Savage Vicious Heir: Part Two: A dark high school bully romance

9. Elliot

ELLIOT

My entire body was heavy as I walked away from Abigail’s house.

I didn’t really expect her to welcome me with open arms and forget about everything that happened.

I prayed for that, but I’m not that stupid.

Still, I was hoping she’d at least let me explain. Instead, I barely managed to get a decent apology in before she sent me away telling me that I was to avoid her at all costs.

Not the outcome I wanted but ultimately one I should have been more prepared for.

Tally was right, I needed to go. I needed to face her. I just didn’t anticipate how much it would hurt to look into her dark, pain-filled eyes.

And the sight of that dressing on her thigh though, that cut me deeper than any blade could.

Movement at the front of the classroom catches my attention and I glance up just as she walks inside.This is the only class we share.For a few months now, it’s been my favourite class. Five hours of my week where I’ve been able to sit and watch her without anyone ribbing me for it.

I’ve learned a lot about Abi here. From the fact that she underlines all her work with a purple gel pen to how she prefers to sit with her right leg crossed over her left. How she never, ever puts her hand up to answer a question despite the fact I know she knows the answer. Her worst nightmare is having to speak up, to attract the attention of our classmates. The second our teacher looks around to pick on someone, she physically shrinks in her chair.

Once this year our teacher has chosen her. But despite her anxiety, she stood up and gave a perfect answer. She was confident and direct, and explained her point easily and clearly. She’d never agree that she did, but I saw it with my own eyes.

Abigail Bancroft might be shy. She might want to hide in the shadows and try to ignore the pain she’s suffered and avoid the curious looks of others. But there is so much more to her than that.

I just wish I could get the chance to discover it all.

It was stupid of me to think we could have anything.

We were never going to work, and our parting ways now is for the best.

Even though it feels like the absolute worst.

Abi makes it no more than five steps into the room before she senses my attention.

I’m the only one here, choosing to arrive early in the hopes of getting these few precious seconds with her.

She should have seen it coming. I did it on Tuesday as well. She looked as shocked then as she does now.

Doesn’t she know me at all?

Of course I was going to be here first. I just expected her to wait until the last second so that she could try to blend into the crowd as they walked in.

My lips part, my nickname for her teetering on the tip of my tongue, but I manage to keep it inside.

She asked me to keep my distance, and I fully intend to keep that promise… for now.

She’s been in school every day so far this week. I want to be relieved that she has returned to normal life. Shit, I am relieved. But with her back in her dorm, I’ve lost my connection to her.

Every single night I’ve laid in my bed, staring up at the ceiling and wondering if she is doing the same thing.

I have the key, I could go and find out.

Hell, a couple of nights I even left the Chapel with the intention of doing so, but I stopped myself before walking into the Bronte Building. Instead, I chose to walk around the corner and look up at her window. Each time, her light was out, but something told me that she wasn’t sleeping.

Abigail hesitates, and my heart jumps into my throat that she’s going to say something to me.We haven’t spoken since I left her house on Sunday and I’m desperate to hear her voice, but it seems that today isn’t the day.

No sooner have our eyes connected does she rip hers away, preferring to look at her feet as she finds her desk and gets her books and pencil case out.

The air between us is thick, charged with everything we still feel for each other and all the words we’re not saying.

It only takes about thirty seconds before it all becomes too much.

Her entire body tenses as the sound of my chair slides back. I hate it. I hate that she dreads having to talk to me so much she has such a visceral reaction.

I get to my feet, ready to march over to her when voices from the hallway fill the room. Before I’ve taken my first step, a group of students spill into the room, stopping me from going to her.

Every single set of eyes turns to me as I lower myself back into my chair. In contrast, not one person turns to look at Abigail. It’s like she’s invisible.

Just like she’s always tried to be.

As much as I love that I’ve seen snippets of the real girl behind the scars, it kills me that no one else knows how incredible she is.

Only a few minutes later, the room is full of students. We might still have a whole day and a half left of the week, and our exams might be approaching faster than most of us are ready for but that doesn’t stop everyone around me from forgetting about reality and focusing on their weekend plans.

We’re having a party tomorrow night. It’s been a few weeks and apparently, there’s been talk about the Heirs losing their edge. Total fucking bullshit. So in order to quash any rumours and assert our authority before we’re forced to hand the key over to the next generation, we’ve got to give the people what they want.

