Broken Trust : Pacific Prep

by R. A. Smyth

  “You coming?” he asks Mason.

  “Yeah, I’m right behind you.”

  As he passes by me, he pauses, looking at me for a long moment. We haven’t spoken since before the video. I’ve made a point of sitting as far away from him in computer class, and he hasn’t tried to talk to me—whether that’s out of respect for my need to be alone, or because he’s pissed over the notebook, I’m not sure. I can’t say I’d blame him if he was angry with me, not that I can explain anything to him. I shouldn’t even have told Mason what I did, but when he was looking at me with those eyes full of questions and doubt, it fucking bothered me.

  It’s impossible to read anything in his expression in the weak light of the flashlight, but after a moment he glances away, shoving a spare flashlight into my hand before following after Hawk and Cam, the yellow beam lighting a path through the forest as he leaves Mason and I behind in the darkness.

  Neither of us move or make a sound, listening to the noise of twigs breaking and leaves rustling as the three of them head back toward the dorms.

  Silence once again surrounds us when Mason speaks. He had been standing several feet away from me when West left us, and I didn’t hear him move, but his voice comes from right in front of me, inches from my face. I can feel his warm breath on my lips. “I never thought a woman would bring any of us to our knees, but you’re constantly surprising me, little warrior.” His voice is like gravel; dark and sinful, thickly coated with lust. Every word oozes sex, not to mention his nickname for me that sends shivers up my spine.

  There’s something about the inky black of darkness; not being able to see your surroundings, make out faces or read emotions. It bolsters confidence and makes people act in ways they otherwise wouldn’t. The dark is where depraved things happen and secrets come to hide. It can push people to carry out disturbing acts; commit crimes and inflict pain. Yet, it’s also in the dark where we find the courage to take our first steps; to do something reckless, like, for example, kissing Mason Hayes.

  It’s only because we’re concealed by shadows and I’m still riding the high of the fight that I reach out, wrapping my hand around the soft fabric of Mason’s shirt and pull him in against me.

  It’s because no one is around to see us, that tomorrow we can both pretend this never happened, that he lets me.

  Our lips collide in an explosion of fireworks, the magnetism an undeniable force spreading outward from where they touch, running through my nerves and setting fire to my skin.

  My lips part, his tongue sweeping in, staking his claim as, for the first time in my life, I lose myself in something; in someone. He tastes exactly how I’d expect—all quiet contemplation and steady reliance. I get lost in him, in the feel of his strong arm wrapped around me, his hand tangled in the strands of my hair, pressed firmly against the back of my head, holding me captive.

  We take our time, savoring the taste of one another, like we have all night. I have no idea how long we kiss, neither of us taking it any further; simply enjoying this moment, knowing as soon as it’s over, we will go our separate ways and pretend it never happened.

  Using his tight grip on the back of my head, he deepens the kiss, our tongues sweeping hungrily over one another. He kisses me like I’m a lifeline, like he’s barely been surviving, but now he wants to live on the taste of me.

  When we break apart, I feel like my whole world has been rejigged. I’m not the same girl from a few minutes ago. My world feels brighter and I don’t feel so alone. Like, somehow, Mason has taken some of my burden off my shoulders, lightening my load. It’s almost as if I’m no longer fighting this battle on my own.

  Mason knows nothing of the secrets I carry or the darkness I bear, yet I get the impression he knows at least some of my burden; understands my pain.

  I’m still lost in the taste of him, my lips still tingling as his arm slides from my waist. His hand untangles from my hair and he slips into the shadows, disappearing as if he was never here, like this was nothing more than my imagination.

  I stand in the darkness for who knows how long, wrapping my mind around what just happened, before deciding there’s no point in overthinking it and flicking on the flashlight, grabbing my hoodie and following after the four confusing as fuck men that have my head all screwed up.

  Chapter 24

  I always sneak out to watch the fights. It would be impossible not to know when they’re happening. It’s the worst kept secret. You can see it on the boys’ faces—the antsy anticipation, the way they eye up others that have crossed them or done them wrong, ready to call them out in the ring.

