Devious Little Liars: A High School Bully Romance (Saint View High Book 1)

by Elle Thorpe

  She nodded. “Is that hard to believe? I know he’s hot but—”

  I grabbed her arm and dug my fingernails in a little bit. “Don’t be stupid. That’s not what I meant. Just, why?” Because he was hot. Insanely so. And smart, from what I could work out. He was in all the top classes at school. On the football team. There wasn’t much of a downside if you asked me. “Is it the drugs that bother you?”

  She shook her head. “No, he wasn’t even doing them when we were together. That started after. And I’d be a bit of a hypocrite, considering I’m not averse to taking the odd hit myself.”

  “Why then?”

  “I just don’t feel like that about him. We were young. He was more like my brother. Who I had sex with occasionally.”

  My eyes went wide. “You were having sex with him at fourteen?”

  “You weren’t having sex at fourteen?” She seemed honestly surprised.

  “No! Of course not!”

  She blinked. “How old were you then?”

  I went quiet.

  Her mouth dropped open. “You are not a—”

  “What are you doing here?”

  Jagger and I both jumped at the intrusion.

  Rafe glared at me, eyes tinged with red. If I hadn’t already seen him with a joint, his bloodshot eyes would have given away that he’d been smoking.

  “Me?” I asked in a squeak, though it was obvious he wasn’t talking to Jagger.

  He’d stepped right between us, and his ice-blue gaze pinned me to the spot. Smoke clung to his skin and clothes, invading my nose.

  “Yeah, you, princess. You weren’t invited.”

  Heat flushed my cheeks, and I hoped the thick makeup Jagger had plastered all over my face hid my blush. This was exactly what I’d been worried about. But Jagger had said nobody had invitations. So I decided to call his bluff. “Where’s your invitation, then?”

  Rafe’s eyes narrowed, like he was pissed I’d dared to speak back to him. It made him look mean. Nothing like the chilled-out boy who’d taken me behind the gym on my first day of school. He might not have been interested in being my guide, but he hadn’t been cruel about it. Not like he was now.

  “This is a football party. I’m on the football team. Last I checked, they didn’t let girls play.”

  I rolled my eyes, like he bored me to tears, even though what I was really thinking of doing was running for the door. This had been a huge mistake. I was too awkward and out of place to blend in. “What’s your problem? This room is full of girls. You stay over there, getting high, and letting random girls dry hump you. I’ll stay over here and dance with my friend. How about that?” I didn’t wait for him to reply. “Come on, Jagger.”

  I went to reach around him for Jagger, but he cut me off with a deft step that brought our chests together hard. I gasped at the sudden contact and had to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact with him. His hand brushed over my hip, ever so slightly, and then around to press on my lower back.

  To my surprise, I let him. Later, I might call it shock that held me immobile. But in that moment, I knew the truth. His fingers skated over the cut out of my dress that left my lower back on display. His fingers were warm, calloused, and when his palm flattened against my skin, the reason I didn’t move was because I liked it.

  He leaned in, and when he lowered his voice, some of the sharp edges had softened. “Colt will lose it if he sees you here. You really want to piss him off some more?”

  I stared into his eyes. The malice had gone. It had disappeared so quickly I wondered if he’d ever really meant it. And what was left behind sounded more like concern.

  “I just want to have a good time with my friend. I’m not here to start anything.” Despite my flippant words, I was powerless to look away. It was all I could do to hold myself rigid and not sink into him further, like a sudden surge of hormones begged me to do.

  The hand at my back disappeared and his eyes hardened again. “Your funeral.”

  Air rushed my lungs as he walked backwards to where his girlfriend of the night sat pouting at him, her lip gloss smudged from their earlier efforts. An odd sense of disappointment washed over me. He sank into the couch and pulled her onto his lap. And that was that. His tongue was back down her throat, and I was left standing there like a fool.

  Jagger sidled up next to me, nabbing my attention.

  “You okay?” she asked, brows furrowed together. “That was…intense.”

