The Love of My Bully

by Sam Crescent

  “I need to know if you trust me.”

  “Yes, of course I do.”

  “Good. I’m going to make this work. I promise you. I just needed to know you trust me and that you’re with me.”

  “Always. I love you, Drake.”

  “And I love you.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “Always. Never forget that.”

  Chapter Twenty

  What is the plan?

  Driving home with her parents was the worst thing Pru could ever think of doing. They were silent and even in their refusal to speak, she knew they were judging her. She couldn’t blame them for being angry. They had always asked her to stay away from Drake, but she hadn’t heeded the warning, and now look where they were.

  Soon, she was back her home with parents who wouldn’t speak to her, and she hadn’t heard from Drake, which scared her. She didn’t want him to be punished.

  Her birthday weekend had gone from fun to crap within minutes. How did they know they were there? Who knew? She hadn’t told a soul about her relationship with Drake, so how did anyone know? None of this made any sense to her.

  They’d been so careful.

  She stared at her cell phone.

  Her parents were downstairs, talking in whispered tones. Running a hand down her face, she tried to clear her mind, but it wasn’t happening. She had to confront her parents so she knew exactly what was going on.

  Climbing off her bed, she threw her cell phone on top of the covers and headed down into the lion’s den. She’d never been afraid to see her parents, but right now, she couldn’t help but feel a little sick and at a loss for words.

  “What do you think we should do?” her father said.

  “I don’t think there’s anything we can do. I hope they’re both not stupid enough to just see this is about them. It’s not. It’s about all of us.”

  “Why couldn’t she have been with Sean? It would have been a whole lot easier.”

  She closed her eyes. She hated hearing the disappointment in their voices but nothing was going to change what they saw and were part of. She didn’t mean to fall in love with Drake, it just happened. For the most part, she couldn’t even believe it. They had started out hating each other and now, well, she’d do anything for him.

  Entering the dining room, she clenched her hands into fists and looked at her parents.

  “Hey, Mom, Dad,” she said.

  They turned to look at her. Neither of them said a word.

  “Is this how it’s going to be? You’re going to ignore me?”

  “We expected better from you,” her father said. “For the longest time, you’ve hated that boy and now we find out you were sneaking around with him.”

  “We both knew our relationship wouldn’t be taken well. Look at the way you acted around his parents. Neither of us had done anything wrong and yet you couldn’t even look at me or defend me.”

  “Do you have any idea the kind of power they hold? Do you know what they do to people who stand in their way? Before we came along, a young family lived here. The man was a worker and he wanted an increase in pay. He tried to rally the workers, and what did he get, his mortgage came due? He was run out of town for drug smuggling, and his wife, she ended up in prison for fraud. This is the kind of people we’re dealing with. You make waves, a debt is called, or your job is on the fucking line, or maybe some old warrant appears for your arrest. Something is always there on their side! This isn’t just some family who’ll look the other way. They will destroy any kind of happiness we hope to have. Is that what you want? To destroy all of our chances here?”

  They were treating her like the enemy.

  Pain sliced through her.

  “All you can think about is yourselves. You don’t care about me or what I want. Just what you guys want.” Pru couldn’t believe what she was hearing and yet, it didn’t seem to matter. “I’ve got to go,” she said.

  “You’re not leaving this house. You’re not going anywhere near that boy again. Do you understand me?” Now it was her mother standing up, glaring at her.

  “You’re telling me I’m grounded?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’ve never grounded me.”

  “You’ve never acted so recklessly before. This isn’t about you. You won’t see that boy again. I mean it, Pru. We’re finally in a good place in this town, and you’re not going to ruin it for us. For any of us.” Her mother slapped her hand down on the table. “Go to your room. I’ll bring you dinner. I can’t even look at you right now.”

  She hated this. As she glanced at the door, the temptation to run was so strong, but she knew it would only prove how childishly she was reacting. She had to bide her time. To know when to pick the right battles, and today wasn’t the right time. Turning on her heel, she made her way back up to her room. Rather than slam the door, she closed it quietly.

  Her cell phone buzzed on her bed, letting her know someone was calling. She saw it was Drake and quickly answered.

  “Hey,” she said. “Did you make it back okay?”

  “Yeah. What about you? Anything with your parents?”

  “They’re treating me like I’m the enemy,” she said. “Do you have any idea who could have known about us? I don’t know how they were able to find us.”

  “I don’t know, but I will find out. I promise you. I wish I was with you now. You know, holding you,” he said.

  She smiled. “I do as well. We’ll be able to have that again. I know we will.” She was lying, but Drake didn’t call her out on it. “What do you think we should do tomorrow? It’s a school day. Do you think anyone will know?”

  “No one will. My parents will make sure of it. Whoever told on us, they’d be paid to keep quiet.”

  “You did warn me about how bad they can be. I had no idea it would be like this, Drake.”

  “I know. They’re used to getting their own way.”

  And Drake had to keep in line. All of his anger over the past ten-plus years made a lot of sense to her now. She wasn’t going to make excuses for his behavior, but it did make sense. No one could blame him for acting out.