  Watching the fights is the only thing in this damn place that gets my blood pumping—well, until Hadley showed up at my door. I can’t participate in them, nor would I be welcome, but I can hide in the trees and watch. Even from a distance, the violence and bloodshed sates that restless inner part of me. I should probably be reporting them, but who the fuck would I tell? Not a single teacher here, Mr. Phister included, would stand up to the Princes. It’s a complete fucking joke.

  I spotted Hadley before anyone else as she strode up to the back of the crowd, her back ramrod straight, focused determination written all over her face. Once again, she completely took me by surprise. I never expected to see her here, but of course she is. Where every other girl would scrunch their nose up in disgust and turn their backs on the whole thing, pretending it doesn’t exist, she wants to dive right into the middle of it and bathe in the chaos.

  Hiding among the shadows of the trees, I watch as she rises to Hawks' challenge, unlike every other wimp pretending to be tough. Not one of them knows what it’s like to actually fight for your life, to fight for survival and not just for sport. But it’s clear Hadley knows—not that I expected anything less.

  Standing prepared for battle in a fighter’s stance, with her glove-covered fists raised, the swirls of black ink dipping beneath the lining of her leggings and up over her ribs, she looks like a fierce warrior. Combined with the impassive mask on her face, she’s all business, not someone to mess with or take lightly.

  I’m captivated as she takes down the first kid without breaking a sweat, not that he was much opposition. But Hawk...she gave as good as she got, neither one of them holding back. I admit, at one point I nearly blew my cover and stormed over there to break them up, worried he was going to injure her. The contempt in his eyes was enough for me to know he would have no issues doing whatever it took to win, regardless of how much it could hurt her.

  I should have known she had it all worked out. Every move she made had already been planned out before she even stepped into that ring. She likely already knew what sort of a fighter he was, and if she didn’t, one look told her all she needed to know for her to use his weaknesses against him.

  The whole fight had me rock fucking hard in my jeans. Who knew watching a girl beat the crap out of someone bigger than her could be such a turn-on? Although, I’m pretty sure it had more to do with the fact that the girl was Hadley.

  I was already taken by her; her quiet, strong composure enough to have me intrigued, but seeing her mete out her own justice tonight has pushed me over the edge into obsession. I have to have her. I have to make her mine. I never thought I could find a girl that would understand my past and accept the part of me that is still very much a Black Creek kid at heart.

  Regardless of the over-priced suits and expensive haircut, violence still thrums in my veins, anger still swirls in my core, only expanding every day I have to remain in this insipid school, pretending to give a shit about vapid, self-obsessed students. This is not what I went to college for, this is not the future I wanted for myself. Unfortunately, I’m not here for just myself. As much as I might hate it, this opportunity can help me do a lot of good in the future, I just need to get through the here and now.

  I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket as West barks out for everyone to get lost, and I slip into the inky darkness of the forest, heading back toward the staff accommodation on the
far side of campus before anyone can catch me lurking.

  When I’m far enough away from the clearing, I pull out my phone. Two missed calls from a private number. The phone goes off again in my hand, the same unknown number calling.

  With a low groan, I answer the call, knowing ignoring it any longer will only infuriate him more.

  “What?”

  “Watch your tone with me!” he shouts, already infuriated and we haven’t even gotten to the reason he’s calling. “Why didn’t you answer the first time?”

  “I was busy. I don’t just sit around and wait for you to call. I have a job, you know.”

  “I’m hardly going to forget the job I got you now, am I?” he sneers, making me grit my teeth. I should have known such an opportunity would come with strings, but I was too blinded by the prospect of it all. I was too naive to this world to realize how fucking corrupt the people in it are.

  “What do you want?” I spit the words out, wanting this conversation over with as soon as possible.

  “Lunch at my house on Christmas day. Two o’clock. Don’t be late.”