  I nodded. “Fine.”

  “We can go if you want. I’m really sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you.”

  “No. He doesn’t intimidate me. None of them do. I have as much right to be here as every other person who didn’t receive an invitation, right?” I forced a laugh.

  Jagger grinned. “Right. Dance?”

  “Definitely.”

  We polished off our now warm beers and weaved through the tight crowd to the covered outdoor area that had been turned into a makeshift dance floor. Cheap plastic chairs and a matching table had been pushed to one side, to make way for writhing bodies and flailing limbs. There seemed to be no in-between. You either jumped around like you’d been mildly electrocuted, jerking your body and waving your arms in time with the beat, or you found yourself a partner to grind against.

  I glanced over at Jagger. We didn’t need to say anything. We were already in tune with each other. Simultaneously, we both threw caution to the wind and joined the dancers.

  Laughter fell from my lips at Jagger’s antics. She whipped her long ponytail around like a stripper, and I raised my hands in the air, shaking my ass and gyrating my hips like I was dancing in a cage at a strip club. Minute by minute, song after song, I loosened up. I shook off Rafe’s warning. I quit pondering which look he’d meant. The mean one, where he’d called me a princess and told me to leave. Or the kinder one, where he’d warned me away from Colt. I forgot about it all and just let the beat course through me.

  A few songs in, a guy I didn’t recognize moved in behind Jagger. He was cute, with dark-brown skin and his hair shaved close to his scalp. His eyes sparkled above a wide, friendly smile.

  “Incoming!” I said, dragging Jagger in so she could hear me. I nodded over her shoulder, and she craned her neck to see.

  “Aaron!” She threw her arms around his neck, and he squeezed her close.

  “Dance with me?” he asked.

  She pulled away and motioned toward me. “Lacey, this is Aaron. Aaron, Lacey.”

  I waved a hand tentatively but didn’t wait for him to respond. I was happy for the first time all night and I didn’t want to be brought down if he was one of Gillian and Colt’s minions. “You two should dance,” I said to Jagger. “I’m going to get some air.”

  She ducked her head. We were pretty similar heights normally, but her stilettos were a good few inches taller than mine. “You sure? I don’t have to.”

  Judging by the way she hadn’t batted Aarons hands off her hips, she wanted to stay. And I didn’t want to kill her vibe by being a third wheel. Plus, it really was hot in the middle of a throng of people, and some cooler air sounded great. “You two have fun. I’ll find you later, okay?”

  She kissed my cheek. “Thanks. Come find me if you get lonely. And remember, fuck everyone else. You’re fabulous, and if they can’t see that, then their loss.”

  I hugged her tight and then left her with Aaron. She put her arms around his neck, and they joined the rest of the couples without an inch of space between them.

  I pushed my way out of the crowd and found myself in the backyard. A few other people had the same idea and had found spots on the grass to stand around and talk. One couple made out against the corrugated iron wall of a small shed. There were no fences in this neighborhood, but a thicket of trees seemed to form a natural barrier at the back of the property. I wandered as far from the party as I could, the darkness engulfing me, though a dim glow from the house left enough light to see. I sucked in deep lungfuls of fresh night air and let the light
breeze cool my heated skin. I was surprised to find I was actually having a good time. This wasn’t entirely different from the parties I usually attended. Sure, I wouldn’t normally have worn heels this high or a dress that showed this much skin. I would have been labelled a cheap slut if I’d rocked up at a Providence party with a hemline that barely covered my ass. But I liked the way I looked. Who got to determine what was slutty anyway? This dress showed off my legs and made the most of the modest cleavage I couldn’t do much about unless I was willing to get a boob job. Which I wasn’t. Providence parties might have had bodyguards and servants to handle the food. But there was also generally a stash of liquor that someone had scored with a fake ID. There was still dancing and making out. At the heart of it, though we might have been different on the outside, teenagers were all much the same. We all just wanted to fit in. Have a good time. Have people like us, whether that be romantically or in a friendship capacity.

