Revenge: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Longhorn Academy Dark Bully Romance Book 2)

by Amy Brown

  I decide I need to find the restroom. Patrick is occupied with Salina, and my bladder is not happy. I take my cup with me, afraid Gregory might dump it and then tell me no more. I’ll admit I have a little trouble walking a perfectly straight line, as I make my way down the hallway in search of the bathroom. I’m not drunk off my ass, but I’m definitely tipsy.

  Gregory’s parents’ house is huge. I should have asked Gregory where the toilet was before going on my adventure. Eventually I stumble on a bathroom, and with a sigh of relief, I go inside. Once I’ve dealt with my needs, I wash my hands and leave the room. I pass one room that looks like a library. I enter it, drawn in by the shelves stuffed with books, and the walnut paneling. It looks like something out of Downton Abby.

  I slump down on a long leather couch. The room has the scent of pipe tobacco, and it’s darker than the rest of the house. I find it so relaxing, I close my eyes. I could go to sleep it’s so peaceful in this room. The music is a distant thump, and the murmur of voices is soothing.

  When someone touches my cheek, I open my eyes. I’m half expecting it to be Patrick, but it’s not. I realize with a shock it’s Jeremy.

  “Shall I kiss you to wake you up, Sleeping Beauty?” he asks, a smirk on his lips.

  With a yelp, I sit up, making sure my dress isn’t riding up. “Jeremy?” I didn’t realize he was at the party. I hadn’t seen him in the crowd of kids. “I didn’t know you were friends with Gregory.”

  “His uncle works for my dad.” He sits on the couch, closer than necessary. “Gregory disapproves of me, but he’s too polite not to invite me to his parties.”

  I swallow, and glance out through the doorway. I’m half afraid Mason is lurking somewhere too.

  He laughs, as if reading my mind. “He’s not here.”

  My face heats. “Who?”

  “We both know who.”

  I don’t respond. I study him, wondering why he’s followed me into this deserted room. Maybe he finds the crush of bodies in the other room a bit much, like me. “I’m surprised you’re talking to me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I brought down one of your own.”

  He sighs. “Mason can take care of himself.”

  “That’s not very loyal.”

  He frowns. “He’s the one who was disloyal.”

  He has a point. “I thought you were friends. Is it that easy to just cast him out and forget about him?”

  “Who says I’ve forgotten about him? He lied to us, and he’s being punished. I still consider him my friend. He’ll be back in the fold before you know it.”

  I wonder if he has any idea about Mason’s plan to blackmail me. I’m not sure he’d approach me if he was in on Mason’s idea to bully Luke. It wouldn’t make a lot of sense to try and get rid of me, but come hang out with me at a party. Would he approve of what Mason is doing if he knew? Jeremy is a bit of a mystery to me.

  I narrow my eyes. “If I have my way, there won’t be a fold for Mason to come back to.”

  He sighs. “Charity, The Elites aren’t going anywhere. I know you like to get the other students all worked up, but we’re going to regain control. It’s a matter of time.”

  “I hope you’re wrong.” I worry he’s right though. If I’m not around to help, The Elites will probably have a resurgence. I’ve been trying to think of a way to hurt Mason, so that he has to back off, but I can’t find a way yet. I reached out to Travis, hoping to flirt with him, and maybe get him on my side, but he didn’t take the bait. I can’t think of anyone else who I could use as leverage against Mason. Luke makes me vulnerable, but other than Travis, there isn’t anyone at school Mason is close to.

  “Too bad we’re at odds,” he says huskily. He trails his finger over my thigh, leaving goosebumps.

  I scowl at how forward he is, but have to admit, I always did find him attractive. I should move my leg, and put him in his place. But I’m just drunk enough that I don’t mind him touching me. “You Elites are so damn arrogant.”

  His lip curls. “I think you kind of like it.”

  My cheeks warm. “Bullshit.”

  “Why else would you sleep with Mason?”

  “I had no idea he was a phony.”

  “I think you suspected he wasn’t all he seemed.” He licks his lip. “My guess is you’re attracted to the guy who treats you like shit.”

