Every Hidden Truth (Far From Ruined Book 2)

by Nikole Knight

  The day passed painfully slow, the hours stretching as Ben texted me during class. He was cute and sexy, leaving snide, tempting comments that made me wish we were anywhere but here.

  Finally, the bell signaling lunch rang, and I dumped my shit in my locker and hightailed it to the cafeteria. I was staring down at my phone to send a text to Ben when someone smashed into my shoulder.

  I staggered and almost dropped my cell.

  Glaring at the dumbass who hit me, I straightened as Eric’s dark eyes leveled me with a maliciously smug smirk. My first reaction was to cower away, but I smothered it. I wouldn’t be weak anymore. He had threatened and blustered, yet he hadn’t made a move since that night behind the stage. Yes, he was capable of hurting me, but I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction my fear brought.

  “Watch where you’re going, cocksucker.” His rent-a-thugs, Shawn and Pimples sniggered like idiots, as if his insult was original and witty.

  “Trust me, I’d do just about anything to keep from seeing your ugly mug, but I just can’t seem to get rid of you. You stalking me now?” I shot back, meeting his glower with my middle finger. “Now, in case you’re gonna beg me to suck your cock again, I’m gonna stop you right now and tell you I’m really not interested in your closeted, disease-riddled junk. Go bark up another gay tree, motherfucker.”

  Okay, maybe my enthusiasm ran away with me there, but it felt so fucking great to backtalk him.

  Smiling sweetly, I waved both my middle fingers in his direction as I backed away. His posse gaped at my words as Eric fumed, his features darkening murderously.

  I spun on my heels and sauntered down the hallway, passing Mr. Rodriguez, the Spanish teacher, as he stood in the doorway to his classroom.

  He arched a chiding eyebrow at my crude language, and I smiled meekly in return.

  I could practically hear the steam billowing from Eric’s ears, but I chuckled to myself anyway. I was sick of him pushing me around, and I’d totally had sex this weekend, which was kind of a big deal. Not even Eric fucking Boyt could ruin my mood.

  Meeting Ben at the entrance to the cafeteria, I unceremoniously lunged at him and kissed his face off. He harrumphed in surprise at my less than graceful attack of his mouth but reciprocated the hungry kiss with one of his own.

  God, I could kiss him forever.

  As my lungs protested the lack of oxygen, I broke the kiss, and Ben’s cheeks flushed adorably as he grinned.

  “Wow, that was quite a greeting,” he said, his voice breathy. “And you got all upset about my morning hello.”

  I was running on a high of happiness and adrenaline, and my voice couldn’t be trusted. I shrugged, linking our hands, and he followed me toward the lunch line.

  “Seriously, what has gotten into you?” Ben nudged my arm as we serpentined through the mass of students. “Why are you in such a good mood?”

  Feeling naughty, I leaned in to whisper near his ear like I had a secret. “Well, I probably shouldn’t kiss and tell, but I totally scored this weekend.”

  Ben’s already flushed cheeks reddened further as he bit his lip to keep from smiling and tried to appear reprimanding. “You’re right. You really shouldn’t kiss and tell.”

  I waggled my eyebrows wickedly as we took our spot in line, and I dropped my voice low so only he could hear me. “Well, when you’ve had the best sex of your life, it’s kind of hard not to talk about it.”

  “The best sex of your life, huh?” With a tomato-red face, he cocked a disbelieving brow even as his lips twitched with the urge to smile. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

  Excited he was playing along, I gave a noncommittal grunt. “Oh, just this guy I know.”

  He hummed, rubbing the back of his neck as he attempted to get his blush under control. “Well, uh, that’s a strange coincidence ’cause I definitely got laid this weekend, too.”

  “Really?” I feigned shock as we loaded our combined tray with french fries, chicken strips, and nachos. “Who’s the lucky ducky who got to roll in the sheets with you?”

  The girl in front of us glanced over her shoulder, sending me an annoyed grimace, and I stuck my tongue out like a kid.

  Ben smacked my arm, embarrassed, but continued our charade. “If you have to know, it’s just some smartass I know.”

  “Well, did this smartass rock your world?”

