A Hurt So Sweet Volume Three: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Elite of Eden Falls Prep Book 3) Read online

  “Come on, I’ll get you home.”

  “What about my father?” she asks, her bottom lip jutting out. “He’s going to fucking kill me.”

  “No,” I say resolutely. “I’ll make sure you’re okay, don’t worry. Come on, we need to get the hell out of here.”

  I lead her out of the house to a shocked Kelley who doesn’t say a word, just opens the car door for us and silently drives away from Julian’s lake house.

  Pandora’s quiet for the entire ride home, and I take every chance I can to check if she’s okay. Apart from the ruined makeup she looks just like the girl who’s been the thorn in my side for months. But there’s something different – the way she holds herself, the way she meekly looks away every time my eyes meet hers. Her defiance is gone, wiped out by the boys I called my friends only a day ago.

  They broke her.

  They broke her the way I never could.

  2

  Pandora

  The car comes to a stop in front of Oakes Estate, but I stay glued to my spot. I don’t want to move. I don’t want to go inside; I don’t want to admit what happened to me in that lake house was real. Saying it out loud will make it too awful to handle. My mind is already foggy. I can feel myself fading away, and though I’m clutching at straws to stay sane, I’m getting fucking tired. Is it worth it to stay here, with these people who want nothing more than to ruin me? It would be so much easier to just slip away… let the shadows take me and build a wall not even my father’s shouting can penetrate.

  “I’ll come with you,” Dexter offers, and I twist in my chair, taking a long look at my unlikely savior. “It’ll be okay if I’m there with you. I’ll convince him it wasn’t your fault.”

  “Convince him?” I laugh. “It wasn’t my fault, Dexter. In fact, all of this is your fucking fault!”

  He regards me with a cool gaze, but I can see the silent fire raging within him.

  “Aren’t you going to say anything?” I blurt out, glaring. “You’re not even going to defend yourself, you prick?”

  He remains quiet, his gaze fixed on mine as he waits for me to go on. I groan, rubbing my eyes just as the door of the car flies open.

  “Sir, I’ll have her brought up as soon as-” Kelley scrambles to say, stepping in front of my enraged father.

  But the man doesn’t listen, reaching past Dexter and grabbing me by my hair, making me cry out in pain as he drags me out of the vehicle.

  “You fucking slut,” he says with cool disgust. “I should have known you’d be the one to disgrace this family! Raised somewhere else like a commoner, acting like an entitled brat with no manners… If I hadn’t made you take that DNA test, I’d be questioning whether you’re my daughter at all!”

  I scream as he drops me to the gravel, staring up at him with pure disgust. Dexter’s quick to get out of the car, and it takes him and Kelley to hold my father back before he can beat my unmoving body for what’s been done to me.

  “You make me ashamed,” my father spits on the ground, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. “Fucking ashamed that you’re my blood, my fucking family – my Firstborn, no less! Well, no longer, daughter. I’ve put up with you long enough.”

  “Please, Emilian, let’s speak about this,” Dexter interrupts, laying a calming hand on my father’s shoulder. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, there’s still so much for us to discuss-”

  “And you!” Father roars back to life, turning around on his heels and jamming his finger against Dexter’s chest. “You’re the reason all this happened. Because you couldn’t keep your filthy paws off her, and you made them want the same.”

  He looks at me with pure disgust in his eyes, the way no father should look at their daughter as he murmurs, “I still don’t understand why, she’s nothing. Not beautiful. Not bright. Fucking nothing.”

  The words sear me like knives but I don’t cry. Instead, I pick myself up from the gravel, the stones digging into my bare feet. It’s cold as fuck out here, and I want to go to my room, bury myself under the blankets in my bed and pretend none of this ever happened.

  “Let’s go inside,” Dexter suggests. “Come on, we can’t talk out here.”

  My father groans, rubbing his temples, while Kelley offers me a helping hand and leads me across the gravel inside the house. I feel shame burning my cheeks as we walk into the house and find both Minnie and Belle there, watching us intently.

  “What the hell are you looking at?” Father roars to life as we walk inside. “Get back to work!”

