Heart of Redemption (Hearts #2)

13. Margo

Chapter 13

Margo

I felt like a freight train had slammed into me multiple times until it finally broke. My body was a living corpse, and each step I took I felt a part of me decayed.

Liam and I officially had slept together, and it was the best thing in the entirety of my sexual life. However, he was nowhere to be found in the morning. I only suspected that he had somewhere important he had to take care of.

I was never the clingy type of person, but I couldn’t help but want to be near him every second of everyday.

I woke up surprisingly early to get home and take a well needed shower. I needed to rinse every dirty thing that was muttered in my ear last night.

As I laid in my bathtub, I couldn’t help but just imagine Liam’s hands all over my body once more. Until now I can’t stop thinking about how he would take me in one of these dressing rooms in the mall and get his way with me.

I’m partly disappointed at the fact that I’m not the only woman that’s ever had him this way.

I hadn’t noticed that I had been entranced the entire fifteen minutes of my shopping in Victoria’s Secret. Only my phone’s irritatingly buzzing noise jolted me a way from my delusions.

Verina’s name popped up, I could only imagine the news about Liam and I’s rendezvous last night had spread like a wildfire.

“Hey V––,” I beamed before I got interrupted by my worst fear herself.

“––Margo are you out of your mind! ” Adrianna yelled as I squinted and pulled the phone away from my eardrums.

I had a tad feeling that she’s heard about Liam and me.

I smile thickly as I walk closer to their location, since I was already at the mall near them.

I needed retail therapy.

“Well, good morning to you too, Anna!” I greeted as she stayed silent on the other line.

“Margo.” She addressed calmly.

“Adrianna…” I asked slowly as I heard her take a loud breath to herself.

“Please tell me you did not conspire with the enemy and share a bed with the sleazeball, Brookshire.” I could hear the hope and patience that her voice held.

I had finally arrived at the dressing room they had all gathered around. I hung up and continued the conversation in person.

“Me? With Liam?” I laughed hysterically, “Over my Christian Louboutin collection I would jump in a bed with that dick.”

I couldn’t lie to them. They could see it on my face.

“Don’t lie to me, Margo Raine Hamilton.” Adrianna stepped up and did not break eye contact.

It was like an interrogation, I looked behind her to see Verina holding up her phone, pictures of Liam and I had surfaced on the internet.

Well fuck, now I definitely couldn’t lie.

I folded my hands together, my eyes squinted, “It was once! It was last night, and we were fooling around at Maya’s party.”

There was one thing that each of us knew from one another, and it was that we could never lie to each other.

We could certainly try but it would always end in defeat, I mean what would I have to lie about anyways?

Liam and I were going to be official, and I couldn’t wait to tell everyone that I was his. He was mine. I felt so giddy I might die.

With him by my side, how could I possibly want anything more?

But oh boy… was that feeling short lived.

T he next day…

I was always up earlier than anyone else. It was the first day back and I felt incredible, I turned to reach for my phone which was laid on top of my nightstand.

My parents had returned, and I hadn’t gone back to them, I still slept in the guesthouse. For as long as I could remember, my parents had been noble. They always had done what was right and never hurt a single soul.

I figured that was the reason we went bankrupt in a way, my father paid everyone with good prices, and we stopped making profit from it. He was never in it for the money at first.

But like every human ever, we started getting used to the wealth. It was more uncommon not to have money living in Hawthorne.

I was taught never to be selfish. And for the longest time, I wasn’t. The day I said no to my parents, the day I told them I wanted to marry for love was the first selfish decision I had ever made in my life.

I think it broke my heart more to know that I broke theirs. My goal was never to cause pain. Before I met Liam, I was for sure on board to get married for my parents sake.

But… have you ever had someone change your life in ways that are unspoken?

Have you ever met someone who saw life the same way you did, and you not only fell in love with them as a whole… but their soul?

I had fallen in a deep hole of red and light.

As I got ready, I couldn’t help but stare at my phone, Liam’s name popped up, and I couldn’t hide the smile that was emerging from my face.

