Chapter 31
CHAPTER 31
MADDIE
O n Monday morning, I walked toward Redwood with a smile on my face. I had spent all weekend talking to Alec Wolfe, and, God, it felt so good. I felt like I had been on top of the world since Friday night, like nothing could stop the feeling of warmth spreading through my body.
Not even Spencer.
Wind seared my cheeks, so I pulled the hood of my coat up and trudged toward the front doors. It had been an odd occurrence, seeing Spencer in Redwood, but I had pushed it to the back of my mind. He wouldn’t dare fuck with me again after what the hockey team did to him.
At least, that was what I told myself. That was what I forced myself to believe.
Everything is fine .
And while I hoped that everything really was fine, as soon as I stepped through the front doors of Redwood Academy, Tiffany—one of Sandra’s best friends—shoved herself into my shoulder. It was almost as if she had been waiting for me.
My books fell, and I hurried to pick them up.
“Watch it, slut,” Tiffany said.
Sandra smirked down at me and kicked one of my books down the hall with her heel. “A desperate little slut too.”
They laughed together and walked off into another hallway, leaving me scrambling to pick up my books. After gathering my belongings, I stood and saw everyone staring. At me. Nobody pulled their gaze away, not even when I made eye contact with them.
“Maddie!” Vera shouted, rushing down the hallway toward me with Piper.
“What’s going on? Why’s everyone staring at me?” I asked stupidly.
Vera grabbed my hand and tugged me to my locker, shoving people out of the way, which was very unlike Vera unless something was terribly wrong. It only meant that … something bad had happened between the time I had gone to sleep last night and this morning.
“Have you even been on social media today?” she asked me.
I furrowed my brow. “No. Why?”
Vera whipped out her phone and thrust it in front of my face.
My eyes widened. “Oh. My. God.”
On her screen was a video. Of Alec and me. Friday night. In the freaking locker room!
“No.” I shook my head. “Tell me it’s not true.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. The videos were posted from Alec’s account. Worst of all was his caption?—
Finally snagged my best friend’s little sister
—which tipped me over the edge and made me a sobbing mess.
“He told me that nobody was watching us!” I said, placing a hand over my mouth to muffle my cries.
I hated being the center of attention, and now, everyone was staring at me with their judgmental eyes.
“We’ll figure this out, Maddie,” Piper said, rubbing my shoulder.
“He lied to me!” I cried because it was the only logical reason.
Spencer had … posted videos of us—of me—that I hadn’t even known that he had taken. He had sent them in a mass email to every single person at Redwood Academy a year ago, and now, this was happening again.
After I’d trusted Alec.
And part of me still did, but … h-how?
Vera flared her nostrils and crossed her arms. “I’ll get Blaise to cut off his balls.”
Suddenly, the crowd parted for Alec, who hurried into the hallway. He made eye contact with me, eyes filled with sorrow. Unable to hold my anger back, I rushed toward him and slammed my hands into his chest.
“How dare you!” I shoved him. “I told you I wanted to keep it a secret.” Another shove. “And instead, you make me look like a desperate slut!”
Alec took every one of my shoves. “Maddie, stop it. You have it all wrong.”
“No!” I shouted. “You’re a piece of shit. I should’ve never trusted you.”
Part of me knew that he hadn’t done this, that I wasn’t thinking clearly because Spencer was on my mind. I wanted to scream at Spencer for fucking me up, not Alec. Still, right now, I couldn’t tell the difference.
“I swear, I didn’t do it.”
“All the videos are from your account!”
“I was hacked, Maddie. I swear.”
“Don’t believe him, Maddie,” Piper said, hooking her arm around mine. “He hurt you.”
Alec handed me his phone. “I’m locked out of all my accounts. Look.”
I grabbed the phone from him and scrolled from app to app. He was locked out of everything. Instagram. Facebook. TikTok. Even his school emails. Stupid him must’ve used the same password for all his accounts.
“You have to believe me,” Alec said desperately, stepping closer to me.
But I stepped back.
All I felt was hurt and betrayal, and all I could remember was what Spender had done to me. Pain like that didn’t just go away out of nowhere. It lingered like a quiet beast, readying for when it happened again.
When my back hit the lockers, I stared up at Alec with tears in my eyes. “Alec …” My voice was nothing but a trembling whisper.
He pushed some hair behind my ear, eyes filled with just as much hurt as I felt. “I wouldn’t do that to you, Cupcake.”
I wanted to believe him so badly. Deep down, I knew he wouldn’t do that. He had kept it a secret all this time. But still … it was hard to believe him after seeing Spencer in Redwood. Maybe he was doing this. Maybe he had locked Alec out of his accounts.
“Okay,” I whispered. “I believe you.”
Though … I wasn’t sure I did.
I was scared as fuck that I was being stupid again and falling for a man who’d hurt me.
Alec slumped his taut shoulders forward and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into the tightest hug that he had ever given me. “I swear, I’ll find out whoever did this. I’ll make their life hell for you.”
When he pulled away, I let a tear fall down my cheek. All this time, I had been so worried about what people would think of me. And all this time, someone had been plotting to make sure Redwood thought I was an easy slut.
Behind Alec, Oliver stormed down the hallway toward us.
My eyes widened at the rage in his eyes.
“I’m going to fix—”Alec started.
Before he could finish the sentence, Oliver slammed his fist into the side of Alec’s face.