Chapter 43 The Scuttlebutt
The Scuttlebutt
Caden
We talked about it over the weekend. Tanner keeps upping his game with Harper, and she’s not going to be able to work on this project with him if he doesn’t start actually working. Ms. Sullivan wanted me in the class, so I made a deal with her.
For my AP class, I can get the notes from Jack, and as long as I’m there the first half, I should stay on target. Then the second half of the period, I’ll come to art. But my only insistence was that I be able to work with Harper.
Ms. Sullivan loved the idea, and my AP teacher was on board. It would look good on my transcript for college. If I don’t tank the AP class, everyone will be happy.
Well, everyone except Tanner, who looks like he swallowed a bunch of pins. I hope he chokes on them. I was hoping he’d be a non-issue and Ms. Sullivan would reassign him after his bullshit with Harper yesterday. But Ms. Sullivan has a sweet spot for bad boys.
Luke is worried about me handling being around Tanner, but I’ll do anything to protect Harper. He’s not digging his claws into my girl. Not this time.
I couldn’t protect my sister because I didn’t see it coming. This time I’m on to Tanner.
“The idea is to combine our styles, but still be able to see the artist in the designs.” Harper actually looks a little giddy. She smiles. Good. I worried that after our talk she’d think I wasn’t trusting her.
Tanner is being a bitch boy and not saying anything.
I hope he tells the teacher I’m his bully and then it will be just me and Harper working on the project.
The girl in the office told me about how Tanner was being bullied, but he wouldn’t tell anyone the names of his bullies for fear of retribution.
He has everyone snowed. Honestly, the administration probably knows it’s us, but there’s not much they can do. My dad and Luke’s would tear into them if they did anything to punish us. Eli’s family contributes to the foundation and so does Jack’s.
We aren’t going anywhere. We’re untouchable and that includes Harper. That’s the reminder Tanner needs when he tries to mess with our girl.
“We need to fill out the information in the sheet to decide on a design that works for all of us.” Harper hands me a piece of paper. Her cheeks flush.
Last night I kept her awake all night, making her come until she couldn’t come down. I wish I could still taste her. There’s the kiln room in the class. I’ve never taken anyone back there, but with Harper, I’m tempted.
She arches an eyebrow at me like she knows what I’m thinking. I look down at the sheet.
“I mostly do sculpture work. My style is fairly minimalist.” I glance over the other questions.
“I’ve always enjoyed seeing what you were creating.” Harper’s voice is soft like she’s trying to exclude Tanner.
He scoffs. “Thought you didn’t want to be their little pet.”
I chuckle. “That’s the best you have?”
He lifts his gaze to mine, and for a minute, his anger and rage is in full force before he hides it behind a fake smile. “You know me. I prefer closed doors, and making sure she takes it all.”
“You know,” Harper taps her lip with the eraser of her pencil, “now that Caden’s here, it wouldn’t be the worst thing if you got sent to the office.”
“Nah, let him burn through his insults and innuendos until he has nothing left.” I get out my sketchpad and glance over at Tanner. “After all, you’ve done all the damage you can do to me and mine. But we still haven’t taken everything from you.”
Tanner’s eyes narrow on me. “You underestimate what I can do.”
I laugh. “You underestimate our reach.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tanner gives up any pretense of working.
“Meaning your sister still reaches out to Jack. She’s more than willing to help us.”
Harper’s eyes widen as she searches my face. I take her hand below the table and squeeze it. It sounds like I’m saying we’ll fuck with his sister, but we’re not. It’s a bluff, but it’s a legit one.
“Stay the fuck away from my sister,” Tanner bites out.
I lean back in my chair and shake my head slowly. “We might. If you back off whatever you think you’re going to do to Harper.”
His face transforms, and he laughs. “You think I’m the only one coming after your girl? You’re all delusional. And that’s what’s going to take you down.”
Harper
Fortunately, the period ends with those ominous words. Caden helps me pack up my stuff and draws me into the hallway. Nico hurries out behind us. As we head toward the cafeteria, I tug on his hand.
“I need to use the ladies’.” I gesture to the bathroom.