“Good morning Raine,” Liam uttered in his still sleepy voice that I had fallen for.

“Morning Charming,” I replied as I heard his husky laugh, “How was your night baby?” He continued as I shook my head.

“Tiring.” I took a breath, “I wish you were here, I missed you.” I muttered as I could practically feel my heart jump out of my chest.

“I’m sorry Raine, Grayson needed me yesterday. I couldn’t leave him.” He answered quickly.

“It’s okay Brookshire, I admire you for caring about him. I didn’t know you two were such softies.” I poked fun at the two best friends.

“He’s my best friend, I would do anything for him.” He replied as Adrianna popped in the back of my mind.

They were going to kill both of us.

“You know Anna and Prince are gonna kill us, right?” I brought up as he laughed once more.

“They can hate each other all they want Raine, but you and I have nothing to do with them. No one does. It’s just you and me, sunshine.” He assured.

I couldn’t help but smile at his words. Only Liam could reassure me and tell me everything was going to be okay. He was right, we shouldn’t care what anyone would say.

It was just us.

“I can’t wait to see you in school.” I addressed as he went silent.

I could feel my cheek redden from the embarrassment that has lingered on my body. Never in my life had I ever told a man I was excited to see him, but when I saw Liam, I felt actual lightning bolts strike my body.

There was a long pause.

“Liam…?” I asked to see if he was still there.

“I gotta go––” I heard his voice was rushed.

“Are you okay, did I say something wrong?” I asked with a shaky voice.

“No, you’re fine. I just have to go.” He sternly grumbled before he hung up the phone suddenly.

I turned back to look at the time, my eyes widened at the idea of arriving late to class, so I rushed into the shower and rushed into putting my uniform on. When I got downstairs, I realized that since I am officially cut off from my parents, I didn’t have a ride to Hawthorne University.

No, I was not planning on getting inside a cab.

No, I was not planning on calling Liam or Adrianna.

I looked down at my Jimmy Choos and let out an adorned sigh, walking it is.

So, I walked until I got to the front of the building, my shoes had cuffs that I dreaded, and I felt my eyes start to water because of the great pain it took me to get here.

But my shoes were already ruined, I wasn’t about to ruin my make up as well. Instead, a bunch of the freshmen were already waiting around the pit.

Eager for approval, and eager for the status they looked like they were ready to do just about anything I would ask them to do.

One being cleaning my heels before Adrianna got here. Before Liam catches me crying because of blisters and mascara dripping down my face.

I sat on the table, I gave one look to the two freshman, and I didn’t even need to ask until they got down and started cleaning my heels.

Verina and Juliette came out of the students center with smiles on their faces, before sitting next to me. Juliette paid no mind to me, but Verina couldn’t help her disgusted expression.

“What the hell happened to you?” She muttered as I rolled my eyes.

“Nothing is wrong with wanting to get some exercise and walking to school.” I laughed as they both looked at me with weird faces.

“Yeah okay, you act like you’re poor you can afford a limo, Margo.” Juliette made a point without lifting her eyes from the page she was on.

“Again. Nothing is wrong with a bit of exercise.” I repeated as Adrianna’s limo pulled up.

“Well, there you are!” Verina yelled as Adrianna began to walk up to us with a scowled look on her face, “Well, here I am.”

Adrianna’s eyes zeroed directly on Amara, the one freshman wearing boots with her uniform. I could already feel the ridicule and disgust Adrianna was about to spew off.

As much as we understood it to be mean, we never cared. People looked up to us because of our wealth, our influence and our thoughts. As much as it was an unlikeable trait, we didn’t care what anyone else thought about us. We cared about what the founding families thought.

A motorcycle arrived at the parking lot, and previous years, I would roll my eyes at the dark-haired beauty with the minimal tattoos.

Liam arrived like that every day. He would arrive with Neil, as they both rode on motorcycles. Grayson would arrive in the new car of the week. And the last of their group, Chris would arrive late on the bus.