  At least I’d found one of those with Jagger. I watched the crowd, searching for a glimpse of her, and when I found her, I smiled. She had her arms around Aaron’s neck and was smiling up at him, while he talked animatedly. They were cute together. I made a mental note to quiz her about him on the drive home.

  A soft moan off to my left caught my attention. I twisted, peering into the darkness, trying to find the source of the noise. Maybe someone had too much to drink and was back here, sick.

  That thought was quickly annihilated when my eyes focused.

  The moan came again, a soft, “ohhh,” that fell from the girl’s lips. Her head tilted back, resting against a tree, just barely within the thicket. Her bright red dress was hiked up around her waist, showing off long legs and naked thighs. She seemed wholly unaware of anything but the rhythmic thrust of the guy pumping into her.

  But his eyes locked with mine. Dark, black, bottomless eyes, so familiar they’d already graced my dreams once this week. I froze. My brain screamed for me to turn around and get back to the party. Leave these two to their business and mind my own. Embarrassment flushed my cheeks. But Colt’s gaze was magnetic. And once he had you in his sights, it was near impossible to move.

  With one hand, he gripped Gillian’s milky-white thigh, his tanned skin contrasting with hers. His fingertips pressed to her flesh while his hips pulsed against hers, slow and rhythmic. His free hand wrapped around her exposed neck, then trailed slowly down across her chest.

  But the entire time, it was me he watched.

  And I watched him.

  My nipples hardened beneath my dress, and heat shifted from my face to between my legs.

  This was wrong. I should turn. Walk away. What the hell was I doing, standing here, watching him fuck her?

  He reached inside Gillian’s dress, pushing aside the material and exposing her breast. He pinched her nipple, hard. My own nipples ached, jealous they were untouched. Gillian cried out, her fingers digging into his shoulders and her hips urging him on, faster and faster.

  I couldn’t get away. Not until he let me go.

  His lips tipped up in a mocking smile, like he knew exactly the power he had over me.

  And how to use it against me.

  He grabbed Gillian’s chin, forcing her head, and then took her mouth roughly with his own. With one last look at me, he closed his eyes.

  The spell broke.

  I stumbled away, back toward the party, knowing I needed to get out of there immediately. What the fuck had I just done? Stood there, like a statue, staring at him and Gillian having sex?

  I pushed through the crowd, texting Jagger to say I was leaving while tears built behind my eyes. I was hot. Too hot. Every part of me was flushed and feverish, and I just wanted to get out of there. I burst through the front door and out onto the street again, only to remember I’d come with Jagger.

  “Shit,” I muttered.

  I didn’t even know the address. Dammit, I was going to have to walk to the end of the road, check the street sign, and call an Uber.

  “Need a lift?” a voice said behind me.

  I spun around, half-expecting it to be Colt. But relief crashed over me when it was Banjo, leaning on a car, smoking a cigarette.

  “You drunk?” I asked.

  “Nope. Not high either.”

  I pulled my heels off and walked over to his side. “Then yes. I just want to get the hell out of here.”

  12

  Lacey

  Banjo stubbed his cigarette out on the pavement, and I didn’t even bother to scold him for not picking it up. Right now, saving the environment seemed far away from the top of my priority list. He walked down the road a little, and I followed. We stopped at a familiar dark green car.

  “What’s wrong? Get in, I’ll drive you home. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “I…”

  He waited.

  “Is this your car?”

  He let out a chuckle that was deep and throaty. “You think I’m gonna steal us a ride?”

  I shook my head. “No, I just…I saw your brother in this car earlier today.”

  Banjo’s eyebrows furrowed, and I rushed to clarify. “Jagger told me it was your brother, anyway.”

  “Probably was. It’s his car. I borrow it a lot. He knows, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  That wasn’t what I was worried about. I bit the bullet. “Are there drugs in the car?”

  Banjo’s eyebrows shot up.

  “It’s just I’ve heard all the stories, you know? Young girl gets in a car with a guy she barely knows. Cops pull them over and she ends up in jail when they find a trunk full of cocaine.”

