Reckless Hate: A Bully High School Romance (enemies-friends-enemies-lovers-enemies) (Westbrook Blues Book 1) Read online

  Back then, he was always a bit reserved and kept to himself a lot but he would allow me to be around him a lot too. Never quick to anger and always mulled over someone’s words before responding with wise advice. I always thought that he was smart, highly intelligent and could read people better than anyone. Which is why he doesn’t so much as look away when I stare at him, his anger intensifying as we stare at each other.

  His dirty blonde curls are messy today. I watch as his thick cannon of arms reaches up to run his fingers through his messy curls and I literally hear the sound of feminine approval—the international heavenly, orgasmic sigh.

  Emmett’s eyes were a bit lighter from what I remember. I clearly remember the way those very eyes would light up when he would help his best friends, Noah and George to torture and prank me. He would try to talk to Ace about leaving me alone but Ace, couldn’t be told what to do, especially when it came to me. I learned that the hard way once when I cried to Emmett one time about something Ace had done to me. The next thing I knew, Emmett had gone to confront Ace and came back with a black eye and a bleeding nose.

  As for Ace, he was just as much fucked up but he wasn’t happy with me either, punishing me for talking to Emmett about. . .us. Ever since then, Ace and I—whatever was going on—was always between the two of us.

  But I never minded Emmett’s pranks. I loved seeing joy on his face, loved his company because I understood the loneliness he felt at times. He got me, I got him right back. I guess that’s another thing of the past.

  Back when they were the fearsome Blue Boys—together with my brother.

  But now, there is just. . .darkness in his eyes. A kind of darkness that I’m not sure I’m ready to understand just as yet but something tells me I have to find out about it anyway. Because like it or not, these boys are a link to some answers that I desperately need.

  Then, there is Ace. He stands there with his brothers, watching me. If I’m being honest, I felt his presence long before the standoff, confrontation or whatever you would like to call it—with Brittney. He was right there all along, watching.

  I wanted him to watch.

  “Alex baby!” Brittney calls out now, shooting me an evil glare as she quickly struts over to Ace, attempting to be seductive as she goes. Eye roll. “I didn’t see you there.”

  Right. . .

  “Yeah, that bitch definitely knew they were there.” Kim says as she steps closer to me. Just as Brittney places a palm over Ace’s chest, I turn away and make my way into the classroom, where half of the students are already seated and the final bell rings. I don’t have the time to watch Brittney stake her claim over the same boy that claimed me way back before I could ever understand what that meant. All I knew was Ace was the cutest boy I had ever met and I wanted him to kiss me and hold my hand.

  How naïve of me.

  “True, Brittney is nothing if not calculated.” We choose the lab bench closer to the back. Kim goes to seat across from me, closer to the windows.

  “You knew her, huh?” Kim questions but I see the answer in her eyes. She already knows.

  My chest tightens, but I remain composed.

  “Yeah.” Is all I say as I take out my notebook and my black pencil case with my pencils.

  If I’m going to be here, trying to find the answers that I need as well as formulate a plan as to how I will get out of this hellhole, then I might as well pretend to at least be into this façade regimen of schooling.

  Amanda Fields thinks she has me backed into a corner. I’m going to teach her the layout of that corner.

  “She did you dirty, didn’t she?” Kim questions again, after a while. The class teacher is about to start, the class filing in, as he rises from his chair. He starts scribbling something on the board, but I’m looking at Kim.

  “I thought we said no prying?” I say as I look at her and she only grins, showing her perfect teeth.

  “We didn’t say that per se, but that’s neither here nor there.”

  I study her for a beat. I’m not so sure what to make of her yet. She is quite hard to read but knowing at least one person in this shit school will be beneficial in the long run. Yes, we are both new this year but she is still someone that doesn’t know me or has heard rumors about me so she is a safe. A fresh start. So why not?

  “Brittney obviously has a problem with me. But it seems everyone else seems to be aware of this so called problem, apart from me.”

