Spite: A Bully Reverse Harem

by Candace Wondrak

  “Good,” I said, going to slide on flats. I went for my backpack next, digging out a sucker I had stored in the front pocket. I stuck it down my chest, right between my breasts. It was the only way I’d get it past my dad, but I had the feeling I’d need a pick-me-up on the walk to Jessie’s house.

  Georgia followed me down the stairs. After saying goodbye to the two adults in the house, we went down the driveway, stopping at the base of it. She’d driven here using her mother’s car. “You sure you’ll be okay at this party by yourself? You don’t want me to drive you there?” she asked me. I hadn’t told her strictly about the suicide attempt, but I was sure she’d seen the scars. I usually wore long sleeves to school, but it wasn’t like I always kept my sleeves tugged down.

  “I’ll be fine,” I told her. “And no thanks. I’ll text you when I get home later. Thank you for your concern, Mom.”

  She chuckled, reaching into her pocket for the keys. “Good. I want you in bed by twelve.”

  “Make it two,” I said with a laugh, starting to head down the sidewalk, away from Georgia as she got into the car and drove off. The day had turned dark, and I sighed to myself as I walked, reaching into my chest to grab the sucker.

  It’d take me at least thirty minutes to walk to Jessie’s house, but I could handle the walk. Exercise and all that, right?

  It was ten minutes into my walk when a car rolled to a stop beside me. I didn’t recognize the car, but I did recognize the driver. Sarah, Jessie’s friend and the third in our chemistry table. Another girl was in the passenger’s seat beside her, but the backseat was empty.

  “Hey,” Sarah called out to me, grinning. “Aren’t you looking hot as hell? Tell me you’re not walking to Jessie’s house.”

  I pulled the sucker from my mouth with a shrug. “I don’t have a car.” And I didn’t want to ask my dad or Diane to use theirs, so walking it was.

  “Get in, girl. You can ride with us.” Sarah reached a hand over to the lap of the girl in the passenger seat, and a look passed between them. Were they dating? Whatever. It was none of my business. Whoever you wanted to sleep with, go for it.

  I went to the backseat, sliding in as I said, “Thank you.”

  “No problem.” As Sarah began driving again, I met her eyes in the rearview mirror. “Anyone you want to catch the attention of? Has to be, with you looking so hot.” Beside her, the girl whose name I didn’t know only nodded along, as if a girl couldn’t look smoking and sexy for herself.

  It wasn’t for me, but they didn’t need to know that.

  “Maybe,” I said. “We’ll see how the night goes.”

  The night went better than I expected it to.

  Chapter Nine

  Jessie’s house was nice and huge and exactly what you’d expect when you imagined someone well off. A full two-story house with acres of land and an inground pool in the back. Everything looked well-kept and updated, and as I followed Sarah and her girlfriend to the front door, I half expected to get carded, or to have some fancy bouncer throw me out because I didn’t belong here. But as I stepped over the threshold and entered the house, absolutely nothing happened.

  I was just in. Don’t know why I was expecting something else.

  There were dozens of other people here already, and music pumping through the house. Most everyone had a red solo cup—such a cliché, it hurt my eyes to look at those damned cups—and I left Sarah and her friend to wander, getting the general layout of the house. It was always good to have an escape route planned, just in case things didn’t go the way I wanted.

  I found Jessie with Christian in the kitchen. She was busy laughing at something he said, and he was smiling.

  Fuck. His smile—his real, genuine smile was something out of a dream. Dimpled, cute, with perfect teeth to match. Anything anyone could ever want in a smile. I didn’t even know Christian could smile like that…and I couldn’t say why, but I was a little jealous Jessie was on the receiving end of it.

  She was his girlfriend, I had to remind myself. If he was going to smile at anyone, of course it would be her.

  Jessie spotted me, setting down her cup as she squealed—yes, the girl literally squealed when she saw me. She rushed over to me, throwing her arms around me in a hug. It took me a moment, a shocked moment, before I hugged her back, noticing that Christian’s amazing smile had been replaced with a sneer.

