"You're a monster," Lily Anna hisses at me. "I should've known you'd do this to me."
She tackles me, and this time I don't hesitate before overpowering her, easily tossing her on her back on the mattress. I straddle her, pinning her arms above her head and watching her chest rise and fall with each angry breath she takes.
"I never meant to hurt you," I hiss at her. "Believe it or not, I loved you."
"Loved," she spits out, laughing bitterly. Her expression changes suddenly, and her eyes fill with tears. "Loved, Dexter. What happened to us? It was supposed to be forever."
I stare her down, not knowing what to tell her, not knowing how to make it better. There's really only one answer - only one reason I don't want her anymore.
And her name is Pandora Oakes.
"You deserve everything bad that's ever happened to you," Lily Anna hisses at me now, vicious and pissed off. "You deserve it all, Dexter. You deserve to die."
"Calm down," I hiss when she tries to fight me off. "Just fucking calm down for one second..."
She raises herself with strength I'm not expecting, and her lips are on mine. She's kissing me, stealing from me, devouring me, but I pull back, flattening her body against the mattress.
"Don't you dare," I tell her coolly.
"You're mine," she spits out.
"Not anymore."
"Always!" She stomps her feet like the fucking brat she is.
"Not anymore, Lily Anna. Not anymore."
"I hate you. I fucking hate you!" She's having another one of her temper tantrums now, moving restlessly on the mattress while I do my best to restrain her before she hurts us both. "I'll never forgive you for what you did to me. Never, ever, ever, Dexter!"
I let her get it all out. I don't say a word until she stops resisting. Then, I let go and stand up, watching her curl up into a ball on the mattress and start sobbing. The sight and sound both break my heart, but I don't know how to make it better.
"I'll pay for your ticket to Wildwood," I tell her. "I'll give you anything you want. If you want to go meet your... biological parents, or stay here... just tell me."
"I want you." The words are a broken whisper, and even though I know they shouldn't hurt, they cut fucking deep. "Why can't I have you?"
I stare down at her. "Because I'm not yours anymore."
"Don't you want me, Dexter?" She trembles, sitting up and spreading her legs wide for me. She's not wearing any panties. "Don't you want this?"
"Close your legs," I growl. "Now."
She disobeys, staring right into my eyes as she starts touching herself, rubbing all the sensitive spots on her body that used to drive me fucking insane with need.
"Tell me you don't want me," she whispers. "Tell me you don't want to fuck me..."
"You need to stop."
"And you need to start telling the truth... Admit you want me, Dex... Admit it, just fucking admit."
I stay stubbornly silent. A minute passes, and the rage in her boils and boils until she shoots up, fingers dripping with her own juices as she stands before me, a beautiful fury.
"You really don't want me anymore?" she demands, and I shake my head vehemently. Something changes inside her then. Her shoulders pull back. She seems detached, eager to strike where it hurts most. She’s calculating. Cold. And I know whatever she’ll try to hurt me with next will fucking sting.
"Maybe it's time you find out the truth, then."
"The truth?" I knit my brows together in worry.
"About your parents."
My hands form fists. "You mean that your father fucking murdered them."
"No." She smiles sweetly, approaching me and smoothing out my crisp shirt collar. Her eyes burn with madness I’ve seen so many times these past few years. "I did, darling."
I stare her down, unable to comprehend her words. "What?"
"Think about it," she purrs. "I was at your house. I knew where the key was."
"Why would you hurt them?" I grunt.
"Because you loved them," she whispers. "You loved them, and I only want you to love me."
My blood runs cold then and I stare her down in disbelief. "Are you fucking serious? You set the fire?"
"It was so easy." She giggles, making me feel sicker and sicker inside. "And the flames... oh, the beautiful flames. They were so fast. So angry. I loved it. I want to do it again and again."
"You..." I swallow, fighting the urge to kill her then and there. "You wanted me to believe your father did it."
She shrugs easily, as if it means nothing. "It was easier. You loved me then. You don't love me now."
