A Hurt So Sweet Volume One: A Dark High School Bully Romance

by Rosewood, Betti

  "Keep fucking going," I hiss at Audra. "Or else."

  She pouts but goes back to sucking my cock like a good girl. My heart is pounding as she expertly brings me closer and closer to an explosive orgasm. But the fact of the matter remains - I don't want her swallowing my seed.

  No.

  I want to pump it deep into my fiancée's cunt. I want to knock her up. I want to put a baby in her flat belly and watch it grow thick and swollen with my child. It has nothing to do with our families, and everything to do with me controlling her. Owning her. Punishing her for what happened to the love of my life.

  Lily Anna.

  I come with my hands in Audra’s hair and my eyes firmly shut. I don't even wait around to watch her swallow. I just pull out, wipe my dick on her cheek and put it back in my pants before walking over to the guys and falling into an easy conversation. My thoughts are everywhere but there, though. They're still stuck on the goddamn bitch who's trying to take my love's place.

  Just keep calm, I remind myself firmly. Everything will be over as soon as she's knocked up.

  One fuck, one night together, and everything will be taken care of. That’s all I need. Then everything can go back to normal. Then, I can go back to the life I should have been living all along.

  My hands form fists at my sides and I hate myself for knowing one night might not be enough for my insatiable cock. But it will have to do. I have to stay true to my promise, too.

  “Dexter!” A pretty blonde maid comes up to me, smiling shyly. “They’re asking for you. The engagement ceremony is about to begin.”

  “I’ll be right there,” I smile at her affectionately. “You doing okay, Minnie?”

  She averts her gaze, nodding. But I don’t buy it. I have a feeling I’m going to have to intervene once again. These people treat the maid like trash, and she deserves so much better.

  She knows too much, after all.

  I walk up to the arch of roses where the founding families have gathered, with everyone else keeping a respectful distance. Pandora is already standing there, her gaze filled with contempt as it locks with mine.

  Let her fucking hate me. It’s better this way.

  “You got the ring?”

  Lai bumps into me and I nod, reaching into the breast pocket of my blazer and flashing him a look of the diamond.

  “Jesus, that’s blinding,” he laughs. “Well, better get it over with. Put it on her finger.”

  I nod, my jaw setting as I stand under the arch, next to my fiancée in her ruined dress.

  “Without further ado,” Emilian Oakes speaks up. “I’m proud to announce the engagement of my daughter and Dexter Booth.”

  I smirk, grabbing Pandora’s cold hand and sliding the ring on her finger. Her eyes widen at the sight. She’s admiring the ring, but she snaps out of it soon enough, her eyes filling with anger yet again. She sure is a feisty little thing. I’ll have fun changing that.

  “To a successful marriage,” Emilian toasts, and the rest of the guests raise their glasses in celebration while Pandora just stands there awkwardly, the rock on her finger catching the last rays of the setting sun.

  “To my pretty bride,” I grin, grabbing a flute from a passing waiter and raising it high. “And to the son she will give me soon.”

  “Hear, hear!” the crowd mutters, the sound of clinking glasses taking over the garden.

  Pandora stares at me with a cold gaze filled with hatred.

  “You’re not going to toast with us, my dearest bride?” I mock her.

  She doesn’t respond.

  I laugh and down my glass.

  “Enjoy your freedom,” I tell her before turning away. “While it fucking lasts.”

  Five

  Pandora

  The party doesn't end until dusk and by the time the guests leave, I'm exhausted and irritable from having to wander around purposelessly in my dirtied dress and with shaken confidence. The ring is glittering on my finger, reminding me of my captivity with every look I throw at it.

  None of the visitors seemed particularly interested in getting to know me even though the gathering was held for my entrance into Eden Falls society, and my official engagement to Dexter.

  I'd seen a couple kids my age in the Estate gardens that day, but none of them seemed to care about talking to me, or even saying hello.