  Both of them scurry to their feet, each one heading into a different direction of the house. Father turns to face me now, his face twisted in displeasure as he mutters, “My office, fucking now.”

  Kelley gives me an apologetic nod. Now I’m left with Dexter and my father, and I don’t know which one of them I hate more. Wordlessly, I fall into step behind my father and follow the two men upstairs to Emilian’s pristine office. I want to ask whether I can grab some clothes and wash my face, but I’m too ashamed, and I have a feeling my father would say no just to fuck me up more.

  In his home office, father sits behind his desk while Dexter takes the other chair. I wrap his jacket around my body tightly, attempting to hide what I can. A deep need for revenge ignites me to sit on the expensive Chesterfield couch in father’s office, not giving a damn that he’s shooting me dirty looks. I deserve to sit down, if nothing else.

  “What happened?” father demands now, his question aimed at Dexter.

  “Brantley,” my ex-fiancé grits out. “He took her to Julian’s lake cabin.”

  “Did you fuck him?” father demands, and I look away, squirming beneath the weight of his gaze. “Did you fuck the Brantley boy?”

  I can’t answer. I try, opening my mouth, but no words come out.

  “She…” Dexter looks at me for permission, but I can’t even stand to look at him. “She did.”

  “Fuck!” Father slams his fist on the desk, making me tremble in my seat. “You’re such a goddamn slut, Pandora. Two boys since you’ve been back and it hasn’t even been three months. Fucking unbelievable!”

  “I don’t think it was entirely her fault,” Dex speaks up, and I shoot him a pissed-off look. “They…”

  “They?” Father’s bubbling with rage. “Who are they?”

  “The… guys,” Dex manages to get out. “They were all there.”

  “Your friends?”

  “My-I guess we aren’t exactly friends now,” Dexter grimaces. “Lai. Julian. Caspian.”

  “Now just tell me they all slept with her,” my father laughs bitterly, but the moment he looks at Dexter and my guilty faces, he knows that’s exactly what happened. “How is that fucking possible? What excuse could you possibly have for this, daughter?”

  “It wasn’t consensual,” I spit out. “They fucking hurt me.”

  “All of them?” Father demands.

  “I…” I struggle to find the words. “Just those three… Easton… I wanted him to do it.”

  “You’re done,” Father speaks up, and the calmness in his voice makes me very afraid. “You’re fucking done in Eden Falls. I’m sending you back to St. Cecile.”

  “Don’t,” I beg, rushing forward to his desk and making him recoil. “Please, I don’t want to go back there. Send me back to Wildwood, just send me back home.”

  “Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Father snarls. “You’d just love to go back there. Well, it’s not fucking happening. You’re my blood – unfortunately – and you’re staying in Eden Falls.”

  Dexter and I wait for him to go on, but he merely rubs his eyes, sighing.

  "Can I go to my room?" My voice is barely above a whisper and I'm shivering. "I just need to get some rest, please."

  "Go," Father waves his hand dismissively. "I don't want to look at you. But we're going to talk about your Firstborn privileges soon, Pandora. I'm not inclined to let you keep them, especially since you've fucked them away what, five times
now. Such a fucking slut. I can't believe you're my daughter. You're the black sheep of this fucking family."

  I swallow back my reply, my eyes lingering on Dexter's before I turn around and leave them standing there in their silent face off. I'm not going to deal with them anymore. I need to get some rest before I collapse.

  I go up to my room, softly closing the door behind me and crawling into bed. I feel dirty, but I'm so bone tired I can't even entertain the thought of a shower. First, I need to sleep.

  I burrow under the duvet, closing my eyes firmly, but the demons that haunt me refuse to go away. I can't seem to get rid of the haunting sound of Easton's voice, of all the other guys as they fucked me. I'll never forgive them for what they did to me. They made me come when they were fucking me. They made my body think I was enjoying their cruel assault, and I'll never forgive them for it.

  Knowing I need to plan out my revenge, I open my eyes again and stare up at the ceiling. I can't let them get away with this. They deserve to pay for what they've done, and I'm the only one who can make them pay for it. I need to make a plan. I need to figure out how to get back at them. I'm done letting them toy with me.

