A Piece of Heaven_A Reverse Harem Contemporary Romance

by Angel Lawson

  I threw my hands in the air. "I'm not."

  "No?" Swiping the phone out of my hand, he waved it in front of my face a second later. It was another video, this time of me and Justin on the beach the night of the bonfire. I kissed his cheek and his long, lanky arm was resting on my hip. A moment later the camera shifts and it’s two people in the dark having sex.

  “That’s not me.”

  He frowned. “No? Looks like you.” He turned up the volume. I heard the deep, guttural moan that was unmistakably mine. I assumed from my time with Anderson. “Sounds like you.”

  “You faked that.”

  He shrugged. “Do you think anyone will care?”

  I jumped for the phone.

  “Give me the fucking video, Spencer.”

  He held it above my head. “Now you’re scared.”

  If I could have smacked the stupid, smug look off his face, I would have. "What do you want?"

  "I told you before. You."

  Panic washed through me again. I desperately looked around for help. Where was everyone? "You wish."

  "I do. I've had my eye on you since Blackwood wore you down months ago. Before then, even. I've offered the nice way, but you got caught up with those four, but now it's my turn." His eyes turned dark. Soulless. I had no doubt he meant what he said.

  “Spencer, this is too much even for you. The games are up. You won, but you need to let me go back to the dance. People are waiting for me.”

  He grabbed my arm and I yelped in pain. "I can't. The way you look in that dress…" he made a disturbing feral noise with his throat. "Damn girl, even the most restrained guy would have a problem keeping his hands to himself."

  “Spencer, don’t do this,” I begged. But the feel of his clammy hands and the weight of his body wasn’t the only thing tugging at me. The panic that resided in my heart swelled, threatening to cloak me from the pain. I couldn’t fight him and the anxiety any more than I could have rejected the happiness and the love of my boys. What’s the point, my brain asked, if he destroys me now? I should have given up long ago, back in the dark days when using a razor took away the pain.

  I didn’t deserve them and I didn’t deserve the life they could give me. I choked on the rank scent of Spencer’s breath and knew that was what the future held for me.

  He tugged me behind the car, shoved me against the cold metal and pulled at my skirts. “Don’t fight, it’ll all be over soon and you can have your video and all the photos.”

  I stared across the parking lot, listening to the loud beat of music inside, praying for this to end.

  Spencer grunted behind me. His hands dropped away. I heard feet scuffle on the ground and the faraway sound of voices as they descended.

  “Heaven!” I looked over the car and spotted Amber, fear etched in her face.

  I couldn’t speak. My hands shook and I turned and saw a different kind of fear, this time plastered across Spencer’s face. Hayden, all muscles and height, held him back. Oliver unleashed, punching him in the gut. Anderson rushed to my side and Jackson paced like a tiger.

  “Get his phone,” I cried. “Get his phone!”

  Jackson retrieved it from his pocket and I took it, afraid to let go. Then he pushed Oliver out of the way and punched Spencer hard across the jaw. I buried my face in Anderson’s jacket.

  “Babe,” he said, holding me tight. “I’m so sorry it took so long. Fucking Mark staged an epic commotion inside, blocking all the doors. Tell me he didn’t hurt you.”

  “He didn’t…he didn’t hurt me.” Not physically, at least. Spencer fought against Hayden, struggling uselessly against his muscular frame. Rage consumed me. I stepped forward and spit on him.

  “You’re pathetic,” I told him. “Weak. Disgusting. You think what we have is deviant, but you’re the one preying on people’s happiness all because you can’t handle a little fucking rejection.”

  He opened his mouth to speak but a shadow stepped out from behind the nearest car. “Did you get it?” I asked, eyeing the camera.

  “Yep. Every word.”

  Spencer’s expression fell when Eric appeared holding his phone out, recording everything. It was my turn to be smug. “Guess what? The whole world is going to see a video—this video—and then they’ll know what a freaking creep you are.”

  I lunged at him, but Hayden jerked him away and Anderson grabbed my arms. Good thing, I thought, as they carried him toward the school. He didn’t deserve anything else from me. Not my anger or rage.

