The Princess and The Jester: A High School Bully Romance (Westbrook Three Book 3)

by A. D. McCammon

  “I’ve got the evidence, of your text messages,” I hint. “Probably wouldn’t be that hard to build a case against you. If nothing else, it would be a blemish on your record. People around here would finally know what a creep you are. And I’m betting the colleges you applied to would be interested in your behavior as well.”

  This is a familiar scenario. I’ve been using blackmail and threats to get what I want—including revenge—for years. But I’m hoping this will be the last time. All I want is for this shit to be over.

  He knows he’s lost, and his face contorts with anger. “Fuck you. Just say whatever you came here to say and get the hell out of my face.”

  “First, let me thank you for enlightening me about Brody.” I grin when Shane’s face pales. “Because of that, I’ve come to realize some things. About myself, my life, and even about you. Would you like to know what I figured out about you?”

  “Do I have a choice?” he sneers, stuffing his phone back into his pocket.

  I chuckle, shaking my head. “You’re a miserable little shit. That’s why you’ve always lashed out at others. You want everyone around you to be as unhappy as you are.”

  “Go to hell,” he spits.

  “You know what else is blatantly clear to me?” I ask, ignoring his outburst. “You want my girl.”

  He laughs, rubbing at his jaw. “Yeah, what if I do? Gwen would be better off with me, but she refuses to see the truth about you.”

  He’s trying to push my buttons, but I refuse to let this fucker get under my skin.

  “Despite your efforts, Gwen and I are still very much in love. We’ll get married someday and have beautiful babies. And you, you’ll never have that. Because you’re incapable of love. Perhaps that’s not your fault. Maybe you’ve never been shown what it’s like. Either way, I’ve decided you’re not worth my time or energy. You’re not worth my hate.”

  “How big of you,” he mocks. “But why the hell are you telling me all this, exactly?”

  “Because I want you to know it’s over. As long as you agree to stay far away from Gwen, I’m done. We’ve only got a few more months left at Westbrook High. Let’s bury this shit now.”

  He eyes me like I’m a piece of dogshit on his shoe, his face scrunching with disgust. “And if I say no?”

  This is pretty much how I expected him to respond to my little olive branch. He’s had it out for me since my arrival at Westbrook. Long before I ever did anything to earn his contempt. But this isn’t up for negotiation. He either concedes, or I find another way to deal with him.

  “Do you really want to find out the answer to that question, man? Aren’t you tired of letting your anger control you? You want to know where that gets you in life? Go have a talk with my father, at the state penitentiary.”

  It would probably do Shane some good to see that place—to talk to the men there like Brody, who’ll be sitting behind those bars for the rest of their lives or close to it. My brief visit definitely had an impact on me.

  “That’s it?” he scoffs. “And you and your goon friends will leave me alone?”

  To be honest, Thatcher and Arwen don’t know anything about this yet. But I know they’ll be on board. The three of us are ready to retire our vigilante capes.

  “This is the end of the Westbrook Three,” I admit. “We’re moving on to new chapters in our lives. I suggest you do the same.”

  His jaw tics, his eyes studying me for several seconds before he gives a reluctant nod of agreement.

  “Good choice,” I jest, smiling before turning my back to him.

  It’s true what they say; pain does change a person. But it isn’t always a bad thing. If you let it, heartbreak can transform you into something better. You can choose to let go of all the bullshit holding you down.

  And that’s exactly what I plan to do.

  Whistling, I walk away from the past and toward the future.

  Epilogue

  2 years later

  GWEN

  The sun slowly peeks through the bedroom window, and my lips curl into a smile. Cole says I act like a kid on Christmas. He made me promise not to wake him before the sun was up. I’ve been lying in this bed trying to stay perfectly still and quiet for the past hour, listening to his even breathing.

  Christmas is my favorite time of year. Even more so now that I get to spend them with Cole. We got our own place together in Nashville after graduation two years ago and started our own traditions. We stay with Lydia and Patrick on Christmas eve. On Christmas day, we eat breakfast and exchange gifts with them here at their place before heading over to spend the day with my parents. Things might need to change a little once we start a family of our own. But for now, it’s perfect.

  Cole’s body is molded to mine, his arm draped around my waist. I wiggle to loosen his hold, struggling to roll over. He doesn’t stir from the movement, or as I sweep his messy blond hair from his face.

  He looks so peaceful I almost hate to wake him.

  “Cole?” I gently shake him, getting no response. “Cole, wake up. Santa came.”

  He chuckles, glaring at me through one squinted eye. “You better be glad you’re so damn cute. It’s too early for this.”

  We were up late last night talking with Arwen and Aidan. Those two are so ridiculously happy in California, both of them thriving in school. I think Arwen misses it here, though. She doesn’t like being so far away from her dad. Or from her new mother and brother.

  Cole never even considered moving away from his mom. Which was fine with me. He got into a two-year culinary program in Nashville and graduated this past May. Patrick hired him as Head Chef at Brighton right after that.

  I’m still in school, studying psychology and sociology at Vanderbilt. The plan is to get my doctorate and become a child psychologist.

