Make Your Move (A High School Bully Romance): Hannaford Prep Year Two

by J Bree

  Harley waits until her attention is away from us and then whispers, “Why was Avery threatening Blaise this morning at breakfast?”

  I keep my eyes on my notes. Harley doesn't sound happy and my eyes will give me away.

  “I don't know. This is the first I'm hearing of it.”

  He grunts at me and says, “She told him that she’d end him if he tried to touch you again. When did he touch you?”

  Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Avery, lord help me, why couldn't you have been just a little more discreet?! Did Ash know? I’ll be hauled into another supply closet and called a slut in no time! I hope my face isn’t showing any of the panic I’m feeling right down to my soul.

  “I was helping him with an assignment. Avery is worried about me because Ash is on the warpath about you guys and she doesn’t want to cause any issues. Nothing to worry about, forget it.”

  He leans in closer and whispers, “She made it sound like he’d tried to kiss you. He was pretty ashamed when she started in on him.”

  Hot shame slides over my skin and my cheeks flush. I raise my hand and when Ms. Lucia calls on me I ask to go to the nurse for a migraine. Harley watches me as I pack up and his eyes follow me out the door.

  I don’t make it to Biology.

  Blaise arrives at our room with a black eye and a shitty attitude.

  Avery makes herself comfortable on her bed and starts her own assignments. She’d told her Ballet teacher she had cramps and then told me she was going to make sure Blaise wasn’t inappropriate with me. I’d argued with her, I was the one who was inappropriate, but she wouldn’t budge.

  We sit on the floor like we always do, though I’m a little uncomfortable about it now. Blaise sullenly hands over all of his completed work and I hand him a pile of notes to work on while I mark. We settle into a mildly uncomfortable silence as we work.

  It’s not until Avery gets a phone call and ducks into the bathroom for privacy that Blaise finally speaks to me.

  “You’re such a hypocrite. You ran straight to Avery.”

  I blush and nod my head. I just need to get this out and be done with it. “I know. I told her exactly how embarrassed I was with my actions and I owe you an apology.”

  Blaise frowns at me and I fumble on, praying I can clear the air enough so we can get back to studying as friends. “Look, I’m sorry I was staring and making you uncomfortable. I was tired and not thinking straight. I’m also sorry Avery yelled at you for the whole…thing, I was embarrassed that you had pity kissed me and I moped to her about it. You know how she gets when she’s in protect mode. Can we just forget it and move on?”

  I force myself to look him in the eye. He’s still frowning and now he’s chewing on his bottom lip. If he didn’t look so serious I’d think he was teasing me.

  “That’s not what I was expecting you to say.” he murmurs.

  I shrug because I don’t have an answer to that either. When he opens his mouth again Avery walks out of the bathroom and pegs him with a look. He arches an eyebrow at her like he’s trying to provoke her into a fight. I get a bad feeling about the two of them circling each other.

  “Where did you get that lovely black eye from, Morrison?” Avery croons. She struts into the kitchen and begins to make us each a hot cocoa. She doesn’t get a cup for Blaise.

  He watches her as he leans back, his attitude melting back into the cocky rockstar he really is. “Arbour was defending his love. He thinks I’m trying to steal his girl out from under him and he can be a jealous shit.”

  My stomach drops and the small amount of peace I’d managed to find with my apology disappears into thin air. Harley has a girlfriend? Blaise is trying to steal her? I don’t like the sound of either of those things. Blaise is pity kissing me and then out hunting his best friend’s girlfriend. Wow. Why do I like this asshole so much? At least now I’m not feeling so bad about my actions.

  “I didn’t know he had a girl.” snipes Avery, filling my cup with marshmallows and drizzling the entire drink in chocolate syrup. It’s like a heart attack in a cup and I’m so fucking ready for it.

  Blaise grins and packs away his textbooks and notes. “Try telling him that. Have a good night, girls. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lance the Mounty, because I can’t remember the little fuck’s last name to save my damn life, is becoming a problem.

