In Ruins (A Black Falls High Novel Book 1)

by K. G. Reuss

  The pounding in my chest overshadowed the one in my head as I fumbled beneath the blankets to make sure I was fully clothed. A breath of air left me when I realized my clothes were still in place.

  I needed to get out of there. I wasn’t sure how though. One of them would surely wake, ruining my getaway. I tried to inch away from Ethan but found myself closer to Cole. I shifted slightly, holding my breath, hoping maybe I could slide out from beneath them and escape at the foot of the bed.

  “Going somewhere, Rosebud?” Cole’s muffled voice met my ears as I attempted another shift.

  I froze in my spot as he peered at me through slitted eyes. My heart nearly stopped. He was gorgeous with his messy hair and pouty lips as he locked eyes with me.

  “I-I need a drink,” I stammered.

  “I’ll get it,” Ethan said from behind me, giving my waist a slight squeeze. His warmth disappeared a moment later, leaving just me and Cole in bed together.

  “You’re a bed hog,” Cole commented, adjusting his head on the pillow to get a better look at me.

  I didn’t say anything. I looked away from him, struggling to remember what I’d done the night before. It was then that I realized Fox was sleeping in a chair by the window, and Enzo was curled up on the floor in a sleeping bag.

  They’d all stayed in the room with me.

  “We have a lot to talk about.”

  I jerked my attention back to him, wincing.

  “I just want to go home, Cole. Please.”

  He scooted closer to me and tugged my body up against his. My breath hitched in my chest at his nearness.

  “Say that again.”

  “Say what again?” I exhaled out a shaky breath.

  “The part where you begged me.”

  I swallowed down the whimper as I stared back at him.

  “Please, can I go home?” My words came out in a choked, shaky whisper.

  “I don’t think so.” He brushed his lips against mine so gently, he barely skimmed them. “Not until we talk.”

  I didn’t get a chance to ask what we’d possibly need to talk about because Ethan came back and handed me a glass of water. I sat up, much to Cole’s annoyance, and slurped down the cool drink.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Ethan placed the glass on the nightstand and got back into bed, surprising me. It must have shown on my face because he gave me a wink, his sweet smile making my heart flutter.

  “Isn’t she nice to wake up next to?” Cole commented, trailing his warm touch against my jaw.

  “Yes,” Ethan agreed, shifting closer to me.

  I couldn’t believe I was in bed between two of the hottest guys at Black Falls High. And they weren’t being mean. I had to be dreaming.

  “She’s so nervous.” Cole chuckled softly, his warm breath tickling my skin. Goosebumps popped up all over my body as he moved to rest his hand on my abdomen now that I was on my back.

  “We won’t hurt you, Rosebud. Unless you like that.” Cole nuzzled against my neck, pep-pering kisses along it. I couldn’t stop myself from arching my neck to give him better access.

  Ethan and I stared at one another, a tiny smile on his lips. It felt odd and strangely hot to have Cole kissing my skin with Ethan watching.

  I jumped when Fox called out, “Knock it off.”

  Cole rolled away with a groan, putting distance between us. Even Ethan moved away, casting me a quick, reassuring smile in the process.

  “You’re a fucking buzzkill, Evans,” Cole grumbled as he lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. “What’s the rule? If you aren’t getting any, none of us can? That’s messed up. You know that’s not how this works.”

  “Piss off,” Fox grumbled.

  “Would you guys shut the hell up?” Enzo muttered from his sleeping bag. “I’m trying to sleep here.”

  “Get up,” Fox grunted, getting to his feet. His gaze locked on mine. The heat from the situation crowded my skin, making me feel like I was on fire. There I was, lying between two of the sexiest guys I knew, and there Fox was, looming over me with a strange look on his face. A look that made my tummy twist with excitement.

  He blinked, and it all disappeared, a scowl replacing everything that had almost been on his face.

  “Rosalie, do you know what the hell happened last night?”

  I sat up, trying to untangle myself from Cole, who’d wrapped his arm around my waist again. He cast me a smirk, clearly enjoying the discomfort he had me in.

