Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. I glanced to my left to see what it was. A mother and son were getting out of a crimson Nissan. An idea formed in my head, something that would teach Ngaire a lesson.
I leaned down, placing my arms along her windowsill. “How much will you pay me?” I asked, playing the whore she wanted me to be, past caring about others thinking it too. Everyone thought I was one anyway. Just like my nanna. And probably like my dad too, that look on the bartender chick’s face still haunting me. He was always getting free shit from chicks, not to forget the booze the bartender had given him. But I bet it wasn’t free, because there was no way he would fuck someone so plain, when he had hot bitches falling over themselves to get at him. He was a whore just like his mother. And Jasper was right. I was just like my dad, that money Sierra had paid me proving it.
Ngaire blinked at me. “What?”
“You want a piece of my cock, you hafta pay for it,” I said, loud enough for the mother and her son to hear.
Ngaire smiled, obviously not having seen them. “Really?”
“Yeah. So, how much are ya willing to pay me for a ride on my dick?”
She gave me a shit-eating grin, or more accurately, a cock-gobbling one. “I have a hundred bucks on me. Will that be enough?” she asked, leaning forward, her hand running along my arm.
I glanced at the mother and son, drawing her attention to them. The mother was staring at Ngaire with a horrified expression, my uniform the same as her son’s, the guy in my year.
I refocused on Ngaire. “Gotcha,” I whispered.
“You bastard, Dante!”
“You want me to get in your car now?” I grinned, knowing if I got in, the mother would do more than take her number plate down. She was probably already memorising it now for the coppers.
Ngaire shoved my arm off the windowsill. “Find your own way home, you bastard.”
I laughed as she planted her foot on the accelerator, saluting her as she took off. I turned to the mother, who was staring at the back of Ngaire’s car. She was a fat chick in her late thirties or early forties, with a face made for radio.
“Hey!” I said, grabbing her attention. “Once you drop your son off, you wanna give me a ride.” I winked at her, laying it on thick. “I’ll make it worth your time, gorgeous.”
Her face went bright red. She grabbed her son’s arm and yanked him towards the school, scurrying through the main gate. Her son looked back at me with a wide grin. The shithead had been in one of my classes last year, a dumbass with more zits than brain cells. He was probably jonesing to tell his mates all about what I’d done, proving to everyone what a whore I was. Smiling at him, I flicked him the middle finger and put it in my mouth, moving it in and out, blowing it. His smile dropped. I popped my finger out of my mouth, my smile dropping too, but not because of him.
Mrs. Hatton emerged from the main building. Not seeing me, she hurried past the mother and son, aiming for her car. I spun around and started running down the road, definitely not up to talking to her.
As I neared where I had to cross, I glanced back. Her yellow Volkswagen turned onto the road, heading my way. Spotting a break in the traffic, I sprinted across the road, hoping she hadn’t seen me.
22
Clara
Dante cut across the road, disappearing down an adjoining one. Not wanting to lose him, I did a quick turn, narrowly missing a car I was supposed to give way to. They beeped at me, but I ignored them, totally focused on catching Dante. He was quite a way down the road, the boy fast. He turned into a different street, once again disappearing from sight. I planted my foot on the accelerator and followed him around the corner, spotting him running past a brightly coloured dairy. He sidestepped someone coming out of the shop, almost taking out a row of flowers for sale. He jumped over them, clipping the end bucket with the back of his heel, tipping it over. He righted himself so fast he barely broke stride, continuing on towards Claydon, not his home.
I picked up speed, fearful he would cut through a property to avoid me. Because he was definitely running away from me. There was no doubt about it. He’d looked straight at my car when I’d pulled out of Wera High’s driveway, then had sprinted across the road like a bat out of hell.
Finally catching up to him, I lowered my window, shouting out, “Dante! Stop!”
He did, coming to an abrupt standstill. He placed his hands on his knees and looked sideways at me, his chest pumping up and down from running so fast. “What the fuck do you want?” he said, sounding puffed, his breath hitching at the end. “You’re not my teacher anymore. I’m expelled.”
