Chapter Eight
Charlotte
I am strong. I am brave. I am worthy.
I am woman, hear me roar.
That last bit is all Loden. After every time they’d drill those thoughts into our heads, he’d whisper that second part just for me. I’ve barely been home three days and I already miss him.
A freaking rock star.
It’s weird the people you connect with. Once we started talking, we realized we had a lot in common. He comes from a wealthy family, has battled enormous pressure, and failed everyone around him. Loden puts on this hardass act just like I put on my cheerleader smile. Inside, though, we’re dying. It’s nice to know we’re not alone.
I shoot him a text, suddenly overcome with nerves.
Me: Wish you were here.
Lo: Pink Floyd. Oh…we weren’t playing Name that Tune?
Me: Did I wake you up?
Lo: When you don’t party like a rock star—pun intended—you suddenly wake up like a normal human. Pretty fucking boring if you ask me.
Me: Boring is good. Your sister probably prefers you to be boring.
Lo: No shit. Mena’s the queen of boring.
He sends me a picture of her sitting at their breakfast bar, flipping off the camera.
Me: Be nice to your sister.
Lo: She flipped me off!
I switch my camera to selfie mode, grin, and flip him off, before snapping the picture. I send it to him and stare back at the girl I’ve become.
Rehab was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. And not just to get away from the drugs, but to also learn about myself and how to cope. How to ask for help.
I’m no longer a wreck. Light shines in my eyes. My skin and hair are healthy. I smile without tears. It’s like I clawed myself out of the wreckage of the girl I used to be—changed, tougher, better. I’m scarred a little, both inside and out, but learning to stand on my own two feet again.
Lo: Mena asked if I could go straight so we could keep you. I guess I gotta take one for the team and marry the cheerleader. Does that mean I get to fuck your ass now?
He sends me stupid puppy dog emojis.
Me: If I say yes, does that mean you come to Horn River and go to school with me?
Lo: Fuck school. Your ass is pretty, but not that pretty.
Me: Dick.
Lo: Speaking of…I’m meeting my new trainer. He’s super fucking hot.
Me: Don’t sleep with your trainer.
Lo: You and Mena are cockblocking assholes.
Me: Be good.
Lo: If I promise, will you FaceTime me later?
Vulnerability burns through the line.
Me: Even if you’re bad, I’ll talk to your annoying ass. Gotta go.
Lo: Bye, baby.
I smile as I shove my phone into my pocket. It’s weird not carrying a purse. I’ve always been a girly girl, but lately, I don’t care about my image like I once did. I’m fine with my new, chic haircut, a cute T-shirt, jeans, and my Docs. At least all my old friends graduated, so it’s not like they’ll question my new style.
Once I pack my bag, I sling it over my shoulder and go to find Penny since I’m not allowed to get behind the wheel for a year. Samantha was able to get me out of a lot of shit like a prison sentence, considering the fact I’d injured someone nearly fatally, but I had to have some sort of consequence for my actions.
It doesn’t wake Trey, though.
My light mood darkens at that thought. I quickly go over what I learned in therapy, breathe deeply, and then continue forward.
“We’re going to be late, Pen,” I say, rapping on her door.
Aunt Karen moved her desk again to let Penny use her office as a bedroom so we wouldn’t have to share a room anymore. It’s been nice having my own space.
She’s completely passed out.
“Seriously. Get up, lazy.” I poke her butt with my boot. “I don’t want to be late.”
“You spend a whole year being the bad one and now we’re back to peppy you?” she groans. “Five more minutes, Alarm Clock Barbie.”
I smack her ass that’s barely covered in her thin shorts, making her howl. She tosses a pillow at me, but I dodge it, laughing. We throw stuff back and forth before she huffs in resignation. Penny isn’t like most girls. Her morning regimen is over before you blink. She takes a five-minute shower, pulls her wet hair into a high ponytail, bypasses makeup, and throws on a pair of Nike athletic pants and a yellow Horn River T-shirt.
