Christian had me pinned between him and the house within a minute, both of us frantically clawing at each other, practically ripping off our clothes right then and there, my dad and Diane be damned. I didn’t care. Let this one break me again, let him have me. I wanted this. I needed this. He was the drug I never knew I was addicted to, not until today.
My pants were on the floor of the porch, and as Christian’s mouth assailed mine, he worked to undo his belt and free himself. Once his hard dick was out, he hoisted my legs up, our mouths never breaking contact, and pushed himself inside. He filled me up like no other, pushing at all of my boundaries, making my inner core quiver with need.
Our lips broke apart, and as I breathed rapidly, Christian buried his head against the crook of my neck as he started to fuck me against the house. Harder and harder at me he went until I cried out with desperation and—
And then I woke up, in my own bed, clothes still on, Christian-less and covered in sweat.
If my eyes could’ve stared holes in the ceiling, if laser beams could’ve shot out and decimated everything in my field of vision, they would have. I felt my blood pressure rising, my veins boiling. So much for not having a traitorous body.
No, it wasn’t my body itself that betrayed me. It was my mind. My subconscious. Ugh. If I could wring my own brain’s neck, I would. I did not need any more complications. I was going to make Christian rue the years he bullied me, and I was not going to screw him while doing it. There were just some stands you had to take, and avoiding sleeping with your enemy was one of them.
I reached for my pillow, hiding my face behind it. It was two in the morning, so I had some hours left to sleep away, but I had the feeling that sleep would take a long while to come after that dream. It was…so vivid. Lifelike, miraculous changes of nature aside. God, even now, I could still feel the remnants of his dick inside of me.
Which was insane. Because it was a freaking dream. His dick hadn’t been anywhere near me.
More like a ghost dick, I guess. A what-if dick.
I was so disappointed in myself, it wasn’t funny. It was sad, inexcusable, and downright pathetic. So clichéd, too. Falling for my bully. Didn’t my mind have any self-respect? Then again, I was basically dating Xander and Alec now, so I supposed my self-respect was long gone at this point, never to return again. Honestly, I wasn’t sure when it left, when I last saw it. It probably had been missing for a while now.
A little late, but bye-bye, self-respect. I’ll miss you.
Since I couldn’t sleep, I decided to get up and do homework instead. Yeah, I was having a regular party here. Fun stuff. But better use the time, right? Plus, it got my mind off of the dream and my self-loathing, at least for a while.
I can’t believe I dreamt that.
“Dude,” a light, feminine voice entered my ear, jerking me awake. “Tell me you didn’t fall asleep at your desk. How is that even comfortable?” The girl was shocked, as she should be, as I would be, if I walked into someone’s bedroom and found them hunched over and asleep, drooling all over her economics notebook.
Georgia. Georgia was here, because today we were going dress shopping at some faraway mall. Right. Had to get up, shower, get ready to go before Alec got here, since he was our ride. I tried to get Xander to go, but he kept shooting me down last night.
I sat up, wiping the corner of my mouth, moaning when I straightened my back. It ached, and not because of the sex I’d had the day before.
Sex. Sex was not something I should be thinking about, not while that dream was still so fresh.
“I, uh, I must’ve fallen asleep,” I said, turning to her as I yawned.
“Yeah, I’ll say,” Georgia spoke as she crossed her arms. “Good to know you don’t wake up looking perfect. You look just as shitty as the rest of us lowly commoners.” I knew she was joking, but still. I worked hard on my appearance every morning before school. I was slightly insulted.
“Hey, that’s not nice. I wouldn’t barge into your bedroom and insult your bedhead—” I glanced at the desk before me, changing my words, “Or deskhead. You get my point.” I got up, moving to my closet to pick out an outfit before shuffling to the bathroom.
Today was going to be fun, but it was also going to be a long day.
Once I was ready, Georgia and I headed downstairs. Dad and Diane were in the kitchen, sitting at the table, drinking coffee. I was surprised to see Diane up; usually she slept in. “Either of you want any breakfast?” my dad asked. He hadn’t showered, so his brown hair was flat on his head after a night’s rest.
