by James Tate
“I knew this day would come,” she crowed, her eyes gleaming in triumph.
I arched a brow, propping my hands on my hips and giving her a withering glare. “What day? Seeing me in my underwear? I had no idea you were so into chicks, Butters.”
Her cheeks heated and a small scowl formed between her brows. “It’s Brittley, you fucking weirdo. And I meant I was waiting for the day Beck and his boys retracted their protection of you. You’re fair fucking game now.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed.
Brittley’s face boiled with rage. “You think this is funny?” she screeched. “I’m not joking around. I’m going to destroy you and there’s nothing you can do about it!”
“You really think so?” I challenged her, not able to wipe the smirk from my face. “Try it. I guarantee it’s not going to work out how you think it will.”
A brief moment of indecision crossed her face before she tilted her chin up in ignorant stubbornness. “You think I’m bluffing? I’ll show you.” She spat the words at me like a curse, then stepped backward out of the locker rooms—taking my clothes with her.
I heaved a sigh and mentally cursed myself out. I just had to push her. Why couldn’t I have kept my trap shut and lured her closer until I could grab my clothes back? Now I was going to have to face the whole school in nothing but my French lace panties and bra. At least it was a cute set.
Chewing my lip, I debated wrapping back up in my towel, then quickly dismissed it. Brittley and her crew were seeking to humiliate me, so I couldn’t show them even the slightest bit of embarrassment.
Rolling my shoulders, I sucked in a deep breath, pulled up my metaphorical big girl panties, and barged out of the locker room. Right into the middle of the crowd gathered around Brittley—who kept sneaking glances at Katelyn Huntley like she was seeking validation from the new girl.
Somehow in my exchange with Brittley, I’d missed the fact that the end of class bell had rung and more people were gathering by the second.
Cat calls and jeering almost deafened me, but I still caught it when Katelyn made a bitchy comment about my supposed promiscuity. Same old narrative from high school bullies, it was almost boring in its predictability.
I rolled my eyes and folded my arms under my breasts, totally unconcerned with being in my underwear. Why should I be? My swimsuit covered less skin, and that didn’t stop me wearing it in public during the summer months.
“Hilarious,” I remarked in a tone dryer than the Sahara. “Now give my clothes back, Britters.”
A cruel, slightly deranged smile played across her face, but she made no move to hand my sports uniform back. In fact, she handed it to Katelyn, who grinned at me as she poured her soda all over it.
My jaw clenched, and I fought back the urge to march over there and punch this blonde bitch right in her perfect nose. I could break it, Dylan had taught me how.
Just as I was giving in to the impulse, I felt the heavy weight of eyes on me.
Beck.
Turning slightly, I met his gaze from behind a group of younger jocks taking pictures with their mobiles. His eyes were blazing with fury and his whole body radiated tension, but to everyone else, he looked totally blank. Uncaring.
Narrowing my eyes at him, I changed my trajectory. Brittley and her new BFF were forgotten as I shoved the amateur photographers aside and confronted Beck and the guys.
“You asked for this,” Beck said so softly I was sure no one else would have heard him. It only infuriated me further, though, and I let that anger show in my glare for a tense moment before breaking our eye contact and looking to his side.
“Jasper,” I said in a neutral tone, “Give me your sweatshirt.”
Jaspers eyes widened and he ran a hand through his platinum blond hair. “Riles,” he groaned, flicking his gaze at Beck and shaking his head reluctantly. “You know I can’t.”
His words, like Beck’s, were quiet. The students around us had all backed up, giving us a wide berth as they waited eagerly for the Delta Elite to give me some sort of verbal slap down.
“Let me rephrase,” I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him. “Give me your sweatshirt and I’ll forgive you.” His jaw dropped slightly, and he looked torn. “Prove to me that you didn’t fake our friendship for your own gain, Jasper.”
He held my gaze, and I recognized all the guilt and regret within his. He only hesitated a second longer before unzipping his hoodie and tugging it off. “Sorry, bro,” he muttered to Beck, ducking his head to avoid the rage filled death glare that Beck was aiming at the both of us.