  He gets to our tutoring sessions before me without fail so I don’t even get a minute to myself to set up. When Ash realizes this he starts coming earlier as well so when I arrive ten minutes before the start time they’re both already there and being openly hostile towards each other. I do my best to ignore it but, fuck me, Lance will not stop flirting and Ash gets snarky at him the second he starts. I stay polite but I lose my friendly demeanor quickly. I have enough problems in my life without adding an obsessed little Mounty boy to the list. He does not get the hint. If anything, it makes him work harder.

  It does work to my advantage in the week leading up to winter break. As we finish the session I quickly pack up to try and flee before he can ask to walk me back to the dorms when he starts in on his latest attempt to befriend me.

  “I’m the school photographer. I’ve got a good shot of you at a football game a few weeks ago. It’s the only one I’ve seen you at.”

  Ash sneers at him. “You sound like a fucking stalker. Lay off a bit or she’ll realize how desperate you really are.”

  I clench my teeth. I hate that he is defending me because I honestly don’t know what the fuck I’d say to Lance if Ash weren’t here. He’s too much and I feel fucking smothered.

  Lance ignores Ash and hands me his iPad with the photo he’s talking about. It’s great, but I’m not the only one in it. Harley and I are eating hotdogs and laughing with each other. Avery is tucked under Ash’s arm and they’re both smiling at Blaise who is talking about something and gesturing with his hands. It’s the perfect moment in time for all five of us and I instantly know Avery will adore it. I mean, I love it too, but I feel weird about it because Ash hates me, Blaise only tolerates me because I help him with his studies, and, well, I guess Harley is my friend. It’s the perfect gift for Avery and I’ve been struggling to find her something.

  “I need a copy of this. Can you email me one? The highest definition you have please.” I say and Lance smiles at me like I’ve complimented him. His hand brushes mine when he takes the iPad back and he runs a finger over my hand. I force myself not to shudder but I move away from him quickly and Ash sees him do it.

  “Don’t be a creepy fuck.” He snaps but Lance just smirks at him.

  “You’re the one watching her like an obsessed boyfriend. Maybe she should be worried about you.”

  Ash’s face morphs into his icy mask and I groan. Great. I’m going to be scraping Mounty innards off of my bag for the rest of the evening.

  “Run along, Mounty. I’ll see you back at the dorms.”

  Finally Lance gulps and leaves. I quirk an eyebrow at Ash but he ignores me and I shove text books into my bag. As I pack, I check my phone and spot a text from Avery. I manage to hold in my groan and say to Ash, “Avery wants us both to meet her for dinner in the dining hall.”

  He nods and waits for me, frowning and distracted. He motions to Lance’s empty seat and says, “Did you really have to encourage him? You obviously aren’t interested.”

  I sigh and we walk out of the library. “How did I encourage him? I never flirt back.”

  He grabs my elbow to pull me closer when a group of rowdy seniors pass us but he doesn’t let go when we’re past them. “You asked for a copy of the photo and you don’t snap at him like you do when I speak to you.”

  It sounds like he’s whining about sharing me but his tone is aggravated. I roll my eyes at him. “I snap at you because you piss me off. You get under my skin, you hurt me, you say stupid shit to me all the fucking time to get a rise out of me. But you don’t creep me out. I’m never worried about you taking things too f
ar.”

  Ash’s spine snaps straight and he drops his hand away from my elbow. I roll my eyes all over again. “Settle down, Beaumont, I’m just saying you’re a decent human being when you’re not being an asshole to me.”

  He clears his throat and I swear there’s color on his cheeks that wasn’t there before.

  “Are you blushing right now? What exactly has you swooning? The word asshole?”

  He glares at me and rolls his eyes. “Shut up, Mounty, I’m not fucking swooning. No one has ever called me decent before and my reaction is one of shock. It doesn’t happen often so you wouldn’t have seen it before and don’t expect to see it again.”