  “I drank too much and wound up in here with you jerks.”

  “Easy,” Cole grunted, giving me a squeeze.

  “Before you ended up in here with us jerks, you were shirtless and getting fingered by that dweeb from the school paper,” Fox continued.

  “After he drugged you,” Ethan added.

  “I-I didn’t know it was him. When he asked me earlier, I told him no. In the room, when he was kissing me... and touching me...” I shuddered as I thought about his hands on me. Cole tugged me against his chest with a growl. “I didn’t think it was him. I thought it was...” I glanced over at Fox.

  The vein in Fox’s neck throbbed as he glared at me.

  Cole ran a hand down my spine. “Rosebud, I told you not to drink so much. And I told you to never drink something you didn’t watch get poured. This is why.”

  I pushed back from him, jabbing my finger into the center of his chest. "Remember what you said? I should let whatever happen, happen? Well now look at the mess! This is your fault because I listened to you!"

  Cole snorted. "If you’d have listened, you’d have been naked in my bed, not incoherent with someone else.”

  Fox snarled at Cole’s words. But I didn’t dare look at him. Oh, god. I’d been imagining Fox’s hands were on me when it had been Ian’s. Nausea made me lightheaded.

  “Do you have any idea what could’ve happened to you if we hadn’t come in when we did?” Ethan asked.

  I stiffened in my spot, images flashing through my mind. Bad images. I scrambled to get out of bed, nearly knocking Ethan off the edge in the process. I stumbled around, looking for my shoes.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Enzo asked, sitting up. His hair was a dark mess, his eyes tired as he watched me with interest.

  “I-I need to go. I have to talk to Ian—”

  “That’s the last thing you’re going to do,” Fox hissed, tugging my shoes out of my hands. I opened my mouth to protest, but he shoved me back onto the bed. Cole was quick to wrap his arms around my waist so I couldn’t get up.

  “You don’t have any right—” I started, but Fox shook his head at me, his blue eyes flashing.

  “I have every fucking right, Rosalie. You were about to screw some loser at a party. What the hell is the matter with you?”

  “Why do you care? And I thought I told you that you’re not the boss of me!” I ground my teeth, wanting to tear into him. Cole’s hold on me tightened, like he knew exactly what was going through my mind.

  “I am the boss of you.” Fox breathed heavy, his chest rising and falling as his anger grew. I’d never seen him so mad before. If I ’wasn’t so angry, I would’ve been afraid of him in that moment.

  “Like hell you are!”

  “Easy, Rosebud. Hear Fox out,” Cole admonished.

  I ground my teeth and glared at Fox.

  “I guess you need your memory prodded.”

  I held my breath as Fox dug around in his pocket and pulled out his phone. He approached and knelt in front of me. Bile rose in my throat as I watched the image play on the screen. It was me and Ian, tangled up in one another on a bed. I winced as we started removing each other’s clothes. It grew even worse when we began touching one another, our lips never breaking apart. In my mind, it had been Fox, not Ian. I didn’t want Ian. I never wanted Ian. But it didn’t look that way on the screen.

  “Why do you have that?” I whispered hoarsely, tearing my eyes from the train wreck on the screen and looking at Fox. Somethin
g told me I wasn’t going to like the answer.

  “Insurance.” The word was loaded, cocked back and ready to ruin my life. I knew it.

  “For what?” I asked, shaking.

  Ethan reached over and squeezed my hand.

  “To make sure you fall in line and do as you’re told.” Fox moved away from me and paced the room. I twisted my fingers nervously, waiting for the nail in my coffin.

  “We own you, Rosie. If this video gets out, everything will be ruined for you. You’ll be ruined. As much as I’d love to watch you crash and burn, I feel like I have a better use for you. That we have a better use for you.”

  “What are you talking about? You said yourself that Ian drugged me. I didn’t have any idea what I was doing. I didn’t choose to do that with him.” My voice grew hoarse as I stared at Fox.

