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Chapter sixteen
AVA
Whatthefuckwas that? What the fuck was that? I watch him stalk off and want to drag him back to me, but I can’t work out if that’s so he can finish what he started or so I can punch him in the face for leaving me like this. Where did that even come from? Stone is unreadable to me—I’m pretty sure he’s just a miserable person, always in a foul mood, so I don’t take it personally—but all the Lewis talk confuses me. He keeps implying there’s something between Lewis and I, but I’d never even met the guy before he came into my room earlier to introduce himself. He seemed okay, if a bit overfamiliar, but he really wasn’t my type. Apparently, he was the guy my father had wanted me to dance with at the ball. I’d forgotten all about that until he’d mentioned it.
Changing quickly and hurrying back downstairs, I try to shake the aftereffects of Stone off as I walk into the dining room, but my body is still buzzing. Of course, it would have helped if I’d have come, but the look in his eyes as I take my seat shows it was more than deliberate. I shiver in my seat as I wonder if he’ll finish what he started later. I should’ve taken care of myself when I got changed, but something stopped me. Maybe he needs to work a bit harder before I orgasm while thinking of him.
“Are you cold?” Lewis asks, shrugging his jacket off and over my shoulders before I can answer. I go to hand it back, but Stone’s eyes are doing the whole gunmetal grey thing they do when he’s mad, and I feel like some revenge would feel good right now. I smile indulgently up at Lewis.
“Thanks, Lewis, that’s so kind of you. And you smell great.” He smiles down at me, but it’s edged with a cocky leer, and I immediately regret using him to wind Stone up. Instant karma. I sit up straighter and away from him as I tuck into my dinner.
“How’s your day been?” My fork freezes halfway to my mouth. Those words just came from my mum. It takes me way too long to reply, the shock dissolving my words for a minute.
“Good thanks,” I reply finally, and she smiles at me. At me. I tentatively smile back, but clearly Lewis doesn’t realise what a moment this is because he’s soon taking over. The conversation passes back and forth between him and Foster for the rest of the meal. I don’t join in, though, lost in my own thoughts. Am I overthinking things? Maybe that wasn’t such a big deal, but I feel like something has shifted with my mum. Is this a consequence of losing my father, or is something else going on? Lewis makes some comments about taking me out after dinner, but I already have plans and feel bad now that I might have led him on, so I say my goodbyes quickly as I hand his jacket back and slip out. I drive over to pick Cole up, and then we head to a local drive-thru place for milkshakes.
“So, week one down at Oakview. Feel like one of us yet?” I look over at Cole with a deadpan glare, and he chuckles. “I can help you out, you know,” he offers sincerely.
“No, it’s fine. I don’t want more attention by having Cole Wittenburg defend me.”
“Ooh, full name, I like it.” I chuckle at him having taken no offence to my light ribbing. Plus, I think I’ve dragged him out of solitude enough.
“So you really hang out with no one at school?” I know he doesn’t love the Elite, but I haven’t seen him talk to anyone.
“Not really. There’s someone I see if I ever go to the parties and there’s not some new girl in underwear I have to play bodyguard to,” he jokes, but doesn’t go on.
“Do I get this person’s name?” I ask, jabbing him with my elbow.
“Nah, it’s not that deep.”
“Okay. Well, one week down with one week to go.”
“What are your spring break plans?”
“Not a lot. Is it really sad that I’m looking forward to a week of making my own decisions, but those being what cold drink to have by the pool?”
“No, of course not. I know you haven’t mentioned it, but names are pretty big in our circle, and I want to say I’m sorry about your father.”
“Okay,” I reply hesitantly, not knowing where this is going.
“We don’t have to talk about it, but I didn’t want to not mention it.” He shrugs. “I’m here if you want to talk.”
“Thank you,” I say with a smile, and we sit in comfortable silence for a minute. “I think I’m on some kind of finding-myself journey,” I tell him eventually. “I should keep a journal; I could be the next ‘Eat Pray Love’—‘How to flourish after your abusive father unexpectedly dies.’” He laughs before clapping a hand over his mouth.
“I feel like I really shouldn’t be laughing.”
“Yeah, that was a bit deep, wasn’t it? Sorry.” I cringe.
“No, it’s cool. I don’t know if you’re worried about it or anything, but I do know the family, and neither Stone nor Foster would ever lay a finger on you. Stone might try to intimidate you, but he wouldn’t harm you. I don’t know Lewis as well, but he doesn’t live there anymore.” I’d thought as much, but it means a lot that Cole has thought to reassure me.
“How come you’re not friends?”
“It’s not that we’re not friends; I just keep away from the Elite completely. Stone is a bit more of an active participant, but I’ve got three other brothers to take the fall. Although, my connection to you probably isn’t helping right now.” He laughs, and I wince.
“Sorry about that.” He shakes his head as if I’m dense, but I’m well aware that fraternising with the enemy will not be earning him any brownie points. “Stone has a brother too, though.”
“Yeah, but from what I’ve heard, he’s useless.”