  “You’re amazing,” Anderson told me, cupping my face.

  “We did it,” I said, leaning into him.

  “No,” he replied. “You did it.”

  Chapter 27

  That was not how the plan was supposed to go down, not with me almost getting assaulted in the parking lot. My dress—Amber’s dress, was ripped. My hair was a ratty mess. I couldn’t imagine what my makeup looked like. Probably similar to a raccoon.

  “Are you sure?” Oliver asked, taking the camera from Eric. Yeah, Eric was the guy behind the car, filming Spencer’s confession and downfall.

  I nodded, pushing the phone into his hands. Jackson gave me a wary look. I glared back. “He has to be stopped.”

  “Yeah but not at the risk of you still losing everything.”

  “He threatened to send that to my mom, to the police, and everyone else that could do us harm. He’s right. They should see it but under our terms. It’s time we took back control.”

  Jackson nodded and kissed my forehead before walking toward the school to finish what Spencer started.

  Three days ago, Oliver figured out what Spencer had been doing to stalk me for the last several months. The school-issued laptops. When we signed the form accepting responsibility for the technology, there was a small box at the bottom. One giving away our rights to information and data on the machine.

  We all checked it without thinking of the ramifications, including how easily the webcams attached to each device could be compromised.

  Spencer wasn’t just a fucking pervert; he was smart too. He figured out how to hack into our accounts, manage the streaming and record the images. After Anderson and I were together in his room and he turned on the computer, Oliver got the surprise treat of watching me and Anderson together.

  Was he mad?

  “Are you kidding?” Oliver said during our bathroom meetup the next day. I’d almost melted on the spot from embarrassment.

  “Watching you like that, with one of us?” The way he’d looked at me was enough to engulf my body in a different kind of flames, but there was something else, a tension in his shoulders. “It was incredibly hot, but it was also obvious neither of you knew the camera was on. There’s no way Anderson would do something like that without your consent.”

  “So he called me,” Jackson explained further, leaning against the bathroom wall. “And I called Eric and we started to piece it together.”

  Yep, Eric, one of the ones that’d gotten me into all of this in the first place, helped figure out Spencer’s methods for the Fakestagram and blackmail.

  Eric, who’d followed me to the parking lot in his powder blue suit looking pale. Now he stood among us, pushing his glasses up his nose and looking awkward and ashamed.

  “Are you okay?” Eric asked me.

  I nodded.

  “I was terrified he was really going to hurt you.”

  None of what happened tonight had been part of our plan. No one thought Spencer would go that far but he did, and because Eric had strict instructions to follow me everywhere I went tonight, we had enough to stop him. For good.

  Justin met us just inside the back door. When he saw me, my messed-up hair and torn dress, he pulled into a tight hug. “Holy shit. I couldn’t find you and this was not the plan.”

  “We got him,” I said, smiling at my friend. Yeah, Justin was my friend again—although on probation. He still had a lot to prove to me, but I knew deep down he wanted me to be healthy and happy. I wanted the same
for him.

  He and Eric glanced at one another, their building affection noticeable. When I told Justin I not only needed his help but Eric’s too, he didn’t fight—even offering to call and set it up.

  Amber ran out of the gym and into the lobby.

  “They’re about to announce the winter formal Prince and Princess.”

  “Can’t we just go home?” I asked.

  Amber gave me a pleading look. “Ten more minutes?”

  I couldn’t say no, not after all she’d done for me. I nodded, hoping the boys got Spencer to the security officer.

  “Sure, ten minutes sounds fine.” Anderson wrapped his arm around me, no longer afraid to show his affection, and together we walked back in the gym.

  *

  Our major plan had been to hijack the stage after the announcement and expose Spencer and Mark for their crimes. Obviously, that wasn’t necessary anymore, and for the first time in weeks I felt an easing of the tension in my shoulders.

  The gym was dark, music soft, and everyone faced the front of the room. Ms. Hemmingway, sponsor of the dance, stood before a microphone. Glittery snowflakes hung from the ceiling and blue and white lights cast a frozen glow. It all seemed silly after the altercation in the parking lot.