As Adrianna kept going on and on about God knows what. My eyes couldn’t steer away from Liam’s face when he pulled off his helmet.

He looked just as magnificent as I remembered, only the moment his eyes reached mine, he looked away, ashamed.

Had something changed since yesterday or this morning that made him so hesitant with me?

Had I done something wrong?

I don’t think I did, but if I did… I’m sure we could fix it.

“You too Margo?” Adrianna scoffed as I snapped back into reality.

I stood up and placed my hands on Verina and Juliette’s shoulders.

I had absolutely no idea what was being discussed at this very moment and felt lost, but I wasn’t about to tell Adrianna that.

“You know you guys should turn over a new leaf this year.” Juliette muttered as I ran over to Adrianna’s side.

“You guys?” I asked with shock.

“I am a lot nicer than Mrs. Flawless over here.” I snarled while I crossed both my arms together.

“I’m nice.” Adrianna said as all of us went silent.

“No, but apparently you’re funny.” I smirked as she ignored my sarcastic comment.

As the group and I walked around the halls, I pulled my phone out of my bag and texted Liam, to tell him he looked great today. Only my message wouldn’t send.

My stomach sunk, as I looked up to see Anna and Grayson fighting, arguing, bickering, whatever you wanted to call it again.

As they spewed off insults at each other I couldn’t shake my head away from the fact that Liam had blocked me.

I looked up once more to see his face with sent me some sort of comfort to know I could just talk to him.

“Hey, Liam…” I smiled at his beautiful face. I didn’t care if my friends knew we were dating or not, like he said.

It was just us.

“I’ve been texting you like crazy.” I added on as he gave a disgusted look.

He was about to embarrass the shit out of me.

He looked at me up and down, with a roll of his tongue, “I’m sorry, who are you?”

My heart had stopped.

And it broke, just from five miniscule words that came out of his mouth.

My hand tightened around Adrianna’s, like if I had let go, I would have fallen to my knees.

“Was I just a notch in your bed post this summer?” I mumbled.

“A fun one.” He smirked as his friends patted his back.

I took a glimpse up to Liam’s face only to see no ounce of remorse. This was a lesson that I should’ve known, I knew I didn’t deserve this.

And he knew it too.

Never again will I let William Brookshire into my life ever again.

And that is a promise.

“Asshole.” Verina angerly muttered as Liam laughed, “I’m wounded.”

Oh, how I would love to slap his face multiple times. But even if anger had been the surface of my feelings. I couldn’t help but feel the breaking of my heart underneath.

I wanted to cry, let the pain from my blisters out, and let the heart break that Liam just caused me to spill, but I didn’t. I stood tall and stared at him.

But before I could let a tear fall, I heard my named being called by a familiar voice.

Jackson Gollum.

“Hey, Margo…” A boy eased in front of me, but my eyes stayed on Liam’s.

“Hey Jack.” I forced a grin on my face as his cheeks turned bright red.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me sometime.” He smiled, and asked so nicely how could I ever say no.

“Really?” I smiled and looked at Liam’s sour expression.

“Yes, of course…” Jackson beamed. I had felt my old self emerging from the ashes. I fluttered my eyelashes, twirled my hair with my finger as Brooks came up next to Jackson talking to Adrianna.

Before I knew it, Liam had made an angerly exit from our vicinity, I was glad for it because I never want to see Liam’s face ever again.

Liam and I had never labeled ourselves to be anything particular, meaning there was never a breakup nor a relationship. I didn’t need his permission to go out with Jackson.

I also wasn’t stupid; Jackson is one of the easily known assholes in the whole University to have a body count higher than the Empire State building.

I wasn’t going to sleep with him but, Liam didn’t need to know that.

All he needed to know was how widely I hated him and how bad he’s lost me.

Honestly, if I can’t make a boy act right, I’m going to make him wish he did.

I was way too fucking pretty to cry about a known playboy. I simply had no type of patience for Liam, or any guy.

Choose me or lose me. He lost me.