Don't Tempt Me: A High School Bully Romance (Broke & Bullied Book 2)

by Kai Juniper

  "I don't care what you want for me," I say, throwing my hands up. "It's MY life. I get to choose who to be with, and I don't want to be with someone like Chad. I don't care that his family is rich or that he'll make a lot of money someday. I can make my own money. I don't need a man to support me."

  "Honey, just calm down. Let's go to brunch and we'll talk about this later. I don't have to work so I'll be home this afternoon."

  "And I'll be at Dean's house." I turn and walk away from her. "Just go. And tell Chad to stop telling everyone I'm going back to Haverhill."

  "Brook, you're being childish. Brunch will be an hour, if that. When we get back, I'll take you to see Dean."

  I whip around to face her. "Mom, for the last time, I'm not going."

  She puts her hands on her hips. "Do you know how embarrassed I'll be showing up there alone?"

  "Then take your new boyfriend. I'm sure he'd love to go, unless he's too busy sitting at home, counting his money."

  She narrows her eyes at me. "You are being very disrespectful."

  "I'm being me—the new me—which I know you don't like, but I'm not going back to how I used to be."

  "This is your father's fault. If he'd just paid to keep you at Haverhill we wouldn't be having these problems."

  "And I never would've realized how unhappy I was. Don't you want me to be happy?"

  "Of course I do, but I don't know how you could be happy living the way we've been forced to live the past few months. Don't you miss having a nice house? A car? Money for clothes?"

  "Yes, but I'd rather have friends. Real friends, not just people who are pretending. Did you know that not a single one of my so-called friends has called me since we moved?"

  "Jane called you."

  "Only a few times. I gave up calling her because she doesn't pick up. And she rarely returns my texts."

  "Because she doesn't see you anymore. If you go back to Haverhill, I'm sure your friendship will go back to how it was."

  "But it wasn't even a friendship. We just went shopping and talked about clothes. I couldn't talk to her about stuff that actually matters because she wouldn't listen. That's not a friendship."

  "I have to go or I'm going to be late." She frowns. "You're really not going?"

  "Just tell them I'm sick."

  She leaves, closing the door behind her. I can't believe she's doing this, betraying her own daughter just so she can get back into that world. It means more to her than I do, or that's how it feels.

  When she's gone, I call up Eve.

  "Let me guess," she says. "You need a ride to the hospital."

  "Yeah, but that wasn't why I was calling. I can take the bus to the hospital."

  "I can take you. I have to pick something up at my dad's house and it's on the way."

  "That'd be great! What time?"

  "I could be there in a half hour."

  "Okay, I'll be ready. So the other reason I was calling is to ask if you'd be willing to help clean up Dean's house this afternoon. The football team's going to be there and we're all going to pitch in and get the place ready for when he comes home."

  "I thought he didn't want people going in his house."

  She's right. I didn't think about that. Is Dean going to be mad at me for doing this? Even if he is, I'm still doing it. He can't go home to that mess, and I can't do all the work myself.

  "We're doing it anyways," I say. "His dad trashed the place and there's no way Dean can clean it himself while he's still recovering. Everyone's meeting at the house around two. It'll probably take a few hours but you don't have to stay that long."

  "Sure, I'll do it. Should I bring anything?"

  She's really agreeing to this? I shouldn't be surprised. Since I've known her, Eve has always helped me when I needed it. I'm still not used to that. Jane would tell me no and think I'm crazy for even asking. I wish my mom could understand that, but maybe she's never had a friend like Eve.

  "You might want to bring cleaning gloves," I tell her.

  "How about supplies? My mom buys way too much cleaning stuff whenever it's on sale. She wouldn't care if I took some of it."

  "Yeah, go ahead and bring it."

  "Okay, see ya soon."

  I take a shower and get ready, then go to the kitchen to find something to eat.

  My phone rings just as I'm about to bite into my toast.

  "Hello?"