Aunt Karen and Mom are already gone this morning, so we grab PopTarts on our way out the door. Penny’s new car Dad bought her is so Penny. He’d wanted to get her an Audi, stating it saved my life when we wrecked, but Penny didn’t want any of it. We climb into her brand-new, bright yellow Jeep. I try not to cringe over the fact that the doors aren’t on, so my hair is going to be a hot mess by the time we get to school, especially with what a horrible driver my sister is. She drives like a boy, crazy and fast.
She turns on some Halsey loud enough that we can’t carry on a conversation, but I don’t mind. It’s nice getting to hang out with her, even if I am having to redo my senior year. It makes me miss all the times Roux and I rode together to school. She’s graduated now, pregnant, and has a wedding to plan. It’s like she grew up and left me behind. I love her, though, and she deserves her happily ever after more than anyone. Saturday we spent all day looking at wedding dresses and she told me what she’s been up to the past year. It makes me feel horrible I abandoned her when she needed me most when everything went down with Rex and Kayden, but there’s nothing I can change about the past. Carrie, my therapist from rehab, made sure to remind me of that daily.
We pull into the student parking lot, but rather than whipping into a spot beside one of the other cars, Penny drives up over the curb and on the grass until she throws the Jeep in park under a tree.
“You’re going to get towed,” I warned. “The principal is a real hardass.”
She snickers. “Do you think Aunt Karen wants to deal with Dad if some idiot door dings my new baby?”
“Point taken. Let’s go. I still have to pick up my schedule from the office,” I remind her.
We walk up to the school and my anxiety spikes up. The last thing I remember about school is being dragged around by Ryan. Him dictating my every move. I shake off a shudder, reminding myself he won’t be here this year. I’m on my own and it feels good.
Penny elbows me once we get inside the building. “Don’t fail this time.”
“Ha-ha,” I deadpan. “Go to class, dork.”
She bounds off, her blond ponytail swinging behind her. I start for the office, nearly ramming right into a man. He grips my elbow, steadying me.
“Charlotte?”
“Hey, Mr. Ewing,” I chirp.
He stares at me for a moment, unease in his stare. “You, uh, here again?”
“Kinda failed the last time,” I say with an embarrassed smile.
He returns my smile with one of his own. “Don’t worry about it. Everyone makes mistakes. I know I have.” He pauses as though he’s waiting for me to agree, but I don’t know anything about his life. “Right, hopefully they put you in my class again.”
“We’ll see. Headed to get my schedule now.” I gently pull my arm from his grip. “See you around.”
He winks at me. “Absolutely. I’m always around if you need help with anything.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
He holds my stare for a moment longer before waving. I watch him walk off, wondering what that was all about. It’s then I feel it.
Burning heat.
Anger.
Hate.
My hackles rise, wondering how Ryan managed to get here. I fight the rising panic, swallowing down bile that threatens to spew. As though drawn to the source by a magnetic pull, I drag my gaze up to lock eyes with familiar green eyes.
Cal?
I frown, confused as to why he’s here.
“Char, hon, you’re going to be late,” Aunt Karen says, poking her head out of the office door. “Here.” She thrusts my schedule at me.
I snatch it without looking at it, my attention darting back over to Cal. He looks ridiculously out of place in the school. For one, he’s the hottest guy here standing easily at six-foot-five, solid with sculpted muscle that strains against his button-down dress shirt, and his chocolate hair styled into a messy, just-fucked way. I tense when he strides our way, the menacing glare transforming into an easy, fun smile I’ve always known him to have until I smashed into his best friend.
“What’s he doing here?” I choke out, no longer feeling confident like I had been all morning. Surely he won’t say something cruel in front of my aunt.
“Mr. Hutton,” Aunt Karen says, smirking. “Try to behave. You’re one of us now, son.”
I snap my head his way, my mouth open in shock. “Y-You’re a teacher here? How?”