“Not if I can help it.” I yanked on the brake and opened my door, getting out of the car. “I’ll find a way to get you back in, to fix this mess,” I said, not knowing whether that was possible, but sure as hell I was going to try my best.
“How?” He straightened to his full height, glaring down at me. “Cos, apparently I assaulted you.”
Immense guilt once more slammed into me, reminding me this was all my fault. “I tried to stop Lindy from going to the principal, but she wouldn’t listen,” I replied. “I also told Principal Sao that Lindy was making it out to be more than it was, that it was all just a misunderstanding.”
He sneered at me. “It wuz a misunderstanding. I thought you’d actually defend me.”
“I did.”
“By letting me take the fall?”
“What did you expect me to tell them? That I kissed you back? You know where that would’ve gotten me. A lot worse than Ms. Farris.”
He exhaled loudly and looked up at the sky, his expression now more frustrated than angry. “This is just so fucked up,” he said, dropping his gaze back to me. “No matter what I do, it turns to shit. We finally agree to be with one another, then that dyke bitch ruins it.”
“It doesn’t need to be ruined. I’ll find a way to make the principal change his mind,” I said, praying that was possible, also praying that Principal Sao would change his mind about getting the Child, Youth and Family Services involved. I didn’t think he would, but hope was all I had left.
I continued, “Maybe he can put you into a different class as a compromise, anything to get you back in. And we can still see each other, just outside of school, away from prying eyes.”
Dante stared at me incredulously. “Why do you wanna risk it? Everything I touch turns to shit. If you didn’t push me away, Lindy would’ve dobbed you in. You could’ve lost your job or even ended up in jail cos of me.”
“No, because of me. I want you, Dante. Nothing can change that. Not the threat of losing my job, the fear of what Jasper’s father would do, even the possibility of going to jail. I want you more than anything in the world. So please, get in the car.”
A smile pulled at his lips. But just as quickly as it had formed, it was gone, replaced by a scowl. “How do I know you’re not stringing me along,” he snapped, “sweet talking me to get what you want? Then next thing, you’re back with your husband, leaving your ho behind.”
“Don’t say that!” I said, aghast. “You’re not a whore.”
“It’s in my blood, can’t escape it.”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
“I’m not. Gotta face reality sometime. Better it be sooner than later.”
“You’re not a whore. And I’m not stringing you along, so please, get in the car.”
“Not if you’re gonna take me back to school. And even if Principal Sao changes his mind ’bout expelling me, I’ve had enough of that shithole.”
“But—”
“No buts!” he yelled, jolting me. “I’m sick of people judging me there. Even after everyone wuz told I didn’t kill the McDs, they still treated me like a murderer. Now they think I assaulted you. I can’t keep dealing with that shit. You gotta understand that, don’t cha?”
I nodded, knowing I wouldn’t put up with it either. I’d tried to skip out of school as a kid after people started calling me Miss Piggy, coin
ed after my snorting laugh, but what Dante had to put up with was a million times worse than a stupid nickname.
A small smile pulled at his lips. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“Understanding. Jasper doesn’t get it. He thinks I’m a whining bitch when I complain. He thinks just cos I look good that I get whatever I want.”
“Jasper’s not bright.”
He smirked. “That’s the understatement of the century. But it doesn’t matter, I still love the dumb fuck.”
I smiled at his comment, though it didn’t last long, what Principal Sao had said about notifying the authorities concerning me more than Dante’s expulsion. “I understand you don’t want to go back to school, but Principal Sao mentioned getting the child services involved.”
Dante’s eyes widened, his face paling. “Shit!”
I continued, “He also said he’s calling your father.”
Dante rubbed at his face. “That’s a given, but CYFS? He’s a fuckin’ bastard. Those guys are scarier than the cops. They’ve already taken me away from my dad once before. I can’t go through that shit again.”