  “It’s never too early for Christmas,” I tell him, kissing the tip of his nose. “I want to get as much time in with your mom as we can.”

  He smirks, both of his emerald eyes making an appearance as his arm tightens around me again. “You don’t need to worry about that. Everyone will be joining us at your parents’ tonight.”

  My brow creases. “They are? Why?”

  He slips the strap of my tank top down my shoulder, his fingertips caressing my skin in an extremely distracting manner. “Does there need to be a reason? I thought it’d be nice for everyone to be together.”

  It will be nice to have everyone together. I love the idea. But it’s odd that he didn’t say anything about it until now. No one did. “When was this decided? And why didn’t anyone tell me?”

  His lips land on my shoulder, delivering delicate kisses before he answers. “Because it was supposed to be a surprise.”

  “Oh…”

  My stomach flutters. He has something special planned for today. I know it.

  He brushes the hair away from my neck, his kisses hungrier now. My entire thought process is lost as he sucks and nibbles on my skin, my center already pulsing with need.

  “You need to behave.” There’s no conviction behind my panted protest.

  Lydia and Patrick are asleep on the other side of the house. They likely wouldn’t hear us. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time we went at it in this room. Cole made sure we christened it right after they told us it was ours.

  “I’m not sure what you mean,” he snickers, his breath dancing on my skin. “Don’t you want to open my Christmas package before we go downstairs?” He rolls me onto my back, pinning me to the bed as he straddles my hips.

  “You didn’t seriously say that.” I giggle.

  He winks and leans down, giving me a chaste kiss on the lips. “What?” he asks innocently. “All I’m saying is I want to stuff your stocking with my Yuletide log.”

  My heart warms in my chest, and I huff out a laugh. He’s still the mischievous boy I fell for, fourteen years ago. “I love you, Cole Masterson.”

  A big smile lights his face, and he dives back in, capturing my mouth with his.
The kiss isn’t sweet or playful this time. This one is fueled with intense passion and deep love. The kind that sets my body on fire.

  We won’t be making it downstairs anytime soon.

  COLE

  My heart has been racing since we arrived at Gwen’s parents’ place, the mixture of nerves and exhilaration making it impossible to relax. Dinner seemed to go on forever, and I couldn’t focus on any of the conversations going on around the table. The anticipation is sure to kill me.

  Thatcher steps up next to me and grabs my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Breathe, man. You look like you’re about to pass out.”

  Gwen got a little suspicious after I told her my mom and Patrick were going to be joining us for dinner at her parents’. When Thatcher and Violet arrived, it became pretty obvious I had something up my sleeve.

  I chuckle, flipping him off. “That’s how I fucking feel, too.”

  As stupid and sentimental as it sounds, I wanted everyone I care about here for tonight. It feels more like added pressure now, though. For her and for me. We’ve got an entire audience here.

  “You’ve got nothing to worry about. Gwen loves you. She’s going to be thrilled,” Thatcher says.

  My eyes wander across the living room, where Gwen and Aidan are talking. She’s all decked out in a pretty green dress, her lips painted red. Looking absolutely stunning as always.

  Sensing my stare, she looks up and gives me a coy smile. “I love you,” she mouths, and I release my coiled breath.

  Thatcher is right. I’m being ridiculous.

  Everything has been beyond perfect with Gwen. We finished our senior year of high school with no more issues from Shane. From what I hear, he’s working on becoming a criminal lawyer and plans to work at his father’s firm.

  The summer after graduation, we moved into a place together in the city. Her parents bought her a condo downtown, but I insist on paying them rent. Much lower than it would actually be, I’m sure. And they’re probably putting it all away to give back to us someday. Still, it makes me feel better about living there.

  Our lives are pretty busy, between me running the kitchen at Brighton and Gwen still in school, but we make it work. I’m happier than I’ve ever been, and she seems to be too. There’s really only one way this is going to go.

  “Yeah, I’m done waiting. Let’s get this show on the road.” I step up next to the Christmas tree, clearing my throat to get everyone’s attention. “If it’s all right with you guys, I’d like to start the gift exchange off with something special.”

  Gwen is the only person surprised by my announcement, the rest of our friends and family exchanging looks of excitement as they gather around.

  I motion for Gwen to come to my side, and she eyes me with confused amusement, her pouty lips twisting as she stands next to me.

  “What are you up to?” she whispers.

  “I got you something special for Christmas,” I explain, pulling out the envelope that’s stuffed in the tree. “But, you’ll have to hunt for it.”

  She takes the envelope as I extend it to her, a huge grin on her pretty face. “Seriously? You’re sending me on a scavenger hunt?”

  “Yep. This is your first clue. You’ll need to solve each one to find the next.”

  “This is so exciting,” she squeals, her smile expanding across her face.

  My heart jackhammers in my chest as she opens the envelope, sweat forming on my brow when I realize she’ll probably read the clues out loud.

  She clears her throat, her eyes flickering to me then back to the paper. “Let me just say, I’d follow you to the ends of the earth any day. Now, don’t delay. Head to the place where you first led the way.”