  “Oh, my God,” Jessie spoke, ending the hug as she checked me out. I’d finished my sucker a little bit ago, and I desperately missed the sugar. “I didn’t know you were coming tonight! You look so good.”

  I wasn’t the only one who looked good. Jessie wore a tight and obscenely short dress, hiked up to her thighs, all sparkly and silver. Her hair was half up and half down, most of it curled. She looked like a model going clubbing.

  Jessie looked to Christian, who failed to lessen his scowl before she noticed. “What’s wrong? Doesn’t she look good?” She let out an annoyed sound, dragging me away from Christian and out of the kitchen, into the throngs of kids in the living room. Some of them were dancing, grinding on each other, only one step away from having sex in public. “Boys. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. Do you want something to drink? They spiked the punch, but I can get you water if you want.”

  Jessie was too nice. I hated what I was going to do to her.

  “Water would be nice,” I said, sending her off, mostly so I could take in my surroundings. So far, I’d seen a lot of other jocks and cheerleaders, but no Alec. Hmm. Maybe I should’ve made sure he was going to come tonight before dolling myself up.

  By the time Jessie came back, my spirits were low. What if Alec wasn’t coming? What if he was already upstairs with another girl? Again, that ugly beast called jealousy. I shouldn’t be jealous of anyone who was with Alec, just like I shouldn’t have felt those pangs when I watched Christian smile at Jessie. Neither boy was mine.

  Which was good. Because I didn’t want them. Not unless it was under my heel, them being crushed like bugs.

  I checked to make sure the seal was unbroken on the water bottle before taking a sip, watching Jessie, who lingered around me. She had something to say to me, but what?

  “Can I ask you something?” she finally spoke. We both leaned on the windowsill in the front of the living room, the blinds drawn behind us. After I nodded, she went on, “What’s the deal between you and Christian?”

  “Deal?” I echoed, surprised that she picked up on it. Although, I guess I shouldn’t be, given how much of a glarer Christian was. He didn’t exactly keep his disdain for me under wraps.

  “Do you like him?”

  I could not say “No” fast enough. And it was true. I think. It had to be true. His cute smile didn’t sway me that much—I definitely wasn’t crushing on him. Crushing on him and wanting to crush him were two very separate things. “Why do you ask?”

  Jessie shrugged, trying to pretend it was nothing, but I could tell by her expression something was on her mind. “It’s probably nothing, and you’re going to think I’m stupid.” After being with her and Sarah during chemistry, a class I hardly understood, seeing how she handled all those equations and shit—the last thing I’d think of her was stupid.

  She was smart, and nice, and she definitely didn’t deserve what I had planned for her and Christian.

  “Ever since you came back, Christian’s been weird. He doesn’t talk as much, and he refuses to talk about you.” Jessie sighed. “I tried asking him about you, since you told me you guys were in the same class in elementary, but it’s like he just shuts down anytime someone brings up your name. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he has a thing for you.”

  “Jessie, I would never—”

  “I know,” she spoke quietly, a gentle smile forming on her lips. “I know.”

  Just to put her mind at ease, I decided to tell her, “I’m here for Alec, actually. Do you know if he’s here?” I couldn’t have her spend all night thinking I liked her boyfriend. I needed her
happy and preppy for now.

  “Alec?” Jessie practically shouted his name, her giddiness making me wonder if I maybe shouldn’t have told her. She practically bounced up and down in her heels. Yes, she wore heels to her own party, heels which only made her legs look longer and slimmer, but she looked good. I couldn’t say anything mean about her. “He’s out by the pool. Come on!”

  Before I knew what was happening, her slim hand found mine, dragging me through the house, past the gyrating bodies, and into the backyard, onto the giant stone patio that surrounded her inground pool. Alec was in the water, tossing a small, waterlogged ball back and forth with another guy, but when he saw us standing at the edge of the pool, his attention immediately fell on me.

  “El,” he started, stopping only when he was smacked on the side of the head with the ball.

  As he worked to heave himself out of the pool, Jessie said, “I forgot something inside.” Before she left, she shot me something of a wink, like she thought she was setting us up or something. She couldn’t have been more wrong, considering I would’ve found him eventually, and that tonight was Alec’s night.

