Do It Or Else: A High School Bully Romance (Dirty Little Secret Book 3)

by Kai Juniper

"Why would you say that?"

  "Let's talk about something else."

  She adjusts her head on my chest. "I'm freaking out about the accident. I'm worried we're going to get caught."

  "Worrying about it doesn't help. It doesn't change anything."

  "I know, but I can't help it. Susan thinks they'll find the person in the next couple weeks. If she's right, we'll be spending the rest of senior year in jail."

  "We won't be in jail. We'll get out on bail and have our lawyers work a deal with the judge to get us out of this."

  "That might be true for you, and Finn and Parker, but what about me? My dad doesn't have money for fancy lawyers. The lawyer he uses for his business is his friend from high school."

  "You'll use my lawyer. I'll pay for it myself if I have to."

  "Briggs, I'm serious."

  "So am I. If you need a lawyer, I'll take care of it."

  "Why would you do that? We're not even really dating. By the time this happens, we could be back to hating each other again."

  "You really think that's possible?"

  She doesn't answer.

  "It's not gonna happen," I say.

  "It could," she whispers. "It's happened before."

  "I didn't hate you." I smooth her hair. "I've never hated you."

  "You didn't?" she asks, sounding both confused and surprised.

  "Why would I hate you, Ella? You've never done anything to me."

  "But I haven't always been nice to you."

  "You were nicer to me than I deserved." I take her hand off my stomach and hold it in mine, resting it on my chest. "I didn't like treating you that way."

  "Then why did you?"

  "I'm not sure." I am, but I don't want to tell her. It seems stupid when I think about it now.

  She yawns. "I'm tired."

  "We can't fall asleep or I'll miss the party."

  She sits up. "You should go. It's already late, and I should get home in case my dad shows up. He said he wouldn't be out late tonight."

  "Hold on." I get out of bed and search for my clothes on the floor. I yank my shirt on and put on my jeans.

  "What are you doing?" Ella asks.

  "Turning on the light," I say as I turn it on.

  "Why didn't you turn it on before you got dressed?"

  "Because if you saw me naked you'd want to do it again and I don't have time."

  She rolls her eyes, smiling.

  I toss her shirt on the bed. "I noticed you forgot your panties."

  "Did I?" she says, pretending to be shocked.

  I lean down and give her a kiss. "You can forget them again sometime."

  After she's dressed, I walk her out to her truck.

  "What are you doing tomorrow?" she asks.

  "I'm supposed to go to the office with my dad."

  "What time will you be home?"

  "I don't know. Depends on when he lets me leave. I'll probably be done in the afternoon."

  "So there's a chance I could come over?"

  "If my dad's not here, then yeah."

  "I just wanted to use your pool, if that's okay."

  I back her against the truck. "That's all you wanted to do?" I lean down and kiss her. "Use the pool?"

  She looks in my eyes. "You could use it with me if you want."

  "I don't like to swim."

  "There's other things we could do."

  I kiss her again, my tongue going past her lips, my body pressing into hers. I want her again. If I didn't have this stupid party to go to, I'd take her back to my room. I'd rather be in bed with Ella's naked body wrapped around me than be at some stupid party, getting wasted because I'm bored and don't want to be there.

  Ella slowly pulls back. "You should go."

  "Yeah," I say with a sigh.

  She turns and opens her door, then turns back. "I meant to say this earlier, but what you did for Charlotte today? I was impressed."

  I shrug. "I didn't have a choice."

  "Yeah, you did. You could've stood up for someone when there weren't so many people around. Almost the whole school saw what you did, and whoever wasn't there heard about it. That was really nice of you to stand up for Charlotte like that."

  "Aubrey was being a bitch, and she's making Vanessa be just like her."

  Ella smiles. "You just can't admit you did something nice, can you?"

  "When have you known me to be nice? It's not who I am."

  "It is. You just don't want people seeing it." She steps up to me and gives me a kiss. "Goodnight."

  I watch as she gets in the truck and drives off.

