Despised: A Reverse Harem Academy Bully Romance (Dukes of Dunwich Book 1)

by Payton Reed

At Octavia’s conciliatory words, Willow was glad she hadn’t let more than a little hint of irritation leak through her tone. “It’s okay. I just wanted to make it clear that it’s not like I’m stocking up for winter, you know?”

  Octavia let out a peal of laughter. “Oh my gosh, that’s the best description. So, are there any more acorns in your oak tree?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think squirrels keep their nuts in trees, do they?”

  Octavia shrugged. “I have no idea, but based on your non-answer, there are more acorns, aren’t there?”

  “Just one more.” She lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned close so she could tell Octavia Kip’s name without being too loud. When she pulled back, she could see Octavia’s shock.

  “But—” She cut off abruptly when Willow shook her head. “And he reciprocates?”

  Willow nodded. “Nothing’s really happened yet, but things have changed today.”

  Octavia’s eyes widened with comprehension. “You’re eighteen now.”

  Willow nodded. “And I have an invitation to Boston for Christmas break, at least for a few days, so we’ll have some time alone.”

  “Wow, that’s amazing. I can’t even handle one guy, and here you are juggling four. You’re my hero, Willow.” She said that with a bit of snark, and a wink to take the sting from the sarcasm.

  “Whatever. You could totally have a whole harem if you wanted, and you know it. I’m sure that Uber driver Gabe would be first in line.”

  Octavia giggled for a moment, but then her expression changed, looking darker and more serious. “It’s a nice fantasy, but I’m never going to risk that.”

  Her words begged for Willow to get clarification, because Octavia was clearly alluding to something possibly from her past, and it didn’t seem to be just the offhand way someone said they were never getting married or having children. Usually, those words were subject to change as one matured, but she seemed resolute about it, and Willow wanted to know more.

  Unfortunately, the first bell rang then, indicating they only had five minutes to get to their first classes. Questions would have to wait, but she definitely wanted to know what was going on in Octavia’s head.

  After they parted ways, she headed to first period, feeling much better. She’d been afraid Octavia would think she was a horrible person, so it was good to have her friend’s support.

  It was a long day of classes, and all the teachers seemed to want to cram way too many facts into their brains that she was sure she’d forget over winter break. Knowing the sadistic school, they’d probably send home a stack of homework a mile high rather than let them have a real vacation.

  She headed back to her dorm to change out of her uniform and do some studying before dinner. After that, she was going to meet Lex in the library. It was a low-key birthday, but she hadn’t expected anything more, since she was away at school, and her mom couldn’t travel the distance to see her.

  She’d slipped on skinny jeans and a T-shirt before slipping books out of her backpack. She had just arranged them on the desk and was about to sit down when her phone buzzed. She picked it up to read a text message from Octavia.

  Can you come to the main floor rec room? I can’t even describe what’s going on, but I need you here. You have to see this.

  Worried, she texted back “Okay” and put her phone in her pocket before hurrying out of her room and down the stairs. She wasn’t certain what to imagine when she entered the first-floor rec room, but she didn’t expect a surprise party. When several people jumped out and shouted, “Surprise,” at her, her heart raced for a moment, but there was a big, goofy grin on her face.

  She moved closer to the coffee table, where someone had placed a three-tier cake. It was fancy, with fondant flowers and her name and happy birthday message spelled out in a swirly script font. A one and an eight candle dominated the small top tier.

  She blinked as Octavia, Lex, Dalton, and Isis grew closer. She caught sight of Beth with a couple of her friends, and Wills was in the corner. He looked like he didn’t want to be there, and she didn’t really want him there, but she was wasn’t going to tell him that. There were a few other friendly faces, though she couldn’t recall everyone’s name. “This is really great, you guys.”

  “It was Octavia’s idea,” said Dalton.

  Octavia blushed as everybody looked at her. “You’re eighteen, for goodness’ sake. We had to have a party.”

