Bully (35 page)

Others slowed in passing and laughed to their friends. The girls didn’t tease like the guys did. They bullied more quietly, with whispers behind their hands. With looks.

But everyone had something nasty to offer.

Until Jared ran up.

And then everyone stopped.

He looked between them and me and took my face in his hands. “Are you alright?” he asked, his eyes full of love.

“Yes.” My voice was softer on him now. “The phone is here, in 1622. I don’t know whose locker it is, though.”

His lips pressed in a thin line, and a scowl crossed his face. He knew whose locker it was.

“Back so soon? Is your porn career a failure already?” A catty voice rose out of the murmurs, and I shut my eyes.

Piper.

I felt Jared’s lips on my forehead before he pulled away. I opened my eyes to see him turn around, shielding me, but I yanked his arm back and stepped forward.

I should’ve known Piper was a part of this. I don’t know how she did it, but she was responsible, and I wanted to deal with her. Hell, I’d take pleasure in it!

I briefly noticed everyone in the hall squeezed together, patiently waiting for something.

“Actually, we’re just waiting for you.” I smiled and kept my tone even. “You know that video that came from Jared’s phone this morning? The one that everyone saw? He didn’t send it. His phone was stolen Saturday night. Would you know where it is?” I raised my eyebrows in my best condescending look.

She blinked but straightened her shoulders and tilted her chin up. “Why would I know where his phone is?”

“Oh, because…” I drifted off and hit “redial.”
Behind Blue Eyes
started playing from her locker, and I held up my phone screen to her so she could see that I was dialing Jared. Everyone else saw, too.

“This is your locker, Piper,” Jared pointed out after I’d hung up.

“You know, I just love that song. Let’s hear it again.” As I called his phone, everyone heard the song echo from Piper’s locker once more. Now there was no doubt.

Jared stepped forward and bent down into her face. “Open up your locker and give me my goddamn phone back, or we’ll get the Dean, and he’ll open the locker.”

Option A would prove to the entire school she was a thief and a liar. Option B would prove the same thing but also get her into trouble. She was standing there like she had a choice.

“It was Nate’s idea,” she blurted out, her voice cracking.

“You stupid bitch!” Nate growled from the crowd, and I looked over to see him step forward. “It was your idea.”

Jared pulled his arm back and punched Nate across the nose, sending the guy spilling to the ground like a wet dishcloth. The bystanders gasped and backed up, and I tried to resist the urge to do the same to Piper.

At that moment, Madoc pushed through the crowd, wide-eyed with shock at the bleeding Nate on the floor.

“Are you okay?” he asked, looking pissed as he came to stand by my side.

I nodded and turned my attention to Piper. “How did you do it?”

She pursed her lips and refused to meet my eyes.
So we’re going to be stubborn today, I see.

“Your dad’s a cop, right? What’s his number?” I held up my phone, my fingers primed to dial. “Oh, yeah. 911.”

“Ugh, alright!” she gritted out. “Nate took me to Homecoming and then to Tori’s party afterwards. When we saw you and Jared head upstairs, Nate took his camera phone and climbed onto the balcony. When he showed me the video later, I saw that Jared had left his phone on the dresser, so I snuck back into the room to take it.”

“So the video came from Nate’s phone. It was transferred to Jared’s before it was texted.” I spoke to Piper but my eyes were on Jared. He looked at me, not angry like he should have been, but relieved. Now I knew he wouldn’t do something like that to me. I should’ve always known, I guess.

Shit.
I really messed up his car.

“Get Jared’s phone, Piper. Now,” Madoc ordered, with a scowl I usually didn’t see on his face.

She huffed and walked up to her locker, working the combination until the lock clicked. Yanking the door open, she shuffled through her purse while the rest of us waited.

The crowd hadn’t dispersed. If anything, it’d grown. I was surprised teachers hadn’t come out of the classrooms yet. Jared hovered over Nate, who still lay on the ground holding his nose. He had to remember a night not so long ago that he’d been in the same situation with Jared and probably decided that it was better to just stay down.

Piper finally picked the phone out of her bag and threw it at my chest. Out of reflex, my hands shot up to catch it, but there was a dull ache from where it’d hit. She was scowling at me, and I almost wanted to laugh. Almost.