  “Yeah well, I think you need to get on board.” She says as she looks pointedly at the door where, right there stands Emmett Easton, Noah Montreal and Alexander King—the Westbrook Blue Boys.

  “I’m guessing those are the Blue Boys?” Kim asks, her voice suspiciously breathless as she takes them in.

  I just nod as I turn away from looking at them. All I want for the short time that I’m here is to keep a low profile. Keep my head down, find the answers I need and then get the hell out of this place. There is nothing but barren coldness here and I want none of it.

  “Uh, excuse me.” Another voice says. I look up to see a cute face looking down at me uncertainly. “Are you Astraea Fields?”

  I push back into the backrest of the comfortable chair and look up at one of the cutest guys I have ever seen in my life. He has shaggy brown hair that desperately needs a trim but it’s somehow working for him. He has friendly hazel eyes and just below them, dark circles.

  As if he hasn’t been sleeping for quite a well. But I know better. Those dark circles are signs of drug use but that escapes my brain somehow, as I study him. There is something familiar about him. . .

  “I’m sorry to just come up to you like this. It’s just, I noticed you at the funeral. I wanted to talk to you but I couldn’t bring myself to it.” He says as he takes a seat that is beside me.

  I realize why he is so familiar looking and I’m rendered speechless as I stare at George’s supposed friend. The one that gave his eulogy at the funeral. The one I have never heard of before the funeral.

  How was George friends with this guy?

  “God, you look just like him. But you are obviously much prettier than he would ever hope to be.” He says and at that I laugh.

  “He would have been offended if he heard you say that.” I respond and watch as he exhales in a sigh of relief as if he didn’t know how I would react.

  “Are you scared of me?” I question out of the blue, because that would just be ridiculous if it were true, but the dude looks like he is about to shit his pants, looking over his shoulder every split second.

  Weird much?

  “Scared, no! What gave that away?” He questions, looking around and waving his hands dramatically, making me laugh. “No, it’s just that, you are a bit hard to just. . .you know. . . approach.”

  “What do you mean?” I question, very much intrigued.

  “You are intimidating as hell.” He says as he stares at me. I’m not exactly sure what he is looking for but I stare back at him. “Your brother was like that too, the first time I met him.”

  George was intimidating? Of the two of us, George was the one most people would approach freely. He just had an inviting aura about him, which is why making friends was never hard for him.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t say I have ever heard of you before.”

  “Ouch. What a blow to my ego.”

  I laugh, and notice three huge guys now looking in my direction with displeasure all over their expressions, but I ignore them. “No, it’s just that George never really mentioned much of his new friends.”

  “Oh, I understand that. My name is Dereck Myers.” He says, extending a hand towards me.

  Dereck Myers huh? The very guy I was warned by a certain dark, broody and volatile being not to talk to. I look up and meet his expressionless stare. I guess I broke that rule, oops.

  “And you must be new too, I’m Dereck. Dereck Myers.” I hear him introduce himself to Kim who was busy on her smartphone before but I’m engaged in some kind of battle of sorts with Ace.<
br />
  “Say Myers.” Someone calls and I notice as Noah walks over, with an easy charisma in his step as he comes closer. “Wrong seat ain’t it?”

  “Oh, come on man. It’s a new year and these seats weren’t taken before.” Dereck tries to explain but I see a glint of evil in Noah’s eyes, but it quickly fades away

  “Except these seats are actually taken.” He says with a smile but his voice is hard.

  The rest of the class is watching and the teacher is busy setting up the projector. If he notices the commotion that has just begun, he doesn’t show it.

  “Come on, Montreal. You are going to start calling dibs on seats now?” Dereck chuckles as he looks around with panic and then looks at me, eyes wide.

  “No, just this one. And that one there.” Noah points at the seat to the left of Dereck. “And this one too, is that good for you Emmett?”

  “Sounds about right. I do like seating by the window. I like to stare at nature as I learn and shit. You know what I mean?” Emmett says as he comes walks closer, shoots me a quick look then stares down at Dereck.