“Maybe I can talk to them, tell them all of this is a misunderstanding.”
“It won’t do any good, they know what my dad’s like.” He closed his eyes and inhaled and exhaled, obviously trying to calm down. “I’m done for. They’ll put me in foster care or juvie for sure.”
I shook my head, no longer willing to let Dante take the fall, what he was facing now too serious. “Not if I tell them the kiss was mutual.”
His eyes shot open, his expression horrified. “Hell, no! You’ll be done for.”
“But they’ll take you away.”
“I’ll run, like the last time. They eventually let me return to my dad. But they won’t forgive you for—”
“Kissing you, nothing more. I won’t confess to anything else, just the kiss.”
“Even if you avoid jail, you’ll still lose your job.”
And my marriage. “Which I deserve.”
Dante shook his head. “No, I’ll take the rap. It won’t be as bad for me as it would be for you.”
Movement in my periphery captured my attention, drawing it away from Dante. An elderly man exited the dairy with a bag full of groceries, heading our way. To my relief, he took a sharp turn into a property filled with brick units, thankfully not paying us any heed.
I refocused on Dante. “Let’s talk about it in the car.”
He nodded and ran around to the passenger side, jumping in. I followed suit, climbing into the driver’s seat as he dropped his bag at his feet.
I pulled on my seatbelt, then placed my hands on the steering wheel. “You absolutely sure you won’t go back to school, even knowing about CYFS?”
“One hundred percent.”
“I’ll take you home, then.”
He shook his head. “Take me to Claydon.”
“Where in Claydon?”
“By the beach. Jasper’s uncle has a place there. He’s staying at our gang’s headquarters for the mo, so he won’t have a problem with me using it. And...” He bit his bottom lip, his expression turning hopeful. “We could crash there for a while without anyone knowing.”
“Um ... what do you mean by a while?” I asked, getting a distinct feeling he meant days, not hours.
He shrugged. “As long as we can. A lot of shit is goin’ down at the mo. CYFS won’t be the only ones lookin’ for me. Cos Phelia couldn’t keep her damn mouth shut, the Devil’s Crew will be gunning for me.”
“What? Why?!” I said, the MC infamous.
“Phelia told their prez, Happy Meal’s dad, that my alibi’s fake.”
My heart stuttered in my chest. “So, you didn’t have sex with her in the restroom?”
He nodded. “She made it up.”
“Then, where were you?” I asked, hoping like hell he wasn’t going to say ‘killing the McDonalds’. I instantly dismissed the thought, knowing he wouldn’t hurt a woman. He’d shown such self-control with Lindy, plus I didn’t think he could kill a mother after his own was murdered.
“I wuz behind the gym toking,” he answered.
I scowled at him. “After being in your room, I’m guessing it wasn’t cigarettes.”
“Yeah, I hate coffin nails.” He grinned. “Weed is my creed.”
“It’s not funny. You shouldn’t be smoking anything, especially not marijuana, and why didn’t you defend yourself when I went off at you for having sex with Phelia?” I scowled. “Actually, don’t bother answering that. You didn’t trust me to keep your alibi a secret.”
He shrugged and dropped his gaze. “Partly, but also partly cos I still did her, just not the time you thought,” he replied, pulling on a thread sticking out of a shirt button.
My stomach dropped. “When?” I croaked out, praying it was before we’d had sex. I knew I didn’t have a right to ask, since I’d pushed him away, but I couldn’t help myself, my jealousy flaring up again.
He yanked the thread, causing the button to fall off. “We weren’t together at the time, and it wuzn’t like I wanted to do her,” he said, bending down to pick up the button.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I did Jasper a favour so he could get a leg over.”
“You’re not making sense.”
“Jasper wanted to fuck Phelia, Phelia wanted to fuck me.” He glanced sideways at me. “And since you weren’t interested in me back then, I caved in after Jasper asked one too many times.”
“So you slept with her, so she would sleep with him?” I asked in disbelief.
