Trapped (Bullied Book 4) (Bullied Series)

by Vera Hollins

  I was supposed to distance myself from him and stop carrying this constant concern for him, but it was impossible. I knew there was nothing I could say or do to help him, but that didn’t stop me from conjuring up various scenarios after he dropped me at Mel’s place and drove off without a word. I had a feeling he would get in serious trouble.

  I spent the whole night tossing and turning on Mel’s sofa, thinking about everything that’d happened in the last week and how I had to apologize to him for intruding into his room and watching that video. My parents and I were going to another Saturday dinner at their house, so I decided to do it then if he was there.

  The thought of doing it so soon created a gnawing feeling in my chest, but I couldn’t keep holding out on him. I had to own up to my mistake and stop being a coward. As Susan had told me many times, honesty was the best policy. Even if it meant I had to face his fury.

  That very thought invoked tears I couldn’t stop for a long time. He would hate me more than ever when he heard I’d invaded a piece of his past, and it would be irreversible.

  I was preparing myself for it the whole day, but that didn’t stop my stomach from fluttering when I got in Dad’s car, and the sensation only intensified the closer we got to the Jones’ mansion. I jacked up the volume of the Florence and the Machine song coming from my AirPods when my phone buzzed with a new text from Kev.

  I’m with my parents at that fancy restaurant that opened last week. Guess what.

  What?

  The owners are Marcus’s parents. And guess who works there as a server.

  I chuckled, knowing where this was going.

  Santa Claus?

  You’re close. Marcus. And he’s waiting on our table!

  My lips curved into a cheek-splitting smile. The day before, Marcus had approached me before our choir practice and asked me if I’d talked to Kevin about him. I told him he should try talking to him himself because Kevin would most definitely appreciate it. After that, Kev and Marcus spent the entire practice talking to each other in hushed whispers, and they looked so cute together. I could see that Kevin was slowly warming up to Marcus. I couldn’t have been happier for him.

  Ooh. And? Give me some details.

  And I can’t eat because he keeps staring at me, and my heart does this weird jumping thing. Also, I feel hot.

  I giggled, bouncing up and down in my seat. So cute!

  Dad looked at me in the rear-view mirror and said something, but I couldn’t hear him because of the music.

  I took my AirPod out. “What?”

  “I said, what has gotten into you? Are you all right?”

  I nodded at him, grinning. “Yep. I’m perfect.”

  “You’re acting just like your mom when she stumbles on a sale.” He winked at her.

  Mom let out an exaggerated sigh and shook her head. “You don’t complain when I buy you ties. Or golf clubs.”

  “You buy them once a year. Once. And how many times do you go shopping in a year?”

  I chuckled. “Probably a thousand times,” I said. “She’s obsessed with sales.”

  She tsked. “I’m not obsessed with sales. There’s nothing wrong with buying new clothes every once in a while.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, more like every once in a week.” I put my AirPod back in my ear and sent another message to Kev.

  I’m over here smiling like crazy, and my dad thinks I’m ready to be put in a straitjacket. That’s so cute!

  He replied a few minutes later.

  He just slipped a note in my lap!

  I squealed and typed quickly.

  What does it say???

  I tapped my fingers on my thigh, almost on the edge of my seat as I waited for his response. I was seriously living for their budding romance.

  It says: Wanna go out with me tomorrow?

  “Yes,” I shouted, and now both Mom and Dad were looking at me like they were going to lock me up in an asylum.

  Say yes. SAY YES.

  His text arrived almost immediately.

  But I’m stuttering, Jess. That’s pretty embarrassing.

  I huffed.

  Don’t you dare say no, Kevin Burks. Marcus isn’t like that. He doesn’t care.

  You think?

  I KNOW. You’re so much more than your stutter, and Marcus knows that. We all know that. He wouldn’t ask you out if he cared about that.

  My dad said something, but once again, I couldn’t hear him. I stopped the music and looked at him. “Yes?”

  “We’ve arrived.”

