A Hurt So Sweet Volume Four: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Elite of Eden Falls Prep Book 4)

by Isabella Starling

  I nod wordlessly, my gaze glued to his.

  "You're going to admit that's what you are," Dex finishes.

  "I..." I glare at him. "I don't want to."

  My heart picks up pace. I'm not a toy, and his words have pissed me off. I've fought this entire time I've been in Eden Falls. I'm going to keep fighting until I change this town. But Dex wants me to admit I'm nothing. Nothing but a plaything.

  "We're not leaving until you do," Dex grits out. "I hope you like kneeling, because you're not getting up until you do, either."

  My bottom lip wobbles as he kneels down next to me. He looks into my soul as he runs his fingers over my cheek.

  "Is it really so hard?" he asks softly. "You just have to say the words. Admit it. And I'll be yours. You'll be mine. Forever."

  This is his price, then.

  Dexter's dominant side has won out. He wants me to admit his ownership of me here, in front of all these people.

  I wouldn't do it for anybody else.

  But for Dexter Booth, I'll do anything.

  "I'm a toy," I whisper as he laughs in my face, triumphant. "Your toy, Master. Nothing but a toy."

  "Go on," he demands. Somehow, the words seem easier now. They drip from my lips like honey. Sweet. Thick. Heavy.

  "I'm Master's toy," I whisper. "I'll never be anything but a toy."

  "My toy," Dex mutters proudly. There's a moment of silence as we stare into each other's eyes. There's no need for words anymore.

  With a click of his fingers, Dexter signals the night is over. The men leave in hushed tones, slowly emptying the banquet hall. I wait, holding my breath until the door closes behind the last guest, and it's just Dexter, me and the overwhelming tension between us.

  "Was that so hard?" he asks.

  "Not for you," I whisper. "Are we still going through with the plan?"

  "A month from now," Dex nods. "Eden Falls will never be the same."

  1 month later

  Today is the day everything's going to change.

  The future of Eden Falls lies in my hands and it's up to me to make things better for everyone.

  I'm nervous and scared as I put on the finishing touches before Dexter and I leave for the celebration. He lingers in the door frame as I put on my earrings, watching me with approval.

  "You ready for this?"

  "As ready as I'll ever be," I mutter, clipping the earring on. I get up from the chair and approach him, and Dex leaves a sweet kiss on my lips before leading me out of the house.

  Every year, there is a celebration for the founding day of Eden Falls. One of the founding families hosts the event, and this time, it's Dexter's turn. The Manor has been decorated and prepared to accept hundreds of guests. It's a big event, and it's even more important because tonight, everything could change. I just need to go through with the plan.

  We join the droves of guests filling the garden and ground floor of the house. We mingle and talk, and every time I feel nervous, I find Dexter's eyes in the crowd, his cool attitude reassuring me. I do my best to collect myself so I can be ready for the speeches that will happen at dusk. Mine will be the most important one of the night.

  The people I talk to are careful around me. They know I'm important, but they're also treating me like I'm a breakable porcelain doll. There's no mention of Reign or Lily Anna. The elephant in the room remains unnoticed. Nobody brings up the tragedy that changed my life. Perhaps that's why I yearn to hold my son in my hands so much. This event is a tradition - a tradition I wanted Reign to be a part of.

  My hopes of finding him will never die. I'll look for him until the day I die. And I've given up on despair. All that's left is a small glimmer of hope - that Reign is okay. That the bitch took care of him and made sure he made it through his first month as a baby. That we'll get him back some day, somehow.

  There's no time for those thoughts, though, not with dusk fast approaching. As the sky begins to darken, I climb the stage that's been set up in the Manor's garden. Everyone goes quiet as I stand in front of the microphone. I wonder what they think of me now. The outsider will always be just that, no matter how expensive their jewelry, their outfit. I'll always stand out in Eden Falls. But if I do things right, I won't be worse off because of it. I'll make these people respect me if it's the last thing I do.