"You're a fucking monster," I hiss at her. "You're a psychopath."
"And you loved me once upon a time," she smiles sadly. "Isn't it sad, Dexter? Now you'll have to pay for everything. For betraying me. You know what I'm going to do?"
She approaches me while I grit my teeth together. Lily Anna runs a finger down my chest, smiling wide.
"I'm going to kill that girl," she purrs. "She's as good as dead. And you signed her death sentence, Dex. You signed it, because you fucking love her more than me."
My hands form fists at my sides. It takes everything in me not to react. But I can't. I'm better than that. Better than Lily Anna Oakes, the monstrous girl I used to love.
"I'm never letting you out of here," I mutter. "I'll fucking leave you here to rot."
"No, you won't," she smiles. "You'll feel too guilty. Just now, Dex... The first chance I get..." She imitates slitting her neck, smiling wildly. "She's fucking gone."
I advance against her then, making her back up into a corner without ever laying a finger on her. I tower above her petite body, my veins pulsing with the need to hurt her.
"You'll never get out of here," I tell her. "It's time you paid for what you've done. And no matter what... you lose, Lily Anna."
She screams, throwing herself at me and clawing me with her long fingernails. I grab her arms and hold them behind her back while she struggles wildly. I don't give her the control she wants. Instead, I just push her back on the mattress, and she falls back, looking at me with pure hatred.
"You're alone now," I tell her. "There's no one left for you, Lily Anna. You drove us all away."
I walk away from her, my heart pounding with revelations, when she calls out one last time - a desperate plea, one last attempt at winning me over.
"I still love you, Dex!" She sounds desperate. Ugly. I look over my shoulder at her tear-streaked face. "I did it for us, Dex... I wanted us together, forever, the way it was supposed to be. Remember?"
"No," I spit out, slamming the door behind me. I lock it three times before leaning against the wood and slowly sliding to the floor with my hands in my hair.
Her confession shouldn't have come as a shock. She's unpredictable, always has been. But this... this makes her a true monster.
She lied to me for years. She took my family away from me. I should kill her. Before I leave Eden Falls, I should fucking shoot Lily Anna right between the eyes and toss her down the cliff she should've jumped off of years ago.
Or better yet, I should give her back to Emilian Oakes.
A smile lights up my face as I think of the possibilities. The guy may not be a murderer, but he's still a piece of shit. He'd destroy her - exactly what she fucking deserves.
When I pick myself up from the floor again, my mind is made up. I'm done taking care of her, done with the burden that is Lily Anna. She's on her own now, and I don't give a fuck what happens to her.
I close my eyes and remember the sweet moments. Her laugh, her innocence, her flushed cheeks. All lies. Little fucking liar. She's done now. She'll never hurt me again.
My thoughts fill with Pandora then, and my heart swells with emotion. Pride, yearning, need, want, desire. My cock hardens, my heart hurts. Butterflies swarm in my stomach.
I need to tell her the truth.
I need to tell Pandora Oakes I love her before it's too late...
18
> Pandora
I'm saying goodbye to Eden Falls today.
Nobody knows but Lai, and I've sworn him to secrecy. I can't risk this going back to Dex - I'm certain he'd try to stop me before I so much as made it to the train station in town. There's one last thing I need to do before I leave Eden Falls.
I need to end this town's sick hierarchy that made me feel on top of the world and worthless at the same time.
At Lai's house, I've been given the luxuries I've become accustomed to - a gorgeous guest bedroom with an adjoined bathroom, access to the rest of the stunning villa and the promise that I'd meet Lai's stepbrother, Dion, that night at dinner.
Lai has opted to give me privacy, and I'm immensely grateful for it. I can't bring myself to deal with my own feelings just yet. I can't even think about Dexter without feeling sick down to my stomach. And Lai doesn't ask questions. He keeps a respectful distance, giving me room to breathe.
I get ready on my own in the guest bedroom that night. I put on a pretty dress and half-heartedly do my makeup to make sure I look presentable. My mind circles around them - Dex. Father. Minnie. My siblings. I wonder if I'll miss them when I leave. I wonder whether I still want Dex to come with me.