  “I can’t, I’m going home.” It’s a lie. Mom is working all of Christmas—it’s always easy to pick up extra shifts around the holidays and people are always more generous with tips at this time of year, so it just makes sense—not that he needs to know that.

  “Cancel. You’re coming here. I won’t hear otherwise. We have things to discuss. I had to use favors to get you that cushy job of yours, it’s about time you paid me back.”

  Before I can get a word out—not that I know what to say to any of that—he hangs up, the silence from the disconnected call reverberating in my ear.

  I squeeze the phone tightly in my hand, fighting the urge to throw it against a tree. The fucking infuriating bastard. It’s moments like these that I seriously contemplate just leaving. What the fuck am I even doing here? Then I think about the number of other graduates who are in retail or working minimum wage, dead-end jobs because no one is hiring school counselors in a recession. Despite having him hold shit over my head, I’m lucky to have the job I have. Not only that, but I’m getting my degree to become a professional. Something that will open doors for me and create better opportunities. Plus, I can send money home to Mom to help her out a bit. It’s the least she deserves after all she’s done for me. I can suck it up for one meal and deal with him. How bad can it be? At least I’ll get to eat the best turkey dinner I’ve probably ever had.

  Chapter 25

  It’s three a.m. It’s three a.m., and I’ve got the biggest swim competition of my life tomorrow, not that it really matters. I may be quickly working my way up to qualifying for the Olympic team, but my family will never let me actually compete at that level, not when there's a business to run and responsibilities to uphold. My father just wants to brag that I made it. He’ll push me all the way there, dangle the golden ticket in front of me, then tear it all away; and he’ll get off on it too. Sadistic bastard.

  Despite how painful it’s going to be to turn down my dream, I want to win. I want to go all the way to the end, even if I have to say no. I want to live that dream for even a moment. God knows I’m going to need something to hold on to when I’m stuck behind a desk, bored out of my fucking mind.

  Yet, regardless of how much I want it, it’s three fucking a.m. and I’m wide awake, thinking about her. I’ve done everything I can think of these past two months to get her out of my system. Despite Hawk insisting she be forced to hang around us like a fucking gnat, I ignored her, blocked her out, even went as far as to flirt and mess around with other girls right in front of her, ignoring the fact my dick was like a wet noodle the whole time, only coming to life when she was nearby. Breakfast was fucking torture, having her sit beside me...smelling her. It only infuriates me more that she can get to me like that, and I don’t seem to affect her in the slightest.

  Her turning me down, in front of the whole class no less, was a hit to my ego. There’s no denying that. No one has ever said no to me before, but, of course, I should have fucking expected that to be her answer. She’s always saying no to me. She’s only ever given herself over to me twice, and I stupidly mistook that for her wanting more, for her feeling what I feel.

  Finding that notebook has just pushed me over the edge. How could I have been so fucking stupid? Of course she didn’t want me. She wants my father, or one of our fathers. We’re just stepping stones she’s happy to crush beneath her boots on her way to getting exactly what she wants—money. Hawk has been saying it since the beginning, and I should have fucking listened to him. Well, I’m listening to him now. I’ve been avoiding her ever since, just like he told us to do.

  Bianca’s been a somewhat decent distraction. With some imagination and her face shoved in a pillow, I can get myself off...eventually. But seeing her last night, the way she took down Hawk like a trained professional, holy fuck, my dick’s been stuck in erect mode ever since, and Bianca’s C grade pussy just isn’t cutting it.

  Anger pulses through me. How fucking dare she have this effect over me. She continues to walk around this school—our school—like nothing fucking happened, like she didn’t try to pull one over on us, on me. But you know what? I’m fucking done with that. I’m fucking done with ignoring her. It isn’t enough. That video wasn’t enough. She needs to be taught a fucking lesson, to know she can’t just mess with people like that, she can’t mess with us like that.