“Pre-Calculus. I didn’t know what I wanted to do after I nearly lost my best friend to an accident.” His words linger in the air like knives pointed at me, ready to rain down. “But Ms. Frazier here told me the school lost their senior Pre-Calculus teacher. Here I am.”
“Don’t you like have to be certified or something?” I demand, my voice growing shrill.
“His degree is in Finance,” Aunt Karen explains. “And he took the teacher certifications this summer. He’s qualified. Don’t worry.”
“But, if you think you’re getting any special favors from me, you’re wrong,” he practically growls. “I’ll be hard on you. Probably harder than everyone else.”
I can’t believe this guy.
Aunt Karen smiles and nods in agreement. That’s always been her thing. Not giving us special treatment even though she’s our aunt. Now, she thinks she’s rubbed off on him. In reality, he’s boldly telling her that he’s going to be an asshole to me.
And she freaking agrees.
I lift my schedule and frown to see his name on my schedule for my first class. The bell rings, making me jump.
“You’re late,” Cal says. “Detention.”
Aunt Karen cackles and smacks his arm. “Get to class both of you. Be nice, Hutton, or I’ll make you scrape gum off desks.”
He holds up his hands, flashing her a mischievous grin. “Yes, ma’am.”
Unbelievable.
My new enemy is my damn teacher.
I cannot wait to tell Loden. He’s going to laugh his ass off and then help me plan his demise. Leaving Cal, I stalk down the hall, fuming. This isn’t about him finding a job, coincidentally at my school. It’s about him making good on a promise to terrorize me. If he’s gone this far, there’s no telling what he’ll do next.
Like Ryan?
My heart rate speeds up when I hit the stairwell that’s now empty. I’ve just made it to the landing when heavy footfalls thud behind me. I let out a shriek when Cal grabs my hand, stopping me.
“Wait,” he growls.
I nearly stumble as I back myself against the wall. My eyes dart down and then up as I calculate the quickest escape. Panic seizes me and I slam my eyes shut. A low whimper crawls out of my throat.
“Please don’t hurt me,” I whisper.
Strong fingers grip my jaw in a gentle way. He tilts my head up and I’m forced to inhale his woodsy scent. Pine and fresh mountain air.
“Look at me, little girl.”
I open my eyes, blinking back tears.
“I’m not Cuntingham,” he murmurs, bringing his face close enough to mine that I see slivers of blue hidden in his green orbs. “I don’t hurt little girls.”
“But you said—”
“That I’d make your life a living hell?” His grin is wolfish. He’s a predator and this little mouse—as Jordy calls me—is trapped under the cat’s paw, his claws sharp and threatening but don’t pierce. Yet.
“Cal—”
“Mr. Hutton,” he snaps. “That’s how you’ll refer to me from now on.” He releases me and takes a step back, hate making his green eyes seem to glow. “Collect yourself and then get in that classroom. Right up front so I can make sure you don’t flunk out again, loser.”
He turns and takes the stairs up two at a time.
How did two and a half months of working on myself just crumble in one encounter?
With shaky hands, I pull my phone out of my jeans pocket and send a text to Lo.
Me: I accept your marriage proposal. Hurry. Come pick me up and let’s ride off into the sunset before the assholes catch up.
Lo: Who do I need to kill? Everyone?
Me: One stupidly hot dickhead teacher.
Lo: Can I fuck him first?
Me: I can’t do this.
Lo: You can and you will. Go, baby. Seize the motherfucking day.
With tears in my eyes, I march up the steps, ready to face the dragon I’m going to have to slay one way or another. Because that’s who I am now. Not meek, broken Charlotte. No, I’m a phoenix. I’ve risen from the ashes. I have battle wounds and claws.
Cal thinks I’ll be some little pet mouse he can toy with?
He’s wrong.
I am strong. I am brave. I am worthy.
I am woman, hear me roar.