Chapter Nineteen
Amelie
“Morning, beautiful.” Kalen says from beside me. I’m weak, that’s what it is, I have zero self-control.
“You didn’t have to do that.” I nod in the direction of the rest of the bags he has brought up from the car.
“Sure I did. After the fashion show you put on last night, it was the least I could do.” He takes a seat beside me on the bed.
“What are your plans today? We could Netflix and chill.”
“As much as the chill sounds good, I am busy all day.” I pout. I have enjoyed spending time with him, he is slowly breaking down my walls and worming his way into my heart. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying every minute of it.
“Fine, I’m sure I’ll find something to occupy my time… or someone.” I wink, teasing him.
“Don’t pout,” he says jumping softly on top of me, being careful to hold his body weight.
“I would love nothing more than to grind myself into you all day, but my brothers would come and find me. On the upside, there’s no family dinner tonight.
Unless you plan to have an intimate dinner with Laura tonight by yourself? ”
“Not if my life depended on it.” I will go to the library and get some textbooks, get some study in.
We laugh and roll around on the bed, fooling around, before a swift knock on the door gives us a second’s notice that someone is coming in.
“Kalen, let’s not keep dad waiting,” Onyx says, not bothering with a hello.
“Okay,” he replies from on top of me, now under the covers. He sits up, holding the blanket out wide behind him to block the view from his brother.
“Be jealous, O, you have no idea what I can see now.” I laugh and Kalen drops himself and the blanket back on top of us and slides out from the end, making sure to kiss my bare skin in various places as he makes his way out.
I notice Slate and Sawyer both standing next to Onyx. Sawyer looks like a friend just standing next to them, not a teacher. None of them say anything, but they do take in my bare shoulders and messed up hair. I guess they’re all smart enough to draw their own conclusions about what happened.
“Do I need to remind you that you shouldn’t be in the girl dorms again?” Sawyer half whispers. I wonder if he’s really warning Kalen or trying to get a rise out of me. I know Kalen’s slept with other girls, so whatever Sawyer’s trying to do, it won’t work. I just don’t care.
“Should I point out, that you shouldn’t either, especially whilst a very hot student is very naked under a very thin blanket.”
All four brothers turn to look at me before leaving the room. I wait until I know they won’t be coming back and then race for the door and flick the lock.
I decide not to shower because I like having the smell of Kalen on my skin. I can wash it off after I get back from the library and breakfast.
I find a super cute skirt, remembering how much Kalen said me in a skirt turns him on, and a nice top to match. I find Susan and message Elsie to say I’m getting coffee and heading to the library. She doesn’t reply, but the offer is there if she does want to join me.
By the time I get to the dining hall it’s fairly empty.
Usually on a Sunday there are lots of kids hanging around, today there seems to be less.
I don’t question it whilst I get a coffee without a five minute wait for the pods to be filled, and the pastries are plentiful with a good range to choose from.
I opt for the miniature versions so that I can sample a range, but the cherry lattice is always my favourite. I take two.
Elsie is a no show, so I make my way to the library and find a table in the back corner, behind a dusty, disused section of books.
“Look who it is.” I jump at the sound of Baxter’s voice, a hard tone that I’m not used to coming from him.
“Long time no see,” I say, not bothering to look up from the text and continue to read.
“I agree, I haven't seen you since you stole from me...twice actually, and I’m here to remind you that people don't steal from me. Not if they want to live to tell the tale.”
Baxter’s hand winds through my hair easily and he has me out of my seat. It fucking stings so I comply, but as far as things go, I’ve experienced worse.
“What the fuck?!” I snap.
As he throws me face-first into the solid wooden bookcase, his body presses into mine.
My mind flies to something Sawyer taught me and I push back with my ass a little, hoping to distract him enough.
It doesn’t work. I’m pushed tighter to the bookcase.
His hand slides around my neck. What is it with the guys at this school and their strangling fetish?
“You know, there is a certain amount of pressure that can turn you on in this position, but if you squeeze just tight enough, the body will start to panic. I don’t want to hurt you, Amelie, but be warned, I don’t like people taking what's mine.”
He lets go just a little. “I’m sorry,” I say between gritted teeth.
“I don’t believe you. And you smell like sex...do you know how much of a turn on that is?” His hand slides up the side of my stocking-clad leg and he grinds himself into my ass. This time I put some effort into it, and push him back. To my surprise he takes a step back and laughs.
A book falling on the floor has Baxter moving away from me with a dirty big smirk on his face. I look around to see why.
Kalen is standing there.
“Fucking whore!” he hisses before he takes off.
“What the fuck did you just do?” I snap, pushing at his chest.