Georgia shook her head. “I’m good, thanks.”
“No,” I said. “Alec should be here soon to pick us up anyway.”
“Alec,” my dad echoed. “Why does that name sound familiar?” Uh, probably because I’d mentioned him before, years ago. Probably because he used to help Christian torment me, but now the tables had turned, and he was mine, not Christian’s.
My dad didn’t need to know that, though.
“Don’t worry,” I told him, “he’s just a boy from school.”
Diane gave my dad a look I couldn’t decipher. “That’s how they all start out,” she warned, as if she knew. As if she had previous experience with it. I was pretty sure she didn’t; she just liked being in the middle of things, acting like she was my mom.
She’d never be my mom.
With my wallet in my back pocket and my phone in the other, Georgia and I headed onto the front porch, sitting on the bottom step as we waited for Alec. I’d had Alec swing by the ATM yesterday, and I pulled out some cash. I felt bad using some of the money my mom had left me for a dress for a dance, but I had to look good. No—not just good. Drop-dead gorgeous. I had to make everyone envious of me. I would be the center of attention, the center of Christian’s world, at least until I made a fool of him in front of the whole school. I’d already started on the video. I knew it was something that would take time, since I wasn’t a techie.
I glanced behind us, at the door and the windows, checking to make sure they were all closed. What I was about to tell Georgia, I did not want my dad or Diane knowing. The last thing I needed right now was a talk about sex. I was eighteen; I’d known about the birds and the bees for a while.
“I had sex with Alec and Xander yesterday,” I whispered, once I was sure no one inside the house would overhear.
“What?” Georgia practically squealed, but then she remembered to lower her voice to not attract the attention of the adults in the house. “How—when—why?” So eloquent and full of questions.
I chuckled. “Do you really want all the details?” I couldn’t believe I was telling Georgia before Leah, but for some reason, I didn’t want Leah to know unless I was sure they were mine. On my side. A part of me still wondered if they were playing me as I played them.
I’d tell Leah—but only when I knew, without a doubt, that they’d stick by my side.
“Maybe not,” Georgia admitted. “Was it a one time thing, or…”
“I don’t know,” I muttered, my shoulders rising and falling once. “I hope not. I told them I cared for them. I might even love them.” The words felt fake in my mouth, considering the dream I’d just had involving Christian. If I truly loved Alec and Xander, why did I have a sex dream about the one boy I hated above all others?
I couldn’t be falling for Christian. I couldn’t.
“Damn,” Georgia swore. “I thought those two hated each other? I don’t think I’ve ever seen them together since I transferred to River High.”
“They used to be friends, and then they had a falling out.” I would not tell her about the whole bisexual thing, because it wasn’t my secret to tell. If they wanted other people to know, they would be the ones to say so. “I brought them back together.” And then had sex with them.
“Huh,” she muttered. “That’s crazy.”
Crazy didn’t cut it. It wasn’t a strong enough word.
It was another ten minutes before Alec pulled int
o the driveway. I was on my feet, rushing to the car with Georgia on my tail before my dad or Diane could come out and talk with him. I could only imagine how that talk would go. No, thanks. No awkward encounters today.
“Hey,” Alec spoke with a grin as I got in next to him. Georgia hopped in the backseat, buckling her seatbelt as Alec only had eyes for me. And what a pair of beautiful jade eyes they were. The tiny dimples in his cheeks made my stomach warm at the memory of what we did yesterday.
Shit. I had it bad for this kid.
“Hey,” I said back. “Ready to go, or should we sit here and stare at each other some more?”
“I could stare at you all day and never get tired of it,” Alec’s reply was impossibly smooth, and made my stupid little heart do a flip in my chest. He turned his head to Georgia. “Good morning, Georgia.”
