Tainted Rose: A High School Bully Romance (Rosehaven Academy Book 2)

by Leila James

  “Once you what?” Scarlett’s eyelashes are spiky with tears, her cheeks and nose pink with emotion.

  “Once I knew I needed you in my life. I don’t want anything to hurt you again. And I’m terrified of the meaning behind her words.”

  “You mean like if it was something more like … rape?” She swallows hard, her eyes casting down to her lap.

  Fear for her digs into my heart. “It struck me as a possibility.” My throat goes dry when she stares up into my eyes. I don’t know how we’ll deal with the fallout if it is something like that, but I already know I’ll be there for her through it all. There’s no going back for me now.

  Slowly, she shakes her head. “Well, how are we ever going to be sure? My mom is dead, Xander. The only one who knows the truth is your stepfather. I hate to say it, but I need to talk to him. I’ll know if I … if I were to look him in the eye and make him talk to me about it.”

  I run my hand over my face and let out a frustrated groan. “I wish we could go away somewhere. Somewhere alone, away from all this crazy shit. Where we don’t have to think or worry. We can just be together. No letters, no photos, no secrets, no uncertainty.” I take her head between my palms, kissing her softly.

  She brushes my lips with hers, sighing into my mouth. Her body melts against mine as I tentatively slide my tongue between her lips, stroking hers gently, wanting to help her forget for a little while. I draw back, look down at her plump lips, and go back in for another kiss, hungry for her. I angle my head, sweeping my tongue inside this time, bolder, more possessive. She whimpers when I break the kiss. I touch my forehead to hers and whisper, “I’m so glad you trust me to help you. Now we have to figure out how to deal with everything.”

  She takes my hands in hers between us. “We’ll figure it out, Xander. And as much as I know you’re worried about your mother and Janie … it would hurt worse if the truth is really bad and you keep them with him. They seem so happy right now, but—I’m scared.”

  “Let’s do it. Let’s go talk to him.” I stand up, helping her to her feet.

  “Now.”

  “Yep. It’s time.”

  Down in the kitchen, we find Mom cooking, which is kind of surprising. My brow furrows. “Where’s June?”

  Mom whirls around, startled at first, but gives us a bright smile. “Oh, hi, you two. She went home sick. Said her stomach was upset.”

  I bet her stomach is upset. She went home because she couldn’t bear to deal with this situation … Scarlett’s hand squeezes in mine. “How about Sebastian?”

  “He had to take off again. He said he’d be back tomorrow night.”

  Fucking seriously? I glance at Scarlett in my peripheral vision. I hate the way her face falls. For the last twenty-four hours, I’ve been questioning whether I should show her the photo her mother had left for Sebastian. I’m still not sure I made the right decision but at least everything is out in the open between the two of us. The problem is that it looks like her own father isn’t ready to stop disappointing her yet. Coward.

  So now, we wait.

  Chapter 29

  Scarlett

  I’ve been climbing the walls since yesterday. Xander thinks Sebastian knows things are coming to a head and that’s why he took off. I don’t know what to make of that. What’s craziest is someone discovering the fact that he financed the scholarship that brought me here in the first place and is threatening the pretty life he’s made for himself with Isabella and Janie.

  Sebastian started this whole ball rolling. He did it to himself. It would be really cool if my father could man up and talk to me about it. It’s not a secret between us anymore. He knows I know. I know he knows. Too bad he’s an asshole and hasn’t ever told his wife about his secret daughter.

  “Scarlett?”

  I blink and turn my head from where my gaze had been glued on Xander at the sidelines of the football field and toward Daphne’s voice. “Max and I were going to take off. Um—” She looks at me nervously.

  “It’s okay. Spit it out, whatever you were going to say.” I gesture, moving my hand in a circle, that she should continue.

  Max looks between the two of us, frustrated when Daphne doesn’t speak. “Oh, for God’s sake. She’s worried about you staying with Xander.”