  Now, it's time for them to fucking pay.

  Sleep evades me even though I'm exhausted. The same images and sounds keep playing on and on in my mind, distracting me from getting some rest. Then, what must be hours after my conversation with my father, I hear the faint ringtone of my phone. I fish it out from under my pillow and frown when I see Dexter's name flashing across the screen. I bite my bottom lip, then answer the call.

  "What the fuck do you want?"

  There's a small pause. I listen to Dexter's deep, heavy breathing, which is oddly calming. Then, he finally speaks up. "I want to help you."

  "Well, you've done a shit job of it so far." I'm pissed off and I don't care if he knows it. It's high time he started groveling. "I thought you were going to protect me, Dexter. You've done the exact fucking opposite of that."

  "I'm sorry." I'm shocked those little words are actually part of his vocabulary, but I don't give him the satisfaction of an answer, instead waiting stubbornly for him to go on. And finally, he does. "I'm going to make sure they pay for what they did to you."

  "No need," I hiss. "I can take care of myself. You're pretty useless at it, anyway, as you've proved time and time again."

  "Pandora, you need to let me help you."

  "No, I don't need to do anything." I want to scratch his face. Unfortunately he's not in the same room. "You realize what it means if Father takes away my Firstborn privileges, don't you, Dexter? I'm as good as done in this town. I won't have any authority. Everyone's been picking on me already. What's going to happen if I'm no longer a Firstborn? I'll be a nobody. Vulnerable. Can't you understand that?"

  "I can." His voice is gravely serious. "That's why you need to let me help you, Pandora. I'm here for you. I'm going to make it all better, I promise."

  "How?" My voice is trembling, breaking. Despite wanting to be confident, I need some guidance. I have no idea how I'm going to survive in Eden Falls without someone helping me.

  "Just trust me," he goes on. "Let me take care of you."

  "I can take care of myself," I manage weakly.

  "I know you can." Dexter's voice is shockingly sweet. It actually sounds like he wants to help me. "But sometimes you need to let people in so they can make things a little easier for you, okay? I just want to help."

  "You'll forgive me if I'm cautious," I spit out. "I don't think I should trust you. All you've done since I've been here is try and make me miserable."

  He's silent on the other end again, then finally, he speaks up again. "I promise I'll make things right, Pandora."

  "You better."

  "How can I help you now?" To see Dexter fucking Booth this eager to help me is a win in itself, but do I really want his help? It's something I have yet to decide on.

  "I just want to rest," I whisper. "I'm tired as fuck. And I can't fall asleep."

  "Why?"

  "What do you think?" I cry out. "Because of what they did to me, Dexter... Because of what your fucking friends made me go through!" I feel the traitorous burn of tears in my eyes, and now I'm grateful Dexter isn't in the same room so he can't witness my breakdown. I hate people seeing me get weak. I want to be strong. Always.

  "Let me help you sleep," Dexter speaks up. "Just listen to me and lie down, get comfortable."

  "Your voice isn't that calming," I groan, but still, I get comfortable in my bed surrounded by fluffy pillows. I don't tell Dexter the reason his voice isn't calming is because it still makes my heart race and my pussy ache, despite everything that's happened. I don't want him to know that. He'd be too fucking proud of himself, and I don't want to feed his damn ego. "But fine, let's try it. Work your magic."

  "Just imagine I'm there next to you." His voice is rough, strained with emotion. "Lying next to you in bed. Can you do that for me?”

  "Yeah," I whisper.

  "Good girl." Still, the two little words send a shiver of excitement through my body. "Close your eyes for me. Imagine I'm there - or if not me, someone that could comfort you. Maybe your sister?"

  My bottom lip wobbles at the mention of Andie. I miss her so much it fucking hurts. "Okay," I manage to get out.

  "I'd hold you so tight right now, Pandora," Dexter mutters. "I'd hold you right against my chest and whisper in your ear that everything's going to be okay. That I'm going to take care of you. That I'll make sure they pay for what they did to you. Can you imagine it for me? My arms around you. My lips against your forehead. Just holding you and telling you everything's going to be okay."