Caden takes my backpack. Blushing, I grab a tampon out of the front pocket and head in. Girls’ voices echo in the small room.
“She acts like they’re hers, calling them all her boyfriends.”
Planning to just brazen it out, I blow out a breath and round the corner. Fortunately all the girls are in stalls. I slip into the last one and hope no one realizes I’m in here.
“I know, right?” another girl says. “Like they’re honestly going to be her boyfriends. That’s such a joke. I wonder when they’ll get to the punchline.”
“You mean when they humiliate her in front of the whole school.” The other girl laughs. “Remember what they did to Rebecca.”
“That was cold.” Someone flushes and the voice moves to the sinks. “I mean, I fucked Eli in front of her. I almost didn’t come because of the look on her face. At least I got something out of the deal.”
My stomach churns. Fuck, how did I not know about this?
“I can’t wait to ride Caden’s big fat dick. I’m going all out to get him. I’ll even let him take my ass.” The girl sounds dreamy.
“Damn, that would be impressive.”
Another toilet flushes, and the sinks run as they wash their hands. “You think it will be another week?”
“Maybe a month. Fucking lucky bitch. Pretty sure she’s getting dicked by all of them.” The girl groans. “But they can’t be serious about her. She’s no one. Like literally.”
“It’s so random that she was the last virgin. If I’d known, I would have held out.”
“No you wouldn’t have.” The girl laughs. “You’re such a whore.”
“I know.” The other one giggles.
I draw in a breath and let it out. Their voices fade as they leave the bathroom.
They didn’t say anything I haven’t thought. I am no one.
I don’t know what punishment they did to Rebecca, but that might explain why she was so cold to them in the restaurant, when most girls just want more from them. It explains why she changed schools too.
I finish and head out to the sinks to wash my hands. Like Kenz said, I don’t have to fall in love with the horsemen. It seems like a stretch of a joke to make me apply to all the same colleges if they’re just going to dump me.
Maybe that’s how they treated girls before me...
But why am I special? What makes me think they want more? Just because I gave them all my firsts? I don’t know what to think.
If they try to play me like that, my mom would make their lives hell.
I smile at that thought. I catch sight of one of the hickeys Caden left on my neck. Luke stroked his finger over it in the shower. If they’re just playing with me, they should all become actors. Because if this is a lie, I’m falling for it.
Sighing, I head back out. Caden and Nico stand across the hall talking. Caden’s eyes light up when he sees me, and he walks my way.
He tips my chin up and as he searches my eyes, I search his for the deception, for the lie. He lowers his mouth to mine and kisses me softly.
“We won’t do anything with his sister. You know that, right, little nympho?” Caden strokes his thumb beside my lips. “I was just pushing Tanner’s buttons, looking for the hot spots.”
I force a smile and nod. Caden doesn’t look convinced, but my mind can’t stop spinning around what those girls said in the bathroom.
I want to corner Rebecca Forester and ask her what they did to her.
Were they like this with her? Did they make her open up her heart and then shove it back in her face?
Caden’s eyes narrow on me, but he wraps his arm around my shoulders and leads me to the cafeteria. The noise level increases as we grow closer. Still not my favorite place in the school, but what am I going to do?
We walk into the room, and my back stiffens. The Cheermonsters are at the table that’s usually empty next to ours. Zach Gray and some other basketball players sit with them. They seem to be having the time of their lives.
Maybe they’ll leave us alone and focus on their group. Wishful thinking, but I’m still cramping, and that conversation I overheard still spins in my head. Somehow I can block out Tanner, but not those girls. They didn’t even know I was in there.
Luke, Eli, and Jack talk casually at the table as we approach. Eli holds his hand out to me. I glance at Caden. His hand slips down my back and guides me toward Eli.
Okay, I guess I’m sitting with Eli today. I take Eli’s hand and he draws me down to sit between his legs.
“How are you today, kitten?” he murmurs into my hair.
I lean back into his warmth. “I’m fine.”
“Didn’t Caden treat you right?” He gently massages my hip.
Caden grins. “The only sleep she got was with Luke this morning.”
