Reckless Hate: A Bully High School Romance (enemies-friends-enemies-lovers-enemies) (Westbrook Blues Book 1)

by Thandiwe Mpofu

  “You really aren’t what I expected.” Kim says after a bit but I don’t get to ask her what she means by that because suddenly, we had arrived at the party. And yes, one could tell that there was a party going on but I what I had in mind isn’t what is before my eyes.

  “Well, shit.” Kim gasps, her eyes widening as we both take in the activity right in front of us.

  No, this is not a tame house party, it’s a fucking parade but not for show, for teenagers that want a good time. And to be reckless in the process.

  THERE REALLY ARE NO words for just how much activity is going on here.

  I mean, on one hand there are disco lights that cast the warehouse like place in a shimmer of dark disco lights, Then the music is thumbing really loud, the ground is literally vibrating with it.

  Then the people. There are so many fucking people and all of them are dancing, cluttered around in groups, drinking and there is a bonfire happening in the distance.

  “This is insane.” Kim shouts in my ear and I only nod, feeling overwhelmed by everything in front of me. There is just too much going on. A lot to take in and a lot to navigate. My brain can’t process all this. My heart begins pounding as little flashbacks start playing in my mind.

  I know that I shouldn’t be here, yet I’m here anyway. All for the quest of answers that three individuals are working so damn hard for me not to find out.

  I wonder if Ace knows where I am right now, after all, I did leave that damn phone in my closet. That was stupid of me but I’ve got Kim and I can always use her phone if I need to contact someone.

  “Do you plan on getting wasted?” Kim questions as we start walking. It would have been pretty odd if we just stood there at the edge of the party like freaking statues so, here we are.

  “No, I don’t drink.” I shout back my response.

  “Seriously? Like ever?” She questions and I just nod my head.

  “Well, you really aren’t into parties huh?” She questions but I remain silent. I don’t want to be here. I don’t know if the party goers that are around us can smell the fear and the unease on me but I feel it. I feel it in waves.

  “Okay, if you are not drinking, I will for the both of us. But I won’t leave you until we find Dereck.” She shouts back.

  “Did you text him?” I ask as we make our way at the very back where there are a lot of coolers, kegs and blue solo cups all over the places. The festivities have been well underway and some giggling girls are already inebriated. I wonder if they feel safe, losing their control like that in a place like this.

  Goosebumps break across my skin. I knew I should have taken a jacket but no, I just had to follow Kim’s stupid fashion advice.

  Stupid nerves. Nervous energy, bullshit fear and a tide of unease. Fuck, I shouldn’t be here.

  Attending a party in London was not easy but it was doable, but fuck, I’m not ready for a Westbrook party. Not after what happened the last time I attended one of them.

  “Hot damn! Say, are you love bugs looking for a good time?” A random guy hollers at us and his friends smirk our way.

  “We can give you the time of your lives!” Another guy shouts and I begin shivering. I shouldn’t be here.

  “You wish, asshat!” Kim calls back and we keep walking. “Love bug? As if.”

  “These people are not just drunk, some of them are stoned.” Kim points out as we come across a group of guys and girls acting like their dancing around in the sun.

  “It’s really hot out here.” One of the girls closer to us shouts and it looks like she is about to strip out of her clothes but a girl close to her slaps her hands away.

  “Stop that! It’s actually cold right now. I think we should go home now.”

  “What? No, I don’t wanna go home.” The girl whines and then suddenly the music changes and everyone literally hollers as the beat drops from the loop. Everyone starts jumping up and down to the beat of the eclectic music. It’s actually addictive and once in a blue moon, I was that girl. Carefree and only here for a good time with my girls. Until a good time was the worst time.

  “Astraea, Kim!”

  We turn to the left and spot Dereck as he pushes through the throng of people just so he can reach us.

  “I’m glad you made it. Welcome to the party.” He shouts above the music.

  “I’m not sure this is just a party. What is this?” Kim questions him.

