Devious Kisses: A Bully Enemies -To-Lovers Romance (It's Just High School Book 1)

by Thandiwe Mpofu

  I know what it’s like being watched, assessed, analyzed like a fucking piece of meat. I know when I’m being watched.

  A strong chill passes down my spine, my sexy unknown guy’s kisses running cold over my once heated skin.

  Like a powerful force is compelling me, like a puppet unable to resist or fight, I slowly look up, my eyes already wide like I know what I’m going to find, like I knew he was already there, watching the whole thing.

  Cold, piercing, angry green eyes, hardened over time but still the same as the last time I saw him, bore into me and I jump, letting out a little scream.

  “What the hell?” sexy unknown says, a frown on his face but I can’t say anything, held hopeless and mute by the intimidating figure standing at the open French doors that lead to the balcony. No, there are two people there. Him and an equally sexy looking Black guy, same height as Julian, beers in their hands, watching us. The other guy has a smirk on his face but Julian….

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Julian’s voice is so low and deadly, the guy beside him and my sexy guy all tense up and look at Julian with caution in their eyes, but he doesn’t see them.

  His gaze is directly on me, a thunderous look on his face with each second that passes.

  “What the hell, J?” sexy unknown turns around, a frown on his face. “I’m kinda busy right now so whatever it is you’re pissed about, let me know after.”

  But Julian doesn’t listen.

  “Get the hell away from my brother, right now.”

  Oh my God.

  My heart literally stops beating for a second as we stare at each other, the word brother echoing louder like a he just shot me in the chest with it.

  “Brother?” I croak, like a dying frog. There’s a ball lodged in my throat that’s making it hard to speak, and even harder to breathe.

  I feel bile rising up my throat, my vision becomes hazy and dim, as the sexy guy I was about to fuck starts yelling at his…brother.

  Oh God.

  4

  “Julian, what the fuck are you doing, man?” Liam yells over his shoulder, caution in his eyes as he watches me like I’m unhinged or like I’m off my damn meds, but I don’t dare look away from her. The face of my recurring nightmares.

  The girl who ruined my family and made Aiden prey to paparazzi who tore him apart like he wasn’t human.

  She single-handedly destroyed my family with a simple bat of her lashes and her running mouth that did more than tempt me that day. My mother left, leaving Aiden with a father that doesn’t even acknowledge him. He hates him more now than he ever did before because now, according to him, Aiden was messing with his money. What kind of douchebag says that about his son? My father, that’s who.

  Since that day of death caused by her, Dad’s been an even bigger asshole and Aiden with leukemia, it hasn’t been easy, but obviously that wasn’t enough for her.

  She just had to come back for more of my family, for more of me.

  I won’t fucking let her. Over my fucking dead body will she destroy another part of me.

  “Get out.” I stare her down, watching as her pale face grows even paler, her eyes widening. “Get the fuck out.”

  “Whoa, J,” my best friend Cole murmurs beside me. “Calm down.”

  But I’m not calm. I’m beyond rational thought at this fucking point.

  Tonight, I was expecting a peaceful night. To relax and calm down, knowing that Aiden is with Mom right now, fighting a damn fight that we all knew he’d lose. Liam’s been angry and pissy for days now, so I figured if we all went out with Cole, we’d all calm the fuck down.

  I should’ve known better.

  “I’m not going to repeat myself again, get the hell out.”

  “I—” she starts, her face pale. Somewhere in my angry fog, I can see how she’s trembling, her naked upper body bare for everyone to see. That makes me even more livid to a point where I want to gouge out Liam and Cole’s eyes for seeing her like that.

  “Get out!”

  “Whoa, bro,” Liam starts, his voice low and cautious as he watches me suspiciously. “What’s going on?”

  “Yeah, calm down, J,” Cole murmurs beside me.