  “He didn’t treat me like shit. He was nice to me.” I wince. “Mostly.”

  His smile is mean. “God, you really played the poor guy. He was so in lust with you, he risked everything for one more night. I can’t help but wish I’d had a taste of you.”

  I push his hand away, finally growing a spine. “You think because I fucked Mason I’m easy pickings?”

  He shrugs. “I’ve always been attracted to you.”

  “Are you actually trying to seduce me?”

  “Maybe.”

  I shake my head. “You were in on the plan to humiliate me. What makes you think I’d sleep with you?”

  “Because I know you were attracted to me too.”

  “Oh really?”

  He nods. “Yeah. I’ve fucked a lot of girls. I can smell a chick’s arousal a mile away.”

  “Wow.” I stand, anger spiking through me. “You’re almost more disgusting than Mason, and that’s a high bar.”

  He laughs, which is surprising. “I like you, Charity. Too bad you need to be crushed.”

  Gritting my teeth, I say, “In case you haven’t noticed, The Elites are the bottom of the food chain right now.”

  “Meh, things go up and down. Like I said, we’ll be back on top soon. I’m sure of it. You’re the only thing propping these losers up, and from what I hear, you might be transferring out of here.”

  I try not to react. Does he know that because he’s in on Mason’s plan, or because Travis mentioned it to him? I never should have approached Travis. I really thought he’d be much easier to seduce, but he’d kept his distance. He’d remained loyal to Mason. Honor among thieves, I guess.

  “I don’t plan on going anywhere,” I say firmly. I still have a few days to figure something out. Mason must have a weakness, I just don’t know what it is yet. Everyone has weaknesses. Even cold hearted assholes like Mason have some weaknesses. “You should be careful too, Jeremy. I have a lot of power right now.”

  He purses his lips. “Is that a threat?”

  Still stinging from his conceited attitude, I say, “Maybe. I can make a lot of trouble for you, if I point the other kids toward you.”

  “My, my. The little kitten really does have sharp claws.”

  “I’m not afraid to use them on you either.”

  Jeremy stands too, and he leans toward me. “God, your refusal to accept inevitable defeat just turns me on even more.” He sighs. “I wish things didn’t have to be this way. Good luck at Pine View High. You’ll shine there, love, like a diamond dropped in a pile of manure.”

  I watch him slink out of the room, and it takes a while for my pulse to slow. Sometimes being around The Elites is like entering a cage with a hungry tiger. The Elites are beautiful, and you want to touch them and be close to them. You stare into their mesmerizing eyes, and you almost forget why it is you’re afraid of them.

  But if you don’t have the brains to run, you’ll probably lose an arm.

  Chapter Eleven

  Mason

  I’m outside my house, staring up at the stars, and finishing off a bottle of tequila, when Jeremy texts me out of the blue.

  You’ll never guess who I just ran into at Gregory’s party.

  I frown. The fact he’s reaching out to me when I’m being shunned is weird enough, but why is he at Gregory’s party? The Elites rarely go to the regular parties. I star at his text, wondering what to say, when another text arrives.

  Charity Ballard in the fucking flesh. Boy, she’s a snobby little bitch.

  A nudge of irritation goes through me because I have no doubt he was sniffing around her, trying to get in her
pants. He’s only texting me because he must have struck out. I get some satisfaction at that thought. He’s been panting after her since she arrived, but I succeeded where he failed.

  I’m surprised you’re talking to me. I text him.

  I shouldn’t be talking to you. But she just gets under my skin. I figured if anyone understands how obnoxious she is, it’s you.

  I smirk. Let me guess; you tried to seduce her and it didn’t work?

  He doesn’t respond immediately, but finally he says, She’s a fucking ice princess. Don’t know how you didn’t get freezer burn sleeping with her.

  Maybe I did. Maybe that’s why I made such poor decisions. Maybe her pussy froze my brain.

  Probably. Your dick was definitely doing the thinking.

  He doesn’t text me anymore after that. I tuck my phone in my pocket, annoyed he’s got me thinking about Charity now. Not that I wasn’t already, but now I’m super curious, and kind of want to see what she’s up to in the flesh. Of course, I’m not invited to Gregory’s party. I’m not invited to anyone’s parties right now.