  "Brook, it's Dad."

  "Hey, Dad. I'm leaving soon. I don't have much time to talk."

  "This won't take long." He sounds serious, more serious than usual.

  "What is it?"

  "I don't think I've made myself clear in our previous conversations."

  "Clear about what?"

  "You going to Haverhill. This isn't an option, Brook. You WILL be going back there. I've already paid for it and I've found a house to rent."

  "You rented a house? Does Mom know?"

  "Yes. I even sent her photos of it. I haven't signed the paperwork yet but I will later this week. This is happening, Brook, whether you like it or not."

  "I'm not going back there. You can't force me to. I thought Mom already talked to you about this."

  "She did, and she explained that the reason you won't leave is because of a boy. I'm not letting some boy ruin your future, Brook."

  "Dean is not ruining my future. He makes me happy."

  "You are NOT dating the son of a convicted felon. Seriously, Brook where is your head? You know better than that. Is this all some kind of act to get my attention?"

  He sounds just like Chad. I never realized the two of them were so similar.

  "Dean is nothing like his father. He's a good person. How do you even know about Dean's dad?"

  "Chad told me. He sent me some links to the stories online. The boy's father nearly killed his mother, and has been charged with assaulting other women as well. And this is who you choose to be with?"

  "His dad did those things. Dean didn't."

  "Like father, like son. Violence is a trait that doesn't go away. Children see it and repeat the pattern themselves. I have colleagues that work in criminal law. They've seen it a million times. Children repeat the criminal behavior of their parents, especially sons."

  "Dean isn't violent," I say, getting angry. "You don't know him. You've never even met him. Chad's the violent one. He forced himself on me and nobody seems to care."

  "What do you mean he forced himself on you?"

  "He came here to the apartment when Mom wasn't home. I told him to leave but he wouldn't. He grabbed me and kissed me and wouldn't let go."

  "He's your boyfriend. It's not inappropriate for him to kiss you."

  "He's not my boyfriend, and I didn't want him kissing me." I take a breath. "Dad, I get that you want me to be with Chad, or someone like him, but it's not going to happen. I'm with Dean now, and that's not going to change."

  "Then you can say goodbye to my financial support. If you do this, Brook, you're on your own for college. And I won't be buying you a car."

  My throat burns as I fight back tears. Why is he being this way? I'm his daughter. Why won't he listen to me? Why doesn't he want me to be happy?

  "What about all that stuff you said about wanting me to go to a good school?"

  "Why bother going to a good college if you're already making plans to destroy your future? You might as well just get a job at a gas station and call it good. Have a couple kids. Go on public assistance."

  "That's not what's going to happen."

  "It is if you stay with this boy. You live in a fantasy world, Brook. You always have. You don't understand how the real world works."

  "You really think I'm that stupid?" I ask as a tear slips down my cheek.

  "You may be book smart but you're not smart when it comes to knowing how the world works. Success comes from surrounding yourself with the right people. Making the right connections. Just look at Madison. This yoga class she teaches has led to her getting a small part in a movie. She took that job
knowing it would connect her with people who could get her a part, and it worked."

  He's using Madison as an example? Seriously? Knowing her, she slept with the director to get the part. It had nothing to do with her stupid yoga class.

  "Dad, I have to go. A friend's picking me up. She's waiting for me downstairs."

  "Think about what I said. You stay with this boy, you're giving everything up. You end things with him, I promise to support you financially. That means paying for college, law school, and all your living expenses until you're making a decent living."

  "Yeah, okay. Bye, Dad."

  He's trying to control me, like he's done my whole life. He controls people with money and threats and it usually works, but not this time. I'm not taking his money if it means ending things with Dean.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Brook

  "Miss me?" I say, running up to Dean's bed and giving him a hug. I gave him an extra big smile and used a cheery tone to try and hide my current mood.

  I'm devastated after that call with my dad and the earlier fight with my mom but I don't want Dean to know. He has enough to worry about.