  "Dear Eden Falls," I address the crowd. The murmurs die down, and all their attention is on me now. I should be nervous, but instead I feel a jolt of electric adrenaline shooting up my spine, telling me I'm ready as I'll ever be. "We've gathered to celebrate the town's thirty-second anniversary today. Eden Falls isn't just our home. It's a place of tradition."

  I pull out the manual I've been ignoring since I got here while the crowd stares on.

  "You're all familiar with this. This manual has dictated everyone's lives, your status, your fortune in this town. Today, that's going to change."

  A shocked whisper takes over the crowd as I open the manual to the page Lily Anna marked for me all that time ago. At least the bitch did something right.

  "Here it is. Clause eighteen, paragraph C." I show them the manual. "It says the first child born to one of the Firstborns of the town holds the power to change Eden Falls. And until the child turns eighteen, the parents are in charge of making the big decisions."

  My eyes meet Father's in the front row. His expression is thunderous - he's hating this. His hands have formed fists. I bet he's wishing he could rewrite that manual now.

  "Things are going to change around here," I say next, smiling at the crowd's nervous stares. "I came here and was labeled the outsider right away, despite my status. I was hurt, bullied and taken advantage of by people I trusted. I thought long and hard about getting my revenge on the people who made my life a living hell when I came to Eden Falls."

  My gaze finds them one by one. The boys. Dex. Father. Even Brazen.

  "But by seeking vengeance on the people who hurt me, I'd be as bad as they are. Instead, I'm going to change this town once and for all. Eden Falls as you knew it is gone. Things are going to be different now. Things are going to change."

  I pull out a lighter. It's Dexter's father's, custom-made and engraved. I thought it would be symbolic, and Dex allowed me to use it for this. My eyes find his in the crowd and he smiles, giving me a barely perceptible nod. I open the lighter and hold the manual close to the flame. The crowd gasps.

  "The manual is no longer something you must follow," I speak up. "Today, Eden Falls goes up in flames. Because the only way to change this place is to burn its traditions to the ground, until they're ash and dust."

  Flames engulf the manual. I watch with satisfaction as it burns. The crowd is shocked, unable to utter a single word as they watch the fruit of their decades-long effort burn to a crisp.

  "It's time for a new Eden Falls," I say as the manual crumbles into ash and the flames die down. "It's time for a new ruler. The future is mine, and I'm inviting you to take my hand and make this town a safer, better place for all. Not just the ones born with a silver spoon in their mouth."

  With those words, I find Minnie in the crowd. She's working as a busser today, but her bright smile tells me exactly what I need to know - that I'm doing the right fucking thing.

  "Goodbye, old traditions." I grin widely. "Hello, new world."

  20

  Dexter

  I watch my woman on that stage with pride. She's brave, beautiful and fearless. Everything I knew she was from the start. But now she has finally embraced the power this town unwillingly gave her. Eden Falls needs a strong leader, and Pandora is just that. She's going to bring these men to their knees and prove once and for all the future is female. The future is her.

  "The Firstborn system is abolished," she speaks up from the stage. "There will be no more ranking in Eden Falls."

  Shocked whispers take over the crowd, but when Pandora slams her fist on the podium, everyone shuts up. It pleases me. People have accepted her. Everyone knows her word is law now, and Eden Falls coul
dn't have a better leader than my toy. She's going to change this town for good, and for the better.

  "Everyone is worth the same," she goes on.

  "Wait just a damn minute here." The audience's attention snaps to Julian's father who's seething with anger as he stares Pandora down. "You think you can do this? You think you can turn this town on its head? You obviously haven't read that manual very well, little girl. There's a little more to the rules than what you've described."

  "Oh, I know." Pandora offers him a brilliant smile. "I need six votes from the founding families. One from each family, so I can do this."

  "And you actually believe you'll get those?" Her father scoffs, speaking up from the first row. "Nobody will vote for this, Pandora. This was a cute little display, but it's fucking over now. Get off that stage, girl."

  My blood runs cold, the desire to knock the bastard out cold almost too strong to resist. But Pandora merely smiles at him.

  "Why don't we see if you're right?" she speaks up. "Let's take a vote, right here, right now."