It's only been a few hours but I already miss him, and I hate myself for being so weak for the boy who hates me. I tell myself I'll give him another chance. Just one more. If he doesn't prove how he feels about me this time around, it's officially over.
Setting my hairbrush down with determination, I scrutinize my appearance in the mirror.
I look good. Good enough to make Dexter jealous when he finds out who I'm staying with.
With a self-satisfied smirk, I walk down the stairs to the dining hall where dinner will be served.
Lai isn't there yet, but I notice another shadowy figure standing by the curtains, staring out into the gardens with his back to me.
"Hi," I speak up. "I'm Pandora Oakes. You must be..."
He turns around sharply. Just like the rest of this town's inhabitants, he's ridiculously handsome. He towers above me. He's not muscular, but instead lean and dangerous-looking, with a chiseled face you could cut your lips on.
"Dion," he speaks up. "Dion Grayberry, Lai's stepbrother."
He extends a hand and I shake it. He holds my palm so hard I struggle not to wince.
"So you're the new Oakes girl," he mutters. "Better than the last one, by the looks of it."
I smile, secretly pleased with his Lily Anna aversion. "What was wrong with the last one?"
"Spoiled little bitch." He waves his hand dismissively while I drink in his features some more. He really is painfully good looking. "Didn't care for her one bit."
"Good," I reply resolutely. "I can't say I do either."
He smirks and motions for me to sit down. I feel nervous without Lai there but I do as I'm told, sitting to his left. He watches me closely as the maids fill our glasses with drinks.
"You look nothing like her."
"Good," I repeat. "I don't want to."
"But you do kind of have the same attitude."
"Excuse me?"
"See?" He laughs. "Right there. A little brat, just like that intolerable girl."
"I'm not a brat." I lean back in my chair, glaring at the guy.
"You definitely are. You know... my brother talks."
I flush, looking away just as Lai saunters into the room. The brothers greet each other with a slap on the back and Lai sits down in front of me.
"So, you met the girl," Lai says. "She stole everyone's heart."
"And their mind too, it seems," Dion replies with a pointed look at his brother before returning his attention to me. "Lai here can't shut up about you, Pandora. Now I can understand why."
We're served our first dish and I'm grateful for the distraction. Curiosity gets the best of me though, and as soon as the maids are out of earshot, I start to speak up.
"So... I don't know anything about Lai's family."
"You're not the only one," Lai mutters bitterly. "I'm supposed to find out when I turn twenty-one. When I get my trust fund."
"But you're related to Araminta?"
He nods. "Somehow, at least."
"And Dion as well?"
"Yes," the older brother replies, shooting me a pointed look. "And I think that's enough questions for tonight."
I stare him down, feeling the weight of his gaze. He doesn't back down, and finally, I'm the one to look away. I feel his triumph emanating from the left where he's sitting.
Lai's family makes me wonder... Dion is older, likely in his mid-thirties, and he looks different than the rest of the Eden Falls boys. More experienced. Harsher. Like life wasn't gentle with him, and it made him rougher in all of his exchanges.
Ashamed, I realize I'm getting turned on by the image of this man who doesn't let anyone intimidate him. I cross my legs righter and hope no one notices.
"Anyway," Dion sighs, drinking a long sip of wine. "I'm only here this week. I'm leaving for Stormcliff this morning, indefinitely."
I nod at his words. Stormcliff is the main city close to Eden Falls. A lot of the bigger companies have offices there.
"But what about Lai?" I finally ask. "He'll be here by himself?"
"He can take care of himself," Dion smirks.
I sneak a look at Lai. For the first time ever, I see him looking almost vulnerable, like he's about to say something. But a moment later the softness disappears, replaced by jagged, harsh edges.
"Don't worry about me so much, Pandora," he grits out. "Don't you have your own shit to deal with? Like the situation with Booth?"
I glare at him, trying to silently remind him not to talk about it, but it doesn't seem to be working.