  “Thank you.” She reached over and hugged Octavia, and then she received a round of hugs from everyone else. Lex held her longer than the others and placed a kiss on her cheek. Dalton gave her a quick, hard hug, but he grabbed a handful of her bottom and squeezed lightly as he did so.

  She stepped back, and Beth started lighting the candles. She knew just what to wish for—that she could be open with her relationships. That was bound to come true, though she had to wait a few months. With a deep breath, she blew out the candles, and Beth started serving cake. There was also overly sweet fruit punch that reminded her of what they’d had at the Halloween dance, but Lex hadn’t had a chance to spike this one. She considered that a good thing, recalling how foul it had tasted after he’d added whatever from his flask.

  The party lasted a couple of hours, right until they were in danger of having the dining hall close. At that point, they dispersed, and she left the cake for anyone else who might want to a piece, along with a note offering it to everyone.

  There hadn’t been any gifts, but the party itself was more than enough, and she was in a good mood as she walked to the dining hall between Lex and Dalton. Even they seemed to be relaxing a bit with each other, and she was hopeful they might reach status of friends someday. It seemed important for them to be friends to make the relationship work. They had to be able to get along and respect each other if the five of them were going to make this work.

  Before they reached the dining hall, Lex and Dalton steered her into an empty classroom. She looked around. “What’s going on?”

  “Gifts,” said Dalton. “We didn’t want to give them to you in front of others.”

  Her mouth formed an O. “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Of course we do,” said Lex, who removed a rectangular, nearly flat box from his jeans pocket and handed it to her.

  She took it and untied the bow to open the box. Concert tickets for one of her favorite groups nestled there. Her eyes widened. “How did you know I love this group?”

  “Duh, their biggest hit is your ringtone.” Lex grinned, “Plus, I love them too. There are two tickets, and I want to take you to the concert. My parents won’t care if I come visit you for a couple of days. I can take the family jet from N-Y-C to Portland. Will your mom let me stay?”

  “I’m sure she will.” She nibbled on her lip before casting an uncertain glance at Dalton. His expression revealed nothing. With a smile, she put her arms around Lex and hugged him tightly before he lowered his head to kiss her. The kiss escalated until she was straining against him. They broke apart when Dalton cleared his throat.

  She turned to him, seeing he held a small box in his palm. It was similar to the box holding the earrings Jonas had given her, and she wondered if he had bought something to match the rubies. When she opened it, she saw a silver chain. It shone, but something about it looked old.

  He looked uncomfortable. “I retrieved a piece of the chain Malone destroyed… the one for your locket. I sent it to a jeweler, and they tracked down the manufacturer and style. It’s only a replica, since they couldn’t find the authentic version, but…” He let out a breathy sound when she threw herself against him. “I hope you like it.”

  She rained kisses on his face before pressing her mouth to his. After a long kiss, she pulled back slightly. “I love it.” She leaned forward to kiss him again but saw him glance uncertainly at Lex. She read that as he didn’t want to get passionate with her in front of Lex, so she backed off instead. Her stomach rumbled, lending validity when she said, “I’m starvin
g. Let’s eat.”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Willow

  She and Octavia went to Farley the weekend before the dance to find something to wear. Gabe was their driver, and though he spoke polite greetings to them, he didn’t try to engage either in conversation. He did glance at Octavia a few times, and he had a sappy expression on his face. Either her friend was oblivious, or she was obviously ignoring him. Either way, it was clear Gabe wasn’t going to get a response.

  He dropped them off near Kathy’s, and they went inside. The place was packed, and the room she’d assumed was temporarily set up for Halloween costumes now had a selection of formals. It wasn’t as good as they’d have in the city, but they could surely find something.

  Octavia moved closer to a tea-length blue dress with rhinestones along the sweetheart neckline. She also selected a green gown and a gold one as they browsed.

  Willow wanted to feel festive and Christmassy, though it was technically called the holiday dance, so she gravitated to a rack of red dresses. Selecting three she liked best, she joined Octavia in the line waiting for the dressing room.

