Broken: A Reverse Harem High School Bully Romance (An Evergreen Academy Novel Book 2)
Page 6
They make things difficult, but tonight you may help me too.
Lying on my bed was my change of clothes. I quickly got into them and then turned to face the mirror as I put on the final touch.
Wow. I really look like a guy.
Staring back at me was a figure in a yellow blazer, plaid pants, and a dark brown, bowl-cut wig. The wig had been easy enough to get my hands on. You can have stuff like that delivered. The hard part had been hunting down an Evergreen’s boys’ uniform online and getting someone to sell it to me. I thought at first about sneaking one out of the laundry, but I figured the boy would notice an entire uniform going missing.
No, this was perfect. This was all I needed for Airi Tanaka.
Well, almost everything...
I stepped away from the mirror and reached under my bed. The suitcase holding everything I needed for this year sat innocently beneath my sheets. It took me seconds to dig inside and find what I was looking for.
Time to go.
Silently, I eased open my bedroom window and slipped outside. If any good could have come out of falling down the stairs, it was that being put on the first floor had saved me a lot of headache.
My feet were soundless on the freshly mowed grass as I skirted around the building to the front door. Taking a deep breath, I strolled inside and passed through the lobby to the first-floor dorms. I kept my head slightly lowered, highly aware of the cameras that tracked me.
I passed my room by and stepped boldly up to Airi’s door. I didn’t hesitate as I tapped in the passcode and heeded the soft chime to step inside.
Closing the door behind me, I leaned against it, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. Airi’s room cleared before me and I resisted the urge to whistle. I thought my room was nice, but it was nothing compared to what this rich, pampered princess had done to hers.
An expensive throw rug took up most of the space. It matched perfectly with the plush, imperial sheets the lovely Airi was sleeping soundly on.
I approached her bed, eyes locked on to her. Airi’s face was half covered by the beauty mask, but the same couldn’t be said for the beautiful hair that covered the pillow. I once complimented her luscious, jet-black waterfall. It was obvious to everyone that Airi took special care of her hair and never left her dorm unless it was perfect.
I wanted to cut every strand of that perfect hair from her evil little head. Watch her weep and shake when she found herself as bald as her little boyfriend Ryder was. I wanted to... but scissors weren’t what I brought.
I held out my hand, and the metal head of the hammer glinted in the scant moonlight seeping in through the window.
I gazed down at Airi. She looked so peaceful, almost sweet, as she made soft wheezing noises in her sleep. I reached out with the hammer, and closed my fingers around the neck of the violin.
It’s sweet that she keeps it right by her bed on the nightstand.
Backing away, I moved over to the window and unlatched it. I prayed to every deity I had ever heard of that the hinges wouldn’t squeak as I gently inched it open.
Only when it was big enough for me to slip through did I heave myself outside and take off.
Adrenaline hammered in my chest as I raced to the outside of my bedroom and pulled out the box I had placed next to the window.
Hurry, hurry, hurry!
The warning skittered up my spine and latched on to my ear, shouting at me as I picked up speed and fled to the back of the sports center. I needed privacy to do this, somewhere that no one would overhear. The woods were out, so that left our—and Coach Panzer’s—secret spot.
I burst onto the roof and let the door slam shut behind me. My lungs were working overtime, but it wasn’t fear or anger or pain. I was smiling. I was smiling so wide my cheeks hurt from the strange feeling. Placing my hand on my chest, I marveled at the lack of tightness. Was this the key to pushing back against the darkness?
I let the violin slip through my fingers and crash to the floor. The first splinter appeared in the wood and was swiftly followed by dozens more when I brought the hammer down.
I let loose. Smashing, beating, and pulverizing the stupid thing into a million pieces of wood. When I was satisfied, I carefully picked up the bits of violin and placed them into the box. A thought occurred to me as I closed the top.
Maybe it’s not about pushing back the darkness... but about letting it in.
