by K. Walker
I couldn’t wait to get into it, to smell the fresh scent of the leather, run my hands over the sturdy and rich dashboard…I knew I was tripping, but that was the one good thing that had happened to me since my mother’s death.
I hurried to get ready, reveling in the thrill of not waiting to be driven by Tyson. That was the highlight of my morning and the rest of my life.
I slipped into my navy jeans, sky blue top and tennis shoes and practically ran to the garage. It was still there. I hit the alarm button, and even the sound of it beeping sounded unreal to me.
I opened the door and got in, and like I had imagined, the new-car smell intoxicated me. I sat in the driver’s seat and circled the wheel, the grin on my face getting broader after each revolution. This was victory for me. It was a brand-new day. I grinned to myself and closed the door.
The door on the other side opened, and I wheeled around, anxious to see who had opened it.
“Going somewhere?” Tyson asked and slipped into the seat.
“School,” I scoffed and glared at him. “What’re you doing?”
“You think that because you have a new car that you’re just going to do what you feel like?”
“Uh, yeah,” I told him. He closed the door and pulled the belt across his chest.
And then he unbuckled it again. “On second thought,” he said and reached across me, opening my door in the process. “I’ll drive.”
“What? No! This is my car!” I insisted and folded my arms. “You have your car. You need to get out.”
“Make me,” he sneered, while his hand, jerking on my lap, remained on the lock.
I took it and tried to move it, but that only made things worse. He gripped my thigh, and the electricity that shot up my leg exploded inside me. I looked across at him, into his vivid, green eyes, and the unexpected happened.
I had the urge to kiss him. My eyes dipped to his lips, and I gulped. When I looked up at him again, I saw amusement. He pulled back and smirked.
“I think I’ll drive my own car after all,” he said and got out.
And I was left reeling. What the hell was I thinking? Did he pick up on what I was feeling? The thoughts in my head? What were they even doing there?
I wanted to scream again, but for a totally different reason. I sat in the car until he hopped into his Range Rover and took off. I growled low as I hit the push start and the car purred to life.
I couldn’t even enjoy the first day with my car. He had to strip all the joy away from me, and I hated him for it after only one week.
I followed his taillights down the hill, clenching my jaw and tightening my grip on the wheel. He was deliberately driving slow, forcing me to go at the speed he thought was appropriate.
Fucking control freak!
But I wasn’t going to let him win. He was an ass, and as soon as I found a way, I would win. For now, he could have his fun, though.
He was forced to pull away from me when we hit the main road, and I deliberately took the long way so I wouldn’t have to see that Ranger for the entire two miles.
I pulled into the school parking lot, and I saw the vehicle where it usually was – next to Liv, in their designated spots. I parked as far away from him as I could.
My insides churned at the thought of him, and when I closed the door, I caught him staring at me.
My breath caught in my throat, and I couldn’t help but wonder – if I hated him so much, why did my heart beat so fast when he was around? And my body vibrated at just the mention of his name?
It might be the hate. Or, it could be a whole other something else I equally hated.
Chapter 15
“Well, well, well,” Bella said as soon as I got out of the car. “You’re blending in really well.” She walked around the car, trailing her index finger over the hood. “BMW. Great taste.”
I didn’t even know how to answer her, so I just nodded and prepared to walk away. But I should have known – where there was one; there would be others.
“It really is,” Mia grinned from perfect pink lips that matched her mini-skirt suit. “Your auntie got it?”
“Not that it’s any of your concern, but yes,” I snapped at her. I didn’t really mean to, but I felt like it had been a really long morning already.
“So, what, you’ve got a mouth now that you have a nice ride?” Bella retorted as she came closer to me and popped the gum, she was chewing. Her blonde hair flowed down her back and covered half of her face. She brushed it back so she could look me squarely in the face.
“Bella, I didn’t mean any offense, okay? I’m a little on edge,” I told her and tried to walk away again.
“I think she’s getting ahead of herself,” she said to Mia when I turned around.
“We’ll see about that,” Bella said, just as Liv walked on, her brows arched as she wondered what was going on. “She doesn’t know it’s going to take a hell of a lot more than a Beemer to fit in—a lot more of the Pierce’s money.”
That stung! No wonder Tyson felt like I should be grateful to him. That was what everyone thought, too.
I was living in hell! That place was possibly the only place I could live in a mansion, drive a BMW 5-series car, wear designer clothes and shoes, and still be made to feel like shit.
“Is that your car?” Simone asked as she ran up to me.
“It was supposed to feel a whole lot better than this,” I admitted to her as I glanced back at it. I wouldn’t be surprised to find tissue and bird poop all over it when I came back out.
She hugged me. “Cheer up. It’s only been a week, but I get first dibs for riding shotgun,” she laughed, and so did I. At least I had them to make my days a little better because at every turn, there was either Tyson and his goons, or Liv and her sorority sisters.
“Fine, but I still don’t know how I’m going to survive this year.” We walked through the halls to the locker, and the nasty looks hurled my way were impossible to ignore. Even with all the designer clothes, no one was able to get over my origins.
“Trust me. They’ll get bored after a month.”