  I stop and grab his elbow, the same way he’d taken mine. “You are decent, Ash. You’re loyal to your friends and you protect Avery fiercely. You even protect me when you think I’m in danger even though you don’t trust me. You lost your mind over the thought of your brother hurting me. Being related to Joey, and your father, doesn’t make you bad.”

  He shrugs and pulls his arm away. I’m glad because for a second there I thought I was going to have to offer to hug him and the thought of being pressed against him like that makes me sweat. The image of his nipples pops into my head and I have to shake it out before I melt into a fucking puddle. When we get to the dining hall he stares at me for a second and then grabs a tray. When I move to grab one for myself he snaps, “Don’t be dense, Mounty, what do you want for dinner?”

  Well, ok then.

  Blaise texts after classes finish to say he’s skipping our tutoring session to watch Harley swim in the trials that are being held at Hannaford. I’m actually really glad because I need the space to sort my head out and work on my own assignments. I get twenty minutes to myself before Avery storms into our room and runs for the bathroom.

  “What are you doing, we’re going to be late! You can’t attend the trials unless your in uniform so change back!” she calls out to me before ducking into the bathroom to change out of her ballet clothes and freshen up. She leaves the bathroom door open because apparently she knows I’m going to argue.

  “I’m not going. Harley didn’t even tell me they were on.” I say but I’m up and getting dressed as I say it. I know Avery won’t accept my answer.

  “We’re being supportive, get your butt moving.”

  I roll my eyes at her but I speed up anyway. When she’s ready I grab my blazer and head for the door, grumbling, “He’s your cousin, why do I have to be supportive?”

  Avery rolls her eyes at me and waves her phone in my face as we start to walk down to the pool. “He’s been obsessively texting me about who is threatening you. Face it, you guys are friends now and you have to support him. Plus, I know you think he’s hot and he’s going to be walking around in speedos, dripping wet for three hours. You’re welcome.”

  I choke on my own tongue. Jesus fucking christ.

  The pool is Olympic sized with enough seating for the entire school to watch the trials but with the parents and families that came to watch we struggle to find a decent spot. Blaise ends up sweet talking someone’s sister and we get close enough that I can see the droplets of water sliding down Harley’s abs. Avery laughs hysterically at me, the bitch, but Ash and Blaise just look at her like she’s crazy.

  “What are the trials for?” I ask as we watch Harley approach the starting blocks. Fuck me, he does look pretty fucking good. I look away before I publicly shame myself.

  “A spot on the state team. Harley wins it every year and then when they offer it to him he turns them down.” Avery murmurs, sipping her coffee.

  “Why?”

  She shrugs. “He enjoys winning but doesn’t want to take it further. I told him he should do it for scholarships for college but, until you got here, he assumed he’d be dead by then.”

  I cringe and nod. Harsh but true, without me and the protection I’ve bought him he would be dead. I let my thoughts spiral as I go through my exit plan for the two of us. Harley steps onto his starting block and gets into position. I quietly admire the muscles in his back and the length of his legs. He’s broader and more defined than the other swimmers. I’d have guessed he’d be slower because of the extra weight in muscle he’s carrying.

  My daydreaming is interrupted when Harlow sits down next to me.

  Avery straightens and jabs Ash in the ribs when she sees her but I ignore the bitch, keeping my eyes on Harley as the starting gun fires and he dives into the water in a graceful arc.

  “How the fuck do you know Joey’s dealers?” she murmurs and I turn to look at her.

  Her fingers are trembling where she’s holding her phone and her eyes are having trouble tracking. Great. She’s on something too.

  “His dealers or yours?” I say and Avery snorts, muttering “Typical,” under her breath.

  Harlow flicks her hair over her shoulder and says, blithely, “Does it matter? They sell the best and they’re rough guys. Joey’s concerned at having his baby sister rooming with the wrong sort of girl.”