I meet Caden’s eyes. “Luke’s much better at sleeping than you are.”
“Careful, princess. I know where you sleep, and I know how deeply you sleep.” Luke smirks.
My insides flare with heat. I’ve woken with him fucking me a couple times now. I’m not objecting to it though. He swipes a finger through the whipped cream on his Jell-o and sucks it off his finger.
I press my thighs together at the growing ache there. The one place I do not need to be turned on is the cafeteria. I look down at my hands and then glance toward the other table.
Sidney laughs with her hand on Zach’s. Her other hand disappears under the table. Emma is between two guys that stare at her mouth while she talks. Hannah is on the lap of one of the bigger guys.
Ashley seems to be paying attention to the guy talking to her, but her focus is on Eli. Her hand is clenched in a fist around her can of soda. Eli drags his fingers up my arm, and a little involuntary shiver goes through me.
His lips caress my ear as he whispers, “She needs to know I belong to you now.”
I turn to meet his dark eyes, and he captures my lips with his. All those doubts fly out of my mind. How can this not be real? How can he make me feel this way if it’s all a lie?
He grabs the back of my neck. When he lifts his mouth from mine, I gasp in a breath.
“I was disappointed about missing my night with you this week.” He rubs his nose against mine.
“Poor timing.” My voice is low and I want to lean back in and claim his mouth again.
“One thing you need to learn about your horsemen, kitten.” His eyes hold mine and I want to lose myself in their depths.
“What’s that, Pestilence?”
He smirks and leans in to my ear, speaking quietly enough for only me to hear. “Blood doesn’t scare us. This time we’ll give you a pass, but next time, blood or no blood, we’ll play with you how we want.”
Heat spirals down between my legs. Fuck. That shouldn’t key me up. None of what these guys do to me should affect me like this. But they light me on fire and enjoy the burn.
Eli shifts me on his lap to face the table again. He hands me an apple. The tightness inside me eases a little. This is familiar. This is typical. Now.
What happens when they pull this all out from underneath me?
Why am I letting those girls get to me? If it had been about any other girl they fucked, would I have worried? I’ve seen the way they interact with Rebecca, like she isn’t even there.
I don’t even know which one of them did the deed. She hates Eli. That’s the only thing I know. That girl implied she fucked Eli in front of Rebecca. Is that a thing they would do? Would that have been at a party?
There are too many unknowns for me with the horsemen. I didn’t have a front row seat. I hid in the back and hoped they wouldn’t find me. And now, I don’t know their history. Not the way those girls do.
Wouldn’t Kenz have said something? Maybe Penny and her group would know. Maybe I can text them later and ask. But what do I ask? If they knew about Rebecca Forester and what happened to her? I could go to the diner and ask Rebecca myself.
I’m not sure she’d talk to me though. She’d have no reason to tell me about her humiliation. But the worst she can say is no. But how could I trust anything she says?
My brain keeps spinning through lunch. The guys talk around me like they always do. I zone out like I usually do.
What she had with them had to be different than what’s happening with us.
Luke’s never shared before. Nico’s new to this all. They’ve let me in. Or at least they seem to have let me in.
Maybe it’s just my period making me off. Maybe I’m just paranoid.
“Come here, little nympho.”
I lift my gaze to Caden’s steady gaze. How do I know if any of this is real?
Eli helps me to my feet and I go around the table to Caden. He draws me down on his lap.
“Where are you?” he asks softly.
I blow out a breath and lean my head against his chest. His heartbeat is steady in my ear.
“Just thinking.”
He threads his fingers with mine. “You’re not mad at me about art class, are you?”
“No. Surprised, but not mad.” I look at our hands.
This is real. What I feel for him, it’s real.
“Relieved, actually. I was considering working alone on the project and taking the hit to my grade. He wanted to pick a fight. He wanted me to keep getting him kicked out so he could tell his sob story to the counselor and we’d be behind and have to work after school. ”
“I would have never let that happen.” His arm tightens around my center.
“I know. You protect me.” I tip my face up to his. “Always, right?”
His green eyes are sincere as they meet mine. “Always.”