  A dumb impulse to go spy on Charity comes over me, and, while I know it’s dumb, and borderline stalkerish, I actually consider it as a viable option. I’ve no doubt the tequila is why the idea seems so brilliant. Stupid ideas always seem awesome when I’m halfway through a bottle of Jose Cuervo.

  I climb in my truck, and sit staring out the windshield for a moment. The logical side of my brain is arguing with the need to see Charity. She’s like a drug and it’s a problem. This pull she has over me is one reason I want her gone from my school. I’m praying out of sight will become out of mind. But since she’s still making the rounds in my world, it’s hard to cut her out completely. Even though I want to.

  What’s the harm in driving over there?

  There are so many reasons not to go over there it’s not even funny. For one thing, I’m not welcome. Nobody wants me there, including Charity. Jeremy never should have texted me because now I can’t think of anything else. I growl and pound my steering wheel, fighting the need to see her. Every day in class I put up with her near me. Her scent, and the way her hair brushes my skin when we sit together, is torture.

  I’m happy she turned Jeremy down, but is she turning all the guys down at the party? Maybe not. Maybe she’s fucking some other dude right now, while I sit here trying to decide if I should drive over there or not.

  Of course I shouldn’t drive over there. It’s a horrible, horrible idea.

  Just a glimpse. There’s no harm in watching her from afar. I’ll just go to Gregory’s house and stay outside. No one will even know I’m there. No harm, no foul. Charity won’t realize I’m a psycho who’s obsessed with her. Soon she’ll be gone, and I won’t be able to see her anymore. This little obsession will work itself out naturally because of the distance that will be between us.

  I start my truck’s engine, and head down the driveway. The sane part of me is screaming for me to turn back, but I don’t. It’s not a long drive, and sweat breaks out on my upper lip as I pull up in front of Gregory’s house. It’s really crowded. There are tons of kids, which is actually is a good thing. No one will even notice me. I park far from the house, and pull on a ball cap and hoodie to help hide my identity.

  Glancing at the clock on the dashboard I see it’s almost 11:30 pm. Most everyone will be wasted by now. I slip from my pickup, and walk toward the house. I keep my head down, and don’t make eye contact with anyone. Gregory’s family has a white gazebo in the backyard. I head for that, knowing the whole back of the house has large picture windows. The odds of catching a glimpse of Charity are better through those windows.

  I brush past groups of laughing kids, annoyed that I have to hide my identity. Soon, I’ll be back to my rightful position, but for now, I have to skulk around. This is all Charity’s fault, the fact I have to worry about discovery. Is she inside right now laughing at how she got the better of me? Probably. All her little buddies are in there no doubt. Whereas I used to be in power, now she holds that position. Not for long though. A few more days and this bitch will be out of my life.

  I huddle down on the floor of the gazebo, praying black widows aren’t crawling on my back. It would seem Gregory’s party throwing skills rival Travis’s. The music is pounding out of the big house, and there’s a lot of laughter. People are seriously enjoying themselves. There are lights on upstairs. No doubt people are hooking up in the vacant bedrooms. Pretty typical party behavior for our generation. I’ve certainly slept with enough girls during Travis’s parties.

  I scan the people inside the house, trying to locate Charity’s long blonde curls. It takes a while, but eventually I spot her. Excitement zips through me as I finally zero in on her position. She’s with Paula and Gregory. She sways to the music, throwing her head back and laughing at something. There’s another person with them, but they’re hidden behind a column. I continue to watch the group of them, mostly focused on Charity. She’s chatting happily, and sipping from a red cup.

  The person behind the pillar leans toward Charity, and I’m able to see them clearly. My gut churns because it’s a guy. He’s blond, tall, confident, and the way Charity smiles up at him makes me sick. Here I am hiding in a gazebo spying on her because I can’t get her out of my head, and she’s having the time of her life with some random dude.

  I find her behavior perplexing. The other day in the school bathroom, it was obvious she was as turned on as me. She’s definitely attracted to me. I don’t believe she can just turn that off, any more than I can. I would if I could. Maybe that’s why she’s flirting with that guy. She’s trying to get me out of her head. Or maybe I’m just telling myself that because I’m pathetic.

