The black thing turned out to be my leather jacket from the party. I pulled it out, holding it as far away from me as I could to study it. Seemed to be in one piece…ah, hold up. As I flipped it to the back, I spotted something new. Someone had actually bedazzled my pleather jacket with the word slut.
Lovely.
I shoved it back in my locker, fuming as I picked out what I’d need for my first few classes. I loved that jacket, I did. It was worn and old, but it was something that reminded me of home—our old home. My old school. My old life.
Things were so much simpler back then. Shutting out my old life completely had been…more than a little hard. This high school and the students in it were nothing like the ones I was used to, the games they played different. But, in the end, it didn’t matter.
With my head held high, I marched to homeroom, choosing a few choice words to tell Brittany, should her ass be in my seat again. Alas, the bitch wasn’t there. Archer was though, so as I headed towards my seat in the back, I figured I’d just tell him a simplified version of it.
“You can tell your girlfriend that I got her present,” I said, glaring at him as I slid into my seat. Everyone else was chatty, the room loud, so I didn’t bother trying to whisper. Had to make sure the bastard heard me, after all.
Archer’s blue eyes turned to me, though he said nothing.
“You can also tell her that I’m not going to take this lying down. Same goes for you.”
His gaze dropped, and it took him a moment to mutter, “I’m not scared of you.”
“You should be,” I said. He and Brittany probably thought I was alone, and I mostly was, but I’d accepted Vaughn’s help—for a yet unnamed price. He was going to use his family’s connections to dig up whatever dirt he could on them, and I was going to use it however I saw fit. I was not above making their lives a living hell.
What could I say? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Archer and Brittany would get theirs, and I would enjoy the hell out of it.
Lunch came around soon enough. It was kind of funny—the more time that passed, the more normal this all felt. Me, being the outsider, knowing that everyone thought I was some wannabe homewrecker, felt more normal. I was anything but; I never would’ve hooked up with Archer had the dickhead told me he was dating someone else, but no one else knew that. And trying to defend myself now would yield no results. It was pointless.
With my bagged lunch in my hands, I headed to the cafeteria. Or I was going to, but then, just as I was about to turn into the hall that would lead to the cafeteria, three figures appeared, blocking my way. Three girls, led by one blonde bitch.
Brittany was surrounded by her two closest friends. I remembered them from the party, the smiles on their faces as they laughed and watched—and videotaped. I still hadn’t seen the actual footage, but I knew it was out there. From every possible angle, too.
No one stepped in to help anymore. Everyone’s first thought was to bring out the phone and hit the record button.
The red-headed girl named Chelsea was on Brittany’s right, her kinky hair falling past her shoulders. The expression on her freckled face could kill, but I wasn’t too impressed by her sneer.
On Brittany’s left was Deetra. I’d seen her gossiping with the jocks in our grade quite a lot this week. Her brown skin was covered in a bright white shirt, hugging her curves tightly. Her black eyes were narrowed at me, her lips curled downward in a sneer to match the look Brittany wore.
Oh, I was sure they thought they were intimidating, but unlike that night at the party, I wasn’t drugged. I could hold my own.
Besides, the halls had cameras everywhere, so it wasn’t like I had to worry about much here. A few traded insults, but nothing huge.
“You like your jacket?” Brittany asked, her sneer turning into a grin as her friends chuckled beside her. “I figured the label fit, considering you can’t seem to keep your legs closed.” She was really hammering in the fact she viewed me as a slut, wasn’t she?
“Oh, I can keep them closed, but why bother when Archer was so clearly desperate for it?” I took a step toward her, my heart hammering in my chest. Brittany and I stood less than a foot away. If she attacked me, I’d drop my lunch bag in a heartbeat and retaliate—but as for the first blow? That wouldn’t be me.
Brittany’s hands were on her hips, and I could tell it took everything in her to not slap me after what I said next.
“Sure, he might be your boyfriend, but he was a greedy little bitch when we were alone in his room.” I chuckled. “It was like he couldn’t get enough. Makes me wonder if you’re not doing it for him anymore. Maybe he should dump your ass and date me instead.”