  I briefly saw Dexter with a pretty blonde, and it twists my stomach into knots I refuse to acknowledge. I console myself by thinking I'll get to know them at school the next day anyway, though it does little to ease the feeling of being utterly uncomfortable in their presence.

  Finally, as the last guests wait for their expensive cars to be pulled up by Oakes Estate's valet, I decide it's acceptable for me to retreat to my chambers. Nobody objects as I make my way across the grass and into the house. In fact, I'm pretty sure nobody even notices I’m gone.

  The Estate never fails to shock me with its impressive grandeur, and as I race up the massive Italian marble staircase, I wonder how many of the guests from my party envy me. I guess it does look as if I have everything from the outside. But my father has taught me that while I'm his most valuable possession, I'm still just that - an object for him to use to his benefit any way he damn well pleases.

  I make my way down the hall lined with portraits and expensive artwork until I finally reach the hallway leading down to my quarters in the Estate. It's a set of four rooms connected by doors with locks on the outside, which says everything about my freedom, or rather, lack thereof.

  I head for the bathroom first, closing the door behind me and stripping off my mud-stained dress. I let it pool at my feet, stepping out of the ruined silk and lace and groaning when I look at my bruise-covered skin.

  I pull out the freshwater pearl pins from my hair, letting the dark brown locks tumble down my shoulders. My head hurts from having the complicated updo in place all day, and I groan in relief as I strip off my pink lacy bra as well.

  Just then, the door to my bathroom flies open, and I shriek in anger at the intruder, trying to cover up my body.

  "Don't bother," a smug voice tells me. "Nothing I'm interested in, anyway."

  The boy saunters into the room, not giving a shit that I'm naked and ignoring my angry huffs as he plops down on the marble bathtub, feet up on the edge of the stone. I grab a fluffy white towel monogrammed with my initials from the rack and attempt to cover up my body as best as I can.

  "You know, I don't normally encourage this, but you really need to eat more," he tells me. "That ass could do with some fattening up, it's as flat as a goddamn pancake."

  "Nobody asked for your opinion," I snap back, glaring at him. "What the fuck are you doing here anyway, Brazen?”

  “Thought I’d pay you a little visit. See how you’re adjusting to Eden Falls.”

  My half-brother smirks at me before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a joint.

  "Don't smoke that in here," I hiss, but he ignores me, retrieving a lighter from his pants and firing up.

  Plumes of smoke curl up from the joint as it smolders, and my half-brother leers at me. I cross my arms protectively in front of my body, hating that he won’t listen to me.

  “I’m gonna need you to get the hell out of here like, now. Or did you suddenly forget you’re supposed to do what I tell you? I am the Firstborn here.”

  He shakes the ashes off his blunt, taunting me. Nobody takes me seriously. What the hell do I have to do to get some goddamn respect? I tap my foot against the ground impatiently, without a response from him. Then, I saunter over, and turn on the showerhead.

  Brazen curses and struggles to get out of the bath as the overhead sprinklers soak his clothes. I laugh at his pathetic attempts to get out, feeling pleased with myself as he finally manages to step on the marble floor, glaring at me.

  “What?” I ask innocently. “I thought you needed to cool off a little. You looked a little fired up there.”

  “Fuck you, Pandora,” he sneers, tossing the remain
s of the joint to the ground.

  “You know, you think calling me that is an insult,” I tell him sweetly, taking a step closer and touching my finger to his chest. “But I just love that you won’t say that showy name father wants you to use.”

  “I’m not doing it to be nice.” He rolls his eyes, shaking some of the water out of his soaked-through suit. “I’m doing it because you don’t deserve Lily Anna’s name. You’re never going to be one of us.”

  “Blah blah blah,” I imitate him, making fun of him. “What are you doing here, anyway? I don’t want to deal with you right now. I’ve had a long fucking day.”

  “Oh, I just wanted to see what you thought of your betrothed,” he mocks. “You know, the infamous Dexter Booth.”

  “I did,” I get out through gritted teeth. “Why the hell do you suddenly care?”