  I’m definitely pathetic. My current location proves that.

  There’s another girl hovering around their little group. She’s a redhead that I recognize from school. Silvia… Sally… Salina? I forget, it’s one of those. She’s a party girl. I think she hooked up with a few of The Elites in the past. I’ve never slept with her. She has a kind of desperate vibe I don’t find appealing.

  Right now that redhead is useful though because she’s doing her best to occupy the blond guy’s time. Charity doesn’t seem to mind, which pleases me. If she was madly in love with that guy, she’d look annoyed, but she looks serene. Some guy walks up to her and drags her to the dance floor. Irritation ripples through me as I watch the guy try to touch her, and grind up on her. When that song ends, Charity starts to walk away, but the guy tugs her back, and apparently convinces her to dance some more. He does that two more times, until Charity finally shakes her head and leaves the dance floor.

  The blond guy and the redhead are dancing, as are Charity’s other pals. She tips her cup and finishes her drink, then she walks toward the back door of the house. My pulse picks up as she comes outside. She pushes her hair off her neck, fanning herself as if she’s overheated. It’s weird watching her like this. She has no idea I’m out here, and she’s unselfconscious. She leans on the railing of the porch a few minutes, and her glance slides to the gazebo.

  Shit. Does she see me?

  I don’t know how she could. It’s bright where she is, but dark out here. I wouldn’t think her eyes could adjust enough to see me from where she is. She glances back toward the noisy house, and then moves down the steps to the lawn. My heart bangs my ribs as she walks toward the gazebo. If she finds me here, that will be too humiliating to bear. But I can’t move, or she’ll see me for sure.

  When she was inside the house, she looked happy, but now, her demeanor is different. I can’t really see her expression because the house is so bright behind her, but her shoulders are slumped, and she just seems dejected. I watch her approaching, freaking out inside, because if she keeps walking, she will find me.

  A burst of laughter comes across the grass, from a trio of kids at the front of the house. There are various groups of kids scattered around the front yard. I think they’re avoiding the back of the ho
use because it’s so dark, while Gregory has the front lit with little white lights.

  My gaze returns to Charity again. She’s about ten feet away from my crouched position, and I’m positive she’s coming to the gazebo. At first I’d hoped she was just stretching her legs, but I get the feeling she’s tired of the noise inside, and wants to hide out where it’s dark and quiet.

  I slowly inch back, but there’s really nowhere to hide. The center of the gazebo is open, with just a bench that is built in, circling the circumference of the little building. Unless she’s literally blind, she will see me. I’m tempted to throw myself off the back of the gazebo and make a run for it, but that seems so dramatic.

  She reaches the gazebo steps, and she skips up them, still looking distracted. When she sees me, what will I say? Because she will see me. My mind is a blank and I can’t think of one good excuse. Probably because there’s no logical or sane reason for me to be hiding out back in Gregory’s gazebo.

  She reaches the top of the gazebo platform, and her gaze slides to where I’m hiding. She stiffens, and starts to go back down the steps. I don’t think she knows it’s me, she’s most likely just freaked out that someone is in here. I move fast, and I grab her wrist. She yelps, and I yank her down to the floor of the gazebo. My hand covers her mouth, and she starts to struggle. She scratches and kicks, landing a skillful foot on my crotch.

  I grunt, and hiss, “Charity, it’s me. Calm the fuck down.” I’m not sure why I think finding out it’s me will calm her. That’s probably even scarier than a stranger grabbing her.

  “Mason?” Her voice is muffled by my hand, and her eyes widen. She stops fighting me, and slumps, looking bewildered.

  I remove my hand from her mouth, and she stares at me, in utter confusion. I have no idea what to say. My face is hot with embarrassment, but it’s also really nice to hold her again. I’m seriously beginning to worry I have mental issues.

  “Jeremy texted me you were here,” I say softly. Why did I admit that? Jesus, I’m fucking losing it. Why did I just admit that to her? She didn’t need to know that information.