Beautiful Dirty Rich: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Blood and Diamonds Book 1)

by L. A. Sable

  “You guys should have seen how Dean Felton acted.” I say, picking up a breadstick and snapping it half, wishing it was Chloe’s neck. “He heard her story, and it didn’t matter what else I had to say.”

  “Only the Bellamys give more money to the alumni fund than Chloe’s family does.” Kai toys with the tines of his fork before righting the place setting. “She could walk into Felton’s office and tell him the sky is falling. He’d just ask her for an umbrella.”

  Because even though my mom married into the family, I’m not a Bellamy, not really. He may have paid my tuition, but Carter won’t be rushing in to defend me any time soon. Unlike Chloe, I have to deal with my problems myself.

  “Doesn’t it bother you guys?”

  They both look at me with identical expressions of confusion.

  The fact that I have to explain makes me hate them a little. “You really don’t get how completely fucked this place is?”

  “You should have been with us in middle school.” A plate of pasta is placed in front of Kai and he digs in with gusto, speaking with his mouth full. “Just imagine all the hormones with none of the common sense.”

  “Did you guys find out about a girl’s learning disability and then make fun of her for it in front of a classroom full of people?” I can’t help asking, tone sharp.

  Kai winces, expression shamed. “We need to apologize to you for that. We didn’t know what Asher was really planning until it was too late to do anything about it.”

  “That was a real dick move,” Jayden adds, and it almost sounds like he means it. “We’re really sorry.”

  “I accept your apologies, although I still expect you to make it up to me.” I pick up the thick crystal glass and take a sip of my water. “And it doesn’t sound like you’re the ones who really need to be apologizing.”

  “What Asher did to you was terrible and we’re not telling you to just forgive him. But if you knew everything about what’s happened to him, you might understand a little better how he ended up the way he is.”

  “So he’s the bully with a heart of gold?” I drawl.

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t go that far,” Kai replies with a dry laugh. “But his mom died when he was young and his dad is a real piece of work. And Carter rides him like a show pony half the time, one wrong move and he’ll be disinherited.”

  “Remember that crazy ex-girlfriend Asher used to have, the one who ended up on a psych unit?” Jayden asks, stealing a meatball off of Kai’s plate even though he ordered a salad. “Whatever happened to her?”

  “She never came back, I think somebody told me she transferred. Asher has always had bad luck with girls, things tend to go pretty badly.”

  The last thing I should want to hear about is Asher or his ex-girlfriends, but I can’t fight the small burst of curiosity. “What do you mean bad luck?”

  Jayden frowns and sets down his fork. “Well, there was also the one who died.”

  Kai makes a repressive sound. “We shouldn’t be talking about that.”

  Now my interest is piqued. “What happened?”

  “An accident—” Jayden starts.

  “It’s not our story to tell.” Kai interrupts, casting the other boy a look that’s heavy with meaning. “If she wants to know then she can ask Asher herself.”

  And then I can’t help but think about the last time I went looking for Asher because I wanted information, suppressing a shiver as the vivid memory sets my senses alight. Never again. “No thanks, I don’t need to know.”

  “And here I was thinking that you two had finally decided to try to bury the hatchet,” Jayden’s voice is faintly mocking, but there’s a small smile on his face. “Especially after how well you got along together this past weekend.”

  My mouth falls open in shock. “He told you?”

  “No, but you just confirmed it for us,” Jayden says with a sly smile that widens when he sees the look on my face. “I would have known, regardless. You two were super weird with each other after that first night. It’s obvious that something happened between you.”

  “At least nobody caught you kissing on tape this time,” Kai adds. “Not that it would hurt your standing, or anything.”

  Kissing?

  From the looks on their faces, I have a distinct impression that neither of them think anything more serious than a make-out session happened between Asher and I. Even though I’m not officially dating anyone, it does feel a little skeevy to have already jumped into bed with a guy who barely even acknowledges me in public unless he’s mocking me.