  My smile dropped. I looked around and took in the Jones’ swanky front door. My hands started to tremble as I stuffed my phone and AirPods into my backpack. My phone buzzed, but I couldn’t focus on it now, taking deep breaths. I would most likely see Blake in just a few moments.

  At least my parents didn’t notice anything unusual about me. We got out of the car into the surprisingly warm night and headed to the entrance. I clung to the strap of my backpack when my dad rang the bell, and the same maid as before opened the door. She met us with a warm smile that didn’t do anything to reduce my growing anxiety before she let us in. Just like the last time, I could almost feel Blake there, and my skin prickled with awareness. I tried my best to play it cool.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Jones are waiting for you in the living room.”

  I stayed behind my parents as we followed her. My mom’s high heels clicked on the marble floor, mixing with the sounds of my heartbeat thundering in my ears, and I willed my legs to move no matter how hard each step was.

  My eyes swept over the living room as we entered it in search of Blake, but he wasn’t there. Again.

  “Owen and Julie, welcome,” Nathaniel said before he directed his million-watt smile at me. “And Jessica. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

  I smiled at him weakly and met Daniela’s gaze; yet again, she wore a smile that contradicted the cold in her eyes. I felt like she could see right through me.

  “Hello,” I said, shaking hands with them.

  “Come sit.” Nathaniel motioned to the couch. “Our son is about to come home any moment now.”

  My pulse accelerated at once. The prospect of seeing Blake after the night before did something strange to my body. Despite my anxiety and his painful revelation, my thoughts raced to those heated moments between us as I took a seat.

  I blushed, remembering well how good his hand had felt on my most sensitive part. His words had brimmed with lust, matching his ravaging gaze that was imprinted on my mind forever. No one had ever looked at me the way he had. No one, but it felt bitter. Whatever we felt for each other was pinned beneath the blocks of past hatred and his promises.

  I wrung my hands together. I could see that my dad and Nathaniel had become friendlier since our first dinner, and even Daniela, who had seemed cold and distant the last time, sounded more interested in what Mom had to say now.

  The maid served us our drinks—whiskey for the gentlemen, wine for the ladies, and a good old orange juice for me—and Dad and Nathaniel dived into a topic that was as old as time: politics.

  I was restless as I listened to them talk, dying of boredom. I was close to taking my phone out of my backpack to spend time on Instagram, but I knew it would be impolite, so I just stared into nothing and nodded at what they were saying, pretending I knew what the conversation was all about. Blake took forever to arrive…

  The heavy footsteps resonated in the hall, and my throat turned dry. Seconds passed in soaring nervousness, and then he appeared at the doorstep with a black motorcycle helmet in his hand, dressed in a black motorbike jacket and pants that left me short of breath. He was ridiculously sexy, and when he ran his hand through his disheveled hair, I stopped breathing. I couldn’t quite grasp that this guy here had been all over me the previous night and looked at me as if he’d never seen a prettier girl in his life.

  He raised his head. His eyes went over my parents before they reached me, and he halted, his eyebrows drawing together as i
f he was surprised to see me. He looked back at my parents, and then at me again, and it seemed he was putting two and two together.

  “Son. You finally decided to grace us with your presence,” Nathaniel said and stood up, wearing a smile that was easy to see through. He wasn’t pleased with Blake.

  “I told you I couldn’t make it earlier,” Blake told him, not intimidated by Nathaniel in the least.

  “And we told you this dinner is important,” Daniela said sweetly as she got to her feet. “Meet our son, Blake.” Her smile could have cut through ice. “Blake, this is Owen Metts. He’s one of your father’s attorneys.” She motioned at my dad, and he stood up to shake hands with Blake.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Blake. Nathaniel has told me a lot about you.” My dad shook his hand firmly, and something coiled in my stomach at seeing my dad shake hands with a guy who was my bully, my crush, and my ceaseless source of contrasting emotions.