  "Yes." My eyes are getting heavy. His words are actually helping, though I'll never admit it. "Keep going, Dexter... please."

  If he's surprised that I asked him to keep going, he doesn't show it. Instead, he keeps talking to me in low, calming tones, and they slowly lull me to sleep. My eyes close with the phone still pressed against my ear, and when I wake up hours later, the call is over, and I'm all alone in the darkness.

  3

  Pandora

  I drag myself out of bed the next morning, groaning when I look at my reflection in the mirror. I look like I’ve been dragged through the mud.

  A long, hot shower makes me feel marginally better, and I draw out the time spent in my bathroom, scrubbing myself down until my skin is burning. It's time for another family breakfast, one I'm dreading, because I know it's going to change the course of my life. Father already threatened to take away my Firstborn privileges before, and I have a feeling I won't be able to convince him to keep this secret.

  Getting dressed in a simple white dress and black tights, I slowly make my way downstairs. I'm the first one at the breakfast table, and I slide into a chair silently, my eyes glued to the plate in front of me.

  The others walk in without saying a word to me. Tatianna, beautiful and somewhere far away in her thoughts. Bryony, who pays no mind to me and places a single wedge of orange on her breakfast plate from the massive selection before us. I guess that's her breakfast.

  Father and Brazen walk in together, deep in a discussion I'd rather not hear. We are all there now, and we pile our plates and dig into breakfast. The feeling of dread in my tummy won't go away though, and I shiver thinking about what Father will do next. I don't have to wait for long. Not even ten minutes into the meal, he clears his throat and says my name in his authoritative voice that leaves no room for arguing.

  I look up at him, eyes wide and pleading with him to have some mercy for me, even though I know it's hopeless. His own gaze is harsh and unrelenting, and he begins speaking without so much as asking me how I'm feeling after last night.

  "I've come to the conclusion that I cannot keep forgiving you for your transgressions," Father says. "I've done it for long enough, and all it's done is enable you. It's time you became a proper member of this family. I don't make excuses for my children, and I have been going easy on you since yo
u came back."

  I'm tempted to laugh out loud, but his serious expression stops me in my tracks. Best not feed with the beast.

  "Given my decision, I'll be the first to explain what's going to happen next." He places his hands on the table, his eyes drilling into mine. "As of today, you are no longer a Firstborn."

  My heart sinks at the words. He might as well give me a death sentence. I'm done in Eden Falls now. I don't argue right away, too stumped for words as I listen to him go on.

  "As of right now, all Firstborn rights and privileges are going to your brother," he says, giving Brazen a firm smile. "I trust you'll make me proud, son."

  I follow his gaze to Brazen, his eyes shifting away from mine, as if he can't quite bear to look at me. Of course he fucking can't. He knows as well as I do - as well as Father does - what this means for me.

  "So that's it," I manage. "It's over, just like that."

  "No," Father hisses. "It's not over, you spoiled brat. You still have a duty, a role to fulfill in this family."

  "Is that so?" My words are dripping with sarcasm and I toss my napkin on the table. "And by that you mean I have to marry whoever you think will give you the most advantage in this town."

  "Listen, you ungrateful little whore," Father says, his voice shockingly calm and a sharp contrast to the words leaving his lips. "You're a pawn. The sooner you realize that, the better. Be lucky I haven't sent you back to St. Cecile to spend the rest of your sorry life there."

  "You don't own me."

  "That's where you're wrong," he tells me with gusto. "And don't you fucking forget it, daughter."

  I look at Tianna and Bryony for back up, but neither of them wants to meet my eyes. "Fine," I snicker. "Let it be that way, then. You can have your picture perfect family. But don't think I won't spend a lifetime fighting this. Fighting you."

  "I'd like to see you try." I hate how confident he is. How easily he dismisses me, as if I'm nothing but a silly little girl who needs to be disciplined and sent on the right path. "Now, Brazen, as I've already explained, you'll have some new duties given the status you've just gotten. I expect you to treat me with respect, as opposed to your bratty sister here."