  “You know he’s basically the most important guy in this town, right?” Brazen raises his eyebrows at me. “He’s right after our father, if not even on the same level.”

  “So?”

  “So,” he steps closer and inspects my clueless face. “You would be doing yourself a favor if you went along with what he said.”

  “What?” I give him a doubtful look. “Why would I?”

  “You’ve seen what our father can do, haven’t you?”

  Is that a look of remorse on his face? Does he actually regret hitting me?

  “What’s it to you?” I bark at him.

  “Well, it’s not like you’re the most popular person in Eden Falls right now,” he grimaces, lighting up a new joint despite my warnings. “Having Dexter on your side could really help you. People wouldn’t pick on you as much. He’d take care of you, like he did of Lily Anna.”

  “I don’t need anyone taking care of me,” I raise my chin defiantly. “I’m pretty sure I can do that myself.”

  “Pretty sure isn’t going to cut it,” Brazen shakes his head in dismissal. “You haven’t even been to school yet. You think people are going to treat you any better there?”

  “Like I said,” I retort icily. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I don’t need your counsel.”

  “I’m just trying to be nice,” he gets out through gritted teeth. “You could do with having at least one person on your side. I thought your goddamn fiancé would be a good option. But you’re obviously too stupid to follow simple orders.”

  “I don’t need to follow your orders,” I remind him. “You seem to be forgetting I came before you, little bro. You do as I say.”

  “Yeah, good luck convincing anyone to do as you say,” he smirks. “Nobody’s going to listen to some new money bitch who grew a pair of balls so tiny I could blow them off.”

  He puffs in my face and I make a grimace.

  “You know, I thought you’d be at least a little prettier, since your mom was apparently such a beautiful woman. I guess you can take a bitch out of the gutter, but you can never take the gutter out of the bitch.”

  My blood boils in anger and I fight the instinct to tackle him. I wouldn’t win a physical fight against Brazen, but I was always better at mind games, anyway. He’d pay for this in time.

  “And what about you? You follow our father’s orders without even thinking about them. You beat me up, bro. You hit an innocent girl just cause Daddy told you to, Brazen. What would your precious maid think of that?”

  He pales and I smirk at him.

  “Oh, don’t think I didn’t notice you staring, bro.”

  He advances on me, ready to strike, and I recoil in the expectation of a slap that never comes. Brazen talks himself out of it, slowly lowering his hand. He mutters something under his breath, as if talking to himself.

  “What did you say?” I ask sweetly. “Couldn’t hear you. Maybe because you’re being a gross little perv who’s so obsessed with the maid he-”

  This time, Brazen doesn’t hesitate. He hits me right in the jaw, knocking me on my ass for the second time. I cry out when he hits me, but the sudden rush of adrenaline coursing through my body makes me jump right back up. I advance on him. I may be shorter and weaker, but I’m older, which makes me a Firstborn.

  “You’re going to fucking pay for this,” I snarl at him. “I’m going to tell father.”

  He pales at the thought before shrugging, tilting his head. “You do that, bitch. We’ll see who wins this one.”

  He walks out of the bedroom, finally leaving me alone. I groan inwardly before inspecting my new injuries in the mirror. I have bruises all over my body, and I’ve barely been here a week. What the fuck are they going to do to me by the end of the year?

  * * *

  “Lily Anna, darling, you’re using the wrong spoon.”

  I look up at the syrupy-sweet face of my stepmother, Bryony. She’s basically five feet eleven of expertly bleached blond hair and plastic on Louboutins.

  “Thanks for the…” I swallow, remembering my place and hating myself for succumbing to the role they’ve given me.

  It’s temporary, I remind myself. Only temporary.

  “Thank you for telling me, Bryony.”

  “Please,” she smiles, revealing two rows of perfect pearly whites. “I already told you to call me Mom.”

  Ew. The mere thought is disturbing.

  I smile politely in response and return my attention to the food, picking up another spoon and helping myself to the crème d’oignon soup.

  “Daughter.” I look up at my father who is sitting at the head of the table, with Bryony and me flanking him. “Bryony asked you to do something.”