  “Well, we wouldn’t want to rob you of some sunshine then, now would we, Dereck?” Noah taunts. The whole class starts laughing, the girls giggling to get some kind of reaction—which they do get when Noah sends a few of them a smirk.

  “Do you need sunshine too, Dereck?” Noah asks as he looks down at Dereck who is now looking a whole lot uncomfortable right now.

  “I think. . .” He actually stutters. “I think I’ll get some of that in front there.” He says and quickly gathers his books and flees faster than I have ever seen, making Noah chuckle with glee. “Asshat.”

  The empty chair to my left is pulled over and I feel him—Ace—take a seat there. He is silent, doesn’t say a single word the whole time, but I can feel his intense stare on me, making me shiver in anticipation.

  “Oh, hey there, Raea!” Noah smiles, greeting me like we are the best of friends, as he takes a seat right where Dereck was sitting. Is he high?

  Emmett doesn’t bother taking the seat that Noah had pointed out, instead he seats right next to Kim on the other side and he doesn’t say a single word.

  “Was that really necessary? And it’s Astraea to you.” I roll my eyes, trying to ignore the silent stare to my left.

  “Oh, come on, is that how you treat old friends?”

  “You and I are not friends. And we never will be friends.”

  “You wound me, Raea.” Noah dramatically clutches his chest.

  “Physics, Mr. Montreal, is the study of matter and energy. I’m not quite sure your energy is the one we want to study today.” The teacher says out loud to get the class’s attention away from gawking at the three boys, taking a jab at Noah in the process.

  “Oh, but wouldn’t you all want to know the energy I possess.” Noah says, shooting a group of what looks like cheerleaders a wink and they sigh. “Besides, isn’t this a Chemistry class?” Noah smirks, making the class laugh.

  What’s with all this sighing around here? These boys are not Jesus.

  The teacher’s sigh however, is not dreamy. “Oh would you look at that, Mr. Montreal actually knows which class he is in.” The teacher spreads his arms wide, gaining the class’ attention.

  I like his quick wit, it’s refreshing. And he obviously doesn’t kiss anyone’s ass around here. Not Noah’s at least.

  “Please seat properly and pay attention now.” He states, and you can just see the frustrated lines on his face.

  “My name is Mr. Richards and I’ll be your Chemistry teacher this year. Now, I know some of you think you can do what you like around here, unfortunately that will not be happening in my class.”

  What? Where was he when Noah and Emmett literary embarrassed Dereck?

  “Before we get any further, please turn to the person seated to next to you and smile, because that’s your partner for the rest of the year folks.”

  No. There is no way in hell.

  “Also, you will be in project groups of five this semester, that’s why I set up yours seats the way I did.”

  Fuck. I look around and notice that indeed, the seats around the lab countertops are set up in groups of five, meaning, holy fuck, that the Blue Boys, Kim and I were a PERMANEANT group for the rest of the semester.

  Not only that, Ace will be part of that group too!

  I turn and meet an icy pair of eyes that were already on me. He doesn’t smile, doesn’t acknowledge anything at all. I don’t know what happens but I’m about to raise my hand or speak up to Mr. Richards so I can have another partner other than the one beside me—but as if he somehow anticipated it, his long, deft and calloused fingers grip down my thigh so damn tight, a silent gasp leaves me.

  My head snaps down to where he is touching me and I freeze.

  I know that touch. I know exactly what it means. It’s the same warning he would give me when we were kids, a warning that would come right before my school bag went missing or right before I would find my favorite book torn to pieces, scattered all over my bed.

  This touch is just that, but unlike the fear it gave when we were younger, this grip on my thigh is different. Desire blooms inside me like some damn fireworks. Desire and fear spread just from that touch he has on me.

  The fear that courses through my veins is different. It’s soft and beguiling but what is predominant in my system as I look down at his large hand, completely unaware of the proceedings of the class—is that Ace has something in store for me. And whatever it is, I’m going to hate him for it. Because no matter how much I fight, I won’t be able to refuse him.