I WOKE EARLY THE NEXT morning, showered, dressed, and tried harder to accessorize with the banana uniform. I came away with my peridot pendant and matching earrings. My hair I swept back and wrangled into a small bun. Only when I was perfect did I gather my things and leave the dorms.
There was barely anyone about the quad that morning. Except for a couple of people sitting on the benches with their homework, there was no one to notice me. I had never been so glad that Evergreen only had security cameras in the dorms—something I had privately felt was so the Spades could move about unnoticed, breaking into people’s lockers, but now it would come in handy for my sneaking too.
I traveled upstairs to Wheeldon’s empty classroom, rescued the box on Airi’s desk, and left the way I came without a break in my step. I walked to breakfast with the smile back on my face.
“—TELLING YOU IT’S JUST gone.”
I glanced up from my work as the Diamonds filed into homeroom. Isabella led the way with Airi on her tail, and today, she was less than perfect. There was a black streak on the front of her yellow dress, and her hair had been pulled into a messy ponytail, but the most telling feature was the red around her eyes.
“I looked everywhere for it,” she cried. “I tore my room apart, but it’s nowhere. How could that happen?”
“Maybe you left it in the music room,” Natalie offered. Natalie’s look was the complete opposite of Airi’s. Her uniform dress hung perfectly on her full frame, and the multitude of earrings adorning her ears shone in the artificial lights.
“But I didn’t— What’s this?”
Airi paused when she finally noticed the present on her desk—purple wrapping paper with a neat black bow waiting for her to look inside.
I didn’t still my hand. My pencil continued across my paper even though I was writing gibberish now. I didn’t care about the mess; I watched Airi through my lashes as she lifted the top of the present and—
“Ahhhhhh!”
Airi’s scream jerked Wheeldon out of his seat. “For the love of— What’s wrong?!”
Airi didn’t speak for the sobs wracking her body. I lost sight of her as half the class sprang out of their seat to see what happened.
I didn’t move. Instead, I went back to my homework for real and pretended I couldn’t see Maverick watching me out of the corner of my eye.
I knew how much that violin meant to Airi. I had overheard her brag that the precious gift she had gotten from her grandfather was what started her love of the instrument. She told everyone that it was the lucky charm that allowed her to nail every performance. That she had risen to the top because of that violin.
Cutting that gorgeous mane would have been satisfying, but hair grows back. It wouldn’t have made nearly the same impact as taking away that irreplaceable item. It seemed harsh, and there was a moment where I thought I shouldn’t do it, but then I remembered the website.
I remembered Airi smirking about putting me online and listing all the sex acts I would do for pennies. I remembered the men who emailed me because of her and told me in horrific, graphic detail the things they wanted to do to an underage girl.
I remembered the nightmares that followed and the nights I woke up screaming as vivid memories of my rape seeped back into my mind. Compared to that, breaking that stupid fucking violin was letting her off easy.
Airi cried all through homeroom until Wheeldon finally took pity on her and told Isabella to escort her to the nurse. I left when the bell rang, ignoring Maverick’s eyes on me.
I felt stronger as I wandered the halls. The taunts about my weight and offers to sleep
with me didn’t stop, but I didn’t feel powerless anymore. I couldn’t change what made this place so rotten, but I could fight back. The Spades—whoever they were—would see they couldn’t break me.
I left my last class of the day and made one pit stop to drop my second cam in my gym locker. After I headed out for my bookbag and textbooks, my mind on what we had for lunch. The best thing about Evergreen was that the chef never made the same thing twice.
I leaned half in my locker, licking my lips as I scrolled through the recipe for avocado chili steak taco with honey cinnamon sweet potatoes.
Oh my gosh. Yum. I have to make this for Mom when I go home.
“If you think that is good...”
The smile froze on my face.
“...just wait until you taste me.”