  Ben’s eyes splashed and swirled, his pupils dilating as his nose grazed mine. “Yes, he most certainly did.”

  Purring in delight at his admission, I kissed his mouth delicately before giving him a sexy wink. “Well hopefully, there will be a repeat for both of us. I can’t wait to hit that again.”

  I paid for our food with a dazzling smile aimed at the lunch lady before I flitted across the cafeteria to our table. Ben followed behind me, his face a mix of amusement and hunger. I had a feeling he wasn’t famished for the food currently resting on our tray, and I was more than ready to accommodate him.

  God, this day needed to end pronto!

  As if the evidence of our activities over the weekend was tattooed across my forehead, Kim narrowed her eyes the moment I sat down. Seriously? Did Ben have a Recently Deflowered stamp somewhere on his delectable body I couldn’t see?

  I ducked my head and ignored her curious eyes, but the more she stared, the worse I blushed.

  Eventually, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

  My responding glower promised death and dismemberment should she open her damn mouth, and she thankfully pressed her lips together in a barely-veiled smile. She sent me a subtle thumbs-up, and I grimaced.

  How embarrassing.

  “Should I bring dinner after practice?” Ben took one of my nacho chips and popped it into his mouth.

  I shook my head, stealing one of his fries in retaliation. “I thought I’d come to yours. Dad’s home.”

  He understood the significant look in my eyes and nodded, his ears dusting roseate. “Okay, that works, too.”

  “What’cha gonna be doing that your dad can’t be around, I wonder,” Kim mused, and Jordan, Ronnie, and Caroline laughed as Harris blushed.

  With a bored stare, I flipped her off. “Knitting, you nosy ginger.” Ben choked on a fry at my words. “Ben’s gonna teach me. He’s really good at it, too.”

  “Dude, that’s super gay.” Jordan chortled, earning scathing glares from the group as I tossed a french fry at his head.

  “Not as gay as what we could be doing,” I countered, and Ben rubbed the back of my neck with his thumb to soothe me.

  As I relaxed under his touch, he pressed a kiss to my temple and murmured into my ear. “Not as gay as what we will be doing.”

  Goose bumps erupted over my arms. I swallowed thickly as I attempted to calm the instant racing of my heart. Angling my head, I dropped my voice so only he could hear. “I’m gonna ride you so fucking hard.”

  I made good on my word.

  The moment Ben was home from practice, we forwent eating in lieu of a passionate romp in his bed. Sweaty and satisfied, I collapsed onto his chest as he gasped beneath me. He rubbed my slick back, kissing my head, and I disconnected us carefully before rolling to the side onto the mattress.

  “God, I love sex.” I accepted the tissue he handed me, wiping my stomach and cock as he rose to discard the condom. “I would have never guessed I was your first guy, you know? You’re not as shy in bed as I expected.”

  The flush of his arousal merged with the color of his embarrassment, and I cackled like a witch as he flipped me the bird. “Yeah, well, I expected you to be a screamer. So, no disappointment there.”

  I blushed as he disappeared into the bathroom. “Pot, meet kettle,” I called after him, even though I was lying through my teeth. I loved the sounds Ben made, but he was definitely quieter than me.

  After cleaning up and redressing in our shirts and boxers, I dragged Ben back onto the bed and snuggled into his side. “So, you’d be proud of me.”

  “Really? How so?”

  I dre
w designs on his clothed chest as his fingers sifted through my hair. “I told Boyt off today.”

  Ben stiffened, his fingers tightening in the hair at the back of my head. “What do you mean? Did he come at you?”

  “No.” I propped myself on my elbow, leaning over him. “No, he bumped me in the hallway with his cronies and talked shit, and I told him he was barking up the wrong gay tree.”

  His brows furrowed in concern. “Silas—”

  I cut him off, not wanting to hear his lecture. “It was kind of awesome. I told him I wasn’t interested in his cock, and he should stop stalking me. And then I flipped him the bird, and his bitches were, like, in shock. God, he was so pissed, but it felt amazing.”

  “I don’t really think baiting him is the best course of action, do you?”

  I pouted at his lack of enthusiasm and plopped back on the bed, glaring at his ceiling. “I’m done being scared of him, Ben. He talks big, but he won’t do shit. And I’m not letting him push me around anymore.”