“We’re done,” she snapped and waved her hand to shoo me away. “You may go.”

Um…yeah, no.

“Piper? Do yourself a favor, and get some help. Jared is not yours, and he never will be. In fact, he won’t ever look at you again and see anything good, if he even saw anything good in the first place.”

Piper’s eyes narrowed to slits, and I could tell by the muffled whispers that the crowd was more on my side than hers now. I guess it didn’t hurt that everyone knew that Jared hadn’t sent that video. Hell, I guess they were really on
his
side.

Oh well, they didn’t need to like me, but it helped to not have them against me, too.

I twisted around to pass Jared his phone but was yanked back by my hair. Pain shot through my scalp as I slammed back to the lockers.

My equilibrium was thrown off, and I stumbled to right myself again.
Shit.
That had hurt. What did she think she was doing?

I saw Piper’s fist priming for a punch. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head, but I reacted.

I ducked, and her fist caught my hair instead of my face. Shoving her away, I whipped my hand back and smacked her across the face. Before she even had a chance to stumble, I brought my other hand across her other cheek, and that sent her crumbling to the floor.

I registered the audience’s sharp intakes of breath and their shocked laughs, but I didn’t care. I glared down at Piper, who was trying to hold her face and stand back up at the same time.

Pulling my hand back to deliver another blow—hey, she deserved it—I felt myself being lifted off the ground.

I tried to wiggle out of the grasp of whoever had me, but when I heard Jared shushing me in my ear, I eased up.

“What’s going on here?” A male voice interrupted us. I looked over to see Dr. Porter, coffee-stained beard and all, looking between the two heaps on the floor. I grimaced. There was no way I was getting away with all of the damage I’d done today.
And thank you Jared for stopping me before Dr. Porter saw!

Madoc cleared his throat. “Dr. Porter. Nate and Piper bumped into each other.”

Oh, my God.
I was convinced. Madoc was an idiot.

“Mr. Caruthers, I’m not stupid.” Dr. Porter glanced around, trying to make eye contact with anyone who would talk. “Now what happened here?”

No one spoke. No one even breathed, I think. The hallway was silent, and I merely waited for Nate or Piper to break the silence.

I was going to be in so much trouble.

“I didn’t see anything, sir,” a male student piped up, giving Dr. Porter a blank stare.

“Me either, Dr. Porter,” another student followed suit. “Probably just an accident.”

And I was blown away as everyone either lied or remained silent, covering for us. Okay, they were covering for Jared, but I was going to take what I could get.

Dr. Porter looked around, still waiting for someone to tell the truth.

He was right. He wasn’t stupid, and he knew something was fishy. I just hoped he didn’t call on me. I liked the guy and probably couldn’t lie.

He sighed and rubbed his scruffy jaw. “Alright, you two.” He gestured to Nate and Piper. “Get up, and come to the nurse. Everyone else. Head home!”

Piper grabbed her purse, slammed her locker shut and stalked off down the hall, while Nate held his bloodied nose and followed Dr. Porter.

As everyone dispersed, no one said anything to me. No one gave me snide looks or cruel snickers. Jared circled his arms around my neck and pulled me to him, enveloping me in the safe, warm wall of his chest. I closed my eyes and breathed him in as a wave of relief flooded me. I had him back.

“I’m so sorry about not trusting you. And about what I did to your car, too,” I said into his hoodie.

He laid his cheek on the top of my head. “Tate, you’re mine, and I’m yours. Every day you’re going to realize that more and more. When you believe it without a doubt, then I’ll have earned your trust.”

“I am yours. I just…wasn’t sure if you were really mine.”

“Then I’ll make you sure.” He kissed my hair, and his body started shaking with laughter.

“You’re laughing right now?” I looked up at him, confused.

“Well, I was kind of worried about my anger issues, but now I’m kind of worried about yours. You like to hit people.” His perfect mouth grinned with pride.

I rolled my eyes and pouted. “I’m not angry. She got what she deserved, and I was attacked first.” She got off lucky, actually. After the shit she pulled, Piper was lucky I didn’t take a flame thrower to her entire halter top collection.