  Compared to him, she probably had the most ideal life between the two of them.

  “What are you doing right now?” he asked.

  “I’m in my room.” She paused as she heard someone coming. “I’ve got to go. Someone’s coming. I’ll call you back.”

  She ended the call, pocketing her cell phone as her dad opened her bedroom door. Behind him was Sean.

  Her best friend offered her a smile. She couldn’t bring herself to smile back.

  “I heard you talking. Give me your phone,” her father said.

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “I know who you were talking to. Give it to me.” He growled the words at her and she felt sick to her stomach.

  Pulling out the cell phone, she handed it to her father. He placed it in his pocket.

  “When will I get that back?”

  “When you finally learn your lesson. We’ve told you to ignore that boy, and look what happened. Sean, talk some sense into her.”

  “Wait a minute. Why are you talking about this in front of Sean?” she asked, looking from her dad to her best friend.

  Sean stepped into the bedroom. “I think we should talk.”

  “I don’t know if I want to talk to you.” There was no way Sean could have known. She and Drake were so freaking careful.

  “You should be thanking Sean for not letting you screw up your life, or our family’s. He’s a good kid.”

  Her dad had left the tray of food on the bed but Pru wasn’t interested in eating. She was more focused on the guy in front of her.

  “You’re the one who told?”

  Sean sighed. “Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t want to.”

  “Wait, you’re admitting you ruined my birthday by telling my and Drake’s parents we were seeing each other? How did you even know? What right do you have to go telling people’s secrets like that?”<
br />
  “You were making a mistake.”

  “What? By your standards?” she asked. “You don’t think I’m good enough for Drake?”

  “Not good enough?” Sean burst out laughing. “Oh, please. I know you’re good enough for Drake. You’re too good for him. He had no right to you. Never had a right to you. You’re better than him and his fucked-up family.”

  Pru pulled away from him, not really recognizing the boy before her.

  “This is … you did this? You really knew? How?”

  “Out of everything I just said to you, this is what you’re picking up on?”

  “How can I not pick up on this? You’re my best friend and rather than ask me, you assumed and just … how could you do this? Why didn’t you come to me?” she asked.

  “And have you lie to me, like you’ve been lying every time you’ve been with him. You and Drake, you were so full of each other you didn’t even realize you were being watched. He’s not worth your time. I did you a favor.”

  She laughed. “You think you’ve done me a favor? My family hates me. I had to take all of his parents’ insults. I’m not a slut. I love Drake and he loves me.”

  “He’s using you.”

  “You’re wrong, Sean. If he was using me, we wouldn’t have ever been caught and he would’ve made sure my humiliation was complete.” She shook her head. “You’re wrong about him. I was wrong about him.”

  Sean stepped closer and she pulled back, wrapping her arms around her waist and wanting nothing to do with him. She didn’t want him anywhere near her.

  “You can’t be serious right now. Do you even remember what he did to you? Not his friends, him. Drake, he can’t be trusted.”

  She lifted her head, staring at her best friend. “You’ve always been my best friend. Stood by me. Why didn’t you come to me? Why did you have to go behind my back?”

  Sean lowered his hands and released a sigh. “You weren’t thinking straight.”

  “And you thought you could think for me, is that it?”

  “Pru.”

  “No!” She turned and glared at him. “I don’t want to hear you speak. I don’t want to hear you say anything. I’m done listening to you.”

  “Pru, don’t do this,” Sean said.

  “Do what, Sean? Don’t listen to you? Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Any idea at all? Do you even care?”

  “Of course I care.”

  She snorted. “You could have fooled me. You told my parents. You told Drake’s parents rather than come to me. Do you see the way they’re treating me now? Like I’m some kind of troubled kid.”

  “Aren’t you?” Sean asked.

  “What?” She couldn’t believe she was hearing this from him.

  Sean picked up one of her fries from off her plate and shoved it into his mouth. “I don’t mean to be a pain in the ass and state the obvious, but come on, Pru. You’ve been secretly dating Drake. Surely that has to come from some lapse in judgment. I’m sorry, but you’re seriously troubled.”

  “I’m not joking around right now, Sean. I’m being serious.”

  “So am I!” He stood up and Pru glared at him. She was so freaking pissed at him. Not once did he even ask her about what she was doing or what her plans were. He just threw out assumptions. She was done playing this kind of game with him, with anyone. No one had any right to tell her what to do or how to live her life. She wasn’t a horrible person.

  He advanced toward her, grabbing her arms. His strength took her by surprise and she let out a gasp. “Let go of me.”

  “No. I’m not going to let go until you realize how fucking stupid you’re being. Drake is a grade-A asshole, and you can’t even see it. You’re so blinded by your own hormones, you’re being ridiculous.”

  “You’re crazy.” She tried to push him away.

  “Think about this, Pru. What happened? You’ve been acting strangely since the night Ree called you to go to his party. Where I had to wait outside. What happened in there? Does he have something on you? Is he blackmailing you?”