Jasper wrapped his body-warmed hoodie over my shoulders, and I wasted no time stuffing my arms in and zipping it closed. I wasn’t embarrassed or humiliated to be in my underwear—like those bitches had hoped—but it was only early spring and I was fucking freezing.
My shorter stature thankfully meant Jasper’s hoodie covered my ass, but I was still cold as shit so the rest of the school day could kiss my ass. I was getting out of there. I’d deal with the detention and missed classes later.
Jasper grabbed my hand and started leading me out to the student parking lot, but I couldn’t help myself. I turned over my shoulder and gave Beck a smirk and the middle finger.
“You’re going to be the death of me, Riles,” Jasper complained as I hurried across the freezing parking lot behind him. “Do you have any idea how badly I’m going to get chewed out for taking your side over Beck’s? He’s going to kill me. Oh my god, I just committed suicide for a chick with nice tits.”
He was fast deteriorating into melodrama, and I couldn’t help laughing a little at his expense. “Oh stop it, drama queen,” I teased him, “Beck isn’t actually going to do anything to you. His ego is just a little bruised, and if you ask me, it’s about damn time. Now, can I drive?”
We’d just reached his canary yellow Lambo and Jasper threw his hands up, mouthing words at the sky like he was cursing out a god for landing me in his life.
“Sure,” he finally said on a heavy sigh, tossing me the keys. “Only cuz you drive like a wet dream and I need to enjoy my final moments on this earth.”
I snorted a laugh but happily slid behind the wheel of his sports car. Maybe I should thank Brittley … this was a much better use of my afternoon than sitting in detention.
7
Beck
“This is getting out of hand,” Dylan told me, totally unnecessarily. As if I didn’t fucking know. As if that scene in the hallway hadn’t made me almost totally lose my control and throw Riley’s lush ass over my shoulder like a caveman.
Fucking hell.
“No shit,” I snapped back, staring after Jasper’s obnoxious yellow Lambo as it peeled out of the Ducis Academy parking lot, carrying my girl away. “I want every fucking phone in this school wiped of all photos. Not one image of Riley in her underwear had better hit the internet or I will break some faces.”
“I’m on it,” Evan replied, whipping out his own phone and scrolling for the right contact. As tempted as I was to physically snatch all those phones and stomp all over them, Delta had more subtle ways of getting it done.
From the corner of my eye, I saw him pause before hitting dial.
“Is there a problem?” I demanded, glaring at him.
Evan’s jaw clenched, and he darted a sharp look around us—probably checking that none of the other students were within earshot—before replying.
“Yeah, Beck,” he said quietly, “I have a problem with all of this. I hate leaving Riley at their mercy. They’re fucking animals when they smell fresh game, and we all know it.”
“I agree,” Dylan muttered, “This doesn’t sit right.”
I snorted a sarcastic laugh, unable to help myself. “Of course you don’t like it, Dylan. If you had your way, Riley would be playing the part of your girlfriend.”
I wasn’t being dramatic. When we’d discussed how to best handle Riley’s safety at school, Dylan had offered to be her “fake” boyfriend to keep the haters awa
y and divert attention away from my clear weakness where she was concerned.
Not that Riley would have ever gone for it, given how pissed she was at all of us. But I shot that suggestion down pretty fast. I hadn’t expected her to take this angle, though. The whole threat of publicly denouncing her had been nothing but bluster and bullshit. But one of Katelyn’s little bitches had been spying on us and we’d been forced into a corner.
Fucking appearances.
“She’ll come around,” I told them both, but really I was trying to convince myself. “She’s not stupid, and Jasper will talk her down. It’ll be fine.”
Dylan grunted a disagreeing noise. “She’s not stupid, but she’s damn stubborn. I think she’ll put up with a whole lot more than a bit of public nudity before we’re forgiven.” He eyed me up with pity. “You especially.”