  I’d come for the dance and to celebrate being a high schooler. Amber was right, being here was right. Anderson didn’t leave my side. Neither did Justin. I felt safe between them.

  “Time for the moment you’ve all been waiting for,” Ms. Hemmingway announced. Most of the gym groaned. The winter Prince and Princess was a silly tradition, boiled down to popular, beautiful seniors. I spied Mallory and Jennifer with panicked looks on their faces near the stage. They wanted it and wanted it bad.

  “First, the Prince,” she said, opening the envelope. She stared at it for a long moment before raising her eyebrow and declaring. “We have a four-way tie. Anderson Thompson, Jackson Hall, Oliver Baldwin, and Hayden Perkins.”

  Amber raised an eyebrow. She knew and that’s why she wanted us to stay.

  Really, was there any doubt? The Allendale Four were the most popular boys in school. The most handsome and athletic, the most elusive. Even Ms. Hemmingway didn’t seem very surprised.

  Every eye in the room searched for one of the Allendale Four. The only visible one was Anderson, who stood next to me. The grin on his face was wide.

  “Go,” I said, squeezing his hand and pushing him toward the stage. The others came from the wings with wide, ridiculous grins. Hayden lifted his hands over his head in victory. Jackson crossed the stage with an easy-going swagger, like he knew he’d win all along. And Oliver just looked like a happy puppy, running circles around the stage. They welcomed Anderson from the floor with a big group hug.

  Ms. Hemmingway stood before them with the crown in her hands, not sure what to do. Oliver took the crown, Jackson the sash, and Anderson the scepter. Hayden flung his arms around their necks. The student body cheered. Everyone loved these guys. I got it. I loved them, too.

  With a roll of her eyes, Ms. Hemmingway turned back to the microphone, another envelope in her hands. “And our Winter Princess is…Heaven Reeves.”

  The whole room fell silent—everyone except Mallory, who shouted, “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  Same, Mallory. Same.

  The awkward moment was broken by the four guys on the stage shouting and calling my name.

  I shook my head, sure she called the wrong name. Sure this was a huge mistake and another joke on me. My hands shook and my heart pounded as every eye in the room fell on me.

  Ms. Hemmingway peered into the crowd, unable to see through the glare of the lights. “Heaven? Are you here?”

  Amber nudged me with her shoulder. “Go claim your crown.”

  “It’s a prank. Spencer or Mark.”

  She shook her head. “Trust me. It’s not. While shit was hitting the fan and your life was taking a spiral, Ben and I decided to throw a monkey wrench into the traditional system of the antiquated themes of the winter dance.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. Only Amber could turn a winter formal into a protest vote. I hugged her and she squeezed me tight. It was really nice to have a friend.

  “Go. Claim your crown and your men.”

  A hand caught mine. Justin smiled. “Need an escort?”

  “Sure.”

  Together, with my arm linked in his, we took a different walk than the one that kicked all this off months ago. The first time a dozen eyes watched as we exited the bedroom. Now? Hundreds followed us as Justin walked me to the stage.

  I kept my eyes ahead, on the Allendale Four waiting for me with handsome faces and brilliant smiles.

  “They really do care about you,” Justin said.

  My stomach twisted with delight.

  “They really do.”

  At the edge of the stage Jackson and Hayden rushed over, each grabbing an arm and lifting me off the ground. I squealed, feeling the air escape as I’m crushed in a huge hug. Ms. Hemmingway looked at us skeptically; the rules about us not being together still in place. Soon she’d find out what really happened and by some kind of grace, she didn’t say a word, just placed the sash over my neck and the crown on my head.

  She stepped back in front of the microphone. “Introducing the new Princess and, uh, Princes of Allendale High.”

  Oliver grabbed the mic out of her hands and shouted, “You can just call us the Allendale Five.”