  Throwing back the covers, I jump out of bed, fired up and ready to aim my anger at the person who deserves it most. Not bothering to throw on any clothes, I storm out of the apartment in just my boxers, making it over to the girl’s dorm in record time.

  The scholarship girls all have the ground floor, and it doesn’t take me long to find out which room is hers. It’s the only one without any personalized crap on the door. Of course it is, because she never shows anyone anything about her true self. She keeps everything about herself locked down tight. I should have fucking realized. All those nights in the dining hall, chatting, I thought we were getting to know each other, but looking back on it now, I can see the probing questions from her, asking about my parents, my father, my childhood, yet she expertly dodged every question I asked her. Not once did she give me a scrap of info on her childhood, any idea of her inner thoughts. Her wants. Her desires. How the fuck did I not notice that? I was too busy thinking with the wrong head, that’s what was wrong. Well, not anymore.

  I bang on the door far too loudly for this time of night, but who gives a shit. Hopefully it will only make her life here harder if people hear of me coming to her room in the middle of the night. I raise my fist to bang again, but the turning of the key in the lock halts my movements as it swings open, a sleepy, disheveled Hadley standing in front of me in a pair of barely there sleep shorts and a tank top. The scars across her chest and the tops of her arms are fully on display now. I’ve noticed that recently, too. Ever since the video, she’s stopped wearing her baggy, oversized t-shirts. She now wears these tight, revealing tank tops that make her tits look unbelievable as she walks around, not giving a shit that everyone is gaping at her damage.

  I thought for sure that video would break her. She’s been hiding those scars all semester, there’s got to be a reason. If it’s not because she’s embarrassed, then why?

  “Cam?” Sleep is thick in her voice, but one look into the fiery pits of rage in my eyes and her eyes widen, her back snapping straight. Barging into her room, I don’t give her any choice but to move aside, inspecting her inner space as she closes the door behind me. Once again, there’s nothing personal here. No knickknacks, no photos, nothing that tells you anything about the girl that’s lived here the last few months. Whatever, I no longer care who she is.

  “Cam, what are you doing here?” The sleep is gone from her voice, leaving her sounding both weary and on edge. What the fuck does she have to be weary about? I’m the one that’s weary. I’m fucking exhausted, tired of all the lies and deception.
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br />   “Is that why you came here?” I ask, still refusing to look at her. “To get close to one of us? Did you really think you’d get to our parents through us? What would you have done then? West’s dad is the only one who openly cheats on his wife, or were you happy enough to settle for the role of mistress so long as you were paid enough?”

  I finally turn around to face her, seeing my own fury reflected in her face as she glowers at me, her teeth grinding as her eyes spit fire in my direction. Yeah, give me that fire, baby. Burn me with it, because if I’m going to hell, I’ll be bringing you down with me.

  Taking a step toward her, she doesn’t falter. I’ve seen her in the ring, I know how tough she really is. Tougher than I ever realized, but her hostility and refusal to answer just pisses me the fuck off.

  “You never back down, never give up,” I snarl, taking another step toward her. “You didn’t even flinch when I wrapped my hand around your pretty little neck.”

  She tilts her chin, staring me down. The angle accentuates her neck, drawing my attention. Her eyes scream defiance, but something about the move almost feels like she's daring me to try.

  How can I hate her and want her all at the same time? My head and my dick have never been at odds like this before, and I'm getting pretty fucking sick of not knowing what to do.

  I came here to hurt her, to quiet that rage that’s been simmering inside of me for the last two months, but now that I’m here, my dick already hardening in my boxers, I don’t know what to do. Do I hurt her or fuck her? The answer comes to me out of nowhere, hitting me like a zap of lightning. For the first time in too long, every part of me is in agreement—do both!

  My hand snaps out, wrapping around her throat, feeling her steady pulse thrumming beneath my fingers. Is she really not afraid of me? Of the power I have right now? My dick, that's always sporting a semi around her, stands to full attention, like a soldier reporting for duty, more than ready to dive into battle so long as the fight ends in it being buried deep inside her.