  Snapping my head up again, our gazes collide. I don’t know what he sees in my eyes, but whatever it is, his nose flares, his eyes harden and the grip he has on the exposed skin of my thigh tightens.

  We stare at each and don’t break gaze. I can’t tell what’s going on around us, stuck in this forceful matrix created by Ace and controlled by him. All I can do is try to hold on by the cold, frosty hold of his eyes.

  “Give me my phone back.” I demand.

  I’m aware that, that’s not supposed to be my first demand. I’m supposed to demand that he get his hands off of me but the weight of his hand on the bare exposed part of body is strangely addictive.

  I can’t help the stirrings I feel as his hand flexes over my thigh, his icy gaze still hard and unyielding.

  “I told you to stay away from him.”

  “I didn’t know it was him.” I almost cry out but his hand reaches higher, under the hem of my skirt and grips there. Sensually painful.

  I gasp again, his eyes dilate as he watches me.

  “Yeah, you knew exactly who he was.” Ace mocks. Something about that just pisses me off. Who is he that he has to monitor who I talk to or who I allow myself to be around? He damn well isn’t my brother!

  “What are you going to do about that?” I challenge staring him dead on.

  He watches me for a beat, completely ignoring the class and everyone around us. He cocks his head slightly as if to say ‘you don’t want to try me.’ Some things haven’t changed at all.

  “Star, these are different times than when you were here. The world is much smaller than you think, but my reach is longer.” He says as he rubs the spot he gripped on my thigh. My breath falters like a broken record. I almost groan in arousal.

  Until his words register in my system.

  “Remember that.” He says and then lightly pulls my skirt back to cover the area he was caressing and abusing. And like nothing happened before, he looks straight at the teacher and ignores me the rest of the class.

  But the tingles caused by his touch never go away.

  CHAPTER NINE

  ASTRAEA

  “OKAY, IS IT ME OR ARE all these people just gawking at you each time you pass or you are in the room?”

  It’s Friday, four days after the first day we started school. Kim and I are in the cafeteria, walking towards the food buffet that is spread across the side of
two adjacent walls. This place looks like some type of expensive resort or something what with all the food laid out, giving students the option to select whatever the hell they want. Of course, Kim and I are on the junk food section, while the rest of the girls are at the salad table. Go figure.

  And it’s not even normal high school cafeteria food that you are accustomed to. No.

  This is some kind of fancy food, with fancy names even. I can’t say it doesn’t taste good. It does—from what Kim tells me, but I just think it’s just too over the top. But as I look around the said gawking and staring student body that Kim so kindly pointed out, I know these kids would expect nothing but the best treatment with all the money that is linked to their names. Not money—wealth. Lots of it.

  “It’s not you. I feel it too, but I’m just good at ignoring it.” I respond as I arrange my fruit platter. Okay, so I’m not into junk food but whatever, my appetite has been broken since forever.

  I can’t help but feel self-conscious of my body or the way I look or dress. I prefer wearing baggy clothes, I will never be found wearing some damn short alluring clothes. Look what that brought me.

  Don’t think about it Raea. You are perfectly safe. Nothing will happen to you here.

  “Are you famous? Are you related to the Kardashians or something?” Kim questions suspiciously as she peels a banana then proceeds to eat it. I like her attitude, she doesn’t care what anyone thinks and just does what she wants—and says what she wants too.

  “The Kardashians? Really? I would rather be related to Beyoncé and if not, then maybe Meryl Streep.” I say with a laugh.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t mind being related to Leo myself.” She says with a groan that boarders on a moan. Kim as I’m coming to realize, is very out spoken. And thirsty. Thirsty for some big dick energy. Her words not mine!

  “You have no shame. Which Leo?”

  She gasps out loud and looks at me like she is offended. “What do you mean which Leo? There is only one Leo!”