by Caitlyn Dare
Hayden climbs up on stage and accepts his crown before Vager takes to the mic once again.
Scanning the room, I find that Michaela is still surrounded by her squad, but it seems that the IT geeks have lost their nerve because the still shot of her that played out at the end of the video has gone. I kinda hoped it would stay up longer, but I guess it did its job. Everyone at Sterling Prep now knows what a vile bitch Michaela really is.
“Lylah Donovan,” sounds around the room. The cheer squad erupts as she emerges from helping to rip their captain a new one. She’s shocked, but not as shocked as Hayden. She soon covers it as she laps up everyone’s attention. I could think of much nicer girls who deserve that crown, but at least she’s better than the likes of Michaela.
“So how about that, then.” I turn to Remi with a shit-eating grin on my face. It falls immediately when I realize that she’s no longer beside me. “Remi?” I call, although it’s pointless with the amount of noise in here.
Looking around, I see no sign of her, although I do catch a glimpse of Michaela running toward the exit. “Fucking hell,” I mutter, heading off in search of my girl.
I thought she’d be delighted to watch her archenemy crash and burn before her eyes, but her disappearance says otherwise.
Part of me knew she’d be angry. I may not have touched Michaela, but I stared at her naked body when I should have been focusing on my girlfriend’s. I just hoped that the outcome would make her forget that little fact.
I stumble across Conner and Hadley, who are still dancing despite the fact that there’s now no music playing. “Have you seen Remi?”
“No, last I saw she was dancing with you. Did you fucking see that, bro?” Conner laughs, pointing to the wall where the video played out.
“She had it coming.”
“Waaait…” His eyes widen. “That was—”
“So you haven’t seen her?” I ask again before he drops me in it.
“No.”
“She probably just went to the bathroom. Want me to go and check?” Hadley adds.
“No, it’s okay. I’m probably just overreacting.”
“Because that’s so unlike you,” Conner mutters.
Turning my back on him, I continue looking for her. Pulling my cell from my pocket, I hit call on her number, but it just rings off. I see no sign of her, and after returning to Hadley to take her up on her offer of checking the bathroom, we discover she’s not in there either.
“She’s gone,” I state.
“Well, go and fucking get her,” Hadley sasses with her hand on her hip.
“Jesus fucking Christ. Women are hard work,” I mutter.
“I heard that.”
“You were meant to.” I look up at my brother. “Careful she doesn’t dig her claws in too deep.”
“This one?” Conner says, looking at Hadley with a little too much interest twinkling in his eyes. “Puh-lease.”
Turning my back on them, I head for the exit. Wherever she is, I’m determined to find her and tell her everything. I did all of that for her so she no longer has to deal with that bitch. I need her to understand that.
I slam the doors back on themselves as I walk out, leaving the drama behind me. I’ve no doubt that people are going to be talking about this night for a long ass time. A smile creeps onto my lips, knowing that I was the one who dethroned the queen.
I really can’t believe no one did it sooner. The way she treats people is deplorable.
It’s dark out with just the light of the moon guiding the way as I head toward the parking lot. I’d put money on her going home to lock herself in her room once again, but I’m fed up of playing these games. I’m done with pretending to be anything but one hundred percent hers.
I’m almost at my bike when I hear raised voices. A shiver races down my spine before I take off in the direction it came from. I round the building as silently as I can—if something is going on, I don’t want to announce my arrival too early.
I tell myself that I’m acting crazy. I’m not in the Heights now. People don’t get dragged off into dark corners like it’s a normal thing here. But it seems you can take the boy out of the Heights but you can’t take the Heights out of the boy, because as I get closer, pressing up against the wall in the hope of remaining hidden, my hand moves to the switchblade in my waistband.
“How many times do I have to tell you, Bexley. I. Don’t Fucking. Care.” I freeze at the sound of Remi’s voice.
At the sound of her shouting again, I jerk into action, racing around the corner.
What I find before me makes me see red as I take off in her direction.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Remi
Bexley’s arms cage me in against the wall as I glare up at him. “I said back the fuck up.”
“Remi, come on. Why are you being like this?” he drawls. “We used to be friends, didn’t we? Until Jagger—”
“You think this has anything to do with Ace?” Disbelief coats my words. “Things went wrong between us long before he ever showed up.”
“We could be so good together.” He leans in closer, his bitter breath wafting over me.
Bexley is on something. That much was obvious when he grabbed me while I was standing right beside Ace. Everyone had been too busy watching Vager about to announce Homecoming king and queen to notice me march him out of there to give him a piece of my mind.
I thought he was just drunk, but his pupils are blown, and he’s acting jittery, his wild gaze darting around my face and then off at nothing.
“What happened to you, Bexley?” I ask. This isn’t the boy I’d once shared my secrets with.
“It should have been you and me.” He repeats the words again, as if it changes anything.
“I should go before Ace realizes I’m gone.” Pushing one of his arms away, I duck around him but Bexley snags my wrist, yanking me back. My ankle rolls in the stupid boots I let Mom talk me into wearing, and I lose my footing. The world tilts and I’m falling. Pain explodes in my head as it smashes into the brick wall.