  “Wh-what?” I stutter, blushing the moment father narrows his eyes at me. “Sorry. Thanks for the tip…”

  I turn to Bryony. She got her lips injected this morning and I can still see the little pinpricks where the needle went into her tender skin.

  “Mom.”

  “Good.” Father smiles, returning to his meal with a pleased smile.

  I swallow thickly and stare at the creamy concoction in front of me. It smells divine, but I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.

  “Father, I want to go to a party next week.”

  We all turn to face my little half-sister, Tatianna.

  Since I’ve arrived here a week ago, she’s gotten two maids fired, chopped off half of her strawberry blonde hair, and gotten a belly button piercing which our father discovered on the first day and made her take out. Oh, and she decided we all must call her Tianna and refuses to answer to anything else because the new nickname is ‘her new identity’. Talk about spoiled.

  “Next week?” Father raises his brows at her, giving a good-natured chuckle. “School’s only just started, Tatianna.”

  She lets out a huff of air when he calls her that but doesn’t object.

  “It’s kind of like a start of school party,” she blinks, her thick lashes laden with mascara.

  She looks like a living doll, that girl, and she creeps the fuck out of me. She’s only sixteen but already more trouble than I could be if I tried.

  “Everyone’s going to be there.”

  “Who is everyone?” her mother speaks up, and Tatianna rolls her eyes instantly.

  I’ve noticed my half-siblings barely listen to their mother. All they give a shit about is getting in trouble, getting drunk and/or high and fucking up things for other people. They occasionally follow father’s rules, but most of the time, they’re total wildcards.

  “Like, all the boys?” Tianna addresses her mom. “Dexter, , Caspian, Julian and Lai. I pretty much have to be there.”

  “Me too.” Brazen speaks up, shrugging when we all look in his direction. “Someone’s gotta take care of Tianna.”

  Yeah, as if. I know for a fact he’s going to ignore his sister all night while they both do things no teenager should be doing. But there’s a chance here, and I’m not about to miss it.

  I want to go to that party, I realize. I need to find out more about Dexter. I need to make these people think I fit in here, so I can use it to my advantage wh
en I finally get away. Besides, I need a reason to leave the house. I’m going crazy here.

  “Oh, me too.”

  Now, every head turns in my direction, and father gives me a doubtful look.

  “You want to go to a party?” father asks.

  “A party you’re not invited to?” Tianna grits out.

  “Well, Dexter’s going to be there,” I shrug carelessly. “The rest of the Firstborns, too… And obviously, it won’t be as exclusive since you’ll be there.”

  I offer her a saccharine-sweet smile. In the span of a short few days I’ve already discovered how to get to her, and I love it. She looks away, obviously offended.

  “Fine, I don’t see why not,” father says, tapping his lips with a cloth napkin. “I will have Kelley take you all there and pick you up after.”

  “Thank you, father,” we mutter in unison, and I smirk to myself before returning to my soup.

  I pretend not to notice my half-siblings staring at me in contempt and busy myself with the food before remembering what I was going to say.

  I wait for a lull in the conversation before addressing my father again. “Forgive me for changing the topic, I just had another question.”

  “What is it?” he stares me down, as if to warn me not to say or ask anything dumb.

  God, these people really underestimate me.

  “I was under the impression Secondborn were supposed to follow the rules of the Firstborns?”

  I put on an innocent face and bat my lashes at my father. I can feel Brazen steaming from the seat next to me, but I ignore his hand which is now on my knee, fingers digging into the skin painfully.

  “That is how it’s supposed to be,” father nods. “And has been since Eden Falls was established by the six founding families.”

  “Right, right,” I purr. “So, would you say it’s against the rules for a Secondborn to say, hit a Firstborn?”

  Bryony laughs at the idea and my father glares. “Of course, it would be against the rules.”

  “See, Brazen?” I turn to face him, blinking fast to look even more innocent as I give him a triumphant look. “I told you father would get mad if you hit me. Especially here.”