I clenched my teeth hard to prevent punching my best friend in the face. “I’m aware that I fucked up. That we fucked up. But she will get over it, in time.”
This time it was Evan who sighed and gave me a skeptical look. “Whatever you say, boss.”
“In the meantime,” I continued like they hadn’t just been questioning my judgment, “we need to keep an eye on her, from a distance. As much as possible, just try to keep her in sight. Delta won’t let us remove Katelyn until they know what Huntley is up to, but I don’t trust her near Riley.”
Both of my friends nodded their agreement then headed out. Dylan was no doubt going to tail Riley because it was fast turning into his favorite pastime, while Evan was dealing with getting the pictures erased from every phone in Ducis Academy.
“Quite the show your little throwaway put on for the school,” a sultry, sarcastic voice commented, and I didn’t need to look to know who’d just slinked up.
“Fuck off, Katelyn,” I snapped.
She made a sound of indignation and batted her overly mascaraed eyelashes at me. “Such hostility, Sebastian. I thought our generation was meant to forge alliances, not continue the warring ways of our parents.”
“Don’t call me that,” I told her with a growl underscoring my words. “We are not friends, and I have no interest in forging any sort of alliance with a common high school bully like you.”
She laughed a fake laugh, and the sound grated on my ears. “You act like I had something to do with your little tramp’s striptease. I promise, I was just as shocked as everyone else.” She paused, grinning like a shark. “Besides, isn’t poor orphan Riley on the outs with you all now? So why do you care who pulls innocent little pranks on her?”
She cocked her head to the side, and I had to resist the urge not to kill her on the spot. “We don’t. But you’re acting childish and Delta has no use for children, so cut it out.”
This actually seemed to offend her, and she raised her chin as though to argue the subject with me further.
“I have more important places to be,” I told her in a bored voice. “Go torture someone else with your whining.”
Without waiting for her response, I headed across the parking lot and slid into my car. Our attendance at Ducis was becoming a bit of a joke since Riley had started, but we’d all graduate regardless.
Katelyn was proving a bigger problem than I’d first given her credit for … which meant she needed to be dealt with. If only Delta council would let us handle her.
I hesitated a moment before starting my car, my head filled with images of Riley’s determined, beautiful face as she cut her deal with Jasper.
Fucking Judas. Not that I blamed him… I’d rather she forgive him than stay mad at all of us. She needed some people in her camp to get her through all the shitty crap that came with Delta, and if it couldn’t be me, then I was glad it was Jasper.
Unable to stop myself, I opened my phone and tapped out a message to her, hitting send before I could talk myself out of it.
Me: Riles, baby, are you okay? Where the fuck did you go?
It made me sound like a pussy whipped prick, and I didn’t even care.
8
We’d barely even left the academy when Eddy started blowing up my phone. I’d changed my mind again about keeping her at arm’s length for multiple reasons, but high on that list was her own safety, so I rejected all her calls and ignored her messages. Catherine’s threat to break Eddy’s fingers still echoed around my head, and it made me nauseous to think she might actually be hurt to force my compliance.
Still, it was a moot point when Jasper immediately took her call and told her where we were.
“Really?” I muttered, glaring at him when he hung up.
He frowned in confusion, tilting his head to the side. “What? Why are you pissy at Eddy? She didn’t know anything about … uh … you know.”
My glare flattened out further. “About the four of you playing me so I’d trust you enough that I wouldn’t see the corner you were backing me into until it was too late? I never thought she did. Eddy wasn’t faking our friendship.” My voice was dry and harsh, not bothering to hide my residual anger.
Jasper’s mouth tightened, and he dropped his gaze from mine in a clear sign of guilt. “We weren’t faking it, Riles,” he murmured with a sigh. “Not totally. Or … not at the end.”
Ignoring that statement, I pulled up in front of a very impressive apartment complex, and I got out of the car to find Stewart already waiting for me on the sidewalk.
“Miss Riley,” he said, his eyes twinkling as he took a step closer.