  Banjo stared at me. Then burst into laughter.

  I folded my arms across my chest. “Why are you laughing? It’s not funny. My aunt would kill me if I landed myself in jail.”

  Banjo shook his head and took a few steps around the car. To my surprise, he picked up my hand as he passed me, and I followed him to the back end. He used a key to unlock the trunk and then popped it open.

  “There’s nothing but sweaty gym clothes and a baseball bat in the back of this car, see?”

  “What’s the baseball bat for? Taking out your pound of flesh on people who owe you money?”

  Banjo shut the trunk and leaned on it. But didn’t let go of my hand. And I didn’t mind that. It felt nice. Like an anchor.

  “The bat is for playing baseball, Lacey. That’s it. My brother and I have both played for years.”

  “Oh.” I sank back against the car next to him.

  His thumb stroked over my hand, and I looked down at our intertwined fingers. There was something inherently safe about Banjo. Maybe it was that I’d met him before I started at Saint View High, so he seemed somehow removed from that world. Even if he did have a questionable choice of friends.

  “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise.”

  I peered up into his green eyes. He seemed earnest, but that wasn’t what he’d said during the week. “Who exactly are you protecting me from? Just the police? Or Colt?”

  He ran his hand through his blond hair. “What happened between you two? Why does he hate you so much?”

  My mouth dropped open. “You think I have any idea? I really don’t. I’d never even met him before the first day of school. Gillian took an instant dislike to me, and Colt followed suit.”

  His eyebrows drew together. “That can’t be it. Colt wouldn’t warn me away from you, just because Gillian doesn’t like you. Gillian doesn’t like any pretty girl who might draw Colt’s attention.”

  I wasn’t sure which part of that statement to focus on. The fact Gillian was so insecure about her relationship with Colt. The fact Banjo had called me pretty. Or… “Colt warned you away from me? And you listened? What is he, your owner?” Anger swirled in my stomach, replacing the warmth that had been there a moment ago. “That’s such bullshit. You and I were…we had…shit, I don’t know. But we were something before I even met Colt.” I dropped Banjo’s hand. I didn’t want to be ho
lding it if he was just Colt’s little puppet.

  But he grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “It’s not like that. Colt’s not just my friend. He’s more like my brother. We’re family, even if we aren’t blood related. Yeah, he told me to stay away from you. And yeah, I’d do anything for him. I’ve got good reason for that. But he’d do anything for me, too.”

  “Then why aren’t you staying away from me? Why are you out here with me right now, offering to drive me home, and holding my hand?” I peered up into his eyes, really wanting to know.

  He lifted a hand and brushed a strand of hair back from my face. “Honestly?”

  I nodded.

  “Because I can’t. I nearly didn’t come at all tonight because I knew you’d be here. That’s why I’m so late. But then I get here, determined to ignore you, and you’re fleeing the party like Cinderella at midnight. And here I am, with a waiting carriage. I can’t ignore you, Lacey. Not when I can’t stop thinking about that night we met. What we were going to do…”

  A tingle ran down my spine. We’d been well on our way, up to my bedroom. I’d been so out of it that night, so wanting to forget myself that I’d been willing to lose myself in someone else.

  “I still want to do that. Nothing has changed for me, Lacey. I still want to take you upstairs and make you feel good.”

  Oh shit.

  My knees buckled as heat warmed through my body. This wasn’t what I’d come here for tonight. But there were still things, stuck inside my head that wouldn’t remove themselves. And now the images of Rafe dry humping that girl on the couch, and Colt and Gillian fucking in the garden, were added to the list of things I was better off forgetting.

  “Okay,” I whispered.

  Banjo froze. “Fuck. Really?” His words were barely more than a breath. He rounded on me, standing in front of me now, while my ass rested on the back of the car. “I didn’t think you’d give me another chance…” He shifted in, slowly, inch by inch, giving me the chance to change my mind if I wanted to.