  Ash throws his head back and roars with laughter like Blaise usually does but the rockstar just glares at Harlow like she’s a ticking bomb.

  “You better not be here at Joey’s request because I’ve already warned him twice about provoking me. If he does it again I’m not going to play games with him, I’m going for his throat.”

  Avery tucks her arm into mine and holds my hand where Harlow can see it, a clear statement of loyalty. “Run along, Roqueford. Go snort your lines somewhere else so I can enjoy watching my cousin wipe the floor with your brother. Oh, wait, you did know Andrew Wakes was your bastard brother, didn’t you? Everyone knows you come by your slutty nature from your father. I hope you use condoms a bit more than he does or you’ll have your own horde of bastards in no time.”

  Harlow curses viciously under her breath as she leaves and I turn back to the race just in time to see Harley touch the wall first, a full body length in front of his competitors.

  “He really should join the state team.” I say and Avery hums her agreement.

  Blaise clears his throat. “Are either of you going to explain what the hell she was talking about?”

  I look over at him, startled. “Didn’t Harley tell you?”

  Ash gives me an incredulous look. “He doesn’t tell us anything that involves you.”

  Huh. I guess he thinks that comes with being ‘mine’ which is probably wise. I sigh. “Joey brought some of his dealers to the school and thought he’d be able to out me as a gang member or dealer or whatever. As I am none of those things, he was pissed when they left at my request.”

  They both blink at me then Ash says, “You asked his dealers to leave and they did?”

  I shrug. “I asked nicely.”

  Avery giggles and distracts the guys away from the topic.

  When Harley wins his last race of the night Avery ushers me out, telling the guys she’s too tired to watch the medals ceremony and we walk back to our room.

  The next morning Avery leaves for winter break and I roll out of my bed to say goodbye, though I’m clearly not quite human before I’ve had my coffee.

  “Be good while I’m gone.” Avery smirks and kisses my cheek. I laugh and hand over the wrapped gift I’ve had stashed under my bed. She gasps.

  “You said no presents!”

  I laugh. “I know you’ve ignored me and there’s something in your closet for me. Don’t peek until Christmas.”

  She laughs and tweaks my nose.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I refuse to leave my room for winter break. Harley checks in everyday but he mostly leaves me alone when I tell him I need to catch up on my assignments while I don’t have to tutor anyone else. I text Avery everyday and I’m relieved to find the Crow has fulfilled his favor and kept Senior away from home.

  On Christmas Eve I go to bed with the same plan I have every year.

  I won’t exist again until Christmas is over.

  Someone is in the kitchen.

  I cra
ck one eye open and turn my head just far enough to see who’s fumbling around in Avery’s cooking supplies.

  Harley.

  He’s standing there in a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants, mixing something in a bowl while a pan heats up on the stove. The coffee machine is beeping and he’s turned the TV onto some random channel with Christmas carols.

  I groan and shut my eyes.

  “I'm making French toast. Ave’s said it’s your favorite, consider it a peace offering. I'm only good at breakfast so you're going to have to figure something out for us to have for dinner.”

  Why is he here? Why is he making me food and forcing me to function? I just want to wallow between my sheets and forget about this stupid day. I huff and roll over. I’m not getting up, fuck him.

  “I get you don't do Christmas but this is the first chance I've had to spend the day with someone since my Da died. I've been trapped in boarding schools ever since and teachers really don't give a crap about orphaned mobster kids.”

  I groan again and sit up, frowning at him. He's got his back to me as he drops the soaked bread into the pan. I can't kick him out. He's being sweet and kind, and fuck it if I don't want him spending another Christmas alone. I cannot function on my birthday but I could force myself today if it means this much to him. Clearly, I’m getting soft.

  So I get up.

  I pull an oversized sweater on and then accept a giant cup of coffee from Harley while I rummage around in the cupboards for syrup and sprinkles. It's Christmas, we deserve some fucking sprinkles.