  Daphne shrugs her shoulders. “What if something happens again?” She takes a deep breath and releases it before continuing. “I get that your relationship has changed, and there was even a halfway decent reason behind what he’s been doing, sort of, anyway. I did watch him be completely sweet with you all day today. I just worry. I’m sorry.” She kicks the toe of her shoe against some gravel at her feet.

  “Don’t be silly. I lived through it. I get why you’re concerned. We’re really okay, though. And if we’re not—”

  Max growls, lifting his brows at me, “You promise to call one of us this time.”

  “I will if I need to. Promise. We’re going to Beau’s for a little while to say hi, but then we plan to go right back to his house. He’s pretty upset about not being able to play tonight.”

  My gaze drifts to Xander. He’s standing there wearing jeans that fit his ass perfectly and his broad shoulders are so wide they almost fill out his jersey without pads. No padding tonight. No helmet. No game time. The poor guy was so pissed when he realized his coach wasn’t going to allow him on the field, I thought he’d pop a blood vessel. I’d been quietly relieved that the head coach wasn’t pushing him to play. In fact, I’m Coach Roland’s new biggest fan. Anyway, the team has really banded together tonight and are about to pull off a win despite the absence of their star wide receiver.

  “Okay.” Daphne sighs before stretching her arms out in my direction, enveloping me in a hug. “Be safe.”

  “I will. Promise.”

  Max thumps me on the back. “Say hi to Xander for us.”

  “And don’t have too much fun at that party tonight.”

  Xander and I had decided that, if nothing else, everyone’s antics will distract me from the current state of my craptacular life. The plan is to hang out at Beau’s house for maybe an hour and then head back to Xander’s. As much as I need something to keep my mind off of everything, I’m also mindful that Xander is only two days post-concussion. The minute he shows any signs of fatigue, we’re outta there.

  I take a deep breath and look around as we enter Beau’s home, my fingers laced with Xander’s. This party is already crazy. The music is so loud, the chandelier in the foyer vibrates with it. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea after all.

  Xander gives me a tiny smirk, shaking his head at the lunacy around us. He lifts our hands to his mouth and kisses my knuckles. “Let’s see who’s doing something stupid for us to watch and laugh at. It’ll do us both some good.”

  I grin at him just as Micah grabs our attention by tearing through the foyer and back toward the kitchen area in nothing but his boxer briefs. I cover my eyes, laughing. “Oh my God, what do you suppose that was all about?”

  “My guess? Strip poker gone wrong.” Xander throws his head back laughing.

  I raise a brow. “For real?”

  “You never know when you’re going to lose to the wrong chick. And while Micah is down with hanging with a bunch of different girls, he’s fairly selective about who they are.”

  A fully clothed girl races toward us. “Have you seen Micah?”

  We both shake our heads and shrug our shoulders, playing dumb. I giggle. “So, did she win him?”

  “I have no idea. The rules seem to change every time they play. I bet he’s regretting this one.” He glances at me and I can’t control the snort that escapes. He tugs on my hand. “Want something to drink?”

  “Sure.” We wander into the kitchen, where Beau immediately hands off a bottle of water to Xander and a plastic cup of what he’s now calling his “special rum punch” to me. After raising my cup to him in thanks and taking a quick sip, Xander and I stroll together through the living room and out the patio doors.
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br />   Of course, it goes without saying that I get plenty of stares. I’m not oblivious to it. After all, I’m the chick who went for a fully clothed swim in the hot tub at the beginning of the school year. I chuckle to myself and glance down at my bracelet, giving my wrist a small shake to make the charms tinkle, grateful I’d been able to rescue it when Aria dropped it on purpose in said hot tub.

  And now I’m here with Xander—like with him, with him. We’d gotten a lot of looks in the lunchroom earlier today, too. He hadn’t let me out of his sight, and insisted I sit between him and Micah at their table. I wouldn’t have abandoned my friends just because he wanted me to sit with him, but he’d requested that Daphne and Max also join us. I’m not so sure Daphne had a good time being included in the group like that, but Max was definitely in his element, rubbing elbows with all the hunky football players.