“A month? I can’t do this for a month! Not even a freakin’ Beemer impressed anyone to leave me the hell alone.”
“Orrr…” she said, dragging out the word as we reached our lockers. “I can suggest something to get your mind off of all this crazy drama.”
“Anything,” I said desperately.
“Join the cross-country team with Kyla and me,” she suggested.
I thought about it for a millisecond. It was a damned good idea. I had always loved sports and outdoor activities. Back in Miami Dade, I had played lacrosse, volleyball and did a little surfing when I got the chance. I needed that kind of distraction again.
“Hell, yeah!” I beamed.
Her eyes lit up. “Really? You will?”
“You have to ask twice?” I laughed and hugged her appreciatively. “This is great.”
“Just one side note,” she said and closed one of her eyes like she was about to say something painful.
“Oh, no!”
“No,” she laughed and clung to my hand. “It’s just that I don’t think you’d have any clothes because I just told you.”
“Then, today is my lucky day. I have gym clothes in my locker that I haven’t used, so I’m all set.”
“Great. We’ll do some stretches and run some laps after school.”
“Works for me,” I said and stashed my purse into my locker before slamming it shut. To my surprise, my day went remarkably well. No one approached me. By the time I met Simone and Kyla on the field after school, I was starting to feel normal – slightly paranoid, that it was just the calm before the storm.
I had no idea I was in such poor shape. Every muscle in my body ached when we collapsed onto the bench in the locker room. I felt like my body was on fire, and I instinctively started stripping so I could cool down.
I completely forgot about the scar on my shoulder when I noticed Kyla’s eyes zooming in
on it. I reached up and touched it, realizing it was already too late to hide it.
“I was attacked,” I said grimly. “Not so friendly reminder.”
“Oh,” Kyla cooed sympathetically. “Do you mind me asking how? What happened?”
“Kyla!” Simone hushed her. “That’s private. Why would she want to talk about that?”
“It’s okay,” I sighed. “If I plan to ever wear a camisole outdoors, I’m going to have to do this a lot.”
It wasn’t one of those scars that looked cool. It was a long, jagged wound that stretched from the tip of my shoulder and came down like an arrow over my breast.
“I got jumped on my home one evening,” I sighed when I remembered the night. “It was one of the scariest nights of my life. I could have died.” I watched as their faces descended into a pit of darkness. As I was sure, mine did as well. “But I’m here now,” I smiled sadly as my heart ached for my mom again.
“I’m so sorry,” Kyla said and threw herself onto me. “No one should have to experience that.”
“Thanks, Kyla. But that’s why I’m so pissed at all these rich snobs. They don’t know what my life was like, and it’s a constant point of laughter for the last couple of days. I wonder how many of them could survive living in a trailer park.”
Simone sighed and rubbed my shoulder. “For what it’s worth, not all of us are like that.”
I smiled weakly up at her. “I know and thank god for that.”
They laughed, just as the locker door opened and footsteps led to where we were seated between two rows of lockers.
Liv emerged, wearing gym shorts and sports bra, showing off her tight stomach and toned legs. She raised her brows at us and was about to walk off when her eyes found my scar too.
“Eww!” she said and scrunched up her face. “You really need to cover that up. It doesn’t go with the designer clothes and shit.”
“Liv!” Kyla spat.
“What?” she asked and waved her hand. “It’s true. It’s ugly. I would personally consider plastic surgery.”
I stood, my lips drawn tight, and grabbed my bag. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said to Kyla and Simone and stalked out, feeling the rage run through me.
What the fuck is wrong with people?
“Do you have to be such a bitch?” I heard Simone asking her angrily as I left the locker room, the tears stinging my eyes. I slammed into the wall outside, blinded by pain. Her words were insensitive. Of course, the scar was ugly. Which scar wasn’t? But I didn’t want to get into it with her. I had the feeling it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. All I’d wind up with was her pity, and that was the one thing I didn’t need from a Pierce. Not these twins, anyway.
I brushed the tears away and walked off quickly before Kyla and Simone came out of the locker room. I was barreling down the hallway, my head held down just in case I ran into someone and they would see the tears brimming my eyes, that I didn’t see the human wall until I smashed into it and fell backward, shaking my body to the core.
My elbow banged on the tile, and I skittered backward, the pain already forgotten, when I saw who it was. Brian and Cody – the other dicks like Zack. I knew about them but had been lucky they hadn’t picked on me just yet. But why not? Might as well just round off the month with a little hazing from douche central.
“Well, well,” Brian said and grinned big teeth at me. They looked more like someone had stuck a pack of Trident into his mouth. He kneeled over me and grabbed me by the elbow. “That wasn’t hard, getting you to lie down for me.”
I checked behind him and saw the way Cody was licking his lips. They had something nasty in mind, and before I could say or do anything, Cody had my other arm.
“Let me go!” I shouted at them.
“Or what?” Cody snarled in my ears, seconds before I felt the cold, stickiness of his tongue as he licked my neck. “She kinda smells good for someone from a trailer park.”