"That's true," Dion muses. "What are you even doing here, girl? Aren't you Dexter's fiancée now?"
"I've had enough of the third degree," I mutter, pushing my chair away from the table.
"Oh, you have, have you?" Dion laughs. "Well then, we've had quite enough of you too. Unless you're inclined to share, you will be gone by tomorrow evening."
"Excuse me?" I ask.
"Dion, I..." Lai glances nervous between his brother and me. "It's not your place-"
"No, Lai," Dion smirks. "It's not your place. And if I say she can't stay here, she can't fucking stay here. Got it?"
Lai is pissed off, and so am I.
"No worries," I hiss. "I can take a hint."
I walk out of the room with my head held high. It takes everything in me, and as soon as I round the corner, I lean against the wall and exhale, feeling my chest rise and fall with panicked, shallow breaths.
I hear their conversation go on as I try to catch my breath, and I listen in guiltily.
"Why do you have to be such a fucking tool to my friends?" Lai hisses.
"You know why," Dion tosses back. "Do you really want to make room for another Lily fucking Anna?"
"She's nothing like her. Nothing."
"I see quite a few similarities, actually. Namely the one where they both had you fucking whipped, Lai."
"You don't know shit."
"Tell me you don't love this one too, then." Silence follows, tensions heavy and thick in the air. "You can't, can you? You fell in love with another one of your best friend's women. Lily Anna first, and now this Pandora girl. For shame."
"I don't need to listen to this," Lai hisses.
I rush toward the staircase to avoid him, tripping over my own feet in an effort to get the hell out of there. I reach the upper floor when I hear him call out from below.
"Pandora." I look over my shoulder, my eyes on Lai's. "Did you hear any of that?"
I don't reply, standing frozen with my hand on the bannister.
"It's true," Lai grits out. "I do. I love you."
I can't move. Can't say a word. My heart beats wildly as I watch him wait for my reaction. I don't give him one, because I don't know what it's supposed to be. Finally, he gets tired of waiting. Taking his eyes off me, he le
aves down the hallway.
It takes me several long minutes to return to the guest bedroom. I can't even begin to think about Lai's confession - I still need to figure out what I'm going to do tomorrow.
I want to go back to Dexter's house.
The realization hits hard, and I groan, knowing I'll have to swallow my pride when I return to the Booth Manor.
But at the same time, I know it's what I want. I want Dexter. I want to leave this town with him.
Tomorrow at school, I'll ask him to come with me.
Together, we'll leave Eden Falls in the dust.
As I walk into the school that morning, I feel even more exposed than usual. There are lingering gazes on me. Whispers are being passed around as I make my way through the hallways. I know something's up before I even make it to my first classroom of the day. But as soon as I do, my hand flies to my mouth and I stare in shock at my own image. The picture Dex took - it has to be. It's been blown up in ridiculous detail, pasted all over the classroom. It's on the blackboard, on the walls. It's everywhere. Audra strolls past me then, with a sickeningly sweet smile, passing out more copies of the lewd photograph.
"Got a text this morning," she purrs when she bumps into me. "Dexter sent this over. I thought I might as well share."
I'm horrified. I wish the ground would open up and swallow me whole, but the relief doesn't come, just the horror of being so utterly exposed yet again.
Lai is not in this lesson and neither is Dex. I can't bear another second in that stuffy classroom, and I turn on my heels, running away.
I don't stop until I've made it to the girls' bathroom on the first floor. I look myself into the last cubicle, feeling hot tears blurring my vision.
I can't believe Dexter's betrayal.
After everything that's happened... after everything he's done for me - to me, he did this. The knife in my back twists and I retch over the toilet bowl, emptying my stomach. I sit down, shivering as I hear the door open and someone comes into the bathroom.
"She's not even that pretty." The sound of running water and giggling follows. "God, can you imagine being such a slut that you'd let someone take those pictures of you?"
A Hurt So Sweet Volume Three: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Elite of Eden Falls Prep Book 3) Page 14
