braddox

  ~~~

  Olivia

  Chapter 14