  There was a stretch of tense silence before Ben sighed, and his hand slipped into mine between our bodies, our fingers tangling. “I’m not saying to be afraid of him or let him push you around, but purposefully egging him on doesn’t seem the wisest of choices.”

  “You’re kind of ruining this for me,” I whined, and he released an impatient breath through his nose.

  Eventually, he sighed in defeat. “Just be careful.”

  “I will.” I flopped my head to the side to study his frustrated profile, squeezing his fingers in reassurance. “Now, stop being such a buzzkill.”

  My attempt at lightening the atmosphere backfired, and Ben sat up and raked a hand through his curls. “How can you treat this so lightly? After everything he did—what he’s still doing to you. He got away with it. And you act like it’s some sort of joke.”

  The accusation incensed me, and I shoved his shoulder hard. “You think I don’t take this seriously? I see him at school every fucking day, Ben. I smell his cologne at work; I dream about him all the time. He’s everywhere! I can’t get away from him.” Ben cowered under my sudden fury, and I bared my teeth like an animal. “I have to joke about it, or else I’ll curl into a ball and spend the rest of my life crying. I’ve had enough crying to last me a fucking lifetime, thank you very much!”

  My voice rose in volume as Ben’s eyes widened. “You think for one second that I find anything about this fucked up situation funny? That I enjoy feeling his eyes on me at school or constantly looking over my shoulder when I find myself alone? I hate this!” I clenched my jaw and yanked on my hair until my scalp protested. “I hate that I’m still afraid of him, but I’m done cowering like a pathetic little victim. I am not weak!”

  As his expression softened, he scooted across the mattress until he could kneel before me. “You’re a lot of things, Silas, but a victim isn’t one of them. I’ve never thought of you as weak, but whether you want to admit it or not, he is stronger than you, and that terrifies me. I worry for you because I love you, and the thought of him ever hurting you again makes me want to find him and bury him six feet under so he can’t even look at you.”

  The violent glint in his glacier eyes called to a terrible place inside me that wanted Eric to suffer, to bleed. “Yeah, he’s stronger than me, but I won’t hide away. I refuse.”

  “You’re right, we don’t hide.” He hauled me into an embrace and kissed my cheek. “But we need to be smart and not push him too far, because when he hits back, he won’t pull his punches. I need to keep you safe.”

  I scoffed, capturing his chin and pinching to certify he was paying attention. “We keep each other safe.”

  “We take care of each other,” he finally agreed, and I kissed him.

  Like good, responsible teenagers, we did our homework. We warmed up the meal Aunt June had cooked and ate in the kitchen, perched on the countertop.

  Pretending the previous conversation never happened, we joked and flirted until I had to leave.

  “Love you. Drive safe.” He pecked my mouth as I stood in his garage, and I rolled my eyes with a mocking salute.

  “Yes, Sir, Mr. Adams.” I waggled my tongue, and he arched a delicate brow.

  “Better watch that sass, Mr. Brigs, or you might get detention.”

  My bark of laughter fogged the air in front of my mouth. “I might like having detention with you. Gotta keep my oral presentation skills sharp.”

  I drove away to the picture of Ben’s blush, blowing him a kiss in my rearview mirror. The roads were slick, but Mabel managed, and I pulled into my driveway, safe and sound.

  “How’s Ben?” Dad asked as I entered the house.

  I bit my lip to hide my shit-eating grin. “Um, good. He’s good.”

  Dad yawned loudly as he reclined in his chair, watching ESPN. “Good, good. Homework done?”

  With an exaggerated nod, I lumbered to the stairs. “Yes, Dad, we did our homework and ate dinner like good little boys.”

  Instead of answering, his dark eyes followed me, and his brows drew down in a frown. “Are you limping?”

  I froze at the base of the steps, straightening my spine immediately. I’d been shuffling to ease the leftover discomfort from Ben’s and my passionate escapade earlier this afternoon. I choked down a mortified groan.

  “No!” I denied, my voice cracking as my face flamed. I fled upstairs, taking the steps two at a time—which my ass did not thank me for, by the way—as my dad’s eyes widened in horrified understanding.

  “Silas?”