I felt his heat against my body before I saw him. Jaxson placed his hand on my back, and trailed a path as he got between me and my locker. He grinned at me. “I forgive you for yesterday, baby. Made no sense to insult you while we were handling business.”
I heard snickering and glanced around me. Maverick, Ezra, and Ryder stood a few feet from us—watching with differing looks on their faces while the rest of the students scattered about the hall looked on.
“But I can’t keep chasing after you when so many more are free and willing.” His finger slipped under the band of my skirt and he tugged me closer. “This is your last chance so how about it? I’ll pay whatever you want.”
I looked into those sparkling blue eyes, breathing heavy. In spite of what he said, this wouldn’t be the last time. They all loved harassing me and making disgusting remarks about how I was able to afford the things I did. This was never going to stop.
“Okay.” The word was out of my mouth before I could think harder about it. “Let’s do it.”
Jaxson blinked. “What? Do what?”
I rolled my eyes. “Fuck, obviously. Isn’t that what we’re talking about?” I broke from his grasp and brushed him aside to put the rest of the things in my locker. I glanced at the other Knights while I slammed it shut. Their expressions matched now. They all watched me with disbelief as I reached for Jaxson.
“Valen—”
“Shut up and let’s get this over with.” I snagged his collar and dragged him after me. Jaxson tripped behind me as I led him down the hallway and straight for the custodian’s closet. “This should do the trick.”
I pulled the door and unceremoniously tossed him inside. I closed the door behind us with a snap. Turning, I ended up inches from Jaxson’s chest. His shirt was unbuttoned as always and the smell of him was filling my mind and the small space we were in. There was nowhere for me to go, barely space for us to move. I took a deep breath and reached for the buttons still doing their job.
“Valentina, what are you doing?” This wasn’t Jaxson’s usual devil-may-care voice. He grabbed one of my wrists, but I shook him off.
“It’ll be a thousand bucks,” I said matter-of-factly. I got the last button free and swept the shirt off his shoulders in one smooth move.
Bare-chested, he gasped at me while I tried to keep my eyes on his face. There were a lot of things I hated about Jaxson Van Zandt, but how fit he was wasn’t one of them.
“A thousand?” he cried. “Are you insane?”
I cocked my hip and placed my hands on them. “The rates go up for assholes and you said you’d pay whatever I asked.” I smiled. “Or were you just talking big in front of your friends? I knew you were a fake. I meet your bluff and now you’re shrinking like a virgin.” I reached for the doorknob. “You’ve had your chance so I better not hear about this again.”
Jaxson’s hand flashed out before I could take a step. “Fine,” he growled. “A thousand.”
The next thing I felt was Jaxson’s hand on my shoulder. He turned me around and cupped the back of my head as he tilted my neck back. My pulse picked up speed knowing what was coming next. Jaxson brought his lips down on mine—
—and once again caught my cheek when I twisted away.
“Kissing is off the table,” I announced. “I’d charge you extra for that too, but the truth is I just flat out don’t want you slobbering on me.”
Jaxson’s eyes snapped open. “You don’t what?”
I ignored him and dropped to my knees. My hands were rough as I tugged on his belt. I tried not to think about what I was doing as I threw the belt over my head, then unbuttoned his pants. Jaxson didn’t stop me as I pulled the pants down around his ankles, and then with shaky fingers, his boxers.
I swallowed hard.
Jaxson’s member hung centimeters from my face. It wasn’t what I expected in so many ways, and before my eyes it stiffened until the distance between us grew shorter.
Taking a breath, I leaned in and carefully dug through his pockets until my fingers closed over his phone. I set it on the floor and soundlessly pushed it under a mop bucket.
“Wow, I get it now,” I said when it was safely hidden. “If this was what I was working with, I’d be an insecure ass too.” I got to my feet and smirked into his astonished face. “I’ll have to fake it for this one because there’s no way that little fellow is going to get me off. Make it another thousand.”