  We make the rounds before sitting down in a couple of chairs at the fire pit. Surprisingly, I’m feeling relaxed and content as we people watch, getting some good laughs as a result of all the shenanigans going on over at the pool.

  “The pool’s heated. You sure you don’t want to go for a swim?” Xander wriggles his brows at me before reaching out to finger the strap of my bikini peeking out from under the dress and jacket I’d thrown on over it.

  “Maybe in a little bit.”

  “Could I talk to you for a second?” My brow furrows at the intrusion, and I turn toward the familiar voice, assuming Aria wants to talk to Xander. Instead, though, her eyes are locked on me.

  “Oh. Um.”

  “Xander says I have to come completely clean with you.”

  I swivel to look at him. He shrugs. “I thought it would be a good thing. The two of you are in my life. I was hoping we could clear the air between you.”

  Looking back at the supposed Queen of the Roses, I bring my drink to my mouth for a sip and gulp down my nerves. I never know what I’m going to get when I talk to Aria, but I’m assuming if this conversation was suggested by Xander then she knows better than to fuck with me.

  Side by side, we wander over to one of the benches off toward a remote corner of Mrs. Danbrook’s garden, I assume for some privacy. Go figure. Aria probably doesn’t want to get caught being nice. I have an internal chuckle at the thought of it.

  Aria sighs as she sits down on the bench, which faces away from the house. She pats the seat next to her. I’m not going to lie, she still makes me nervous. I take a quick sip of my drink and sit down sideways facing her profile, setting my drink on the ground out of range of my feet.

  She side-eyes me. “So, like I said, Xander and I were talking earlier today, and he says I have to make amends with you if we ever want to be friends—or whatever.” She shrugs.

  My brows lift to my hairline as my lips twist in confusion. “You want to be friends. With me.” I’m so knocked off balance I don’t even state it as a question.

  “You heard Xander. If we’re both going to be in his life, we could try to get along.” She huffs. “I guess that means you two are pretty serious.” I don’t miss the little eye roll she gives.

  Quietly, I say, “We’re in love, so yeah.”

  Her head whips around, eyes boring into mine. “Hurt him and I hurt you, got it?”

  I try to suppress a laugh, realizing she’s dead serious. “Got it.”

  “Fine, then. I stole your clothes from the locker room and left you that dumb T-shirt that one day. And wrote the note on the mirror. I put your number in the boys bathroom. I took your homework and the bracelet. But that’s it.”

  “That’s it?” I scoff.

  “Fuck. Okay, maybe I messed with you a bit by inviting you to that party and letting you think I was Xander. And I tagged you in those staged Instagram photos.” She scowls. “I was also pretty bitchy when we spoke in the bathroom.”

  “You know what, it’s fine. I prefer having things out in the open. I’m done with secrets and lies. Speaking of, Xander says you weren’t the one texting me about my scholarship and my dad. But did you disconnect the wires from my truck’s battery and follow me when I walked home the other night?”

  “No, I wouldn’t even know how to do that. And I didn’t hang out outside your shower a second time or leave you that creepy note at your house, either.”

  “Who told you about all that?”

  She looks at me like I’m stupid, which bodes really well for our new friendship. “Xander has been grilling me about everything to make sure it wasn’t me. He’s worried. Can you blame him? I’ve never been able to lie to his face, so he asked me straight up. I’ll tell you exactly what I told him. It wasn’t me. I fucking swear it.”

  A laugh bursts from my lips. “You’re very blunt, aren’t you?”

  She lifts a shoulder and flips her blonde hair back. “I don’t see the point in beating around the bush when you can go straight for the jugular.”

  I nod. “I get that. I actually appreciate that. It’s refreshing.” I hold out my hand to her. “Pretty sure I’d rather be friends than enemies.”

  She begrudgingly takes my hand. “We can be friends, I suppose.” She offers a small smile to me as she stands. “I’ll see you around, ScarJo.”