  Under the glare of the bright lights, Oliver’s words echoed through the room and my eyes darted to Mallory’s sour expression and Jennifer’s absolutely shocked face. I skipped to Justin and Eric standing close to one another at the edge of the stage. They’re smiling for me and for themselves. There’d been a shift. I felt it. The room felt it. And it’s only confirmed when Amber shouted from the back of the room, “Allendale Five!” and gave us a double thumbs-up.

  Ms. Hemmingway nodded at me in that ‘get off the stage’ kind of way, but with a glance at the boys behind me I stepped forward, toward the microphone.

  It squealed, screeching against the silent room. After months of maintaining my silence, letting people speak for me, standing quiet while my classmates texted, liked, and shared my life, I had something to say.

  “I’d introduce myself, but even if we’ve never spoken there’s no doubt everyone in this room knows me. Most likely since I moved here in the 6th grade. I've always had the reputation of being a little aloof. Nerdy, maybe? Kept to myself. Some would say bitchy. I would say shy.

  “Recently though, other words have been used to describe me:

  Whore. Slut. Trash. Cheater

  “Why? You know why. Because I slept with Justin Blackwood, and for some reason this was reason to tear me down. Well guess what, I didn't sleep with Justin Blackwood. Why did I pretend? I never thought anyone at school would find out about our lie. Stupid me. From there, the lie took a life of its own and others found a chance to boost their own reputation at the expense of mine.”

  I looked down, making eye contact with Justin and then Eric. I didn’t back down.

  “Eric? Eric took advantage of a hair straightener incident and worked it in his favor. Garrett tricked me into a date to win another girl, and Ben, as well as almost every other boy in school, simply spoke to me and the rest became history. Or legend. Whatever.

  “What most of you don’t know is while you were watching this soap opera unfold, two things happened: first, the world opened up to me in the form of four amazing, handsome, outstanding men.”

  I glanced behind me and winked at my boys. They stood in a row, wrapped in Prince-like gear, stunned. When I turned to face the crowd, the back door opened and a blast of light shot into the room. Two figures entered. My mother and Chief O’Neal.

  I swallowed back the nerves that rose at the sight of them and continued.

  “Besides these amazing new friends, something else occurred. The online harassment went offline. The first time was at a party, where one of our class
mates attempted to assault me in the hallway. Luckily, a guardian angel had my back.”

  I turned and blew Anderson a kiss. He caught it in his hand and the audience laughed nervously.

  “More recently, this same person admitted to me he was behind the Fakestagram account. That he’d been watching and following me. He bragged about hacking the school-issued laptops to watch me when I was unaware.”

  That revelation brought a round of gasps and murmurs from the crowd. My mother held her hand over her mouth.

  “This person has blackmailed me. Harassed me. Bullied me and,” I pointed to my messy hair and ripped dress, “tried to violate me. He wanted to destroy me, my family, and my friends. He almost succeeded, but what he didn’t realize was that the relationship I have with these guys and with my other friends is stronger than rumor and gossip. He tried to strip that from me. He failed, and I’ll never allow someone to try to take what’s important away from me again. And the rest of you,” I added, giving Justin a nod, “don’t hide who you are either. Don’t let someone shame you into a box. Be with the people you love. Be comfortable in your skin. Because that’s the diversity that makes the world so amazing.”

  I made eye contact with my mother and saw the sadness and shame on her face. She didn’t trust me. She didn’t support me. Like everyone else, she’d believed the rumors and lies. Hopefully that would change today.

  “Enough of this bullshit,” I said, waving the boys to move closer. “It’s a party, and as your Princess, I demand you celebrate. We’ve got one rat bastard off the streets, and if anyone else messes with the Allendale Five, you’ll meet your day of reckoning. No doubt about that.”

  I didn’t know what to expect from my spontaneous speech, but it’s not the roaring round of applause and cheers from the audience. The whole gym went crazy; Amber shouting and pumping a fist in the air. Justin wrapped his arms around Eric, and Eric? He fell into him, like he was coming home.

  The band started playing; fast, upbeat music. I felt the arms of my boys surrounding me. I loved the weight, the support and just having them near me. I leaned my head on Jackson’s shoulder and looked each guy in the eye. “No more hiding, got it?”