  “No one is blackmailing me.”

  “Could have fooled me.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I don’t know what I’m talking about? Pru, you had sex with Drake. The guy who has been bullying you for as long as I can remember. You don’t think there’s something weird about that? I sure as fuck do.”

  “It doesn’t matter. You’re not my boss. You’re supposed to be my friend and what you did, you should have come to me first.” She stared down at his arms, which were still gripping her tightly. He sighed, releasing his tight hold, but he still held her. Pru didn’t know if she even wanted his touch anymore. For as long as she’d known Sean, he’d been a caring, considerate person. She loved him but only as a friend. Never as anything more.

  “He bullied you. Made your life miserable. Your parents couldn’t do anything to protect you, and yet, you’re still here fighting for him, why?”

  “Because I care about him, and that’s never going to change,” she said. “Drake’s not who I thought he was, but then, neither are you.”

  “Don’t, Pru. Don’t say stuff like that.”

  “How do you expect me to react after everything I’ve just found out?” She couldn’t believe how close to tears she actually was. Sean’s betrayal hurt so much. More than she ever thought it could.

  “Pru,” he said, running his hands up and down her arms. They didn’t offer her comfort, not anymore. She pulled out of his arms and shook her head.

  “Seriously? You’re going to let that asshole come between us after everything we’ve been through?”

  “What exactly have we been through? Nothing. Not really. Whenever he has bullied you, I stepped in. You rarely stepped in to help me, and now, rather than come to me, you went to my parents.” She shook her head. Her emotions were driving her crazy. “I want nothing to do with you.”

  “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

  “Why? Because I’m not thanking you for seeing the light? There is no way I’d ever thank you for what you’ve put me through. I want nothing to do with you. Get out of my room.” She pushed him, not hard, but enough to make him take a step back.

  “You have no idea what you’re saying.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. So fucking wrong.”

  “You swear now?”

  “I do a hell of a lot more than that. Get out!” She screamed the words and pushed him out the door. The sooner he got out of her life, the better she’d feel.

  When he was past the threshold, she glared at him. “You’re not my friend.” She slammed the door in his face and leaned against it, her head falling back on the wood. This wasn’t how she wanted her life to be. There was no way she should be feeling hatred for him. In all the years she’d known Sean, she never once thought he’d betray her, and yet that was exactly what he did.

  Glancing around her room, she hated it. Not only was it really small, but it reminded her of a life she no longer wanted to be part of.

  There was a slight knock on her bedroom window. Walking over to it, she lifted it up and was shocked to see Drake hanging near her window, having climbed the tree just outside her room.

  “Are you crazy?” she asked.

  “Anyone in your room?”

  “No.”

  “I saw the asshole leave,” he said.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “You wouldn’t answer any of my calls, so I wanted to make sure you were okay. The last thing I wanted was for my parents to send you away.”

  “They took my phone. Wait. Hold up. How would they send me away?”

  “They have power everywhere. I know they’ve used their power with the cops to plant evidence. Drugs, money. I don’t know what they will use but something that will get you taken away. I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t know I was here now, or not. They assume I do as I’m told.”

  “You’ve got to be quiet,” she
said as he climbed through her window. “My parents could walk in at any moment.”

  “I’ll be quiet.”

  She closed the window and glanced at her door. “Did Sean leave my house?”

  “I don’t know. He’s probably talking with your parents and saying how you’ll get over the betrayal and he’ll marry you. You’ll have lots of Sean babies.”

  “Don’t. I don’t even want to talk about this right now.”

  “I was only joking around. You really think I’d let that fucker have what’s mine?” He cupped her face, stroking her cheeks with his thumb. “I don’t share.”

  “This isn’t a joke. Sean found out about us.”

  “Because he’s a perv. I recall telling you he wasn’t a good guy.”

  “Yeah, and now he’s even more of an asshole. Ugh, I hate this. How can you stand this?” she asked, pulling out of his arms and walking back to her bed. She sat on the edge and looked at him. “They could be watching you.”

  “And if they are, we’ll give them a show.”

  “I’m being serious.”

  “So am I. My parents aren’t watching me. If they were, I wouldn’t have even been able to come here now. They’ve assumed I’ve followed their orders but they need to realize no one tells me what to do.”

  “No one?”

  “No one.” He pulled her in close. His face pressed against her neck and she closed her eyes, enjoying their closeness. “I’ve missed this with you. Missed it so freaking much.”

  “We’ve only been apart a couple of hours.”

  “Those hours have felt way too long.” He kissed her neck and pulled back. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “No, I mean really, not just because of the sex but everything else.”

  “Everything else?”

  “My parents.”

  She nibbled her lip and sighed. “I don’t know what to say about them. It was intense.”

  “It was more than intense. Don’t listen or even for a second doubt what is going on. You’re amazing. I want you to always remember that.”

  “You’re worried?”

  “Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be? The last thing I want is for you to run off and be with someone else,” he said. He stepped away from her, cursing.