  “Oh, my friend that I told you about, well his brother is at the college over in Springs and well, he brought his whole squad to party out here.” Dereck explains and that’s when I begin noticing that these are not just high schoolers, there are college students here as well.

  I don’t know if the thought of students from the next town, an hour and a half away from here—come out to party is comforting. Anything can go wrong.

  “Come let me get you something to drink.” Dereck shouts and we follow him.

  “Man, there are so many hot guys here.” Kim shouts in my ear as we squeeze our way through. “Are there students from W.B.H?”

  I tense as I wait for that answer too.

  “Just a few, but they are good folk.” Dereck replies and we come to a stop in front of some makeshift tables where bottles upon bottles of alcohol are scattered about.

  If George used to hang out with this guy, does that mean that George was into this wild party kind of lifestyle?

  But how and why? George was never one to drink, I mean him, Noah, Emmett and Ace where all athletes and they all preferred not to drink or to ever do drugs but this place, it’s literally crawling with all kinds of stuff.

  “What’s your poison?” Dereck questions, gesturing to the array before us and I hesitate.

  I don’t particularly trust this guy and revealing a lot about myself could put me in a tight space later on. Do I tell him that I don’t drink? I’m not really a good liar and right now, I’m feeling out of place and out of my element.

  My social anxiety is close to acting up. I can taste it and I know it can attack me at anytime.

  “Uh, I’ll have a Corona. We made a deal earlier. I plan on getting white girl wasted and she agreed to drive so not a drop of alcohol for her.” Kim steps forward and I glance at her with a sigh of relief.

  I don’t know how she knew I needed rescue, but she came through.

  “Well, alright. A Corona kind of girl, very rare around these parts. All these girls like is expensive French wine and shit.” Dereck chuckles but it’s not really a humor kind of laugh.

  Right then a random guy walks up to us, high fives Dereck and then his eyes settle on Kim. He is tall, with shaggy blonde hair and pale blue eyes. He could be considered handsome but well, whatever. I’ve been spoiled by four boys—including my brother. The Blue Boys are my definition of gorgeous.

  “Hey ladies, care for a dance?” He questions but his inquiry is for Kim. And well, the girl is on the prowl tonight so she turns, gives me a small wink and then turns back to the guy.

  “Can you keep up is the question.” She challenges, stepping into him.

  “Oh, I think I can handle this.” He says with an aroused chuckle that makes Kim smile coyly. The little minx knows exactly what she is doing and I watch as she chugs her beer and with the other hand pushes the guy back by his chest.

  I watch worriedly as they go. Dereck must notice the look on my face because he nudges me a bit to gain my attention. “Don’t worry, she will be fine. Eric is a good guy.”

  “Yeah, somehow it’s not Eric I’m worried about.” I say with a small laugh. Kim is something else. I watch as she practically shakes the makeshift dance floor, grinding and winding her waist to the rhythm of the music. She is a fucking pro and I watch with a tug of envy in my chest as she lets go.

  “You wanted to talk?” Dereck questions, bringing me back to reality. It’s somewhat quieter here and we can hear each other without having to shout but whenever the song is changes, people holler and hoot in a deafening scream that pierces the night.

&nbs
p; “Yes, I just wanted to know about my brother is all.”

  “George. Yeah we became friends right after the huge fight that shook the town.” Dereck starts as he watches the party with me but my attention and gaze are now on him. Huge fight?

  “What huge fight?” I question and he turns back to look at me.

  “He didn’t tell you?’ Dereck questions with a rise of his brow. I mutely shake my head, mentally going through every little bit of conversation that my brother and I ever had over the years that I wasn’t here with him but there is no recollection in my head about a fight.

  “Well, there was a huge fight.”

  “Between who and who?” I hold my breath as I watch him because somehow, I know who this fight was with.

  “Alexander fucking King and George.”

  I try my best to hold in my gasp but I really can’t do much about the hard pounding in my chest or the way my body is trembling. Fuck, I should have taken those damn pills, maybe I would be in control right now. And the way he spits out Ace’s name as if there is some bad blood there. . .