  "I always miss you," he says.

  I pull back and smile at him. "You're looking better. Your bruises are starting to fade."

  "They said my neck is healing but I'm gonna have a big scar."

  "That's okay." I sit back. "Scars are manly."

  He eyes me. "What's going on with you?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Why are you acting like this?"

  "Like what?"

  "Smiling like that." He points to my mouth. "And talking in a high voice."

  "I'm just happy to see you."

  "You're always happy to see me but you don't act like this. What happened?"

  How does he do this? How does he always know when something's wrong?

  "Tell me about you," I say, holding his hand. “Did your coach stop by last night?”

  "Yeah, how'd you know?"

  "He told me at the game Friday that he was going to come and see you. Sorry I couldn't get here last night. I couldn't get a ride. I called Danny but he'd been drinking. He wanted me to go to a party but I didn't feel like going."

  Dean smiles. "Did he invite Eve?"

  "He didn't just invite her. He insisted. I kept telling him she wouldn't go to a football party but he wouldn't give up. For some reason he really wanted her there."

  Dean chuckles.

  "What's so funny?"

  "If I tell you this you can't tell Eve."

  "Yeah? What is it?"

  "One of the guys on the team wants to go out with her."

  I try to think who it might be. "Kendrick?"

  "Good guess."

  "It's him? Kendrick?"

  "Yeah, but like I said, don't tell Eve. Maybe just mention him to her and see what she says. He wants to know what she thinks of him."

  "I already know. She thinks he's hot but he annoys her. And she'd never date a football player. She thinks they're shallow and only care about how a girl looks."

  "I told Kendrick that. I said if he keeps staring at her breasts he'll never have a shot with her."

  "Even if he didn't stare at her chest, I don't think she'd date him, but who knows? I didn't think her brother would ever date a cheerleader."

  "Christina?"

  "Yeah. You knew?"

  "No, but she told me she wanted to go out with him. Didn't I tell you that?"

  "Yeah, I guess you did. I forgot about that. Anyway, they're a couple now. They're always making out in the halls and the cafeteria. Eve hates it."

  "Good for him. So should I tell Kendrick to give up on Eve?"

  "No. Let him keep trying. Tell him to try to be friends with her first. Maybe something will happen this afternoon."

  "What's this afternoon?"

  "Nothing," I say, realizing I almost gave away the surprise. "Any news on when you're getting out of here?"

  "They're saying I might get out next week."

  "That's sooner than they thought. That's great!" I sound overly enthusiastic. I need to tone it down.

  "Brook, what is going on with you?"

  "Nothing. Why do you keep asking me that?"

  "Because I know you and I can tell when you're lying to me."

  "I'm not lying. What would I lie about?"

  "There's something you're not telling me."

  I keep quiet, not wanting to talk about it. It's not like Dean can do anything to help.

  "Okay, I'll start," he says, "but then you have to tell me."

  "Wait—are you saying you've been hiding something from me?"

  "You already know, but I wanted to talk about it."

  "Is this about the offers?"

  "Yeah. Did Coach tell you about them?"

  "He just said he'd talked to some recruiters and that they were considering giving you an offer."

  "I got three. Three offers from three different colleges. That's why Coach came by. He wanted to tell me in person."

  "Dean, that's great!"

  "Yeah, it's good news. Full ride scholarship, as long as my knee heals okay."

  "Which it will."

  "It's looking that way. I'm already getting range of motion back."

  "So what are the schools?"

  "They're not the big schools I wanted. They're smaller, but I'm good with that. I've given up the idea of going pro. I just want college paid for."

  "Where are the schools?"

  "Idaho, Oklahoma, and Texas."

  I feel my smile dropping as I realize he'll be moving away. I will too. We'll both be moving next year. I've been trying not to think about that but I need to, because it's going to happen.

  "Which one are you going to pick?"

  "I don't know." He looks down.