Jaxson’s face twisted. “Shut up!” He grabbed my waist and spun me around. In a breath, his hand was under my skirt and hooking through my panties. He pulled them down and I sucked in a breath when the cool air hit my bare backside. I sucked it in, but couldn’t let it out. I felt the tightening in my chest, squeezing and squeezing.
Jaxson, on the other hand, was breathing hard. I could sense his frustration even though the hand he placed on my thigh was gentle. The breathing got louder until it was made real against my ear. Jaxson pressed his body against me, and before I could think he captured my ear between his teeth.
“Eek.” The small squeak sprung unbidden from my lips and I clapped my hand over my mouth to prevent another one. My nerve endings were exploding with electricity.
Jaxson’s hands traveled up my skin enticing my knees to quiver, and not because I didn’t want this. The pressure built in the only place his hand could be going and I thought fast.
“Are you in yet?” I demanded. “How am I supposed to tell?”
Jaxson’s hand flew off my thigh inches from his destination. “You know what! Fuck this!”
I listened as he hastily pulled up his pants and shoved his way out of the broom closet. I pulled up my panties the moment the door slammed shut and tried to remember how to breathe.
I was wrong, I thought as I gasped. Letting the darkness in doesn’t fix everything. It doesn’t fix me.
Chapter Four
I set Jaxson’s phone on my bedside table and pulled my legs up onto the bed. I had showered, but all the scrubbing and hot water in the world couldn’t rid my body of the feeling of Jaxson’s fingers ghosting over my thigh. I couldn’t stop thinking about what almost happened. I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that for a moment I was going to let it happen.
I knew I was going to have to get creative to get Jaxson’s phone. If I had just slipped it out of the phone box, he would have known it was stolen, and he would have probably looked at me. I wanted him to think it had just gone missing, but I shouldn’t have gone so far to make it happen.
From now on there has to be rules, and this has to be one of them. I don’t use my sexuality to get revenge.
That was a rule I didn’t have trouble accepting. It was easy to go too far, I had been hurt so badly, but with a history like mine; I needed to have limits.
That settled, I reached for my phone and texted Alex.
Me: I’ve got the phone. How do I get in?
Phones these days were locked up tighter than government secrets and Jaxson’s was no different. I only had to wait about ten minutes for Alex to get me back.
Alex: I’ll send you instructions. If this guy has on his phone what you think he does, then this will be big.
Me: I know he does. And it will.
I didn’t waste a moment in going to his recordings. My face almost cracked in half with my smile as I scrolled through hours and hours of secretly recorded sets. I recalled Jaxson saying once that he liked to sneak a snippet of the bands and artists that came to his father’s studio. I’d feel bad about what I was going to do, but Jaxson had known what he was doing was wrong and had done it anyway.
Just like he planned every moment of humiliating me and revealing I had an STD for the whole world to see. It had only been pure chance that Mom never saw the trending video before the headmaster had them all taken down, but the same couldn’t be said for a few of the kids I used to go to school with. They hunted me down on Facebook and filled my messages with “Diseased Slut” until I finally blocked them all.
I didn’t feel sympathy for Jaxson Van Zandt. I only hoped I was there to see Jaxson’s face when it all came out.
I WAS UP EARLY AGAIN the next morning and slipping into my homeroom with no one the wiser. Jaxson’s cell was put back into the phone box safe and sound.
I left and hung out in the library until the clock told me I had minutes to the start of homeroom. Walking through the halls, I spotted the Knights ahead of me deep in conversation. I didn’t pick up the pace until they stepped through the door.
“Shit.” Jaxson reached into the box just as I stepped inside. He pulled out his phone. “You were right, Ricky. I forgot it in class.” Jaxson frowned as he looked at the screen. “Damn. Papa Van Zandt was blowing me up. I’ve got like fifteen missed calls from him.”
“What’s up?” asked Ezra.
I wandered down my row, keeping one eye on the group.
“No clue.” Jaxson tapped the screen and pressed the phone to his ear.