  “Why?” I question because it makes no sense. Ace and George where really close, more like brothers since we moved here. They hung out all the time. Why would they fight? Why the fuck didn’t George tell me about a huge fight? How big is huge anyway?

  “Well, there are a lot of rumors of course but no one really knows. Most say it’s because of some girl.” Dereck answers, sipping a beer now.

  My heart stops. Like literally stops, drops to the dirty ground and deflates right in front of my eyes. Pain, unlike anything I have ever experienced hits me right where my beating heart should have been and I gasp out the words.

  “A girl?”

  I don’t know why my heart twists painfully with that knowledge. “George didn’t have a girlfriend.” But Ace on the other hand. . .

  “Well, I’m not even sure about that myself. The Blue Boys have always been exclusive and no one but them actually knew anything.” Dereck says, “I’m surprised that you are back though, rumor has it that you died.”

  “Rumors say a lot of things about me.” I say with a murmur. My heart is beating so much faster but I persevere anyway.

  “What happened the night my brother died? How did he die?” If I wasn’t watching Dereck, I would have missed the sudden emotion that flicks in his eyes but as I try to place it, it disappears and now there is sadness in his eyes? Is that real or is it a front?

  “A tragic car accident. He was speeding and then well, lost control of the car.” Dereck answers, the general answer that everyone has given me so far but I know there is more.

  “Where you with him that night, you know, before it happened?” I question him. A chill goes up and down my spine, goosebumps break on my skin and the hairs at the nape of my neck stand up on end, but I ignore it all.

  I can’t let go of this. I can’t shake my need to know.

  Dereck stares at me for a few seconds as if debating whether or not to answer my question.

  “Listen, Astraea.” He starts, stepping closer to me and I freeze, I know he is going to touch me. “I’m know you are grieving and you want answers but I’m not sure I have the answers you need. He is gone.”

  I don’t know what happens but a buzzing sound starts in my ears and it doesn’t stop. In that same instant, my heart stops and I know that my panic attack has started and I’m at the verge of something tremendously ugly right now. My vision becomes hazy but I fight to stay, I want to move away but I’m frozen. My feet are frozen right where they are planted.

  I have pepper spray in my bag. I can reach over but I can’t move a muscle.

  “Let me help you feel better, we can grieve together.” I can hear Dereck’s voice, can feel the heat from his body now closer to mine than it was and I just can’t catch my breath. Fuck.

  My brain is screaming at me. I have practiced these situations before—numerous times—but now I just. . .I’m frozen. I need to get out of this, now!

  “Is there any water to drink here?” I shout the words and my vision slowly refocused again and I watch as Dereck steps away. I have no idea if he was aware that I was at the verge of having a full blown panic attack, a bigger one that I have never had before but he doesn’t show it. “My throat is suddenly parched.”

  It’s not exactly a lie but I just want a moment to gather myself. This guy. . .

  “Uh, yeah but not here though. Give me a moment, I’ll be right back.” Dereck says and then he quickly turns and is soon swallowed by the crowd but before I can take in a deep sigh of relief, a large hand clamps over my mouth and then my body is pulled backwards and I crash with a dull thumb into a hard, large body.

  Before I can panic, the scream is at the verge of my tongue but just the very contact of his body, just the feel of his harsh breath on my exposed ear and one large arm wrapped around my waist, my entire body literally melts and dissolves into a pile of nothing, because for whatever reason that I can’t explain for the life of me—my entire being knows him.

  Every single inch of me knows him.

  “You have never been one to listen huh. I’ll give you the trouble that you have been looking for, Star.” The words are a low threat and with them, he practically lifts me off the stable, solid ground and we disappear into the shadows.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  ASTRAEA

  I HAVE NO IDEA HOW it can be possible that I’m perfectly calm as I’m being physically transferred to God knows where by a huge, pissed off and angry guy that I hate. I mean, I was just on the very edge moments ago, about to fall hard into a rut that I have never been in a solid three years.