  As she walks away, I reach down to grab my drink. What the hell? I swear I left it right at my feet. I shift, glancing around and spot it at the side of the bench. Fucking weird. Beau must have made his punch more potent than last time. I tilt the cup to my lips, taking another sip.

  Chapter 30

  Xander

  After I get done laughing with Beau about Micah’s strip poker escapades earlier this evening, I go in search of Scarlett. I can’t imagine that she and Aria talked for any longer than was absolutely necessary, and it’s been almost thirty minutes. I thought Scarlett would come back to me when they were done, but maybe she found someone else to talk to. Maybe Max showed up? Definitely not Daphne. That girl is like a hermit. Nice, though.

  I make a circuit of the main floor of the house and then the patio, but I don’t see any sign of her. With my heart rate starting to quicken, I go back inside to find Beau. Something doesn’t feel right.

  I pull out my phone, shooting Scarlett a text.

  Me: Hey. Where are you?

  Me: We can leave if you are ready.

  I wait several minutes, my anxiety climbing.

  I stare at my phone. Nothing.

  My jaw clenched, I burst right into the middle of a conversation Beau’s having in the foyer with a few of our cheerleaders. “Has anyone seen Scarlett?”

  Farrah nods toward the patio. “Last I saw, she was out there talking to Aria.”

  “Yep. Aria told us to give them a little space so she could make nice. That’s what you told her to do right?” Alora gives me a little smirk. “You’re really dating her, huh?”

  I ignore the obvious snipe as my gaze shifts quickly to Danica, who is easily the most human of Aria’s friends.

  She doesn’t even wait for me to ask. “I was watching because I was curious how it was going to go.” Her cheeks flush. “She and Aria shook hands, which was kinda weird but whatever, and then Aria came back in and left. I didn’t pay a lot of attention after that, but I swear someone sat down with her.”

  “Who?”

  She shakes her head as her teeth sink into her lip. “Maybe we could help you look?”

  I exhale sharply through my nose. “That’d be great. I’m going downstairs to see if she’s wandered down there. Can someone check the rooms upstairs?”

  Beau grits his teeth and raises a hand. “I will.” He drags Alora with him. “Let’s go.”

  She squeaks, “What are we going to do, barge in on everyone and their mother doing the nasty?”

  Beau and I both look at her with concentrated stares. “Yes,” we both bark at the same time. They take off toward the front of the house, and I head to the other staircase. I grit out over my shoulder, “The rest of you, could you keep an eye out down here and outside?”

  They nod, quickly picking u
p on my urgent tone and fanning out around the first floor of the house and out to the patio.

  I don’t like this at all. She wouldn’t have left without telling me. We weren’t planning to stay very long. I fly down the stairs, figuratively kicking myself in the ass for even letting her out of my sight. I burst into the darkened movie room where Top Gun is playing on the big screen. Light from the movie flickers over several couples engaged in things I really don’t want to think about, much less look at. Not a single pair comes up for air or even seems to care that I’m observing them. After a cursory glance, I know she’s not here. No gorgeous red hair anywhere to be seen. No pale, delicate skin. No stunning blue eyes.

  My heart hammers as I continue down the hallway to check the bathroom. I pound on the door when I get there. “Scarlett!”

  “Nope,” comes a low male voice from inside.

  I can hear a second person in the bathroom. Not good enough. I back up, then throw my shoulder against the door. It pops open, slamming against the wall. The girl’s dark-hued hair registers in my brain as she shrieks, and both she and Beau’s younger brother Griffin jump in surprise. They are frozen in place—her on the counter, legs spread wide, him with his dick buried inside her.

  I slap my hand over my eyes. “Fuck. Sorry. I’m looking for Scarlett.”

  “Haven’t seen her man. Sorry.” He flings the door shut behind me right after I turn around and run out.

  From somewhere upstairs I hear a deep bellow and the muscle inside my chest stops beating. “Xander!”

  It’s Micah. I thunder back up the stairs, and he grabs me as I burst through the doorway. “What the fuck is going on? Beau told me you can’t find Scarlett.”