Hah. As if I’d ever let that happen, but the insult hit the bullseye; I could tell by the way her jaw clenched and a vein popped out in her forehead. Brittany wasn’t so pretty when she looked like she wanted to scream.
“I am going to drag your ass through the mud and back,” she growled out.
I probably should’ve taken her threat seriously, but all I could do was smile and say, “I’m looking forward to seeing you try.”
Brittany let me get the last word, but before storming off with her two-friend posse, she shot me a smile that caused ice to grow in my veins. A smile like that was devious and sly, evil to the core. How could a senior in high school have mastered that look?
Honestly, I didn’t care what Brittany would try to do. I’d handle it.
When I was alone in the hall, when Brittany and her crew disappeared from my sight, I sighed and turned the corner, heading into the cafeteria. Vaughn was already at our table, staring down at his tray like the food the kitchen staff served him today had suddenly sprouted legs and started crawling away.
I didn’t know why he even bothered buying food every day. It wasn’t like I ever saw him eat it. He mostly just played with it, moving it around the plastic tray with his spork.
Sitting down across from him, I gave him a smile. “Well, I just had a run-in with my favorite blonde.”
That got Vaughn’s attention immediately, and he dropped his spork, the knuckle labeled with the word pain flexing into a fist, as if he was going to find her and beat her up for me. A bit of an overreaction, considering I hadn’t even told him what was said, yet.
Still, it was weird, because ever since I’d accepted his help, it was like Vaughn viewed everything that happened to me as a personal affront, like he’d adopted my bullies as his own. For someone who seemed so emotionless most of the time, it was kind of nice to know he actually had a personality in there.
Plus, he wasn’t too bad to look at, especially when he was a little upset on my behalf.
“Don’t keep me waiting,” he said.
Right. I’d gotten sidetracked by his looks—not the first time that had happened, and it probably wouldn’t be the last, either. Even though his family was involved in some shady shit, even though Jacob pretty much told me I should stay away from anyone with the last name of Scott, I couldn’t help but swoon at the dark-haired, tattooed boy across from me.
I might like him. A little.
Just a bit, but no more than that. We all knew what happened the last time I’d started to like a guy a lot.
My shoulders went up and down once as I shrugged. “I mean, nothing huge. She just threatened me. I might’ve egged her on some, but—” I paused when I heard Vaughn groan, as if he couldn’t believe my audacity. “What? I couldn’t just stand there and listen to whatever bullshit she was going to say.”
Vaughn stared at me with eyes black as night. His normally expressionless face morphed into a frown, but the dour look didn’t give me pause. If anything, it only caused an intense warming in my lower regions. Those lips had felt amazingly good on mine. I could go for some tension relief soon…
No. That would only make things more complicated.
“I’m not surprised,” he said.
I dug into my lunch, pulling out my cheesy crackers. “So, find out anything yet?�
� To say I was eager would be the year’s biggest understatement. To say I was a hypocrite for using his family’s connections while also having Jacob investigate them was one hundred percent true.
Hey, I wasn’t perfect. I never claimed to be.
“Not yet. These things take time.”
I sighed. Yeah, I kind of figured that, but I was hoping, by some miracle of miracles, he would’ve had something concrete already. I was okay with waiting, but at the same time, I felt antsy about it, like the more time that passed was more time wasted.
“You have enough on your plate today, anyway,” Vaughn said.
I’d told him about my hatred for choir, how I couldn’t seem to learn any of the songs, regardless of how much time I spent staring at the sheet music. I wasn’t proud of how illiterate I was when it came to music, nor was I exactly thrilled to share with the world my awful, unharmonious voice.
“I really do wish I would’ve dropped choir when I could,” I muttered. “The concert is in less than two weeks now, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so behind on something.” It wasn’t like I got stellar grades in all my other classes, but choir…that one I’d be lucky to pass with a C, I think. Ms. Haber did individual tests, alone in her office, along with group tests on songs we were currently learning. Hadn’t been subjected to one of those tests yet, but it would happen eventually.
