Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
With a relieved huff, I slump onto my assigned desk and wait for first period to get underway. Students gradually filter in, chattering excitedly about the weekend and how much fun it was. Stories are shared before being passed along to their neighbor.
Again, there’s nothing about me.
Not even my unexpected dip in the lake.
Thank god.
This has been an ugly chapter of my time at HP, and all I want to do is close it and move on with my life.
I open my pre-calc book and flip through the pages, looking for the place where we left off. I’m only half listening as Mrs. Baxter reads the morning announcements over the loudspeaker. With all the laughter and talking that hums around me, no one is really paying attention. It’s only when her voice is abruptly cut off and loud grunting fills the air that the people around me fall silent and swivel in their seats. When a long, keening moan is broadcast to the school at large, laughter erupts.
Rough grunting and groans follow.
It almost sounds like…
Like…
Someone is having sex.
“Oh, Edmond,” a soft voice whimpers. “Yes, right there. Yes!”
It doesn’t take long for recognition to slam into me and my eyes widen with horror. Any moment, they’re going to fall out of my head and roll around on the desk.
Mom.
My hand feels as if it weighs a thousand pounds as it rises to my gaping mouth.
More guttural noises follow before…
“Who’s my dirty little whore?”
“Holy shit, that’s Pembroke,” the guy next to me shouts. “He’s getting it on with someone!”
More raucous laughter fills the space until it echoes off the walls and rings hollowly in my ears.
“Go, Pembroke!” the girl next to me calls out before dissolving into a fit of giggles.
The stunned expression on Coach Baker’s face would be hilarious if I didn’t know my mother was having sex with our headmaster.
After a handful of seconds, our teacher makes his way to his feet and raises his arms. “All right, everyone. That’s enough. Let’s settle down and act like the mature individuals you’re supposed to be. Obviously, there’s a glitch in the system.”
That embarrassed reprimand only makes people laugh harder.
“Oh, there’s a glitch in the system all right,” someone hollers back before chuckling.
“I love fucking you on my desk, Carrie,” Pembroke growls right before the sound cuts out and silence fills the air.
“Did he say Carrie?” the guy next to me asks.
“Who the hell is Carrie?” another girl questions.
Speculation runs rampant as I rise to my feet on wooden legs and scoop up my books before walking out of the room in a daze. There is so much noise and chaos that Coach Baker doesn’t realize that I’ve slipped away. I don’t know what I’d tell him if he did ask.
All I know is that I need to escape from the confines of the room that feels like it’s shrinking around me. My chest is tight, and it’s becoming more difficult to breathe with every second that passes.
As soon as I stumble into the deserted hallway, I stagger to the bank of lockers before slapping a hand against the cool metal and folding over at the waist, trying to suck fresh air into my deprived lungs. I squeeze my eyes tightly shut for just a handful of seconds as my head spins like I’m on a Tilt-A-Whirl before straightening and forcing myself to move.
I can’t believe this is happening.
I can’t believe that someone—
I falter.
No.
Not someone.
I know exactly who did this.
My legs are so shaky that I’m afraid I’ll stumble and fall to my knees. The thought of reaching my mom is what prods me into movement and keeps me going. As I turn a corner, a muscular figure looms in the middle of the hallway. I skid to a halt as our gazes fasten.
Fury crashes over me like a tidal wave, nearly sucking me under as I bare my teeth.
I can’t believe he did this. He might have hung the threat over my head to coerce me into doing what he wanted, but I didn’t actually believe he’d go through with it.
That he’d go to these lengths to lash out and hurt me.
As much as I’m loath to admit it, there’s no way to deny the truth. When it comes down to it, Austin Hawthorne is no better than Jasper. Both boys are cut from the same cloth. That thought turns my stomach until it feels like I’ll be sick.
“Delilah.” Intensity swirls through his green depths as he takes a swift step toward me.
I do the only thing I can to ward him off and throw up a hand as my lips lift into a snarl. Shock flashes across his face as he grinds to a halt.
“How could you do this?” I growl.
Rage vibrates through every cell of my being.
Austin never gave me a reason to trust him, but I did. I believed he would never do anything to wound me. Obviously, that’s my fault for being so gullible.