  And it’s one thing to kiss and push away one of the hottest guys on campus, but there’s nothing empowered about falling into bed with him. If that got out, it might be enough to push me back into Proli territory.

  Asher has his own reasons for keeping what happened a secret, I’m sure, but I’m going to take advantage of it, even if I know chivalry isn’t what’s keeping his lips sealed.

  “Well, that is really embarrassing.” I don’t have to fight the blush rising in my cheeks.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Jayden says with a chuckle, clearly enjoying my obvious discomfort. “Slut shaming is so two-thousand and late. Do what you want, but I wouldn’t take Asher seriously, if I were you. He’s a great friend, but not exactly boyfriend material.”

  “Unlike others we could mention,” Kai says, waggling his eyebrows. “Us, I mean.”

  I can’t help but laugh at his need to explain the obvious joke, Kai is definitely the goofiest of the guys. “Yeah, I got that.”

  The rest of lunch passes companionably as we chat. It’s a little surreal to be sitting in the dining hall and having a civil conversation with someone besides Charlie. Nobody is in here but us, so I’m not even looking over my shoulder in case Chloe tries to slip something into my food.

  When we finally get up to leave, Kai rushes to my side. “I’ll walk you back to the rooms.”

  “Seriously,” Jayden says as he also pushes to his feet. “Why do you get to walk her back?”

  “Because I’m already heading in that direction. And I asked her first.”

  “Whatever, man.” Jayden collapses back into the chair with a sigh. He picks up a water goblet and twirls the stem between his fingers. “Just don’t think I’m not nipping at your fucking heels.” When we don’t walk away immediately, he takes a sip and glares over the rim. “Go on, enjoy your walk while the weather is still nice.

  “Are you seriously upset that Kai is walking me back to the Pavilion?” I ask, feeling more than a little incredulous.

  “It’s not the walk.” He crosses his arms over his chest, icy blue eyes flashing in the light. “But if you’ve already made your decision, then I think it’s only fair to let me know.”

  My surprise is so complete that I know it’s written into every feature on my face. “My decision?” At the same time, Kai murmurs, “Come on, man.”

  Jayden sighs like he thinks I’m being deliberately obtuse. “Your decision. About which one of us you want to be with.”

  “You guys literally acted like I didn’t exist until a few weeks ago. It’s taking me a bit to catch up.” I look between the two of them, feeling like Alice after she fell down the rabbit hole. And when I turn to Kai looking for support, he has a nearly identical expression of frustration on his face. “Do you feel the same way?”

  Kai sticks his hands in the pockets of his jeans and rocks back on his heels. “I maybe wouldn’t put it in quite the same words, but I’d like to know what you’re thinking. About us, I mean.”

  Jayden adds, “Just let us know where we stand.”

  My eyes narrow. I haven’t forgotten that this nice guy act is a fairly new phenomenon. “What about Maisie Howard? You seemed pretty intent on hooking up with her, something about a trip on your yacht, I think.”

  “Maisie’s a friend of mine.” Jayden has the grace to look a little sheepish as he leans forward to rest his elbows on the table. “We’ve spent some time together, but she knows it’s
not anything serious. We haven’t even hung out in over a month.”

  “I need to think,” I say as my mind whirls. We’ve shot straight past trying to be friends and now there’s this pressure to jump into something more. I have no illusions that these guys have fallen in love with me, but I’m something new and they’ve been running through most of the girls on campus since primary school. They like me because I’m a novelty and no longer the social pariah that I was before, but I’m just not ready to trust them. Or myself, especially after what happened with Asher. “I’m going to walk myself back. We’ll talk, really talk, later okay.”

  Jayden wears an unhappy frown, but Kai makes a point of giving me a smile and elbowing Jayden in the side so he also makes a sound of agreement. “Yeah, sure. We’ll see you later.”

  Not going to lie, I basically run out of the dining hall like someone is chasing me. It’s hard to imagine a situation that’s more confusing than the one I’ve somehow found myself in. I don’t know what created this change, but I don’t have a choice about facing this new reality.