She waved him off. “Oh, don’t mind me. I’m just here for the ride. And, you know, the dresses.” She was grinning, smiling from ear to ear. I didn’t think I’d ever seen such a huge, happy smile on her face. “I’m actually kind of excited. Maybe I’ll end up going to prom, too—as long as this one turns out okay.”
As Alec started backing out of the driveway, I told her, “Oh, I’m making you go to prom whether Snowball is a disaster or not.” Hopefully it wouldn’t be a disaster. Hopefully everything would go smoothly.
My luck, at this point, was a legendary kind of bad. Really, I should’ve known better.
We all make mistakes, right?
Chapter Twenty
The mall we went to was a solid three hour drive from our house. It really was an all-day affair, but it was so worth it. The stores inside the mall were not your typical stores. They were more uppity, more name-brand, full of shiny, sparkly things that drew your eye even if you hated things like that.
We were at the food court, eating a late lunch. I’d gotten fries and a burger, while Alec had gotten chicken and rice from some Mexican place. Georgia had opted for pizza. We were a motley crew, and we’d already been to seven dress stores, at least.
“I think I’m going to go with that pink one, at the first place,” Georgia went on. “I know some people would say that the pink clashes with my hair, but I don’t care. I liked it, and it fit perfectly.”
I nodded, recalling the pink dress. It wasn’t an ugly hot pink, more of a soft, gentle hue. It went great with her pale, freckled skin. I took a bite of my burger, glancing at Alec. So far, he’d been the model of an escort, holding dresses for us, getting new sizes when we were in the dressing rooms. I knew this couldn’t have been too fun for him, but he was a trooper.
“There’s still that one place I want to go, the one we passed by when we walked in,” I reminded her. “They looked like they had some nice dresses.” All of these stores, since they were so fancy, were named weird things. I’d never remember what they were called, so I wasn’t about to waste my time trying.
Georgia looked at Alec, who was busy shoveling his food in his mouth like some kind of vacuum. For someone who had the body he had, he sure ate a lot. “What color dress do you think Elle would look good in?”
I shot her a look, but she shrugged me off.
Alec looked at me. “The color doesn’t matter,” he eventually said, taking his time, choosing his words carefully. To me, he said, “You’ll look good in any dress, any color, because it’s you. You rock everything you wear without trying.” So simple, as if the answer should’ve been obvious to Georgia.
My friend snorted, rolling her eyes at his nice, sugary tone. “My God. You two need to just get a room.” She shook her head, whispering, “You make me sick.” She was smiling, so we couldn’t have been making her that sick.
“I don’t know about a room, but we could find a bathroom stall,” Alec deadpanned, and I slapped his arm.
“Hell no,” I told him.
We finished up eating and went to the last store. As I browsed the walls, I couldn’t help but wonder what I’d do if I didn’t find a dress I liked. The theme of Snowball was winter wonderland. These people really liked the idea of snow—probably because they’d never had to drive in it, or walk in it, or live through a blizzard. It wasn’t fun. They were lucky with their warm temperatures, year-round.
But, anyway, I couldn’t help but assume that most girls were going to choose something that went along with the theme. Blues, silvers, golds, those sorts of colors. I didn’t want to be like everyone else. I had to stand out.
The woman working in the store had wandered to my side, hands held behind her back. “Looking for something in particular?”
“No,” I said. “I don’t know what I’m looking for.”
“Price range?”
“Under five hundred.” I was aware half a thousand dollars on a dress was outrageous, but I had the money, and I was prepared to spend it all if I had to. This store was a bit fancier than the others; it didn’t have extra sizes of the dresses it had in stock. What it had, it only had one of. Every dress was unique.
“Elle!”
I heard my name being called from the other side of the store, and I gave the clerk my best smile as I headed toward Georgia and Alec. Both of them were staring at a dress. Georgia pulled it off the shelf, her mouth ajar.
It wasn’t the color I’d choose for her, but if she liked it better than the pink one…
Georgia handed the dress to me, lifting it high to avoid dragging its bottom along the floor. “Try it on,” she said, a command.