  "Let's," Emilian replies icily. "I'll enjoy seeing you go down in flames, daughter. It's time this farce ended."

  "Six votes," she goes on as if he hasn't spoken at all, pissing him off further. "Six founding families. Oakes. Booth. Brantley. Fox. Hawkins. Jenkins."

  "And you think you'll get six?" Emilian laughs at his daughter.

  "She has my vote." I step forward to the stage with Pandora and she smiles gratefully.

  "Of course," Emilian hisses. "She's got you pussy whipped pretty well there, Booth."

  "She has my vote too." Julian stands up now, ignoring his father's glare as he joins us on the stage. She has the Fox's vote.

  "Ridiculous," his father mutters, shaking his head in disbelief.

  "And mine." Easton joins us, making the crowd gasp in unison. Brantley votes in her favor. Three left.

  "Mine too." Caspian's next, giving her the Jenkins vote.

  "We only need two more," Pandora says. "A Hawkins, and an Oakes."

  The crowd seems restless and uneasy. We've gone through the manual a thousand times. There's no way Pandora can use her own vote as an Oakes - she'll need to have her family vote in her favor. Her gaze is firmly fixed on her brother's now. Brazen stares back, unrelenting and cold. He's changed these past few weeks. He's a man now, but he's not a nice man. He's cruel, vindictive and too powerful for his own good. I've seen the way he's been acting in school. He's determined to make people suffer because Minnie hurt him. But Pandora's plan could stop him from hurting more innocent people.

  Pandora's eyes scan the crowd. She stares at Araminta, the Hawkins Firstborn. There are others, Firstborns from other families, but she needs the founding members' votes. Araminta refuses to look at her former friend and Pandora sighs just as Araminta's younger brother stands up.

  "Really?" his sister hisses at him, making him flush. "Ari, sit the fuck down."

  "No," he shakes his head resolutely. "I'm tired of this. I'm with you, Pandora."

  My toy beams at him with pride. "Thank you, Ari. I appreciate your support more than you know."

  The Hawkins look like they're about to kill their son, but what's done is done. Pandora only needs one more vote - her family's.

  They're all here.

  Emilian Oakes, the proud patriarch of his family. He won't give her his vote. He'd probably rather die than see Pandora in a position of power.

  Then there's Bryony, his wife. She seems like she doesn't give a shit about this, but she could prove to be an unlikely ally for Pandora.

  And Brazen, their older child. By the way his mouth has set, and the hardness in his glare, I don't think we can count on him to take my toy's side. He's changed. He reminds me of myself before Pandora came into my life. He's become cruel, sadistic. He won't vote in her favor.

  Finally, there's Tatianna, the spoiled brat of the family. The beautiful teenager who's as stubborn as she is determined, and is now watching the ceremony with alertness.

  "Please." Pandora starts to plead on the stand where we're all standing. "Just one more vote. You could be the person that decides Eden Fall's fate."

  Tianna glances fearfully between her father and her sister. She's too afraid to stand up. She knows her father will punish her viciously if she does.

  Brazen is as stoic as he was before.

  Bryony stares ahead, unaffected.

  I grab the microphone and speak into it, addressing Pandora's family directly.

  "Tianna," I start. "Think of the change you could make. You could be part of Eden Falls' new history. A history you'd be helping create. A history where we're all worth the same. No rankings. No differences."

  She bites her lower lip. She wants to support Pandora, but she's afraid. My nails dig into my palms as I pray she'll stand up, offer her support.

  She tries.

  She lifts herself off her chair, but before she can stand up fully, her father has pulled her back down.

  "Don't you fucking dare," Emilian hisses at his youngest. "Or I'll fucking kill you."

  "This is what we're fighting against," Pandora speaks up from behind me. "Is this how you all want to live your lives? In fear of someone who's above you in ranking taking away what you love most?"

  She's addressing Bryony now, and we all know it. Pandora's stepmother is nervous, folding her hands in her lap, trying to avoid the confrontation we all know is going to happen.