“Not in the way you think. We roasted her.”
“Roasted?”
“Don’t you know what roasted means?”
I shook my head.
“Jasper did her from behind, while she sucked me off.”
My mouth dropped open in shock.
He smirked. “Close your mouth before my cock gets ideas.”
I smacked his arm. “Don’t be rude, and I can’t believe you had a threesome.”
“Not like it wuz my first one. I wuz the meat between two blondes back in February.”
I covered my ears. “Stop talking!”
He laughed. “You’re funny.”
I uncovered my ears. “This isn’t a laughing matter!” Realisation hit me a second later. February. The pub. Two rich blondes. “Were those blondes in their thirties?”
His eyes went wide. “How do you know that?”
I clenched the steering wheel. “So it was those bitches,” I snarled, the thought of him with them infuriating me. I wanted to hunt them down and punch them like Beverly had threatened to.
“Tell me how you know!” he snapped, looking angry.
“Helen Farris saw you get into a car with them.”
He swore. “So she assumed I fucked them?”
“You just said you did.”
“Cos I told you, whereas she assumed.” He banged the back of his head against the seat. “Everyone assumes shit ’bout me, though, she’s right. I am a ho.”
“I didn’t say she said that,” though she had, I just didn’t want him to know it. “And you have to stop letting people use you.”
“I don’t let—”
“Yes, you do! You just admitted to having had sex with two women more than twice your age. Not only that, you also let Jasper pressure you into having sex with Phelia. Those women were sleazy, opportunistic bitches, but Jasper... He’s supposed to be your best friend. That’s a horrible thing for him to do to you.”
“It wuzn’t like that.”
“It sure as hell sounds like it was.” I hit the steering wheel, so mad with Jasper. Actually, I was mad with everyone who’d upset Dante, so much so I felt like ripping into the next person who stepped out of line with him.
“Lindy was wrong,” I said, now wishing I’d told the girl the truth. “I’m not the nice one, you are. Jasper used you to get Phelia, yet you still say you love him. Lindy hurt you, yet you
didn’t hit her back. And even when the principal was yelling at you, thinking you assaulted me, you willingly took the fall for me. You’re the most selfless person I’ve ever met. You’re not just beautiful on the outside, you’re beautiful on the inside. It’s any wonder why I didn’t fall in love with you sooner.”
His eyes widened. “You love me?”
I blinked. “What?”
“You said you fell in love with me.”
“I—” I closed my mouth and quickly faced forward, not believing I’d said that. Did I really mean it? Or was it a slip of the tongue? My heart slammed in my chest as I started the engine, the butterflies in my stomach confirming I did, the realisation hitting me like a ton of bricks.
I loved Dante.
Keeping my focus on the road, I pulled away from the kerb. My heartrate picked up speed too, my admission firing up every nerve inside of me. But what made me even more nervous was that Dante had gone silent.
“Turn left,” he said, making me jump in my seat, his words coming out of the blue.
I willed myself under control and did what he’d asked, my cheeks steadily growing hotter by the second, embarrassment now settling in.
He muttered something too soft for me to catch. I went to ask what he’d said, glancing at him at the same time, but clamped my mouth shut again, taken aback by the way he was looking at me. His stare was intense, his dark eyes burning with an unspoken passion, that one look speaking louder than words.
I bit my lip to stop from smiling and refocused on the road, knowing he loved me too.
***
I turned onto the road that Dante had directed me to, tensing up as I recognised the cottage on my left. It was Beverly’s house. I glanced at her empty driveway as I drove past it, relaxing a little, knowing she was still at school. I continued down the road, realising the other drama teacher lived close to her, Paul definitely not at school. I just hoped he didn’t live on the same road. I scanned the driveways as I passed the one and two storey houses, relieved that I didn’t recognise any of the cars. A second later, I remembered he’d mentioned he lived a road away, adding to my relief.
Shattered Poetry (Broken Lives #2) Page 24