“Remi!” someone yells. “Get the fuck off her!”
“A-Ace?” I cry, bringing a hand to my head only to be met with sticky blood.
“Fuck, man, I wasn’t… she fell. I didn’t mean… Remi?” Hands grab at me but Ace growls, “I said, get the fuck off her.”
I can suddenly breathe again as Bexley is ripped off me.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Ace’s tone is cold, deadly. I try to sit up, to see what’s happened, but everything is spinning.
“Remi? Oh, my God,” a familiar voice cries, and then Hadley’s blurry face appears.
“Hads?”
“It’s okay, you’re okay.” She pulls me up and wraps an arm around me. My vision slowly returns, and I can see now, see as Ace and Bexley circle each other.
“You’re going to pay for that,” Bexley spits.
“I’m going to pay?” Ace chuckles darkly. “I’m going to fucking end you for ever laying a hand on Remi.”
“Hadley, stop him, please.” A garbled cry spills from my lips as Ace lunges for Bexley, the two of them crashing to the ground with a thud.
“She was mine,” my ex-childhood friends roars. “And you fucking stole her.”
The two of them are a blur of fists and limbs as they roll and jostle each other for dominance. Bexley might be a well-conditioned athlete, but Ace fights like he always has.
To survive.
He rains hellfire down on Bexley, his fist slamming into his face, his nose, and ribs. Bexley grunts and groans, blood trickling from his eye and a deep split in his lip.
Ace relents, letting Bexley clamber to his feet. He glances back at me, his expression so dark I shudder. “Is she okay?”
“She’s bleeding, and I think she might have a concussion,” Hadley says, hugging me tighter.
“I feel...” My head rolls as I try to stay lucid.
“Fuck,” someone else says, and Cole and Conner jog
into view. There’s no light back here, just the silvery hue of the moon. It’s ethereal, illuminating them like three fallen angels stalking their prey.
“What the fuck?” Cole asks.
“The motherfucker was trying to hurt her.”
Conner jogs over to us and crouches down, brushing the hair from my face. “Hey there, Princess. How are you holding up?”
“A-Ace...” my voice cracks.
“Shit.”
“Fuck,” he breathes.
“We should get her out of here.”
“No.” I grab his shirt. “A-Ace will take care of it. I don’t...” The words are gone before I can get them out.
“You like hurting girls?” Cole’s low growl vibrates through me, and I whimper.
“Shit, budge up, Hads. Let me get her.” My body is twisted until I’m seated across Conner’s lap. He presses something to my head, and I wince in pain.
“Shh, it’ll help with the bleeding until we can get you looked at.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“He’ll only lose it if I try to take her anywhere.”
“Conner,” I whisper.
“Shh, I’ve got you, Remi. Ain’t no one going to hurt you again.”
“H-he... texting me. T-think he... stalking me.”
“Fuck,” he hisses. “Did you know about this?”
“Not a word,” Hadley says. “I knew he had it bad for her, but I didn’t think...”
My eyes are heavy, but I can just make out Ace and Cole beating the crap out of Bexley. “S-stop.” I tug at Conner’s shirt. “Don’t let him...”
“You’re done, Danforth. I’m going to take everything you love, everything you hold fucking dear, and destroy it. Starting with your throwing arm.”
“N-no,” I croak, desperate for somebody to stop Ace.
I may be slipping, but I know I don’t want to be the reason Ace loses himself.
But it’s too late.
A loud crack echoes through the air, followed by a blood-curdling scream... and then everything goes black.
I slowly peek open my eyes, only to be met with eyes so blue I’d know them anywhere.
“Thank fuck, Princess.” Relief floods Ace’s expression.
“W-where am I?” There’s a thick fog clouding my thoughts.
“The pool house.” He runs a finger along my cheek, pushing the hair from my face.
I try to sit up, but pain explodes along my forehead. “Ace?” I croak, fear gripping my throat like a vise.
“Try not to move too quickly. The doctor said it could hurt for a little while.”
“The doctor?”
“You don’t remember?”
I shake my head, immediately regretting it.
“James was able to call in a favor. I didn’t think you’d want to go to hospital.”
“Hospital? What happened?”
“What can you remember?” He eyes me warily as I search the recesses of my mind.
“It was Homecoming... we danced. There was a video.” Images of Michaela tied naked to a chair flood my mind. “You set her up.”
His lip curves smugly. “They announced Hayden and Lylah as Homecoming king and queen, and then Bexley—"
A pained sob slips from my lips.
“What the fuck were you doing out there with him?”
I rear back at his hostility, but Ace’s expression instantly softens. “Shit, I’m sorry… I’m not mad, I just…”
“He grabbed me at the dance, right after Hayden got crowned king. He said he wanted to talk. I didn’t want to cause a scene.”
“You should have told me.” His jaws clenches.
“So you could have beaten him half to death in front of the entire school?” I tremble. “I fell, Ace. It was an accident.”
Ace scoffs at that. “He was all up in your face, I saw him.”
I don’t argue because Ace is right. Bexley had been aggressive, and it wasn’t the first time.