My thoughts drift back to Stone, as they do a lot more often than they should. I get the feeling he plays a part at school, and Cole has kind of confirmed it. I can understand that. Not that it makes the slut stuff okay, but I’m sure I’ve done worse over the years, or at least sat back and watched while the people I supposedly controlled did worse. But what did earlier mean? Anything? Was it a one-off? I have to admit the effect he has on me is so much stronger than him being just another good-looking guy.
“I’m gonna run to the bathroom before we go,” Cole says. “You finished with that?” I nod and smile at Cole as he leaves the car, handing him my empty milkshake cup and settling back into my thoughts. We’ve parked on the edge of the parking lot so it’s quieter.
“What are you doing?” I nearly jump out of my skin as I turn to see Stone standing next to my door. Does he ever make a sound?
“Jesus, you made me jump.”
Before he can say anything else, another voice comes from behind him.
“Making good on your win already, are you?” I recognise that voice, but Stone doesn’t turn to look at Dane, pinning me with his eyes instead.
“Win?” Stone’s eyes flash with something I’ve not seen on him before. It’s not fear, but it might be apprehension. Dane closes the gap and stands next to Stone so I can see them both, but Stone doesn’t break eye contact.
“Oh, you didn’t know? We bet for your pussy yesterday, and this fucker won.” Dane’s face is so smug I could punch it, but he’d be second in line to Stone right now.
“You did what?”
“Yeah, shame I’m not better at poker, eh? Anyway, have a nice night.” Dane claps Stone on the shoulder as he turns to leave, and a muscle in Stone’s jaw ticks. He’s angry?
“How fucking dare you,” I spit at him, but he still stares, fury radiating off him. Fuck this. I start the car up and drive over to the entrance, where I meet Cole as he comes out of the bathroom.
“Door to door service?” he jokes as he slides in, and I try to smile, but it must come out as more of a grimace. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just ready for bed now.”
“I’ll be seeing you soon, Ava,” Dane calls from his group as we drive past, and I ignore him. Why does that sound like a threat?
I drop Cole off and head straight for my room when I’m back, locking the door behind me. I hadn’t bothered so far, but I recognised the smell from my room after Stone had crowded me against the door. He must’ve been coming in at some point in the night, but that fucking stops now. Something that seemed almost romantic a couple of hours ago now pisses me right the fuck off. How dare he? Betting for me, and then actually claiming his prize—wanking all over me the second he got the chance? What if he’d lost? He was happy to pass me over to Dane, like property? Would he hold me down while Dane “claimed his prize”? Fucking psychopaths, the both of them. I would never have thought Stone was in Dane’s league, but I guess that’s what naivety gets you. Stone has never shown he’s anything other than a rich bastard like the rest of them, so why I expect any different, I’m not sure.
I’m still fuming the next afternoon when I see Stone and his minions at their normal bench as I go to my locker. I try to get there early to swap my things over before they arrive for break, as everyone’s lockers line the walls surrounding this green space, but no such luck today. Stone has ignored the Highland outcast all day anyway, so he clearly has no remorse. He hasn’t even tried to apologise. If anger wasn’t hazing my perspective I might have noticed the liquid draining from the bottom of the locker door, but hindsight is twenty-twenty, huh. As it is, I don’t notice it until I swing my door open and what looks suspiciously like some kind of organ falls out onto my feet. A scream gets stuck in my throat, and I’m thankful for that. Giving them that kind of reaction would just fill them with satisfaction, although I am stock-still for a few seconds as I look down at my feet.
It can’t be an actual heart, right? They’re school bullies, not serial killers. Serial killers don’t do that annoyingly high-pitched giggle that I can hear from behind me. That sound brings a red haze over my thoughts. I don’t bother switching out any of my books—they’re all clearly ruined. Instead, I slam the locker shut and grab the definitely not a real organ or I’ll freak out, stomping over to the bench they’re all sitting at. Winnie and Caitlin are too busy gloating to the others sitting there to notice me approaching until I drop the thing right in the middle of the table. They both scream, but Winnie is closest and spins, lunging for me, just like I hoped. I grab the back of her neck and slam her face down onto the table, inches from whatever is oozing from the mass in the middle. The liquid slowly spreads, getting closer and closer to her as she tries to squirm away, but I’ve got a good grip on her. I keep her there, my teeth clenched and breaths heavy, until it seeps into the hair framing her face and onto her cheek. She squeals as I push her face down harder.
“Stay the fuck away from me,” I grit out, before releasing her as I turn away.
“What a fucking psycho,” she screeches at my back, but I couldn’t give a fuck what she calls me. She’s lucky I didn’t shove that thing down her throat. There’s no other reaction I can hear apart from a low chuckle and some murmuring.
“Don’t dish out what you can’t take back.” Was that Reid?
I decide to call the afternoon a bust, seeing as I have no books anyway, and arrange a clean up of my locker with the office, claiming my water bottle leaked. Of course, they pretend to believe me, because rich people get what they want, and I order new books with them before I head home. At least it means I miss my lessons with each of the guys.