  What she said about me being nice isn't true. I was just doing what I was told to keep myself out of jail. But I did feel an urge to help Charlotte when I saw what they were doing to her. It wouldn't have bothered me a few weeks ago, but now, after spending time with Ella, it made me angry to see Vanessa and Scarlett going after Charlotte like that. Maybe because I used to do the same shit to Ella. I ridiculed her in front of everyone, the bigger the crowd the better. I wanted everyone to hate her because she had the one thing I didn't. It was wrong, but I didn't realize it back then. I was driven by rage and jealousy, not caring how my actions would affect her.

  Charlotte didn't deserve what happened to her today. Aubrey did it because she's insecure and has to put others down to make herself feel better about herself. I couldn't stand by and do nothing as Aubrey made Charlotte the victim of her attack. So yeah, maybe there's a part of me that can be nice, but it's a small part. I have trouble believing I'm that much different from my father. The man beats his own son and doesn't even feel bad about it. How could I be a good person coming from that?

  Just after ten, I arrive at the party. I'm greeted by my teammates and a massive mug of beer.

  "Drink up, Briggs!" Parker says, slurring his words. "You got a long ways to go to catch up."

  I gulp down the beer. "This is shit. What else you got?"

  Finn laughs. "Told you he'd say that."

  Jason comes up to me, holding a bottle of bourbon, the expensive kind my dad drinks. "We got this just for you. For winning us the game."

  I take the bottle and take a swig, feeling the warm liquid go down my throat.

  The guys cheer, "Drink! Drink! Drink!"

  This isn't the kind of drink you chug down, but I take another swig, hoping it'll take my mind off the accident, and the cops finding out, and my asshole father, who I have to spend all day with tomorrow.

  "You got some girls waiting for you," Parker says, nodding towards the other side of the room. Half the cheerleading team is standing there, still wearing their uniforms, looking at me with drunk smiles.

  "Yeah, I don't think so."

  "What the fuck? You don't want that?" He points to the girls.

  "Not tonight. I'm sore from the game."

  "Who the hell cares? You can't pass this up. This never happens. Two girls? Sure. Maybe even three, but half the cheerleading team? You'll never get a chance like this again."

  "I said I'm not interested." I push past him and make my way through the room. People are yelling my name, cheering for me, congratulating me. Weeks ago I would've been loving this, but now I don't even care. I'd rather be back in my bed with Ella in my arms. That's what would make me happy right now, not this.

  After an hour, I'm sick of being here and want to leave. I go out to the back porch to get a break from all the people. I hear someone talking and look back and see Parker and Finn coming out the door.

  "We've been looking all over for you," Parker says. "What are you doing out here?"

  "I needed some air."

  Parker and Finn come up beside me.

  "Did you see it?" Parker asks.

  "See what?"

  "The asshole texted us again," Finn says.

  "Fuck. What now?" I get out my phone and see the text.

  It reads, Finn and Parker, you just can't do what you're told. Too bad for Briggs. If only he had friends he could count on. Game over. You lose. When will
I go to the police? You'll have to wait to find out. I want you to agonize over when it might happen, fearing each new day, hoping I'll leave you alone but knowing I could come after you at any moment. It's the way your victims live. Every day, fearing what you might do to them. Now the tables have turned. You'll see what it's like. You'll feel the pain you inflict. Will tomorrow be the day? Or will it be Monday? Or Tuesday? Only I know the answer.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Briggs

  I turn to Parker and Finn, holding up my phone. "This is because of YOU! Because you wouldn't do what he said!" I lower my voice. "Now we're all going to jail!"

  "He was gonna do it anyway," Parker casually says, like he doesn't even care.

  "At least now we're finally done with this shit," Finn says.

  "Are you fucking serious right now?" I yell at them. "Neither one of you gives a shit what's going to happen to us?" I get up in their faces. "We're going to fucking prison! College? Our futures? All of it's gone. Do you understand that? It's gone! Over! We're fucked!"

  Parker rolls his eyes. "We're not going to prison. We'll get a night or two in jail, get out on bail, and our lawyers will get the charges dropped."