  When I get outside, a blast of cool air hits me. Fall has officially come and I know that worse weather is right around the corner. I’ve always hated the winter, mostly because every bad thing that’s ever happened to me occurred in the winter. But also because I hate looking around and seeing everything dead and bare around me. It’s a good thing that my situation at Black Lake has improved, I’m not sure I could handle this place in the dead of winter otherwise.

  Both Jayden and Kai want to date me. That realization settles over me like the weight of a heavy blanket. I feel comforted, but also trapped and stifled. I’m not used to this and I have no idea how to feel about it. Although, let’s be honest, either of them would be a better choice than Asher.

  But I can’t stop thinking about the feel of his hands on my skin and I hate myself for being unable to forget.

  This place is going to destroy me.

  It’s still bright outside when I push open the main doors of Bellamy Hall, but with enough of an edge that I know darkness is coming. Eventually, the days will shorten here enough that it will be true night by dinner time. I’m not looking forward to that.

  Despite the full sun shining overhead, I can’t help the sense of foreboding that settles over me. I shake off the feeling with an effort as I make my way down the tree-lined paths toward the Pavilion. Everything is going to be okay, I tell myself. I’ve spent so many years being invisible that truly being seen by others feels unnatural, especially when you’re talking about the sons of some of the most powerful families in the world. But I don’t have any real reason to be so scared out of my mind.

  Until someone grabs me from behind and pulls me off the path, covering my mouth with a heavy hand to silence my screams.

  I stare up at Mr. Cardill’s tense face, trying to swallow the scream that threatens to erupt from my throat.

  “Jesus Christ!”

  His smile is grim and without humor. “I thought I told you to call me Liam when we’re alone.”

  Furtively, I look around. He’s pulled us off of the path and into a small alcove in the stone facade of the building that’s obscured by trees. “What are you doing here?”

  “I couldn’t leave without talking to you.”

  A strange feeling starts in my chest, like maybe there’s more to what Chloe saw then even I wanted to acknowledge. “Mr. Cardill—”

  “You’re not safe here.”

  His words are like a splash of cold water. “What are you talking about?”

  “Look I don’t have a lot of time, so you need to listen to me very carefully.” He pulls me further into the shadow of the building so no one walking by will see us. “There’s something dangerous brewing here.”

  I can’t stop the frantic beat of my heart as he ushers me back into the shadow of the building. “If you mean Chloe, I can take care of her.”

  “I’m not talking about her, she’s the least of your worries here. You need to watch your back.”

  Despite the sun still shining and the cool breeze rustling through the trees of the Pavilion, I feel a keen sense of fear. “I don’t understand the cryptic warning, just tell me what you mean.”

  He glances away for a moment, but when his attention returns to my face, some unnamed emotion burns in his gaze. “I mean, that I don’t want you to end up like Kyra Evans.”

  I’m getting a little frustrated at this point, if just because I have no idea what he’s talking about. “Who the fuck is Kyra Evans?”

  “She’s the girl you read about in that article on Inner Circle.”

  My heart stops. “How do you know about that?”

  “Because I’m the one who sent it to you.” His face is expressionless as he explains, leaning so that there’s no chance of anyone hearing. “I graduated as a Diamond when I was a student here and I never lost access to the app or the ability to send anonymous messages.”

  “Why wouldn’t you just tell me about this from the beginning, instead of all the cloak and dagger shit?” I find myself inexplicably angry, even though I know Mr. Cardill shouldn’t be the target of my frustration. And underlying the frustration is the shocking realization that he was a Diamond. For all of his play at being the kind and caring teacher, he was one of them. “The article didn’t even have her name on it. I spent hours in the library trying to figure out who that girl was.”

  “I’m sorry, Lily. There are powerful people who worked hard to bury that story and you won’t find any more information than what I sent you.”

  “But why show it to me at all?”