  “It doesn’t look like you were an unwilling participant. No one can tell you were drugged in this part. So, in order for us to not send the video to everyone in school or upload it to the best porn sites in the country...” Enzo started, glancing around at the guys.

  Ethan shifted next to me. Fox continued to glare.

  “Yeah?” I prompted.

  “You become ours,” Ethan finished, his voice low.

  I frowned over at him. “What?”

  “Ours.” Cole rolled his eyes as he released me and moved to sit beside me. “Like we own you. You do what we tell you to do, when we tell you to do it, including sucking my dick if I tell you to.”

  “You’d really upload a video of me almost getting raped?” I screeched, tears prickling my eyes. “Screw you!” I snarled, jumping to my feet.

  “That’s the point.” Cole chuckled.

  “I’m not your whore. You can have anyone you want. Why me? Why this?”

  “Why not?” Cole challenged.

  “You didn’t mind being a whore for Ian last night,” Fox’ said at the same time, his glare hardening.

  I snapped my attention to him. “I told you, I didn’t think it was him. This is all your fault. You did this!” I hissed at him, my hands balled into fists.

  “I didn’t do shit,” he scoffed, shaking his head at me. “That was all you, Rosie.”

  “You were mean to me—”

  “Everyone is mean to you. You’d think you’d be used to it by now.”

  “What the hell is the matter with you, Fox? We used to be best friends. You promised we always would be! What the hell is this? You decide to blackmail me to be your bitch instead? You have a girlfriend! What are you going to do? Have me suck you off while you’re on the phone with her, telling her that you love her charming viper personality?” I shouted, my throat tight from anger. I let out a yelp as Fox pushed me down onto the bed, his hand over my mouth.

  “I cannot emphasize this enough, Rosie, but shut your damn mouth before something really bad happens.” His blue eyes were hard as he glared down at me.

  I shook beneath his hold, anger bubbling to a boiling point within me. I’d made a mistake. But I wasn’t about to be blackmailed because of it.

  He removed his hand from over my mouth.

  “What if I say no?” I lifted my chin in a challenge at him.

  He shook his head at me, his eyes wide. “Then you’d be an idiot. We have a video of you and Ian screwing around, which conveniently looks like you actually did screw him. Willingly. You don’t want that to get out, do you? You don’t want your parents to hear about it, right? What about if it got sent to Pendleton? I heard they don’t like scandals. Having an amateur porn star on campus probably isn’t good for their image. You could lose your full-ride to the college of your dreams, your way out of this town. Face it, Rosie, you belong to us until we say otherwise. The only answer you’ll give any of us is yes.”

  My breath hitched in my chest. They had video of me and Ian. If Jamie found out, it would end our friendship. She’d never believe I didn’t choose to betray her. Tears welled in my eyes at the thought of losing my best friend.

  And my dad. He’d hate me.

  As if reading my mind, Fox nodded at me. “We have everything.”

  “Why are you doing this, Fox?” I choked out through the silence. “We were best friends—”

  “I’m doing it because you owe me,” he hissed through his teeth. “We’re going to ruin you. This is just the jumping off point.” He released his hold on me and moved away.

  I sat up, staring back at the guys who had my future in their hands, all of them waiting for my answer. I couldn’t belong to them. They’d make my life hell. There had to be another way.

  “No,” I whispered in a strangled voice.

  “No?” Enzo cocked his head at me, before looking around at the guys.

  “No,” my voice grew stronger, louder. “I’m not doing it. Do your worst to me.”

  “Sunshine, I don’t think you understand what could happen to you if we let this video out into the world—”

  I got to my feet and backed away from them. “I-I don’t care. I won’t let you control me.”

  “You’ll change your mind soon, Rosie.” Fox eyed me, his lips tipped up in a sneer.

  “Then I guess we’ll see about that.” I turned and fled the room, not looking back. If running away worked for Fox, maybe it would work for me.

  Eleven

  When Monday hit, I promised myself to pretend like nothing had ever happened and prayed Fox wouldn’t release the video. I hoped our former friendship might mean something to him. Him wanting to ruin me for reasons I couldn’t comprehend had me on edge. I’d never done anything to him but care for him. He was my everything growing up.