Needless to say, I wasn’t looking forward to it.
“If you don’t want to take choir, don’t.”
My eyes met with his dark stare. “It’s too late to drop the class, and then I wouldn’t have any excuse to give my mom when I’m late coming home.”
Vaughn picked up his spork again, no longer looking like he wanted to strangle Brittany. He began to toy with his food, as usual, though he kept shooting quick glances at me. After our encounter in the bathroom, it was like he’d taken a step back—probably a good thing, because at the rate I was going here, I’d sleep with him and make him an enemy, somehow. “You mean you don’t head straight home after school? What are you doing instead—meeting with that private investigator?”
It might not have been smart, but I said, “Yes.” Okay, not every day, but Jacob and I did make plans to meet twice a week from now on. Let’s just say I was hoping he’d figure out something soon, otherwise I’d have to do something where the money was concerned.
Speaking of money…my mom hadn’t texted me at all today. I could only assume she’d seen the envelope full of cash in her purse by now—so why the hell didn’t my phone go off with a text or call from her demanding to know where it came from?
“I haven’t told my family, but it’s only a matter of time until my brother finds out your investigator is sticking his nose in family business,” Vaughn stated. “Once that happens…I can’t guarantee there won’t be consequences. I said I’d keep you safe, and I meant it, but I did not say that about your investigator.”
“Consequences?” I echoed, blinking. “Your family wouldn’t…” Well, I had no idea what his family was and was not capable of, but the thought of them hurting Jacob was not a good one. It occurred to me then: was I putting Jacob at risk by asking him to do what I had? That grumpy guy…I didn’t want to see him hurt.
Jacob Hall wasn’t a bad man, whatever he thought of himself. He was a good guy, and even though he could be mean and rude beyond all belief, I liked him. I couldn’t see the Scotts hurt him because of me. I didn’t know if I could live with that.
Why hadn’t the thought ever crossed my mind before now? I felt almost selfish for how one-sided everything had been until now.
“I can’t say what my family would do,” Vaughn spoke quietly, pushing around the ugly green peas on his tray. “Your investigator wouldn’t be the first who’d stuck his nose where it didn’t belong.”
“What happened to the others?” Did I even want to know? I seriously debated this.
Vaughn stuck a single pea with the short points on his spork, bringing it to his mouth. “People have a way of disappearing around here,” he said. His dark eyes flicked to me, telling me things his words did not, whispering promises and lies all at once. “If he disappears, will you be upset?”
His question caught me off-guard, mostly because it was weird as all hell. Was it some kind of trick question? Of course I’d be upset. Why wouldn’t I? Jacob worked for me, and on top of that, I liked the guy. His personality left something to be desired sometimes, but when I’d needed a hero, he’d stepped up—albeit begrudgingly.
I owed him. He didn’t have to step in and save me that night. Hmm. Maybe Jacob and I would have to talk.
To Vaughn, I finally said, “Yes, I would be upset.”
“Why?”
Why couldn’t I be upset out of the kindness of my heart? Okay, well, my heart had some kindness in it, but not much. I wasn’t a goodie-goodie. I didn’t shit rainbows and wear a smile all the time. Animals didn’t frolic to me.
I’d told Vaughn all about the party, but I did not tell him who’d helped me. He thought I made it home before the drugs really kicked me in the ass, but that had been a bit of a lie. I didn’t want to tell him about Jacob because…I didn’t know. Even though hiring someone like Jacob had been his idea, I wanted to keep the two parts of my life separate.
It seemed they were on a course to collide, now.
Even though we were alone at our table, my voice still dropped, as if I was afraid of someone else hearing me. “I might’ve…kept something from you.” The look Vaughn gave me right then caused me to hurriedly add, “I didn’t get home on my own from the party.”
He glowered, radiating unhappiness, as if he already suspected what I was about to say.