  Blake, who was taller than my dad by three inches, returned his gaze with all the confidence in the world. “It’s good to meet you too, sir.” His voice was so deep, and I squirmed in my seat.

  “And this is Julie Metts,” Daniela said, continuing with the introductions. Blake stopped in front of my mom, who smiled softly at him. My heart gave a kick in my chest, reacting to his nearness.

  “It’s good to meet you, Mrs. Metts.”

  “Likewise, Blake.” She took his hand and shook it briefly. The barely visible smile he’d had for my mom disappeared when he met my gaze.

  “Blake, this is Jessica. She goes to your school,” Daniela said.

  I stood up on shaky legs. I partly expected him to pretend he didn’t know me. His expression was unreadable as we stared at each other in lingering silence.

  “I know her very well,” he said quietly, his gaze unblinking. He held out his hand, and for a second, I just stared at it, surprised. I licked my lips and extended my hand, captivated by his darkening eyes.

  His long fingers wrapped around my hand, and I felt a tug in my stomach. His touch was warm and intoxicating. Our hands remained connected as his thumb brushed the back of my hand in slow, sensual circles. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move a muscle as we looked at each other, lost in our own world. My chest grew so tight, and when his eyes flitted to my lips, it was like the previous night all over again. It was obvious that both of us wanted another taste.

  Nathaniel said something, and Blake released my hand, bringing me back to our dull reality. He took a seat on the sofa on the other side of the room, putting distance between him and his parents. It was hard not to notice they weren’t close-knit.

  Whenever his parents tried to include him in the conversation, he fired off some rude remark, openly showing what he thought about his parents’ get-togethers. I caught my parents exchanging a few furtive glances, which showed they were also bewildered by this strained family relationship.

  Suddenly, disappointment flooded my chest. I hadn’t known what to expect from his parents, but I’d thought and hoped they would be more supportive of their son. After seeing that video, I had to wonder if they had ever been his pillars of support. It was obvious the event had scarred him, so he should have had someone who would help him and guide him through life.

  It seemed he was alone—even with his friends.

  We moved to the dining room. This time it was a different one, with a picturesque view of the outdoor pool and flowering hedges surrounding it. Somehow, Blake ended up sitting right next to me, which was a feat because the table could accommodate the whole presidential delegation and he had plenty of seats to choose from.

  His fragrance dominated the air I inhaled. I was too aware of his every move, and I had to will my hands to work properly as I put food on my plate and cut it, hoping I wouldn’t mess something up. Paying extra attention to table manners was one of the things I disliked about these gatherings, and being so close to Blake made it almost impossible to accomplish.

  Our hands brushed when we reached for the salt at the same moment. He turned rigid, and his eyes went to my lips. I looked away, thinking about our recent kisses again.

  “So, Blake, Nathaniel told me you’ll be going to law school?” my dad said.

  I didn’t miss the displeasure that flashed over Blake’s face. “Yes, sir,” he replied, cutting his steak a little too hard. The tone of his voice revealed he wasn’t happy about law school, and I wanted to know why.

  “And have you chosen a college?” Dad asked.

  Blake swallowed his steak and took a sip of his Coke. “You should ask my father that.” He glared at Nathaniel. “He calls the shots.”

  Nathaniel cast a quick scowl at Blake, one I could’ve easily missed if I hadn’t been looking at him. He cleared his throat. “Right. He will attend Columbia.”

  I whipped my gaze to Blake. “New York?” I asked, unable to hide the surprise in my voice.

  I’d accepted my music college admission in New York just a few hours earlier. It was a part of my decision to start owning my life and following my dreams instead of letting my parents decide my future—and now Blake was going to New York too?

  Blake just tilted his head to the side and studied me quietly.

  “Yes,” Nathaniel answered instead of him. “Columbia has one of the best law programs.”

  Blake sneered at him. “But I still haven’t accepted their admission.”

  “You will,” Nathaniel answered in a tone that left no room for discussion.

  Blake dropped his fork on his plate; an almost deafening clank stunned us all into silence. My parents glanced at each other, struggling to keep their expressions neutral.