  Her eyes snap to me, her head tilting as she thinks. “Oh!” she shouts. “The theater room.”

  I chuckle as she rushes in that direction, remembering the little girl in her princess dress and crown, so eager to be my friend.

  Arwen bumps into me, scoffing. “This is gross. When did you become such a romantic?”

  My best friend claims to hate romance, but her other half is the most sentimental person I know.

  I smirk. “It is pretty awesome, huh?”

  Gwen enters the room again, triumph on her face as she waves around the second clue.

  God, I love her. She’s so damn cute.

  “Okay,” she huffs, trying to catch her breath. “I’ve always wanted to be your forever, even when I feared we could never be together. This next clue is one you’re sure not to miss. Head to the place where the promise of for keeps was sealed with a kiss.”

  Gwen’s eyes are glossy as they meet mine, a hand landing over her heart before she makes her way to my old bedroom.

  If she hadn’t been bold enough to ask for that first kiss, I’m not sure I ever would’ve been brave enough to make my move. Gwen always seemed way out of my league. Still does, to be honest.

  I’m a lucky son of a bitch.

  “This is so sweet, Cole,” Nina gushes.

  “It’s going to be hard to top though,” my mom adds with a snicker.

  “Yeah, I know. Thanks for reminding me,” I grumble, even though there’s a smile behind it.

  Gwen returns a second later, panting as she opens her next clue. “Cooking for you can’t be beat. I love to feed you tasty sweets. Don’t drag your feet. You’ll find the next clue where I once made you my very own yummy treat.”

  The living room erupts with giggles as Gwen’s face turns bright red, her eyes wide as they land on me.

  I shrug, nervous laughter bubbling out of me.

  She scurries out of the room again and my eyes slide over to Mark, who’s glaring at me with disapproval.

  Oops.

  If he doesn’t like that one, he probably won’t like the next one either.

  Thatcher sniggers next to me. “Did you seriously just inform all her friends and family that you two screwed in her parents’ kitchen?”

  “It’s possible I didn’t think these all the way through,” I admit.

  Gwen’s cheeks are still pink when she walks back in, hesitating as she opens the next clue.

  She’s definitely going to kill me.

  “Our relationship hasn’t always been this sturdy. Both of us played some tricks that were dirty. Here’s the rub. You’ll find your last clue where I gave you a good scrub-a-dub-dub.”

  Gwen’s eyebrows shoot up, and the room fills with more laughter. Except for Mark, who groans. I give her an apologetic grimace, but there’s a smile hiding in the corner of her mouth as she turns to head up to her bedroom.

  We all follow her out of the room this time, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. Gwen gasps with surprise when she sees everyone standing in the foyer and descends the steps slowly, cautiously.

  She opens the last envelope with trembling hands, her voice wavering as she reads, “Walking down memory lane has been fun, but there’s a reason I brought you back to where it all begun. You’ve been my princess since I first saw you standing here, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you this…”

  Gwen’s questioning gaze lifts to me, and Thatcher places the velvet box in my clammy hand before I get down on one knee.

  She gasps and takes a step closer, her hands covering her mouth. Her eyes flare as I flip the box open, revealing the one-and-a-half carat princess-cut engagement ring. The center diamond is wrapped in a halo of diamonds, with more down each side of the band. This sucker took me a year to save up for, but it was worth it.

  “Gwendolyn Grace Rhodes, will you marry me?”

  “Yes.” Tears of joy spring from her eyes and she nods, echoing cheers surrounding us as she offers me her hand.

  The ring slips on her finger with ease, and I stand to kiss my fiancée. We keep it short and sweet, not wanting to give our cooing audience a show.

  “Did you really just agree to be my wife?” I ask, my pulse still racing. “Like, you’re really going to be mine forever? I get to grow old and gray with you?”

  Sh
e giggles, rolling her eyes. “Silly man, did you honestly think there was a chance I’d say no? For keeps, remember?”

  Want more from the Westbrook Three? Click here to download an exclusive bonus epilogue!

  Acknowledgments

  Leila: You’re amazing. Thank you for always cheering me on. For checking on me every day and listening to my whining.

  Crystal: You’ve been instrumental to me with this series. It wouldn’t be what it is without you. Thank you for both pushing and encouraging me.

  Kirsten: You were one of the first people who offered to help me with the publishing process, and you’ve never once asked for anything in return. You’re kind of incredible. Thank you!

  My readers: I’ll be celebrating my fourth publishing anniversary soon, and that wouldn’t be possible without you. Whether you’ve been with me since the beginning or you’re a new reader, I appreciate all the love and support you’ve shown me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  About the Author

  Amber McCammon lives in Tennessee, where she was born and raised—which means she often gets caught with the south in her mouth. She loves to travel, though, and dreams of being a nomad one day. In 2017, she decided to take her passion for writing to the self-publishing world. Since then, she’s put out numerous books with many more to come. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find her reading, spending money she doesn’t have in Target, or hanging with her hubby and two kiddos.

  Visit her website to find out more:

  https://admccammon.com/

  Join her Facebook reader group: AD’s McReaders

  To contact Amber, please email her at a.d.mccammon@outlook.com