Age 17
It’s over.
The moment I read her text, my already broken heart feels daggered by the only girl I thought was the one for me.
Anger zaps through my body as I walk through the corridors of the school. I have only one thing on my mind, and it’s making me blind with seething hatred. I’m not even sure who I’m mad at; her, or her family, or mine. In their pursuit of happiness, they’ve ignored my needs and wishes and placed their own above mine. But I won’t take it any longer. I won’t let them walk all over us, our relationship, what we have. Or had. If it’s not too late.
I know exactly why she quit. One way or another, our parents were going to find out the truth about us. We couldn’t keep it hidden forever. And that’s the thing she’s most afraid of; what other people will think of us when they realize we’ve been together …
Our parents getting together was never part of the plan.
However, it was also never Emily’s plan to tell either of them about our love. She made me vow that I wouldn’t tell a soul. She’s too embarrassed, and she cares too much about her father’s happiness now that he’s with my mother. More than she cares about her own.
I’m about to break the promise I made her.
Fury bubbles to the surface, causing me to make fists as I stomp through the hallways to the principal’s office. Students gape at me and start to whisper, probably wondering whether I’m going to start a fight. Fuck yes, I am. I’m so fucking pissed off. I don’t give a shit about anyone else, and I can’t even think straight. I only have one thing on my mind, and that’s getting this shit out in the open.
Without knocking, I burst into his office … her father’s office.
He’s leaning over his desk, holding the mic, and gazes up from his papers when I storm in. The look on his face changes from confusion to straight-out pissed.
“Chris?” he mutters.
“I don’t care if you kick me out or send the cops after me. Hell, you can expel me for all I care. I just want to get one thing straight here,” I say, as I walk toward his desk. “You think you can go around telling Emily what she can do, but you’re ruining her life.”
“Excuse me?” he mutters.
“I’m not finished!” I yell. “I know you’re the one who’s been looking at her texts. It doesn’t take a fucking genius to realize that. You’re invading her privacy, and worst of all, you’re forcing her to make decisions she doesn’t wanna make. Why do I know? Guess what, I’m the motherfucker she’s been texting.”
His eyes widen and his brows draw together in surprise.
“Yeah, that’s right. I’m your daughter’s boyfriend, and you’re fucking my mother,” I growl. “Don’t you think that’s fucked up? We think so too, which is why I think you should just let us be. You ruined my life, too.”
“Christopher King!” he yells, punching the table with his fist.
“Shut up! I came here to tell you the truth. Now you fucking know. I was with your daughter long before you hooked up with my mom, who, by the way, was still fucking married when you stole her.”
I should stop, but I can’t. Anger controls me, controls my mouth, my tongue, my body. Everything.
I bend over and look deep into his teary eyes. “Yeah, that’s right; she only divorced my father after you came into the picture. In fact, she ran away from us, from her family, to be with you. She cheated on my father with you. Do you feel good about that, huh? Tearing a wife away from her husband and her kids? Do you have any idea how much you have destroyed? She left us. For you …” I grind my teeth while taking in the bastard. Only now do I realize that most of my anger toward him is because he devastated what little family I had left.
“And then I find out you’re the father of the only girl I care about?” I shrug. “And that he doesn’t want his daughter to hang out with ‘scum’ like me? Well, that’s just icing on the motherfucking cake,” I scoff. “I could’ve taken the fact that my mother ran into your arms instead my father’s, but for you to try to take away the only girl who cares about me? The only relationship I still have? Are you blind to your daughter’s needs? Do you even care about her at all? Or me, since now I’m supposed to be your fucking stepson too, or whatever the fuck you wanna call it.”
I stand back up and cross my arms across my chest, ready to hear his side. I bet it isn’t good, but I am expecting an apology. What he’s done is all kinds of fucked up because he knew my mother was with my father, and yet he got together with her anyway. And on top of that, he tries to take my girl away from me. It’s just not happening.
“Well …” he mutters, looking down at the desk. “I think you’ve said enough.”
I tap my foot, the wait almost unbearable.
“Is that all you have to say to me?” I growl.
I can’t believe him. After everything I just said, that’s how he responds?
My eyes drift toward the thing he’s looking at, wondering if it’s so much more important than the conversation we really need to be having right now. That’s when I notice the microphone in his hand.
My heart drops into my shoes as my mouth falls open and my eyes widen.
Is it for real? It can’t be.
And yet that button below the speaker is clearly blinking red.
When I came in, he was hovering over it, meaning he was about to announce something to the entire school.
And what they heard instead was my entire rant about him being my stepfather now even though I’m with his daughter … and him fucking my mother behind my father’s back.
Oh, fuck no.
I stumble backward, unsure what to do or to say. My instinct says ‘run,’ but how can I? After this? Everyone knows.
Her father presses the button after some time, right when a tear rolls down his cheek.
“I—”
“Get out,” he says.
I take a breath. So be it. This is what happens when you play with hearts. You get burned.
“Now everyone knows what you’ve done,” I hiss under my breath.
“I SAID GET OUT!” His voice is louder than ever before, and it surprises me so much that I actually turn around and walk out of his office, completely numb and haunted by what I just did. My own words repeat in my head … now everyone knows what you’ve done.
The realization hits me like a brick in the face as I walk through the hallways with everyone looking at me as if they just saw a ghost.
I will never get away with this.
Emily will hate me.
It’s done. It’s really over.
And it’s all my fault.
Chapter 26
Emily
Present
With trembling fingers, I hold my cell phone. My finger hovers over the call button with Alyssa’s number on the display. I’m still shaken up, and I have no clue what to do. My first instinct was to call her. As if she could help me work out this mess. Silly me.
I shake my head and lower my phone, gazing at myself in the rearview mirror. I’m a mess. Not only my tangled hair and blotched makeup, but also my confidence and attitude have been obliterated.
All because I was caught having sex with Chris by our very own brother. I still can’t believe he saw us.
The moment I left Chris’ room, I tried to find Adrian, to no avail. He was nowhere to be found. Not that I find it surprising; who wouldn’t run like hell when seeing someone else fuck? I would.
Still, I can’t help but wonder what’s going to happen now. I have to devise a plan, think of a way to tell Tricia before Adrian tells her. Heaven knows what would happen to us if she only heard his version of the story. No, I have to get there first and make it as smooth as possible to minimize the damage. Plus, I don’t want any of this to get out to the press because it would destroy his fragile reputation and my job with it.
God, this is such a freaking mess.
I blow out a breath and sink deeper into the seat of my car, wondering what I’m still doing here. I guess part of me is afraid of what will happen once I stop thinking and start moving forward. Glued to my seat, I’m safe. It feels good to be able to avoid decision-making and confrontations… except it also makes me a coward. I just need some time to reboot and get back up again.