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“No.” I shake my head, my voice quiet as my shame leaks through. “I seduced them. Julie didn’t lie about that. In fact. She didn’t lie about any of it. It’s all true.”
“Bullshit! Don’t say that!” Garrett snaps, his eyes blazing with a fury that’s fighting to be unleashed.
I pull out of Shaun’s hold and turn to face the four of them. Heat pricks the backs of my eyes, my heart racing with dread as I take in their serious expressions. It’s almost too much to bear. Are they finally seeing me for what I am? A whore? A manipulative predator?
“You know damn well how true that is, Big Guy. You know how I lured Simon into the photo lab that day?” I swallow, turning my eyes to Simon. “You hadn’t even considered that we were going there to fuck, had you, Sy?”
He frowns. “I-I…”
“Think about it. When you asked to ditch class with me, did you think you were going to get laid?”
He frowns again.
“And we played the game. Remember? Simon Says. The Hastinator only plays games to get naked. You thought I was joking around at first, didn’t you?”
“That doesn’t mean anything. We were flirting, Cherry. I’d wanted you for so long, but I never thought you’d be interested in someone like me.”
“I made it hard for you to say no, though. Didn’t I? Standing there in my bra and panties. You were never going to be able to turn me down.” A tear pops from my eye as I drag my gaze back to Marcus. “He was worried about you. He felt guilty. He didn’t want to betray you, Marcus, but I gave him no choice. Julie is right. I used what I learnt from Brian. I’m a predator like him.”
“We all use charm, Kitten. We all try to coax. What you’re talking about is a form of flirting. A form of foreplay. Everyone has a choice. I know you think you gave Simon no choice, but he did have one. And I know what me and Simon did to Marcus was fucking wrong, but we made that decision, and that’s on us. Not you.”
“There was another teacher?” Marcus draws my attention again, quickly brushing off Shaun’s words, his curiosity too strong to deny.
“It’s all in the past now. There are no teachers I’m involved with now.” That’s a huge fucking blurred line of a lie if I’ve ever said one! Technically, Tyler isn’t a teacher anymore, so that part of whatever we are is in the past.
“Does it really matter, Grady? Kitten is trying to move on. She’s not the person she was a couple of months ago. Hell, even a couple of weeks ago.” Once again, Shaun tries to defend me, and my heart swells, knowing he at least isn’t judging me right now.
“It only matters because I think that Julie bitch is going to keep coming for you, Rhee. She’s probably planning to out your relationships with the teachers, and it’s going to ruin their lives.”
I bite the insides of both cheeks as I suck in air, trying to push down my emotions. Marcus is right. Julie will totally use those teachers against me. And if she knows about Tyler, then Master Hill isn’t our only threat.
Chapter Seventeen
Shaun
Three hours. That’s what it took us to get Kitten into a relatively calm and happy state again after Julie’s phone call. I was sure I was going to have a fucking punch on with Grady after he was asking all of those questions when, in fact, he was just working through the information and processing what it meant. He’s right, though. Julie will totally come at Rhys by using her hookups with teachers, and if she knows about those two teachers at Redfield, then she sure as shit knows about Tyler.
In order to help calm our girl, I had to beg Derek to get some weed off one of his mates. Aside from a full-blown sex party, weed was the next best thing, and I let her have a little before we joined my parents for dinner, which seemed to help. Afterwards, I let her have a whole lot more once we went out to the man cave, away from the parentals.
She seems happy again, especially after Simon declared his undying love for her in a song and then whispered some mushy shit in her ear afterwards. Then they started dancing, and Marcus, of all people, joined them, pressing Kitten between them and reminding her how much they care for her, no matter what.
Garrett has been quiet, but he’s also been distracted by his phone, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s dealing with something to do with his useless old man right now. I’m about to ask him about it when my phone rings, and a number I don’t recognise flashes across the screen. Cautiously, I answer it.
“Hello?”
“Where is she?” Relief fills me as I hear my principal’s voice. For some reason, I was worried it was that stupid Julie bitch who was calling me.
“Hi Mrs R. She’s safe.” I move across the room, away from Kitten’s ears.
She sighs with her own relief. “Can I speak with her, please?”
“Uh… Now’s not the best time. She’s only just started to relax. I can get her to call you later.”
“Mr Bossier, I am freaking out right now! I had to hear from the police that Rhys got another call from Julie earlier today. You tell me she’s safe, but how do I really know? How do I even know if you’re treating her right?”
Mrs Rogan is hysterical. A mother distraught over the daughter she loves. A daughter that doesn’t know how to accept the love because she’s been burned so many times.
I fucking feel for both of them.