  I hooked my thumbs through my belt loops, my eyes dropping to the water dotting his bare chest. With his wet hair, the water droplets running down his body, not to mention the flat abdomen and the slight v-shape that made me ogle him just a little bit more…if my body could’ve screamed I’m ready, take me here, I was certain it would’ve.

  Damn, this boy was fine. The finest there was.

  When I kept staring at his body like he was the finest male specimen I’d ever seen, he joked, “My eyes are up here.” I was slow to raise my stare to his. Right. How could I forget? Eyes so green they put the forests in the Amazon to shame, eyes whose hue was so startlingly pure they merited a new definition of the word green.

  “Yes they are,” I said lamely.

  “Let me grab my shirt, and we can go inside for a drink—” I stopped him by shoving my water bottle at his chest. My partially-drank water bottle. He wouldn’t…he would, and he did. His fingers curled around mine as he took the water bottle from me, giving me a smile that sent my insides tumbling. “Thanks. You know I don’t mind a little backwash, but only if it’s from you.”

  I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry. My plan was crumbling, all because he was shirtless and wet in front of me. Was I truly so weak? I watched him chug the remnants of the water bottle in, like, three fucking gulps. I might’ve had my mouth open. Just a bit.

  Oh, God. This was embarrassing. I came here to wreck it, and here I was, a slave to my hormones.

  Luckily for me, Alec still went for his shirt after dropping the water bottle. I supposed cleanup duty would happen later, after the party was over, and it would mostly involve Jessie picking all the shit up. I wasn’t going to worry about it; right now, I had to focus on keeping my panties on.

  “Do you want to go for a walk?” Alec suggested, and I nodded dumbly.

  We ended up strolling around Jessie’s backyard. Away from the noise of the house, away from the other kids partying it up, it was almost like we were on a date—but we weren’t. I had to remember that I was on a mission, and I would not forgo my mission, even in the face of such a cute…well, face.

  “I never thought I’d see you at a party,” he said. We walked half a foot apart, as if we were both afraid to get any closer. Georgia was right—I had Alec already, without even trying. This outfit, the makeup, it was all overkill. I could’ve shown up in rags and he would’ve followed me around like a puppy.

  The true question was: would I be strong enough to keep myself from falling for him, too? After all, none of what was going to happen was real. I was using him, and whether or not I used his body was still up for grabs.

  “I never thought I’d be back here,” I said, glancing at him. Since he hadn’t dried off before throwing on his shirt, it stuck to his body everywhere—I wanted to run my hands down his chest and feel those muscles for myself. “So I guess we’re both surprised.”

  Alec chuckled. “Yeah, I guess so.” The sky was dark above us, the moon shining down, illuminating everything in a silver light. “Can I tell you a secret?”

  “Depends what it is.”

  He stopped walking, turning to face me. I did the same, though I kept my distance, knowing what would happen if either of us stepped closer to each other. “I’m glad you’re back,” Alec spoke softly, emotion wrought in his jade stare, though the emotion morphed into something more carnal as he studied me, finally appreciating my outfit. “Fuck, El. You look amazing.”

  “Can I tell you a secret?” It took every bit of my inner strength to move closer to him and run a hand down his chest, over his damp shirt, feeling his muscles tense beneath my touch. “I’m glad to be back—and you look even better wet than you do dry.”

  Too much?

  Before he had the chance to say anything back, I took my hand off him. “I doubt Christian would want you spending any time with me, though…” I shrugged, acting hurt, a bit like my old self. Like I wasn’t worth his time.

  Alec did not hesitate to declare, “Fuck Christian.”

  I grinned. “Well, maybe not Christian…” Meaning Christian wasn’t the one to fuck. Not that I was saying anything was going to happen between Alec and I, but God, this boy was sex on two legs. Couldn’t help my mind, or apparently my mouth, from wandering there, could I?

  I couldn’t say anything more, for Alec’s hands grabbed the sides of my head, bringing me in as his mouth crashed down to mine. I’d like to say he tasted like sweat and fire, but really, all he tasted like was chlorine. Still, I’d take it. I’d take it and wrap this boy around my finger, no matter what happened tonight.