  "What's wrong? You don't seem very excited about this."

  "I am. This is what I wanted, but I can't be happy about it, knowing I have to leave you."

  "I'll be leaving too."

  He looks up at me. "So what does that mean for us?"

  "I'm not sure." I pause, my heart already aching at the thought of leaving him. I finally found someone who understands me and loves me and lets me be myself. I don't want to lose him. "Maybe we could go somewhere together."

  Dean shakes his head. "I don't want you picking a school based on where I end up. That's not fair to you. You could go anywhere you want, and you should."

  "Is that what you want?" I ask, feeling like he's pushing me away again.

  "No." He looks in my eyes. "I want you to go with me. But I can't ask you to do that."

  "You could. Doesn't mean I'll do it. Tell me what you want, and let me make the decision."

  "Okay, then yeah, I want you to go with me. I want us to be together. I don't want to lose you."

  I smile because that's exactly what I wanted to hear. "I'll consider it. I'm not making any promises, but I will tell you that one of the colleges I'm considering is in Dallas."

  "Huh." His mouth creeps up to a smile. "That's interesting, because the school I'm leaning towards is in Dallas."

  "You're not just saying because of what I just told you?"

  "I've always wanted a Texas school. Ask Danny if you don't believe me. If I didn't stay around here, it was going to be Texas. I got an offer last year to play there but Coach said it's off the table. It was one of the big universities. They don't want to risk taking me on their team when they can't see me finish the season."

  "What about the other schools? Do you know anything about them?"

  "No. Coach is coming by this week to go over all that."

  "Maybe this will work out after all," I say, feeling hopeful. I didn't lie when I said I was looking at a school in Dallas. I haven't told my parents yet. They think I'm only looking at schools on the coasts. Only my sister knows I'm considering Dallas. She lives there and loves it, and she'd love to have me close by.

  "Your turn," Dean says. "What are you hiding from me?"

&n
bsp; "I'm not hiding it. I just don't want to talk about it. It's not like anything's going to happen."

  "Is this about Haverhill?"

  "Yes," I say with a sigh. "My dad called this morning and said he's cutting me off if I don't go back."

  "Cutting you off? Like not giving you money?"

  "He said he won't pay for college or law school or a car. I'll be on my own. He's trying to control me and I hate it. He always does this but it's not going to work this time."

  "Brook, maybe you should consider this. It's only for a few months. We could find a way to see each other. I'll get a job and get my car fixed. I'll come see you every weekend."

  My shoulders slump as I stare down at his bed. "There's more."

  "What else does he want?"

  "He wants me to break up with you." I look back at Dean. "Obviously I'm not doing that. I tried to tell him but he wouldn't listen. He doesn't care what makes me happy. He just wants me to do whatever he says. He's used to getting his way, and when he doesn't he uses threats and ultimatums."

  "He doesn't even know me. Why does he want you to break up with me?"

  "Because you're not Chad, or a guy similar to Chad."

  "So he wants you to date a rich guy."

  "Rich, and part of the world I left, with the fancy houses, expensive cars and where everyone belongs to the country club."

  "Maybe your mom could talk to him."

  "It wouldn't help. My mom's starting to change her mind about staying here. She wants to go back to being rich. She's been hanging out with her old friends and now she's dating this guy who's even richer than my dad. I got in a fight with her this morning because I wouldn't go to brunch with Chad and his parents."

  "You broke up with him. Why would you go to brunch with him?”

  "His parents invited us, and my mom accepted their invite. I refused to go so she went without me."

  "Does this mean she wants you to get back with Chad?"

  "She didn't come out and say that but I know it's what she wants."

  "So what are you going to do?"

  "Nothing. I'm not going back to Haverhill and I'm not breaking up with you. I don't care what my parents say. I'm not letting them bully me."

  He smiles. "Yeah, you don't put up with bullies."

  I lean down and kiss him. "I love you. And I'm not breaking up with you."