  “I’m going to bed!” I rushed into my room and slammed the door to muffle Dad’s light cursing. I threw myself face down on the mattress with a humiliated groan.

  Of course, he chose today to be observant. Why not? I was due for another embarrassing sex talk, after all. Fuck my life!

  My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I retrieved it with a sigh. Sometimes, Ben was a real mother hen, always needing to verify I made it home. One of these days, I would tell him off for it, but at the same time, his concern for my well-being warmed my heart.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t Ben texting, and nausea coiled in my gut as Unknown blinked on my screen. Coincidence that Unknown texted me the same day I cussed out Eric in the hallway?

  Yeah, I didn’t think so, either.

  Maybe Ben was right and poking at a sleeping bear wasn’t the smartest idea on my part. I’d essentially called him a closeted gay and insinuated he had STDs. Sure, it felt good at the time, but it was reckless and imprudent.

  If Unknown really was Eric, then I didn’t think I wanted to read the message. But I unlocked my screen, anyway, and opened the taunting text.

  Unknown: I know something you don’t know. But it won’t take long until everyone else does, too.

  Twenty-Six

  I was on edge for days, avoiding Boyt at all costs. The moment I spotted dark hair, no matter whose it was, I headed in the opposite direction. I backtracked and took alternate routes to my classes, and I was tardy several times. I earned a week’s worth of exercise in only a few days.

  Ben could tell I was stressed, but I refused to confide my worries. If he found out about the texts I’d purposefully withheld from him, he would be furious. We bickered like old ladies, but I couldn’t risk an actual fight. The guilt ate at my gut, but I was too invested in my silence to come clean now.

  Plus, my denial held strong. I embraced the lie that Unknown wasn’t Eric but just some dickwad having a laugh at my expense. I couldn’t face the truth, not when it would cost me everything. So, I limped along, clinging to the false hope that ignoring my problems would somehow force them away.

  But reality always had a way of crashing down when we least expected.

  Thursday started like any other day. I hit Snooze one too many times, resulting in a hastily thrown together outfit of Ben’s—now my—California hoodie and jeans. I brushed my teeth and tamed my bedhead with water before sprinting down the stairs.

  Dad laughed at me as
I snagged a banana and waved goodbye. He was leaving for Valparaiso today, returning tomorrow night.

  I drove like a maniac, which wasn’t advisable since the roads were slick, but I made it to school on time without crashing Mabel.

  Ben approached my truck, chuckling as he lectured me on my bad sleeping habits. Naturally, I ignored him, flipping him the bird as I swung my backpack over one shoulder.

  We entered the school hand-in-hand, and I pretended to listen to his reprimands. In reality, I mentally daydreamed about skipping class and taking Ben back to his house so I could do unspeakable things to him. Unfortunately, he was too responsible for such shenanigans, and I didn’t bother suggesting it.

  As we traversed the hallway, his chiding tone drifted off, and his mouth dipped down in a frown as he studied our surroundings. I copied his alert perusal and his scowl as our fellow students gawked at us, some obvious while others did their best to be subtle. It had been two months since Ben and I started dating, so the attention seemed out of place.

  A group of sophomores huddled around a cackling guy, their eyes glued to his phone. They burst into laughter as we passed. Two of them sneered at us, and I fought the urge to flip them my middle finger.

  “Damn, Brigs.” Jake Thompson’s voice cut through the air, and he gave me a gleeful smirk as his two buddies snickered. “I didn’t know you fancied yourself a cowgirl.”

  His friends guffawed, exchanging high-fives as they passed us.

  I quirked my head at Ben. “Huh?”

  He shook his head in matching puzzlement as we ignored Jake and his braying friends. Maybe they’d eaten too many pot brownies before school today.

  Urgent whispers floated through the hallway, and dread coiled in my gut. “Does it seem to you like everyone’s staring more than usual?”

  “Just ignore them,” he muttered as we approached my locker. “There’s probably a new rumor going around, and they’re all in a tither about it. It doesn’t matter.”

  For the most part, I agreed, but my chest constricted as a group of girls glanced my way with clear pity in their eyes. Disgust and hostility, I was used to, but pity? I hadn’t seen that often.