  I’d forgotten how good kissing could feel. How ravenous lips against yours could set a hunger burning deep within. How I’d forgotten, I had no idea, but I didn’t want to ever forget again.

  He ran his tongue over my bottom lip, and I nearly melted right then and there. This boy could kiss. I didn’t want to think about what that meant, who he’d kissed before. Right here, right now, there was only Alec and I—and my scheme to make him fall in love with me. Always the damper on situations, huh?

  I pressed my body against his, feeling his wet clothes start to dampen mine, but I didn’t care. My hands went around his neck, and I felt him moan into the kiss when our tongues met. My lower gut burned, and I wanted to take off my clothes. His clothes. Both our clothes—I didn’t care. I was just so hot, there was only one thing that would satisfy me now that I’d gotten a taste of him.

  I broke our kiss to mutter, “A room?”

  Alec knew exactly what I wanted, and he took my hand in his, leading me across Jessie’s back lawn. We went into her house and headed straight up the stairs, passing Christian and Jessie, who were huddled at the base of the stairs, drinking and talking. Christian definitely shot me a glare as we went up, and I smiled to myself. When Alec saw my smile, I pretended to be grinning at him.

  Eh. Who cared if I was a bitch? Who cared if all this was a game to me? I was who these jerks made me. They would all reap the seeds they sowed. Eventually.

  Right now, I was just horny.

  We found a bedroom that was unoccupied, pushing inside it, barely getting the door closed behind me before Alec had me pressed up against the wood, stuck between the door and his body. He wasn’t a jock like Christian, but his muscles were hard all the same.

  And his muscles weren’t the only part of him that was hard.

  His lips on mine tasted better than I ever thought they would; I must’ve gotten used to the taste of chlorine. There was not a single hint of hesitation as I ran my hands down his chest between us, our mouths too hungry for each other. A low moan came from his throat when my hand brushed the area between his legs, the lengthening erection pressing against his swimming trunks.

  Alec did not fight me when I broke our lip lock and pushed him off me, guiding him to the bed. With his back on top of the sheets, I then crawled
on top of him, straddling him, getting my pants wet—but I didn’t care. I brought my lips to his neck, kissing his tender flesh, grinding myself against his hard-on, fully enjoying the moans that came from him.

  His warm, strong hands ran down my back, dancing across my spine and setting a fire deep within me that I knew could only be put out by one thing. The one thing I was currently grinding on like it was my job.

  If I took Alec here and now, if we had sex, would he start to follow me around like a lovestruck boy, or would I just become another notch on his bedpost? No, I wouldn’t think about it. Either way, this suited my plan. Why would Alec ever think I hated him when I was about to fuck him? I would blindside him, and the poor fool would have no idea until it was too late.

  “El,” he moaned out my name, the cute little nickname he’d chosen for me, his fingertips digging harder into my sides. As I kissed his jaw, he whispered, “I want you so bad.”

  There was a simple fix for that. I gave him a wicked grin, lifting my head and holding it directly above his. Alec’s green eyes were cloudy, hazy with a need for sex. His voice was rough and ragged, and I fought the butterflies going crazy inside as I said, “Then take me.” It was as good of an invitation as he was going to get.

  Alec gently switched us, holding me against him as he took charge and laid me on the bed underneath him. His lips were slightly parted, and I could feel the hot breath coming from him, spreading across my skin like molten fire. My eyes fell to his chest, and I watched as he wiggled out of his damp shirt. Next came the swimming trunks…

  Or they would’ve, if the door to the dark bedroom hadn’t just burst open.

  “Get the fuck away from her,” a harsh, angry voice broke through our sexy time. A voice I instantly knew—Christian’s. With an iron grip, Christian grabbed Alec’s bare shoulder and hauled him off me, practically throwing him against the open door.

  In the hall, Jessie was trying to plead with him, not understanding what was happening. “Christian, just stop! Let them—” She froze the moment Christian turned his glare on her, but it returned to Alec quickly.