  “You look like crap,” Jamie commented as I shouldered my bag. I’d barely slept. Dark circles rimmed my puffy eyes. “Are you sick?”

  “Sick of this place,” I muttered. Jamie’s eyes widened as someone tugged my hair. I glanced over my shoulder to see Enzo smiling at me. My heart plummeted at his presence.

  “How was your weekend, Sunshine?”

  “Shut the hell up,” I snapped at him. His grin widened as Jamie glanced uneasily between us. “I’m sure you know how my weekend went.”

  “You’re right. I do. That’s why I think we should talk before things start happening.”

  My stomach clenched. Trepidation coursed like a raging river. “What things?”

  His dark-eyed gaze moved from me to Jamie who had the sense to back away slowly before hightailing it out of there right before she offered me an apologetic smile.

  “The sort of things a girl like you wouldn’t want to get out into the world.”

  My body vibrated with barely contained anger.

  “Did Fox tell anyone?” I demanded through gritted teeth.

  “I think you already know none of us has said a word yet.” He reached out and wrapped one of my curls around his finger from my ponytail, a smile on his face. “It’s in your best interest to accomodate our demands.”

  “What?” I took a step toward him, my anger barely contained. “What demands? What do you jackasses want from me?”

  Enzo stared back at me, the humor leaving his face. “We told you that we want you. You’ve been chosen, baby girl. You really should consider our offer. Things could get ugly if you don’t.”

  I glance around fearfully. Some students cast us odd looks, no doubt confused about why Enzo was talking to me.

  “Imagine things going from bad to worse, Sunshine.” He leaned in and whispered in my ear, his words cold. I shivered from the weight of them. “It begins today in case you need a little prompting.”

  “Enzo, wait!” I called out as he turned to go. He paused, his dark eyes locked on mine. “Please—”

  His lips curled up into a smile. “Meet us on the bleachers at lunch. Oh, and Sunshine? Save the begging for later. You’ll need it.”

  I stared after him, my heart racing.

  Things really were going from bad to worse.

  I spent the morning with my stomach aching. A million scenarios raced through my mi
nd at what the guys wanted from me. Do their homework for the rest of the year, clean their lock-ers, wash their gym clothes, and basically be their beck and call bitch. Cole’s colorful words from his bedroom raced through my mind, making me blush. I hadn’t had the guts to talk to Ian yet. I needed to do that. If he told Jamie... My stomach clenched harder.

  “Earth to Rosalie!” Jamie called out.

  I shook my head and glanced over at her as I stuffed my bag into my locker. “Sorry,” I mumbled.

  Jamie rolled her eyes at me. “Where we having lunch today?”

  “I-I have to meet the guys at the bleachers,” I muttered.

  She frowned at me. “What the hell is going on with you and them? I mean, they’ve been paying a lot of attention to you lately. What happened?”

  I shrugged. “Probably want me to do their homework for them.”

  “Ugh. What a bunch of dick bags. Fine. Find me when you’re done, OK? We can plot out how to fail them slowly over time. I’m going to see if Ian wants to have lunch.”

  I gave her a weak smile and a nod before she disappeared down the hall to the cafeteria. The moment she was out of sight, I raced in the opposite direction, knowing Ian was in the li-brary since I’d seen him go in there right after the bell rang.

  He sat at a table, flipping through a textbook when I approached him.

  “Hey,” I breathed out in a shaky voice.

  He looked up at me, a smile playing on his lips. “Hey.”

  I twisted my hands nervously in front of me as I stared at him.

  He put his pencil down and sighed. “Are you OK? I was worried about you on Saturday. The guys didn’t hurt you, did they?”

  “No,” I answered, sitting down in the chair beside him.

  He turned to face me, his brows furrowed. “I had fun, Rosalie—”

  “It shouldn’t have happened. I didn’t want it. You drugged me. I’m sure it was just a mistake. You’re a nice guy.”

  Our sentences came out at the same time. He nodded and gave me a tight smile.