He lifted me by the backs of my thighs, and I locked my arms and legs around him as he carried me off.

“It’s your fault, you know?”

“What?” Jared asked. His breath hot on my ear.

“You made me mean. And now I pummel poor, defenseless girls…and guys.” I tried to make my voice sound accusing and innocent.

Jared gripped me tighter. “If you beat metal long enough, it turns to steel.”

I buried my nose in his hair, kissing the ridge of his ear and joked. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, you big bully.”

Cool air caressed my back, sending chills down my arms. My eyes drifted open at the draft, and an uncontrollable smile crept across my lips.

“You better not be asleep.” Jared rustled behind me as I lay in bed, probably removing his boots.

A silent laugh escaped my lips as I turned onto my back and faced him. Hovering over me, the moonlight poured over his beautiful face, and his hair glistened with droplets of rain from the light drizzle outside. I couldn’t get enough of the sight of him.

“You came through the tree…in a storm,” I stated as he crawled into bed and immediately positioned his body on top of me. He still wore his clothes.

My dad had arrived home last week, and it went without saying that Jared was not welcome for any overnight visits. Of course, Jared and I already assumed this. I knew my dad loved Jared, but he wasn’t going to put up with finding him in my room either. That was understandable.

Resting both arms on either side of my head, Jared gazed down into my eyes. “Yeah, we used to sit in that tree all the time when it rained. It’s like riding a bike. I never forget how good it felt.”

Tears welled in my eyes. The years that separated us had hurt, but how quickly they’d passed. We were together again. We’d never forgotten how to be together.

“Do you like your car?” He smiled and started nibbling my lips with soft, teasing kisses. Giving me little pause, I could only nod.

Last weekend, after my dad had gotten home, we all took a trip to Chicago and bought my G8. I’d owned the sleek, dark metallic silver car for only a few days so far.

Dad had decided to turn over the rest of the Germany project to his partner, so he could stay home with me. It’d been tough to face him after the video leaked, but after a couple of days and lots of talks, we got the situation under control. He came down on me for making such a dumb choice at a party, and he was slightly uncomfortable with Jared’s new role in my life. But, he admitted, he probably wouldn’t be comfortable with anyone at any time dating his only daughter.

Jared and I had been online constantly, taking down the video wherever we found it. Our classmates also seemed to be laying off the gossip. But I was sure it had more to do with their respect for Jared than their sense of decency.

A week ago, I thought I’d never live down that storm, but I was already concentrating on other things. I had a list of modifications to perform on my new car, and I hoped Jared, my dad and I could work on it together throughout the winter. Madoc seemed to think he’d be included, too, and I didn’t do anything to dispel his little brain fart.

My father agreed to let me take the money for Jared’s repairs out of my trust, but I’d have to get a job to replace it. He was very strict that my college fund wasn’t a snack dish that I could stick my hand in whenever I wanted. And that was fine. A job was a good idea. I needed something to take up my time now that Dad was limiting my time with Jared. I don’t think he was as worried about our intimacy as he was about me losing focus in school.

Jared started a slow grind between my legs as his soft nibbles quickly changed to devouring and caressing. The chill that came into the room with him was replaced by sweat and heat.

Oh.
I breathed hard, the pulse between my legs twitched with the friction he was making.

“You know,” I gasped. “I want you here more than anything, but my dad will wake up. It’s like he’s still in the Army or something. He sleeps with one eye open.”

He abruptly stopped and peered down at me like I was crazy. “I won’t be able to stay away. Not with knowing that your cute little body is curled up in this nice, warm bed without me.”

“You would never disrespect my dad. Even I know that.”

“No, you’re right,” he conceded, and then his eyes widened. “Do you want to come over to my house?”

I folded my lips between my teeth to stifle a laugh.

As I guided my legs up and around him, he kissed me harder before whispering against my lips. “I love you, Tate. And I’m here for you always. With or without the sleepovers. I just needed to see you.”

I held the back of his neck as he raised himself to look down at me. “I love you, too.

The top half of his body slid off of me, over the side of the bed, as he searched for something on the nightstand. I ran my fingers along his back, barely noticing his scars beneath his shirt. He popped back up with a box in his hand.