A kick-arse fucking party.

Not so long ago, I’d have been all over it.Now though… Honestly, I can’t think of anything worse. The only thing that could make the night bearable would be if Abigail was there. But I already know that’s a long shot.

The girls might try and convince her, but I’m not sure anything they could say would make her agree.

“What do you mean you’re not coming?” Reese barks at Olivia as I lower my tray to the table we all usually sit at.

It hasn’t been the case this week.

It’s like someone has turned back the clock. The boys and I have been sitting here, holding court in the dinner hall while the girls sit elsewhere with Abigail.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad they”re putting her needs over those of their demanding boyfriends. I just fucking wish they’d all come and sit here with us.The second the Heir chasers got a whiff of something being off with their blossoming relationships, they descended like a swarm of gnats.

We used to love that shit. Every single day we used to lap up their attention, and demand more even.Now, their behaviour and desperation are just a turn-off. Not a single one of them sparks any kind of interest in me.

It got so bad yesterday, I actually broached the subject of us eating in the private room we have access to, should we want it just to get away with it all. But predictably, like the pussy-whipped motherfuckers they are, the guys refused to leave their girls.

I got it. I didn’t want to walk away from Abigail either. But something told me she’d probably relax better and eat properly if I did.

It’s a bitter fucking pill to swallow.

“I mean,” Olivia says, placing her hand on her waist and popping her hip. “We aren’t coming to your party.”

“B-but you have to come,” Reese stutters in utter shock.

“Umm… No actually, I don’t think we do.”

“You do,” Oak pipes up. “You’re our girls. It’s your job to be there.”

Olivia’s eyes almost hit the ceiling. “Our job?”

“You’re a part of us now, babe,” Reese explains as if she doesn’t know exactly what he’s referring to. “Your presence will be expected.”

She rolls her eyes. “Your loyal subjects will get over it,” she teases.

“What are you doing instead?” I ask, already suspecting where this is going.

She turns to me looking somewhat relieved I asked a serious question. “Girls’ night. Abi deserves it, don’t you think?”

My heart aches getting the confirmation I was expecting. Abigail won’t be at the Chapel tomorrow night.

It was wrong of me to hope that she might have come, had a few drinks, and let go a little. But I couldn’t help it. I need something to fucking latch onto here or I’m going to completely fucking drown.

“You can do that Saturday night,” Reese points out.

“No, we’re doing it tomorrow night.”

Without waiting for another word from her boyfriend she marches off through the dining room with her head held high and her school skirt swishing back and forth.

“The fuck?” Reese barks, sinking down in his chair.

“Right?” Oak agrees, looking utterly mortified.

“Nah, man,” Theo says, focusing on Oak. “You’re looking at this all wrong. If the girls aren’t there, you won’t have to watch Reese touch up your sister all night.”

“Fuck you,” Reese grunts. “You can’t tell me that you’re happy about partying without Raine.”

“Of fucking course I’m not, but they’ve got a point.”

Both Reese and Oak sigh. They’re friends with Abigail too. They know that the girls need this time with her, even if it comes at their expense.

Together the four of us finish eating, but it doesn’t take long for Oak and Theo to slink off in search of their girls. I expect Reese to go with them to teach Olivia a lesson for her little announcement earlier, but he doesn’t. He stays put and locks his attention on me.

“What?” I snap, not in the mood for another Reese Whitfield-Brown heart-to-heart.

“You look rough, man. Have you slept at all this week?”

I don’t respond. What’s the point? The fact he’s bringing it up means he knows the answer.

Between obsessing over Abigail and studying, I’m pretty much running on empty.

“Say whatever you want to say then fuck off,” I mutter.

“Just worried about you, bro.”

Shaking my head, I scrub my hand down my face.“No need. I’ve got everything under control.”

“Bullshit,” he scoffs. “Why don’t you try and talk to her again?”

“And say what? I can’t fix this, Reese. Why can’t you understand that?”

“Okay fine.” He sighs, clearly frustrated with me. “Talk to your father instead.”

“Oh yeah, because that will fix all my fucking problems.”

“Well, you’ve got to do something. You can’t keep up like this.”

No. He’s right. I fucking can’t. But I’ve been left with two impossible options.

Forget about Abigail and get on with my bullshit life.

Or…

Defy the orders of the man who has control over every aspect of my life and effectively sign my own death certificate.

There really is no right answer here.