  “I want her out of this fucking house, out of this party and make sure she gets hell for it.” I say this all while looking at her. I want her to fucking suffer. It’s been a year since I last saw her traitorous face, but I’ve never had a day where I haven’t thought of her. She’s always been like a cancer, always there without a fucking cure. I’d know, Aiden’s dying with it each day and I…like a fool, kissed one and now, I suffer from it.

  “Fuck, why?” Liam starts, turning to look at her. “Do you know her?”

  I remain silent, watching her.

  “What the hell is your problem, dude?” Liam demands, stepping closer to her as if to shield her.

  “I think I…” she stutters, now having the common decency to cover her chest. “I think I should go.”

  “No, you’re staying,” Liam says to her then frowns at me.

  “Liam.” I growl. I can see where this is going. FUCK!

  “Seriously, you are the ones that need to get out. We were in the middle of something.” He smirks. “Get out, J. You’re freaking my girl out.”

  My girl…

  Anger, hot and fast, rushes through my system, tightening all my muscles to a point of pain. I’ve never had the urge to seriously hurt my brother, but right now, I want to hurt him. And I want to hurt her.

  “I don’t give a damn which slut you fuck or how many times you discard them right after,” I start, stepping into the room, dropping the beer I had in my hand, feeling more than a tiny bit enraged. I hear her little gasp, but I don’t give a damn. “Go pick someone better, just NOT HER.”

  “Dude, what the fuck?” Liam says, now angry. “Since when do you tell me who I should fuck?”

  Never, but this is different.

  “Liam,” I start, but he cuts me off.

  “No, what’s your deal here?” He puffs his chest out. “She’s not yours.”

  “You don’t fucking know who she is,” I grit out.

  After what happened a year ago, Liam’s been trying to figure out who the newspaper’s source was, now telling him that he was just about to shove his dick into the bitch that made Aiden look like an exposed dirty little secret for the rest of the world to judge and gut as they pleased, would be the shittiest thing I can do to my brother.

  “Then spit it out, bro,” Liam says, glancing over his shoulder at her. “Who is she?”

  “I’m going.”

  “No, stay,” Liam grits out, eyes narrowed, finally comprehending the level of fatal danger in the room. “Who are you?”

  “Like anything that comes out of her shitty, running mouth would be the truth,” I mock, watching her every move.

  “I…” she croaks, eyes wide with terror, unable to look away from me like I’m unable to ignore the fear so brazen on her face, making my heart fucking pound painfully.

  “My brother’s a huge asshole but he’s never this angry about anything or anyone,” Liam says, looking at her. “So again, who are you?”

  “I—” she starts, now on the verge of tears.

  “Shit, you made her cry,” Cole murmurs again, watching the scene in front of him unfold, then turns to look at me, realization dawning in his eyes. “There’s no need for all of this. Just let her go in peace.”

  “In peace?” I scoff. “You fucking know what she did!”

  “What did she do?” Liam questions.

  To hell with this. I’ve kept this fucking secret for a year, and I know my brother’s going to be pissed but I know if I don’t tell him, he’ll fight me…for her. I can see the fight in his eyes.

  “I think I’m going to just go. This was a huge mistake.”

  “Or a calculated move, knowing how slick you are,” I counter, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her. Maybe then, her existence wouldn’t be such a painfu
l awareness to me.

  “What?” Liam frowns. “Okay, one of you needs to speak up now. What the hell is going on?”

  Like she’s actually ashamed of what she did before, Mia hangs her head, looking appalled.

  “Wait, did you sleep with my brother before?” Liam starts, then chuckles. “Because if that’s the sticky case in the room, it’s nothing. This won’t be the first time I’ve fucked little broken girls that my brother would have discarded.”

  “Oh God.” Mia gasps, hugging her chest tighter.

  “That’s messed up, Little Liam.” Cole chuckles beside me, both of them obviously trying to diffuse the situation.

  “It’s true though,” Liam starts, spreading his arms wide. “I’m a sexual healer.”

  Fuck this shit.

  “At least you’re not a user who kisses strangers in hospitals only to rat all the information they find to the press,” I state angrily. Liam’s jaw slackens with shock.