  I haven’t had a strong panic attack like the one I was about to have but now, with Ace arm around me, covering my mouth to restrict any sound from me and another arm around my waist, his strong fingers digging into my skin because my shirt has somehow ridden up.

  I bet there is going to be a bruise there

  I should be panicking right now but nope, not even a single goose bump. The fuck? I can feel him hardening at the small of my back and my body reacts to that as heat pools down to my core.

  We pass through some bushes and trees, going deep into the shadows away from the party, away from the music and the lights. That’s when I start fighting. Bringing both my hands to the strong hand that covers my mouth, I yank with all my might but nothing happens. I grow frustrated and then start twitching and kicking every which way. This is a damn kidnap.

  I don’t know how he manages to avoid any contact from my kicking legs but he does and keeps on moving. He is silent as we move and then I decide to use my mouth. So, I start kissing his hand, and his entire body trembles along with mine. Any movement that passes through him, passes through me as well.

  The steady rise and fall of his powerful chest, is now the rise and fall of mine. Intricately attuned to him in a strange, hypnotic way. But I’m not a fool. I continue kissing until I feel a give and then I go in for the kill. I bite his open palm, with as much gumption as I can.

  Ace growls so deep that I feel it at my very core and then the next thing I know, he literally throws me against something, face first. It’s a truck from the look of it, taller than me but Ace doesn’t care as he plants himself behind me, perfectly molding himself behind me, aligning our bodies in a way that has my heart starts to pound once more.

  “Why, Star?”

  It’s in the way he questions me, in the way that he says the words that I start feeling it.

  Danger.

  In this moment, I can practically feel the violent danger so damn ripe in the air around us, intermixed with the potent, vibrant anger that courses through him. I feel it so acutely. I don’t have to look at him to know, just the way he lets out his frustrated breath, the way he moves, the way one of his large arms is still secure around my waist and moving lower. Ace isn’t just mad, he is downright angry.

  “Why are you here?”

  “Why do you keep insisting on defying me at every fuc
king turn?” His voice is deep, calm but that’s a farce. He is everything but calm.

  “Let go of me.” I grit my teeth as I tell him but my body has the nerve to further melt into him and he holds me, dropping his chin to my shoulder.

  “What happened just now?” He questions but this time, the hardness in his voice is threatening violence. Real violence.

  “Nothing.” I quickly reply, my voice raspy and breathless so I clear it and try again. “Nothing happened.”

  That’s the wrong answer though because Ace spins me around and the next thing I know, he effortlessly lifts me up as if I weigh nothing. Fear of gravity has me quickly wrapping my legs around his lean torso. This contact brings the throbbing, pulsing and needy part of me in direct contact with his hardness and I moan. The friction created by our jeans in that moment has me almost seeing stars.

  Ace grinds into me harshly and we both groan, fucking groan. My tits are rock hard underneath my bra and it’s not because of the breeze. Fuck, I have never felt this way before, I never knew I could react this way after everything but Ace, he acts like he’s always known my body and how it works. Because he knew my mind. . .and I knew his.

  And I fucking hate him for it.

  With the cool car behind me and the hot as sin, angry large six foot three male in front of me, I’m a glutton of messed up, confused and wanton desire.

  None of this should be possible. This shouldn’t be happening. I shouldn’t be feeling this comfortable, this fucking aroused and horny for him. For anyone. . .

  “You want me to fuck the truth out of you?”

  I’m so shocked by his brash statement that I have no control over myself. I slap him right across the face. Silence greets me and I watch, shocked as Ace clenches and unclenches his jaw. I have no idea what’s happening but I know I wasn’t supposed to do that.

  “Ace.” I start but he growls and then in an instant, my mouth is covered by his. And he fucking kisses me.

  His kiss is hard, deep, bruising, angry, unrelenting and it’s a punishment. On their own volition, my hands move from his solid chest in a sensual caressing dance of their own, moving higher to his thick neck and up to his chiseled jaw.