  "Please," Pandora pleads softly. "The decision to change Eden Falls lies in your hands. It's time to rewrite history. You want to be on the side people celebrate, not the one they condemn."

  Bryony gives a barely perceptible nod, but we need to hear her say it, loud and clear. She hesitates. It's not going well.

  "As far as I know, you only have one chance to plead your case," Emilian says, sounding satisfied. "If your proposition is overruled, everything goes back to the way it was."

  Whispers start up again. Of course, the prick is right. If Pandora can't get others to vote in her favor, her reign will be over before it even begins. We need this vote. We've worked our asses off for this, and we can't give up now.

  I grit my teeth. I don't plead, I don't ask for shit, but this is important to my toy, and I need to help her win this war.

  "Bryony Oakes," I address her directly. "It's all on your shoulders."

  Pandora's stepmother turns her blank stare to me, making me grit my teeth even harder. My jaw sets painfully, but I'm not giving up. Not before my toy gets exactly what she wants.

  "Do you want your children growing up like this?" I ask her. "And baby Reign. When he's returned to his home... is this the world you want him to grow up in?"

  The woman swallows thickly. She's going to look at Emilian any second now, and then it will all be over.

  I approach her, stepping off the stage and coming to kneel before her.

  "You could be the last vote," I tell her. "The last chance to make things right. I know you've made mistakes - we all have. But now is the time to change Eden Falls. Now. Not tomorrow, not next year. You could be the change you want to see in the world. Do it, Bryony. Be the better person."

  She stands up on shaky legs. Judging by Emilian's furious expression, he's ready to fucking off the woman. I keep my gaze fixed on hers, offering her my hand.

  "Come with me. Stand up for your children, for yourself."

  She takes my arm and I lead her to the podium. We're not there yet. She needs to say the words for them to count.

  "Get your hands off my wife, Booth." Emilian stands up, eyes filled with rage as they meet mine. "Who the fuck do you think you are, kid?"

  "Your son-in-law," I remind him. "And one of the only ones who can change Reign's life for the better."

  Emilian laughs out loud. "By abolishing the system, you're hurting the kid, too. He'll be nothing until he's eighteen. A mommy's boy. Everyone will laugh at him."

  Pandora steps forward and I have to stop her physically before she launches herself at he
r trainwreck of a father.

  "You're such a pathetic excuse for a man," I tell Emilian coolly.

  "You're one to talk," he snarls back. "Pussy-whipped, that's what you are, Dexter. An idealist who needs knocking down. I've seen my fair share of people like you. They all take a tumble in the end. This town wasn't made for dreamers. This town was made for men with money."

  I grit my teeth. "You mean for abusers. Bullies. Monsters."

  He laughs. "You say that like you're not one of them, Booth. That's what we all are. Men."

  It's my turn to laugh now, and I shake my head in disbelief.

  "A real man, Emilian, knows the difference between consent and control," I spit out. "And only a weak man takes control when no consent is given." I grab Pandora’s waist and pull her against me. "A real man cherishes control. Makes his toy's life better with it. A real man looks out for the people he cares about. He doesn't hurt them. And he isn't afraid to admit he loves... loves as deeply as you'll never allow yourself."

  "Stupid, insolent boy," Emilian spits out. "I'll be delighted to watch you go down in flames, just like your parents. You deserve to burn, just like they did."

  My hands form fists, but before I can attack the piece of shit, Bryony tears her hand out of mine. For a moment, I'm convinced it's over. We've lost the battle and the war.

  But then Bryony steps in front of the microphone and speaks directly into it.

  "Pandora Oakes has my vote."

  I can't believe she's done this. Silence lays on the crowd as we all come to terms with what Bryony has just done. I believed in my toy, but I didn't believe in the others. I wasn't sure she'd get the votes she needed. But as I look at her now, I see her in a new light. She's done it. She's won the war.

  "Oh my god," Pandora breathes as the guys all embrace her.

  I step toward her. Bryony is left shaking on the stage, barely able to hold her husband's gaze. The guys part, allowing me access to Pandora, and she runs into my arms. I embrace her, holding her tight.