  “What?” he whispers, but I’m watching her. “What are you talking about?”

  “Liam,” I start, my heart fucking pounding harder and harder against my chest, knowing that I’m about to lose my brother’s trust.

  And it’s all her fault.

  “No, answer my fucking question,” he yells now, realization of where this is going darkening his features. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “Aiden.”

  “What about Aiden?”

  A deafening silence stretches in the room with her occasional whimpers the only sound, chilling my blood as Liam stares daggers at me, the secret I’ve kept from him about to crash over of us.

  “Last year—,” I start and he cuts me off.

  “Last year, you rushed Aiden to the hospital and never told me about it. Last year, Aiden was diagnosed with Leukemia, again, you didn’t fucking tell me that. I had to found out about it from SOCIAL MEDIA!”

  “Liam, calm down.” Cole steps forward but Liam doesn’t care, watching me. I deserve this.

  “Last year, Aiden was all over the news like he was a damn enigma that no one could understand when he’s just human.”

  “Brother…”

  “Last year, Dad started hating Aiden with a passion because of the media blowout and now you’re telling me it’s because—,”

  He spins around on his heel and stares at Mia, then he looks at me with so much anger and hate in his eyes. Throwing his head back, he starts laughing maniacally.

  “She’s the close family friend source, isn’t she?” he sputters in between bouts of laughter. “She’s the one who ratted Aiden out, huh?”

  “Liam,” I step forward, hating the pain I just caused. Hating her for the way she just caused this much pain.

  “No,” he steps back. “You kissed this bitch, which means you told her what was going on with Aiden.”

  “Liam.”

  “You sold Aiden to her!”

  And with that, he grabs his shirt from the floor, stares at Mia one last time and then he’s out, banging the door shut after he’s gone.

  “Oh God.” Mia whimpers, making my skin almost crawl with hate and anger, I can’t even look at her. I need to deal with her, but I need to check on my brother. I can’t let anything or anyone come between Liam and I, but I think, I’ve already failed at that like I failed to protect Aiden.

  “Fuck!” I run a hand through my hair. Looking up, I catch her frightened gaze as she looks at me, her face still pale, eyes wide. “You, get the fuck out.”

  She makes to grab her shirt but for some reason, I want to make her suffer.

  “Leave it.” I growl.

  “J,” Cole’s voice is low in warning but I don’t give a damn.

  “What?” she stutters, her body now tense, the shivering gone.

  “I said leave that skank top of yours where it is.” I grit the words out, stepping closer to her. “You destroyed my family but that wasn’t enough for you, you had to come back and be a slut, seducing my brother.”

  She gasps, staring up at me.

  “I don’t even know what you mean,” she starts. “Hell, I didn’t even know he was your brother.”

  “And you expect me to believe the lies you spew from that lying, conniving, sleek mouth of yours?” I mock.

  “I’m telling you the truth!” she cries. “I didn’t know.”

  I step closer to her, and she backs into the wall looking frightened, but I can see the anger in her eyes flaring up.

  “Yeah, I didn’t know that you used your mouth for much more than just telling off strangers in hospital hallways.” I growl. “But then again, little users like you who sell sensitive information to the press do much more with their mouths than the average little girl is used to.”

  “I’m not a whore, you jerk!”

  There’s that fire. Now let’s blow it out. Boxing her in, I bring my hands up to wall, looking down at her with all the pent-up rage I can’t control.

  “Yeah, and that’s why you were about to sleep your way into my family, this time it was to what? Ride Liam’s cock for more secrets to expose because you can’t afford your sick mother’s medicine?”

  Her chest rises and falls, watching me like I’m the villain here when she’s the one who set fire to my fucking castle.

  “Bet your mother taught you how to do that too, didn’t she?” I growl, my fucking chest tightening with each word and the way she seems to be blistering in pain with each world. “Those kissing lessons, I guess they were code on how to sell your tiny body for profi—"

  I see it coming but I don’t stop her. She slaps me so hard, I move my head with it. Then she pushes me back with all her might and I let her, silently sucking in a breath when I feel her tiny hands on my chest.