“My PI was there, on another case. He took me back to his place and let me sleep it off before taking me home.” I did not want to bring up his name, just in case Vaughn decided to tell his family about him.
I planned on saying more, but Vaughn startled me by standing. He grabbed his tray and headed for one of the many trash cans situated around the lunchroom, dropping his food in it and sliding the tray on top. The bell hadn’t rung yet.
What the hell…
Ugh. I had to go after the dumbass.
I didn’t pack up my lunch; I just left it as I hurried after him. Not all eyes were on me as I left, but I knew a lot were. I didn’t care about the rumor mill, or about whatever gossip would come of this.
Oh, that new girl. First she sleeps with Archer Vega, and now she’s chasing Vaughn Scott. Wonder who she’ll go after next?
I caught Vaughn not too far out of the cafeteria. The hallways were empty, but if any teachers spotted us, they might think we were ditching class. He had his back to me, and I looked around, trying to figure out a way he and I could have a conversation that didn’t involve teachers stumbling upon us.
A janitor’s closet sat about twenty feet away, so I did the only thing I could think of to do: I grabbed his arm and pulled him toward it. Vaughn didn’t fight me on it, he let me drag him, but he said not a word to me as we went. Thankfully, the door was unlocked, so I shoved him in first before stepping in myself.
The door closed before I was able to find a light. It was a small space, no bigger than two feet by three. I could feel Vaughn’s heat, standing inches away from him—being forced to, since a mop bucket and cleaning supplies took up most of the room. The only light that came in was from the hall, the crack under the door.
I was seriously struggling to find the light switch, but Vaughn muttered, “Don’t.”
I froze, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. His voice sounded deadly, almost, but unlike before, I wasn’t afraid to be alone with him. In fact, being here with him now, in this dark, nearly pitch-black room, made my mind think of other things.
You’d think I would’ve learned my lesson with Archer, huh? But no, I had to think with my va-jay-jay like I was going for the home run.
“But it’s dark,” I spoke, only sounding a little whiny. Mostly I sounded out of breath, whi
ch was ridiculous, because he wasn’t even touching me.
“I don’t care.” Silence for a while, and as my eyes started to become adjusted to the darkness, Vaughn continued, “I don’t like hearing that you went home with someone else. Did he—”
“No,” I cut in. “He was a gentleman. A grouch, but a gentleman. I like him, Vaughn, but there’s no reason for you to be…” I trailed off, realizing it. “Jealous?” It came out like a question, because it kind of was.
Was Vaughn Scott jealous of Jacob?
No. No way. First off, it wasn’t like I was with Vaughn. We weren’t dating or anything. Sure, we’d kissed, but that’s about it. I might be attracted to the boy, but that didn’t mean I wanted to be his and his alone.
And, besides that, Jacob had made it clear that he thought of me as nothing more than a kid, in spite of me fighting him on it. Just a kid who put herself in bad situations, where he had to play the resentful hero. Which was fine, I guess, even though I really didn’t think I deserved the kid label.
“I’m not jealous,” Vaughn said, though I couldn’t tell who he was trying to convince more: him or me?
“Really? So, you stormed away after I told you I went home with someone else because you’re not jealous? Tell me how that works.” Suddenly Vaughn’s body moved toward mine, and I found myself backing up, my spine hitting the closet door. Through the darkness, I could see him place both hands on the door beside my head, as if blocking my way out of this.
Dude, we were stuck in a janitor’s closet. There was no getting out of this.
“I…” He paused, and I felt his body inch toward mine. He wasn’t pinning me to the door, but I could feel his front grazing mine; it wouldn’t take much to increase the pressure between us. “I don’t know. I’ve never been jealous.”
I didn’t know if I should consider myself lucky or not.
“I’ve never been a lot of things before,” he whispered, his hands on the door sliding down slowly, inching their way along until they rested just outside my hips, like he was bracing himself, trying to keep himself from having our bodies touch. “You bring things out of me.”
Defiant: A High School Bully Romance (Midpark High Book 2) Page 9