  She grimaced when the door opened, and Malone stepped out. She thought about ducking back into the room with the dresses to pretend to look for more choices, but her stepsister saw her before she could.

  Malone shoved through the several people waiting for their turn at a dressing room without even looking at them. When she stood in front of Willow, she sneered. “This must be amazing to someone like you. You can use my dad’s money to buy whatever you want. I bet you used to get your dresses from the thrift stores—if anyone ever bothered to invite you to a dance at your old school.”

  Willow wanted to ignore Malone, and she tried to, but when Malone poked her in the shoulder, she poked back. “Get out of my face.”

  “Why won’t you just disappear from my life? You don’t belong here.”

  “… belong here,” Willow echoed with Malone, in a voice dripping with boredom. “As you keep saying. Why don’t you grow up and accept I didn’t ask for this situation either? Our parents fell in love and dragged us into this.”

  “Your mother tricked Daddy. He’s old and lonely, and she’s a manipulative slut—”

  “Bitch, stop insulting my mom.” Willow shoved her harder than she intended, knocking Malone into a group of girls in front of them. Amid protests from the girls, who kept Malone upright, Willow took another step forward.

  “Enough,” said a stern female voice.

  Willow turned to see Kathy herself standing in front of them, hands on her hips, and a scowl on her face. She immediately realized how badly she’d been behaving and took a step back. “Sorry.” The apology was directed to Kathy, not Malone.

  Kathy glared at both of them before pointing to Malone. “Are you ready to check out?”

  “Yes,” said Malone in a very polite tone.

  “Then let’s do that. Afterward, please leave my store as quickly as possible.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” said Malone with a hint of sullenness and a glare at Willow as she followed Kathy.

  Willow spent the next few minutes cooling down as she waited her turn. Octavia looked like she might say something, but she closed her mouth instead. Maybe she sensed Willow was still angry and feeling guilty all at once. Willow knew her mother would disapprove of her physically engaging with Malone.

  Once it was her turn, she chose the red and silver formal with the tulle skirt over the red velvet and the dark-red tube dress. The one she picked rustled when she moved, and it was fun and flirty. Plus, it fit her body well enough not to need any alterations. The flouncy, loose skirt made a pretty sight when she twirled around in it, which nearly made her crash into the wall of the cramped space.

  After making her selection, she waited for Octavia, and they went to the checkout together. Willow braced herself for more chastisement from Kathy, but the other woman didn’t mention anything. She still felt compelled to apologize again. “I’m so sorry about the disruption, ma’am.”

  Kathy surprised her with a small smile. “Some would say you were provoked, young lady. That doesn’t excuse fighting in public though.”

  Willow nodded her agreement as she passed over Ashton’s black Amex and accepted the card and her dress a few seconds later. “Thanks. It won’t happen again.”

  “Excellent.” Kathy checked out Octavia next, and the two of them left the store together with their dresses safely ensconced in dress bags that they held carefully.

  Her phone chimed a couple of minutes later, and she swiped to unlock the screen.

  Jonas: Look Up.

  She looked up, mouth hanging open at the sight of Jonas and Gabe standing across the street. She waved, and the guys started walking toward them. Octavia grew tense, but she didn’t run away. Willow gave her a bracing smile as the guys reached them. After looking around to ensure no one, like Malone, was nearby, she moved forward to kiss Jonas quickly on the mouth before stepping back. “What are you doing here?”

  “I used the pretext of needing a part for the tractor to escape Aunt Tillie and Uncle Fred for a bit.” He grinned. “Then I ran into Gabe, who told me you were in Farley, so I had to come looking.” He shot an uncertain look at Octavia. “Does she…?”

  “I wouldn’t have kissed you if she didn’t.” She beamed at him. “Let’s get some pie. Sally makes the best peach pie.”

  Jonas glanced at his watch. “I could spare a little time before I risk getting lectured by Ma.” His smile indicated the prospect didn’t scare him. “Gabe?”