  “You don’t get to talk about my mother, so watch your damn mouth!” she shouts, pushing me back again, punching my chest. “You can talk about me, demean me but never my mother.”

  Our gazes lock and hold for a second, then she looks away.

  “I’m sorry about your brother, actually for both of them,” she yells. “I really am. Hurting them was never my intention.”

  “But you fucking did.” I bellow. I can’t keep that at bay. “I should’ve come after you with the shit you pulled last year but being a deceitful bitch to my brother…you’re fucking done.”

  “I’m not a bitch!”

  “You certainly dress like one.

  “Sure, because a tight top makes one a whore, sure,” she mocks. “You want my fucking slutty top, here.” She picks it up and throws it in my face.

  “You want to embarrass me like filth in front of everyone in this party, walk out of here like I’m a two-dollar trailer trash, prostitute who misplaced her torn, tattered clothes?”

  She walks over to the door, her perky breasts now on full display, rage lighting her eyes.

  “Watch me take my own destiny and fate in my own fucking hands, you asshole.”

  And with that, she leaves, slamming the door shut behind her.

  “Damn, J,” Cole whistles. “She just called your bluff and showed you the fuck up.”

  Following after her, I can hear the whistles and catcalls as she goes, marching through the crowd with a fake, huge smile on her face. She gets to the center of the room, then hops up on a table and flares her arms in the air.

  “Skinny dipping in the fucking pool, right now!”

  The crowd cheers and she laughs, jumping off the table with a bunch of guys and they all head to the back, but she stops for a second. As if she knew I was watching all along, she kisses her middle finger and points it at me.

  With a cunning smirk on her beautiful face, girls and guys taking their clothes off around her, she watches me, the same sadness I saw in her the first time we met still clouding her gaze, she watches me right back until she disappears.

  And just like that, she woke a sleeping, hungry monster whose only appetite is for…her.

  5

  Almost two years later…

  “Pssst.
”

  The persistent, annoying, disgusting spitting sound finally makes me snap. I swivel around to look at the shitheads behind me, Brantley and Dante. They have to be the dumbest idiots in my junior English Lit class, but most of all, they think they’re God’s gift to women.

  As if…

  “Will you stop that! You sound like mosquitos in heat with that mess,” I snap and the whole class starts snickering.

  “Whoa sweetheart, I just wanted to talk to you,” Brantley starts, a smirk on his face, his large lineman body practically choking the desk and chair he’s subjected to take the brunt of his body weight sponsored by junk food and out of whack teenage hormones.

  “Talk about what?” I demand.

  “We’re going to St. Jude’s Saturday night. Are you in?” Dante whispers, a shy smile on his face that’s riddled with a bad case of pimples and acne. His cheeks are tinged with a blush he can’t control as I stare at him, making the bumps on his face that look like skin layered over coarse paper more prominent than before. For a rich prick like him, he sure doesn’t know how to use all that money. “I mean, you’ve been missing from action the entire year. Actually, for the past two years, that’s so unlike the skinny dipping, party goddess that you are.”

  I still in my seat, images and memories of one of the worst nights of my life replaying in my head for the hundredth time today. From the corner of my eye I can see my classmates leaning in, definitely waiting to hear what I’m going to say.

  Everyone at Clintwood Academy is nosy. Whatever I say right now or any other time, will be known by the rest of the school before the day ends. That’s just how it is here, where people have nothing better to do than eye you with jealousy and pathetic envy.

  I narrow my eyes, summoning my best bitch mask, then flip my hair over my shoulder like the diva they think I am.

  “Seriously, Dante?” I start, a smile on my face that’s as fake as Brantley’s Yeezy sneakers that he thinks no one notices. Fact is, everyone knows what’s real and what’s fake here, including personalities and bank accounts. “You got your feelings and your little ego hurt one too many times, are you seriously trying to get another go at burning embarrassment?”