“Hitting you where it hurts, my love. If you fuck with my stuff again, I will mess with you physically. Personally, that would be a lot more fun for me than playing with a used up, shared pussy.”
Then he’s gone.
Shit. I pack up my stuff and take off after them both. That would have looked terrible.
Baxter is nowhere in sight, but Kalen is standing with his brothers.
“Kalen, please can we talk?”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“Please, just let me explain,” I beg.
“Explain what, sis? That I fucked you all damn night and as soon as I leave you’re fucking Branson in the library.”
“Kalen, I…”
“Just leave,” Onyx snaps. “We all knew you were a whore and you proved it, just leave before you embarrass yourself anymore.”
They don’t let me explain, they all walk away. What the fuck is Baxter's problem?
“Fuck you,” I scream at their retreating bodies. “Fuck off!”
I run back to my room, closing myself off. Fuck them for getting under my skin, fuck Baxter for knowing damn well that Kalen was standing there. Fuck them all.
I wake with puffy eyes when laughter comes from the far end of the field directly behind my dorm.
It’s dark outside, but I can make out that kids are walking into the trees. Great there’s a party and I wasn’t invited. Fuck them, they can hear me out. I dress in some warmer clothes, fuck their rules. I wear my hoodie and a plain pair of yoga pants and follow the light sound of flapper music.
“What are you doing out in the woods all alone, girly?” His voice startles me.
I see Baxter leaning against a nearby tree. He is looking dapper in a 1920’s style outfit. On anyone else I’d question it, but on him it works.
“I saw someone walk out into the woods and figured I would see what was going on,” I’m a little short and snappy with him.
Yes, I was wrong to steal from him - although I maintain it was only the once because the bike was returned - but he’s in the doghouse for deliberately fucking around with me when he knew Kalen was watching.
“Do you make a habit of following strangers into dark places?” he asks, blowing a puff of smoke from his mouth. He does it so effortlessly, that the action makes him look badass.
“Monsters don’t always hide in the dark, most look you right in the eyes every day,” I say but he doesn’t respond. “So, what are you doing in the dark alone?”
“Just waiting for my Marty McFly to stop by,” he says, just another random thing he sprouts, he really is weird.
Is this guy serious right now?
“I need you to tell Kalen nothing happened between us,” I insist.
“And why would I do that?” he says, stubbing out his smoke.
“Because it’s the truth.”
“It’s your truth. But maybe it’s not mine. Maybe I’m crazy for you and my truth is that something did happen.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Certifiably. Kalen’s truth is that we fucked. There’s no truth, just perspective.”
“That doesn’t make any sense! It’s not true; we didn’t fuck!”
“But maybe we wanted to.”
“You’re so frustrating! Just tell him that nothing happened. He won’t listen to me!” I’m so exasperated right now and I feel like I’m being sucked into a circular conversation that will go round and round with no end.
“How about this…” Branson proposes. “You know as well as I do that in this life nothing comes for free around here. Fuck me and I’ll tell him nothing happened.”
“Then it would be a lie.”
“Choice is yours. He believes we fucked, even when we didn’t, or you fuck me, right here, right now, and he will believe nothing happened.”
“You’re an asshole!” I yell and a twig snaps behind us. “What's that noise?”
“What's the fun in telling you? The games have begun, you’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.” His face turns into something dark. “I think you should run now.”
“What games?” If he thinks a small noise from the dark is enough to scare me, then he is sorely mistaken.
“I have told you before to pay attention to what is happening around you, but you need to run, Amelie. They are coming and you’re not dressed up, so you have now become the hunted. I could catch you right now and fuck you, and the game would be over before it even begins.”
He can’t be serious. Game? What fucking game? I don’t plan to play. Instead, I take off running for the dormitory entrance.
Footfall pounds on the ground behind me, making me glad I’ve been running with Onyx; my endurance is better than it was.
A large silhouette of a body blocks my path, causing me to turn and run back in the direction I just came from, adrenaline pumping and through my veins.
More twigs snapping and leaves crunching surrounds me.
I’m literally being hunted. It’s pitch black now, compared to the light that previously allowed me to see the shadows disappearing into the trees.
I can’t see the path in front of me, so I have to use my hands to guide my way.
I rack my brain trying to figure out why I am being hunted.
..am I even the prey? Or am I in the wrong place at the wrong time?
There’s no way anyone could have known I was coming out here tonight. Not one person.
My legs burn and I’m thrown off my feet when I hit something solid. I scramble to feel around and I’m in luck: a hollow log. I manage to squeeze my body into the space inside the log, or what I’m hoping is a log. I close my eyes and wait.
I hear muffled voices and whistles. The sound of dogs barking gets closer and closer. What is going on?