I reached out and hugged him, because we were kindred spirits. Both trapped and working for Catherine Debitch. Stew cleared his throat as he stepped back before he held a bag out to me. “I brought clothes as requested, and the rest of your wardrobe is being packed up as we speak. You’ll be ready to move the moment you find an apartment.”
Not a moment too soon. I slipped back into Jasper’s car, and ruffled through my bag, finding jeans to slip on under Jasper’s hoodie. There were shoes as well, which I pulled on, and then I was good to apartment hunt.
The one I was after was on the third floor, which was also the top floor, and we had to go past a doorman, who asked for identification before we could access the elevator. The agent was waiting for us inside, and after a quick greeting, I moved straight to the huge bay windows that were a centerpiece of the main living area.
“It’s a million dollar view,” the agent gushed, moving in next to me. “Not to mention the hardwood floors, fireplace, and top notch security.”
I didn’t bother to join her in the over enthusiastic speech, I just nodded. “We’ll take it,” I said with a tight smile. The apartment was gorgeous, but even more importantly, it wasn’t near Catherine. “Stew, can you do the paperwork stuff?” I looked to where the silver haired, well suited gentleman was standing politely near the door.
He gave me a small nod then turned a charming smile on the agent. “Shall we?” He indicated for her to join him at the dining table to sign the necessary papers. “I believe Miss Riley would like to move in immediately, so we had best get going on these papers.”
The agent spluttered something about bank transfers and keys, but I tuned them out as I turned my attention back to the view. Stewart had assured me that if I liked something, he’d use the force of Delta to ensure I’d move in on the same day. Money talked.
“So this is the one, huh?” Jasper commented, joining me as I wandered out to the balcony and leaned on the railing. I nodded, and he gave me a lopsided smile. “Nice.”
I shrugged. “It’s only temporary. Despite the lengths you’ve all gone to lock me down, I’m not just rolling over and accepting my fate.”
His grin spread wider. “I never thought you would.”
My phone vibrated in my pocket—again—and I sighed. It was probably Eddy, and seeing as Jasper already told her where to meet us it was pointless to ignore her. I slipped the phone out and clicked the side button to light up the screen then grimaced.
Not Eddy.
“Fuck off,” I muttered to my phone, swipi
ng my thumb over the screen to delete the message from Beck.
Jasper made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh, and I glared death at him. “Don’t start with me,” I warned, and he held his hands up in surrender.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied with a grin. “I’m back in your good graces and that’s all that matters to me. Beck can clean his own shit up.”
I laughed. At least he was honest about that. “Some messes can’t be cleaned, no matter how much scrubbing you do.”
My cynical comment wiped the smile from Jasper’s face, and he shifted uncomfortably, diverting his gaze back inside the apartment that Catherine had just bought for me. “Hey, it looks like Stew might be a while on this paperwork. Want to meet Eddy down the road at that burger joint?”
“Sure,” I agreed. My phone buzzed again in my pocket, and I ignored it, pretty confident that it was Beck again. “Just make sure she’s alone. I won’t be held responsible for my actions if anyone else tags along.”
Jasper gave me a small frown, like he wasn’t totally sure if I was serious or not, then quickly tapped out a message on his phone. “All good, let’s go.”
* * *
We chose a table near the back, where it was darker and we had more privacy. Eddy burst in about ten minutes after us, still dressed in her Ducis uniform.
“Riley!” she exclaimed, sinking into the booth next to me, her arms wrapping me up in a hug. “Are you okay?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, nothing like a bit of public nudity to give you an awesome reputation.”
Eddy grimaced, her lips pressed tightly together. “Don’t worry about it. I mentioned it to Dad, and he has Delta tech people wiping it from social media. It’ll creep up again, but they’ll stay on top of it until the interest dies down.”
Crossing my arms, I dropped my head onto them. “This day sucks,” I said softly. I still wasn’t embarrassed, I just didn’t get this thing with teenagers posting every fucking thing they did and saw onto social media. I mean, why? Who cared if I was wearing underwear in school. I hadn’t actually been naked.