  Gabe looked at Octavia, who was studiously not looking at him. He seemed disappointed, and then he shook his head. “I have to get back to work, but thanks for the offer.”

  Willow frowned as Gabe walked away, shoulders slumped. A glance at Octavia revealed she was relieved. Her cheeks now bore color again. They’d been bright pink in the frosty air moments before Gabe approached. Then the color had leached from her, so it was good to see it returning.

  They went to the diner, and she made herself sit with Octavia when she wanted to press her body close to Jonas’s. There were too many people in the diner who might question Jonas being seen sitting too closely to one of the Dunwich students. With her and Octavia on one side, the meeting was a lot less questionable.

  Sally approached with menus that Jonas waved away. “We’ll just have three slices of peach pie, Sally. I’d also like a coffee.”

  “Milk,” said Willow.

  “Ice water, please,” said Octavia.

  Sally took their orders and disappeared for a few minutes. She returned with a tray that bore their pies and drinks, distributing everything quickly. “You girls are from the academy, aren’t you?” she asked.

  “Yes,” said Octavia, clearly not aware of the way Jonas and Willow both stiffened.

  “What brings you to Farley today?” Her gaze touched on Jonas for a moment.

  “Dresses for the Christmas dance,” said Willow quickly. “I wanted to find something to match my boyfriend’s outfit.” She blurted that out, hoping to diffuse any assumption Sally might make. If Gabe had mentioned her visits to the Underell farm to anyone, it could lead to awkward rumors—rumors that might reach Headmaster Hastings’s ears and cause big trouble.

  “That sounds like fun.” Sally’s expression grew misty. “I met Bill at a Christmas dance at the local Grange.” She seemed to have forgotten any suspicions she might harbor as she started humming the tune of a song Willow didn’t recognize while a sort of waltzing toward Bill, who stood behind the grill. At the sound of the song his wife hummed, he hung up his spatula and swept her into his arms for a quick dance.

  “That’s so romantic.” Octavia sighed heavily, her envious gaze following the older couple’s antics.

  “It sure is.” Willow turned her attention to the pie, wanting to leave the diner before Sally continued what had seemed like the start of a subtle interrogation. Jonas was eating quickly, and he finished before she did.

  He l
ooked at his watch. “It was nice seeing you both, but I have to get back to the farm. I have relatives visiting.” His foot brushed against Willow’s under the table, though he didn’t touch her in any other way.

  “Bye, Jonas.” She hoped her tone sounded friendly and not melancholy at only getting a short time with him. He waved, and she watched him leave before turning back to Octavia, who was mostly done with her pie, though she seemed lost in thought. She patiently waited until her friend had finished too before they paid the bill, grabbed their dress bags, and left the diner.

  Once they were outside, she breathed a sigh of relief. It had been too risky having a date with Jonas in Farley, even if Octavia had been there, and they’d given no physical hint they were involved. She’d have to be more careful when visiting him in the future.

  They started walking down the main street, since Octavia wanted to look at the makeup selection in the small drugstore. As they did, Willow asked, “Are you scared of Gabe?”

  Octavia blinked. “Who’s Gabe?”

  “Jonas’s friend, and our driver this morning… and before Halloween.”

  She shrugged. “Not him specifically.”

  “Is it all men then?” She held her breath as she asked, judging by the way Octavia tensed that she shouldn’t have asked.

  “I really don’t want to talk about it, okay?” Her words were harsh, but her shaky smile seemed to be conciliatory. “It’s not a fun discussion.”

  “Sure, okay.” Willow was still curious, but she didn’t want to spoil their day.

  When they entered the drugstore, she groaned at the sight of Malone with one of her piranhas. Steffie, was it? Or maybe Stuffing. Or Syphilis? She couldn’t remember and didn’t really care. Willow braced herself for another confrontation, but Malone settled for glaring at her across the store before she and Sulfurous left a few minutes later. Willow breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want to fight with Malone again, especially since she couldn’t trust herself not to behave rashly if her stepsister started insulting Hannah.