Wait. This dress—for me?
I took it from her, studying it. Well, the color was vibrant, and it definitely wasn’t blue. I’d stand out without a problem in this dress. I checked the price tag; it was four hundred dollars. With tax, it’d be around four-forty. Doable.
When I turned, about to call for the clerk, the woman was already behind me, smiling in approval. “A good choice. A lot of girls have come in here, eyeing that one up.” She gestured for me to follow her to the back, where the changing rooms were. She unlocked one for me, and I stepped in, surrounded by mirrors, every which way.
I hung the dress up on the door as I kicked off my shoes and worked to take off my clothes. The dress was strapless, so I’d be checking myself out with a strapped bra on, but I’d make do. It took me a few moments to find the zipper on the side of the dress and get myself in it, and when it was fully on, when I stood in the center of the changing room, eyeing myself up in the mirror, I couldn’t help but smile.
This…
This was perfect. Georgia and Alec had found the perfect dress for me. I ran my hands down its sides, taking in the smooth, satin fabric. Bra straps aside, I looked like a million bucks. How hot would I look once my hair was done up and my face was made up? I’d stop Christian in his tracks.
Hell, not just Christian. I’d stop everyone in their tracks. I was like a model, on the runway. Like the ones you see in those fashion magazines, only less anorexic. I looked like a woman, not a girl.
This was definitely my dress.
In the hall, Georgia said, “Let’s see it.”
I smiled to myself as I started to take it off, putting it back on the hanger. “You’ll have to wait to see it.” I threw my clothes on and walked out of the changing room, dress in hand.
“So you’re getting it?” Alec asked. “You’re really not going to let us see you? Did you take any pictures on your phone? Come on. You can’t make me wait until the dance to see you in it.”
“You’ll have to get a matching tie,” Georgia spoke with a smile.
“We’re not going as a date,” I said, to which Georgia gave me an are you crazy? look. “I’m going with Christian—he just doesn’t know it yet.”
Alec muttered something under his breath. I knew he wasn’t happy about my plan with Christian, but it was the only way I could think of to make sure he didn’t start dating anyone else in the few short weeks before the dance.
“What?” Georgia practically shouted it. “No. Tell me you’re not going with that dick.”
&n
bsp; Now it was my turn to give her a look. “I have to. Alec understands.” He doesn’t like it, but he understands. I headed out of the back, meeting the clerk at the register. “I’ll take it.” She rung me out, and within five minutes, I was over four hundred dollars poorer but one dress richer. Of course, that said nothing about the shoes or the accessories, but those were not nearly as important as the dress itself. Those could wait.
Now it was Georgia’s turn to spend some money. We went back to the store with the pink dress that she liked, and as she checked out, I stood near Alec, clutching the dress, which hung in a bag, folded over my arm.
“You know,” Alec started, glancing down at me, “if you’re really going to get Christian to go with you, you’re going to need to explain some things to Jessie.”
I let out a sigh. Yeah, he was right. Jessie deserved to know. I’d explain everything to her Monday, and do it when Christian wasn’t nearby to overhear.
With two dresses purchased and the afternoon well upon us, it was finally time to go home. Georgia and I tucked our dresses into the trunk, laying them down carefully. As we got into the car, Georgia said, “No reckless driving, now.”
Alec smirked. “Right, because now there are two expensive dresses in the car, and those fancy pieces of fabric are way more important than us.”
“I’m glad you understand,” Georgia said, buckling her seatbelt.
After GPS-ing the way back, we got on the road. Alec would drop Georgia off at her house first, and then me at mine. Three hours later, Georgia was getting out, retrieving her dress from the trunk, and waving as she headed into her house. Then it was just me and Alec.
Alec shot me a fast look before backing the car out of her driveway. “You have no idea how hard it’s going to be for me to see you in that dress and know you’re at the dance with Christian,” he said. “Are you sure you really need me to come?”
Spite: A Bully Reverse Harem Page 16