  “Because I was hoping it would be enough to make you avoid the Diamonds,” he snaps, before taking a deep breath to regain control of himself. “I was trying to keep you safe, especially from Asher Bellamy.”

  Freezing cold moves through my veins as a chill passes over me. “What does Asher have to do with this?”

  “Kyra was his girlfriend. They were out at the lake together when she died.”

  I hear the sound of rushing water in my ears, making his words seem distant and unreal. “It could have been an accident.”

  “Maybe, but it’s not the first time that something terrible has happened to a girl involved with Asher. They can’t all be accidents.”

  And I recall Asher’s words to me over the weekend.

  You can’t trust a Bellamy. Remember that, or you’ll end up in trouble.

  “You don’t have to warn me away from Asher,” I say, not sure if I’m trying to convince him or myself. “He barely even speaks to me.”

  “Make sure you keep it that way.” Mr. Cardill looks behind him and then glances at his watch. “This is a place where the elite learn that there are no consequences to their actions. You don’t belong here and they all know it. That will make you a target. Just watch yourself, okay. Around all of them. I’ll keep in touch with you through the app, anonymously of course. If you need anything, let me know and I’ll try to help.”

  My hands worry at each other as I try to make sense of what he’s saying. “You just got fired, Mr. Cardill. Why do you sound more worried about me than you are about yourself?”

  “I’ll find another job. You’re the one who’s still here with no one to protect you.” His smile flashes for a brief moment, but the serious expression on his face doesn’t lift. “And call me Liam. I’m not your teacher anymore, remember.”

  He leans forward, slowly enough that I have the chance to pull away, but don’t. His lips brush my cheek in a move that should have been paternal, but leaves a spark of heat flashing across my skin. Before I can really even process that reaction, he’s already walking down the path and disappearing around the corner.

  But his touch still burns on my skin, even after he’s long gone.

  Chapter 18

  The morning of convocation dawns foggy and dim, as if there’s a heavy blanket of cloud overlaying everything. I can barely see a foot in front of me as I walk down the path toward Bellamy Hall
. Trish had sent me an excited text message that morning telling me that Carter had returned early from his business trip so they would both be in attendance.

  I’m supposed to meet them for a family breakfast at the dining hall, which means Asher will be there too.

  He and I haven’t spoken a word to each other since that night at the house. Class has been almost peaceful without the constant sniping and barbs exchanged, but I can’t fight the sense that it’s the calm before the storm.

  Asher almost acts like he’s lost in his own brooding world, barely engaging even with his friends. Kai and Jayden have noticed but we’ve all made a point not to talk about Asher which seems to be the best way of keeping the peace. I’d invited Charlie to come with me, but she’s said that she was skipping breakfast to give herself more time to practice her speech. Her father couldn’t get off work so he won’t even be at the ceremony and her mother couldn’t find anyone to watch the kids, so neither of them will be here.

  It also doesn’t help my nerves that the voting starts in a few hours on the Inner Circle app. By the end of the day, some of us will be at the top and others will be at the very bottom.

  So I’m more than a little apprehensive when I reach the dining hall to find Trish and Carter sitting at one of the round tables with Asher next to them. And it gets even worse when I realize they’re sharing the table with Chloe and her parents.

  Both of my tormentors in the same place at the same time. Who could ask for more?

  At least the adults are there as a buffer, Chloe won’t try anything too terrible with them there to see it. At least, I hope not.

  Chloe doesn’t say anything as I take an empty seat, but the expression on her face is full of dark anticipation, as if she’s contemplating something terrible and can’t wait to see it come to fruition. Asher is sitting beside her, but makes a point of avoiding my gaze, glaring down at the plate of eggs in front of him.

  Mrs. Devlin, Chloe’s mother, looks exactly how I imagined she would, like a more glamorous version of Morticia Addams. Her dark hair is pulled at the nape of her neck into a low chignon so that the gigantic teardrop diamonds hanging from her ears are unobscured. Even though I’m standing when I catch her gaze, it still feels like she’s looking down her nose at me.