  "They're not going to drop the charges!" I shove my phone in his face. "He has proof! The video shows us doing it!"

  "Then they give us a fine," Finn says. "Big fucking deal. They're not gonna lock us away. It's not like we did it on purpose."

  "We left," I say. "We didn't stick around. THAT was on purpose, and that's what turns it from an accident into a crime."

  "I don't know why you're getting so pissed about this," Parker says. "Our lawyers will work out a deal and get us off. Like Finn said, they're not gonna lock us up."

  "It's not that simple," I say. "Deals aren't guaranteed. It doesn't matter how much money we pay the lawyers. If the judge wants to go after us, he will. And if we don't get a deal? We end up in front of a jury, three spoiled rich kids who committed a crime and thought they could get away with it. You think the jurors will have sympathy for us and let us off?"

  Finn shrugs. "Maybe."

  I turn and walk away from them, because if I don't, I'll rip their fucking heads off. How they can be so calm about this? How could they not even care? They can't possibly be that stupid to believe this will all work out, that we'll just get a fine and move on with our lives.

  "I'm going inside," Parker says.

  "Me too," Finn says, following him.

  They go back in the house. It's good they left. I'm too angry to be around them right now.

  I remain outside and let the alcohol clear my system, then get in my car and leave.

  When I'm back home in my room, I text Ella. You still awake?

  Yeah. Are you at the party?

  Just left. I got another—I stop and delete that part. I was going to tell her about the text, but I think I'll wait until tomorrow. If I tell her now, she'll be too worried to sleep.

  How was it?

  Same as every other party. I didn't want to be there.

  Where'd you want to be?

  Here. With you.

  I would've liked that too. Maybe tomorrow.

  Yeah, maybe.

  What if tomorrow's the day the texter tells the cops what we did? He said he'd wait, but what if he was just saying that? I can't think about it. I'll never sleep if I do.

  I get into bed and imagine Ella beside me, in my arms. It calms me enough that I find myself drifting off and eventually fall asleep.

  The next morning I wake up to loud knocking on my door.

  "What?" I yell, feeling groggy.

  "Briggs, get up!" my father yells back. "I need you downstairs."

  "Why? When are we leaving?" I grab my phone and check the time. It's just after eight.

  "You're not going to the office today. I'm going alone."

  I smile, knowing that means I can spend the entire day with Ella. It's just what I need after getting that text. There's a good chance I'm going to jail soon and there's nothing I can do about it. I was going to try to reason with Ms. Higgins, knowing she'd rather have us learn a lesson than turn us into the cops, but then Ella found out it's not her. Ms. Higgins was on a date that night. It can't be her.

  I'm out of ideas. I don't think I can stop this, so I might as well spend my last days of freedom with Ella. I haven't even been thinking about the valedictorian thing. What's the point? I won't be going to graduation.

  "I'll see you tonight!" I yell to my dad, rolling over on my side.

  "Briggs! I need to talk to you! Now!"

  What the hell does he want? The day's just started and he's already in a bad mood. It's probably because of the divorce. He's been even more unbearable to live with since he got the papers.

  "Meet me downstairs in the study!" he says, before stomping back down the hall.

  I shove the blankets off me and go to my closet to get a shirt. I should go down there shirtless and let him see what he did to me. I doubt he'd notice, and if he did, he wouldn't care.

  "Why are we meeting in here?" I ask as I go in the study.

  He doesn't answer as he paces the floor. When he paces like that, he's either angry or trying to come up with a solution for something. I'm hoping it's the latter, and that it has nothing to do with me. He's wearing his black suit, which he usually reserves for weekdays. On weekends it's the gray suit, or the navy one. Under the jacket is a crisp white shirt, and a dark gray tie that looks new.

  I blow out a breath, dreading this and just wanting it to be over. I go over to one of the leather chairs.

  "Don't sit down," my father says. "This won't take long."

  I walk back over to him. "Go ahead."