  “You’ve got it all figured out, huh?” Blake mocked. “Ship me off to some faraway college so you don’t have to deal with me, right?”

  Daniela stiffened. “Blake, this is not the time or place to talk about that matter.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek. It was like I was watching a tennis match as I looked between Blake and his parents on the other side of the table, only they weren’t lobbing a tennis ball but venom. Lots of venom.

  “It’s never the time or place, Mom.” He spat the last word with hot anger, clenching his fist on his thigh.

  “We talked about this, son,” Nathaniel told him. “You’re meant for a better school than that measly local college.”

  So, Blake wanted to attend a local college. I wondered why.

  “No. That’s not it, and you know it,” Blake said. “You just want me far away from here.”

  “And for a reason, Blake.” Nathaniel’s knuckles went white as he tightened his grip on the fork. “You’ll be better off there with…with your issues.”

  My thoughts raced through my head as I tried to keep up with them, but then Daniela said, “Blake, why don’t you take Jessica on a tour around the house? You can get to know each other better, seeing as you’re the same age.”

  I choked on my saliva. I looked at Blake, who glowered at his mother, both his hands now fisted on his thighs.

  “Of course. Anything to keep this dinner civilized. Good reputation and all that.” He shot up to his feet, making the chair scrape the floor loudly. “Follow me,” he told me gruffly. He didn’t even wait for me, rushing out of the room in a few quick strides.

  “Please excuse our son,” Daniela said, but she didn’t sound apologetic at all. “He’s just hot-tempered sometimes, but it will pass.”

  “Teenage hormones,” Nathaniel added with a smile that was supposed to be charming, but it had the opposite effect on me.

  “Of course,” my mom concurred, just to remain polite.

  “Um…” I said, unsure of what to do. I glanced between Mom and Dad as I stood up.

  Mom didn’t look like she wanted me to be around someone so full of negative energy, but Daniela offered another of her tight-lipped smiles and said, “It’s okay, Jessica. Go on.”

  I turned my head to conceal my frown. I was astounded that she cared so little about Blake’s feelings. I
felt more than grateful that I had a mother who would never treat me so condescendingly, with no care or desire to help me. My legs carried me out of the room hurriedly, my heart urging me to go show Blake he wasn’t alone in this world.

  It was naïve to think he would accept my company or comfort, because just one glance at him standing with his tense back turned to me in the hallway told me he wanted to be alone.

  I gnawed at my lower lip and stopped right behind him. “You don’t have to show me around the house, you know.” His breathing was ragged, and I wished I could drive that tension out of him.

  “I didn’t plan to. Come on.”

  Once more, he walked away without waiting for me and led me to the back porch. I followed him into the quiet night that smelled of grass and exquisite flowers; the air was cold enough to leave little chilly bites all over my skin, so I was glad I was wearing a wool sweater.

  He didn’t stop on the porch like I expected him to. He proceeded down a stone path that was illuminated by a row of small garden lights, and we reached a garden that had me frozen to the spot. It was dimly lit, but the lack of light only added to its magic.

  There was a small pond in the middle, and its surface glimmered under the starlit sky. A stone path that curved around it ended at a deck with a small wooden roof and a wooden bench surrounded by pots of flowers. Flowering vines grew along the lattice panels that enclosed the garden, which brought a unique touch to the space, and I was immersed in the sight.

  Blake went over to sit on the bench, which pulled me out of my daze. I moved toward him with slow steps.

  “Why did we come here?”

  He had yet to look at me, his gaze downcast. My eyes went over his slumped form, then his widely spread legs, and a flicker of warmth danced through me. Shadows emphasized the sharp lines of his cheeks and jaw, giving him a dark allure that was irresistible.

  “Because this is the only place on this estate that doesn’t make me feel like I’m walled in.” He looked at the house with a gaze that told me what I needed to know even before he uttered the words. “I hate that place. It’s a prison.”