“I think he was on something.”
“Yeah.” He ran a hand over his jaw, inhaling a shaky breath. “When I saw him with you, I lost it.”
My eyes flick to Ace’s hand, noticing his busted knuckles. “What did you do?”
“Taught that motherfucker a lesson.” His tone sends chills zipping up my spine.
“Did you... hurt him?”
Hazy images drift through my mind. Ace and Bexley fighting. Bexley screaming in pain.
“I broke his arm.”
“Ace...” I sigh. “The Danforths will press charges, they’ll—”
“You think I give a shit? He’s lucky I didn’t rip off his dick and feed it to him after that.” Ace leans closer, his eyes fixed right on me. “I wanted to kill him, Remi. I wanted to take my knife and drive it through his fucking skull.”
“But you didn’t...”
“No, I didn’t.” He releases a strained sigh. “I knew if I did, I’d lose you. I’m not that guy anymore.”
“So he’s okay?” I don’t know how to feel about what happened to Bexley.
Ace nods. “After I finally dragged Cole off him, we called 911 and James. I knew the fucker’s old man would come ready to go after me, so I told James he’d better do the same. James is over there right now.”
“He is?”
“Said he’ll handle everything.”
I sink back against the pillows. “I don’t know what to say. It wasn’t how I saw Homecoming going…”
“You don’t have to say anything.” Ace brushes his thumb across the curve of my hand. “The only thing that matters is that you’re okay.”
“You called James… You didn’t...”
“Take matters into my own hands? Trust me, I wanted to. I wanted to end him. But like Michaela, I realized that to hit him where it hurt most, we needed to go after his legacy. He’s out.”
“What do you mean?”
“The team. Sterling Prep. He’s done, Princess. Rumor has it, he’s been using for a while now. That along with how fucking weird he’s become around you is enough leverage to make him disappear. The Danforths might have deep pockets, but it won’t work. Not this time.”
I let Ace’s words sink in. I’d always known Bexley was a rich and entitled asshole. Sure, we used to be friends, but things soon changed when I got curves and grew boobs.
A tremor rolls through me as I consider what might have happened if Ace hadn’t found me.
Ace notices and his jaw clenches. “Remi, I love you. You’re my girl. It’s my job to protect you. I know I can be a bit hot-headed and wade into a situation without all the facts, but I’ve lost you before. I don’t plan on doing anything to jeopardize what we have.
“I don’t want to lose you, baby. Ever.”
“So Michaela...” Pain floods my chest. “What was that?”
“That was an error in judgement. I should have told you my plan. I should have made sure you knew that nothing happened.”
“But it did, didn’t it?”
Guilt flashes in his eyes and I know I’m right. “How did you—”
“When you came to my room in the middle of the night, I could just tell. I know you Ace. I see you.”
“Shit.” He sits back in the chair, running a hand over his face. He looks exhausted, a slight bruise mottling the skin around his eye.
“Just tell me...”
“She kissed me. Fuck, I swear it wasn’t supposed to happen that way. But she caught me off guard and before I knew it she’d—
“Okay,” I hiss. “I don’t need details. Is that all that happened?”
“Yes. Fuck, Princess, I promise. I never touched her, and I certainly didn’t let her touch me. It was all a ruse to get her talking.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?” He peeks over at me, and I nod.
“What’s done is done. I don’t want to look back, I just want to put this whole ordeal behind me and focus on the future.”
A future without Michaela on her throne and Bexley lur
king around every corner.
“I love you, Remi. You know that, right?” Uncertainty glitters in Ace’s eyes.
I nod, and his shoulders sag with relief. “You know, I hated the idea of coming here, of starting a new life and leaving the Heights behind. But honestly, it’s the best thing that could have happened to me. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”
Tugging his hand, I manage to lean up and curl my hand around his neck, drawing his face to mine. “I love you too, Ace Jagger.” My lips find his. “Always.”
A few hours later, we’re in the pool house, curled up on the couch. The doctor stopped by earlier to check in on me. He thinks I have a mild concussion, but otherwise, I’m okay.
A loud knock startles me and Ace chuckles, dropping a kiss on my head. “It’s just James, see.” I follow his finger and find his father standing on the other side of the door.
“You can come in,” Ace calls, and James slips inside.
“It’s nice to see you up and about.” He smiles warmly. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ll be okay. Thank you... for everything.”
“Remi, you never have to thank me, sweetheart. You know I think of you like a daughter.” The blood drains from his face and he scratches his jaw. “I guess I might have to rethink that one.”
I smother another chuckle. I guess it is a little weird that, if James and my mom ever end up getting married, one day me and Ace could be stepsiblings.
“Don’t even go there,” Ace grumbles as if he knows exactly what I’m thinking. “I wanted you long before I found out James was my dad.”
“Yes, well,” James clears his throat, a slight flush to his cheeks. “I just wanted to come and tell you that the Danforths won’t be pressing any charges.” He gives Ace a pointed look.
“What?” Ace scoffs. “He got off lightly.”
“Son, you broke the boy’s arm. He might never throw a football again.”
“Do I need you to remind you that he’s been harassing Remi?”