Could they be any dumber? Did trailer park come with a scent? I was going to be harassed and man-handled by Bridal Creek’s lamest douches. It made me wish it was Liam or Tyson.
“Brian, I’m warning you,” I said, trying to sound brave. Meanwhile, I was scared shitless. They were on the basketball team, which meant they had all the advantages over me in height, weight, muscles, and speed. Even if I got away, how far could I get before they would be yanking me back?
No, I had to play it cool. I had to let them think I was down with it, and when they least expected it, then I would sock one of them and take off. Hopefully, I would make it to the safety of my car before they recovered. But I had to stop walking off by myself. I have to remind myself that this isn’t Miami Dade, where everyone knew my mom and me and looked out for us.
In Silicon Valley, they looked out for me, alright – just to see who could fuck with me first.
“Okay, you don’t have to hold me so tight,” I stated to them and shrugged to get loose. “If you want something, all you have to do is ask,” I said and forced a smile onto my face.
Cody let go and clapped his hands together. “Now that’s what I’m talking about. Let’s say we find somewhere more private?”
“Lead the way,” I suggested and hoped to god they were stupid enough to walk off before me. I glanced back, wondering where the hell the girls were.
“We can go out back,” Brian said, his hand never leaving mine. If he kept a hold on me like that, I would never be able to slip him. And I sure as hell couldn’t go with them to a secluded place. I wasn’t that stupid to put myself in a fucked up situation.
“Does it have to be here?” I asked boldly as Brian pulled me eagerly along. “What about your place?”
They glanced at each other like they were actually thinking about it, and then Cody grinned. “I like the way you think,” he said and used his body to force me against the wall.
We were now in a part of the school where no one but the security guard would find us – no one went to the Media Center unless it was class time. My eyes scanned the space, searching for any means of escape and I had found none.
I had to make a move fast. I waited until Cody started looking into classrooms, searching for an appropriate spot to do their deed. Brian’s hold on me loosened as his excitement got the better of him. He wandered over to Cody as they both squinted through the opaque opening in the door.
I took the small window they gave me and started running. I didn’t get far like I had thought before. I felt one of them as they gripped my hair and pulled me back.
“Get back here, bitch!” Brian snarled.
“Let me go!” I yelled louder.
“Shut the fuck up!” Cody said angrily. “You just made things a whole lot worse.”
“Hey!” I heard the sweet sound of help on the other end of the hall. I didn’t care that it was Tyson. He ran up to the boys as Brian’s hold on my head slackened. “Are you going to explain this?”
“Pierce, we were just having a little fun. No big deal,” Brian defended.
“Did I tell you that you can have fun with Quinn?” he snarled, his brows pulled together as he walked up into Brian’s face. Cody immediately shrank back, and I smoothed my hair and looked around as I tried to regain my composure.
Liam was also there, standing behind Tyson, but looking at me like I was nothing but trouble. I take it back – anyone but Tyson or Liam could have rescued me. Now, I owed them even more.
“No harm done,” Brian said gruffly and put his hands up like Tyson had a gun on him.
“You’re right, no harm done,” he said and used his arm to press into Brian’s chest as he slammed him into the wall. “The next time you lay a fucking finger on her, your career in the NBA is over. You got that?”
Brian slapped his hand away and walked off. Was that even a legit threat? Did Tyson Pierce really have that much power? It was fucking hot! His strong masculine presence was appealing to my more feral side, and my body tingled as familiar sensations flooded my being.
Until he turned, and I saw the anger in his eyes. “Can you even get home on your own without getting into trouble?”
“It’s not like I did anything. You already set me up day one when you told everyone where I was from. You did this!”
I tried to walk away, but he pulled me back. “I’m not done,” he spat and pulled me back, crushing me against his solid frame. “Give me your keys.”
“What? No!”
“It seems I’m going to have to make it official. You can’t handle your shit, so I’m going to have to do it for you. From now on, you ride with me, to and from school. And I don’t give a shit that you have a car now.”
“Tyson, that’s…”
“Did I say you could speak? Keys!” he barked.
I wasn’t going to give in so easily, even though I had to admit – I was a good enough fighter, but the ways I’ve been cornered since I started school, if it hadn’t been for him and his friends, I would be screwed ten ways from Sunday.
But I wasn’t going to give him my keys. I started walking away again. He grabbed my purse and Liam held me back as he took them.
“This isn’t necessary,” I cried. “What am I supposed to tell Aunt Celine when she asks, huh?”
“Simple,” he said as he walked off, his arms spread like what he was saying made all the sense in the world. “We’re carpooling. Now get the fuck in the car.”
He turned and walked away, and just like that, my Beemer was no longer mine after a total of one day behind the wheel.
Chapter 16
I’d just about had it with everything in that god-forsaken place.
I couldn’t win, from any angle. It was like my life was stuck in a rut, and how was that even possible while I was living in what could be considered paradise? I had everything I could ever want – luxurious furnishings, designer clothes, own a BMW, and still have a crappy life.
I stood by the door of the building, waiting for Tyson to be done fooling around with his friends to take me home. Yes, the Beemer really was left at home, and I wasn’t in the mood to even run laps with Simone and Kyla.