  He paces again. "I was recently made aware of some information that I found to be very disturbing. And it's something that I'm quite certain you were already aware of, and yet you chose not to tell me."

  "I don't know what you're talking about."

  He stops in front of the bookcase and takes a black metal statue from the shelf. He got it on one of his business trips. It's shaped like a pillar, about a foot tall. I don't know what it's supposed to be or why he bought it.

  "Briggs," he says, walking over to me, the statue in his hand, "exactly how many times have I asked you who is ahead of you in class?"

  Oh, God, he knows. Shit!

  "I don't know." I look at the door behind him, which he shut and locked after I came in. Why would he lock it?

  "Let me just get to the point." He looks me in the eye. "The person ahead of you in class, the person who is slated to be valedictorian, is Ella Quinn." He gritted his teeth as he said her name. "Ella fucking Quinn!" He raises the statue and slams into my face, making me stumble back. I catch myself and frantically search the room, trying to figure out how to get the fuck out of here.

  "Did you hear me?" my father screams, stalking up to me. "Ella Quinn! You were beat by a fucking girl! A girl who lives in a rusted-out trailer with a father who mows fucking lawns for a living!"

  He swings the statue at me, but I duck out of the way.

  "Dad, just calm down. I can fix this. She's not that far ahead. I can still beat her. I can be valedictorian."

  He narrows his eyes at me. "I spoke with Ms. Whittaker. She informed me your grades have been slipping this semester. She said you got a C on a paper and a D on a test."

  "It was a quiz and not worth anything. I can make it up. I'll do extra credit."

  "It's too late for that, Briggs." He takes a step toward me for each step I take back. "According to Ms. Whittaker, you've run out of time. You're too far behind to beat her. You've been beat by a fucking girl!" He swings the statue and it hits my neck. Pain shoots through it, but it's nothing like the pain coming from where he hit my face. It feels like he broke a bone.

  "Stop!" I yell, trying to reach for the statue.

  He swings again and hits my shoulder.

  That's it. I'm fucking done with this. I charge at him but get stopped by the statue hitting my stomach
, right where it's bruised. Pain explodes through my core and I crumple to the floor, clutching my gut.

  "You lied to me!" He slams the statue into my back. "You've destroyed our name! Our reputation!" He whacks me again. "Do you understand the embarrassment and humiliation I'll be forced to endure having to tell people you're not going to be valedictorian?" He stands over me, holding up the statue with both hands. I'm huddled on the floor, waiting for it, in too much pain to move out of the way.

  He laughs. "Look at you. So pathetic. Weak. How could someone like you even be my son?" He lowers the statue to his side. "I think we've talked enough for today." He goes back to the bookcase and sets the statue down, then yanks on his shirt sleeves so they're in perfect alignment with his suit jacket. He arches his shoulders back and holds his head high as he walks to the door and unlocks it. "Goodbye, Briggs."

  When he's gone, I slowly get up from the floor and go upstairs to my room. Every time I breathe, my ab muscles feel like they're ripping apart. There's a splitting pain along my lower back and my shoulders are burning. It's a type of pain I've never felt before. The hot, throbbing pain in my body is just part of it. The other part is the pain that comes from knowing my father would do this to me and knowing my mother didn't stick around to protect me.

  Even with all the pain I'm in, I'm not focused on it. All I can think about is Ella and how to keep her safe. I don't think my father would physically harm her, but who the hell knows? If he did this to his own son, anything is possible.

  I think he's more likely to attack her future than her. He might try to keep her from going to college. He'd have no problem calling up a college admissions department and making up a story that would keep Ella from getting accepted. He'd also have no problem destroying her father's business. If her father didn't have an income, he couldn't send her to college.

  How do I tell her this? I have to warn her, but I can't tell her what's going on. I don't want her ever knowing what he does to me. She'll think I'm weak for putting up with it, for not fighting back. She won't understand it doesn't work that way with my father. You can fight him all you want, but he'll always find a way to win. Always.

  My phone rings. It's beside me on the bed. I see my mom's name on the screen and let out a harsh laugh.