In Ruins: A Dark High School Bully Romance (A Black Falls High Novel Book 1)

I didn’t tell Jamie what had happened to me on the bleachers. I wasn’t sure if it would provoke the guys more, and since Ian was hanging around, I didn’t want him to overhear. With all the confusion going through me, I didn’t even know if I wanted to provoke the guys. But I did want to know what they’d chosen me for. However, given our combined histories, I imagined it was for something I wouldn’t want. Maybe more torment. Being owned by them made my pulse race and not necessarily in a bad way.

The rest of the day zipped by with no further incidents. By the next day, I’d grown used to telling myself the guys were just trying to scare me and I had nothing to worry about. I’d glimpsed Fox around midnight outside, going into his house after arriving home. His curtains were still closed.

When I woke up, I did my normal routine. I slipped on a green sundress my mom had gotten me on one of her many shopping adventures. Then I hefted my mess of red curls back into a ponytail and made my way downstairs for breakfast. By the time I got to school, Fox was already there, talking to the guys on the sidewalk.

I had to pass by them to get into the school. Hauling in a nervous breath, I grabbed my bookbag and made my way to the front doors, keeping my head down. I didn’t want to catch their attention.

That all went to hell when Enzo called out to me, “Cafeteria girl! Come over here!”

“Shit,” I hissed. I kept walking, pretending like I hadn’t heard them.

“Cafeteria girl!” Enzo shouted again.

Go away. Go away. Go away!

I was almost to the front steps of the school when a warm hand grabbed my elbow and pulled me to a halt.

“When you’re called, you answer,” Cole growled in my ear, his blue eyes dark. Knots of anticipation corded through my guts. He pulled me to the group of guys, pushing me into the center.

“There she is. Sunshine.” Enzo reached out and gave my ponytail a tug. “Where were you going so fast?”

“Well, it’s time for school, so I was, uh, going,” I answered, hoping I sounded stronger than I felt at that moment.

“Smart ass.” Ethan grinned. I returned his grin with a wobbly one of my own.

“Have you had any trouble lately?” It was Fox. I spun and looked at him. His jeans and blue polo clung to his hard muscles. His dark hair was still messy, like he’d been running his fingers through it all morning.

“Just with you guys,” I answered, holding my head up and locking eyes with him.

A small smirk spread across his face as the guys laughed. He hadn’t smiled at me in ages. My heart ached at the sight. He’d been so different since his mom passed away. All I’d wanted to do was help him through it, but he’d pushed me away and became my enemy.

“Look at our girl, having us pegged,” Enzo said.

Our girl?

I couldn’t have heard him right. It made my heart jump in my chest for reasons I didn’t have time to explore.

“We’re having a party at Cole’s Saturday night,” Ethan broke in. “You should come.”

I glanced at Fox, wondering what he thought about it. He stared back at me. I figured he’d have told me to get lost.

“I don’t go to parties.” It was the truth. I’d never been invited to one before, not that a lot of invitations went out for these events. However, to hang out at an elite party meant you probably should at least have your name known or you’d risk getting shoved into the pool. At least that’s what happened to Jason McCormick, a guy from my calculus class. They’d pushed him into the pool. There were even videos online of him breaking down in tears after being pulled out when people realized he couldn’t swim.

“I think you need to correct yourself.” Cole grasped my hand and gave it a squeeze. “You didn’t go to parties. You will now.”

“No, I won’t.” I tugged my hand free of his.

“I assure you, you will,” Cole growled back. “I’m picking you up at eight. Be ready.”

I stared wide-eyed at him before glancing to Fox for confirmation. He stepped forward and tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear.

“Be ready at eight, Rosie. If you don’t go with Cole, you’ll go with me, and I promise you’ll have a lot less fun with me in the car.”

He backed away and gave the guys a nod. They moved so I could step through their circle. I spotted Jamie in the distance, worry painted over her delicate features. I was sure she’d witnessed the whole thing along with probably a hundred other students as they passed by us.

I stepped through the guys, my heart racing. My mind was reeling.

“Hey, Sunshine,” Enzo called out to me. I paused and looked at him over my shoulder. “You look beautiful today.”

My cheeks heated as I rushed away. I thought I’d hear laughter from them behind me, like Enzo’s compliment was a joke. But no, there was silence.

“What the hell was that?” Jamie yelped when I reached her.

“I don’t know.”

“Are you OK?” Her eyes swept over me. “Were they mean?”

I shook my head. “No. Not so much.” That stumped me. They hadn’t been mean. They’d been dominant and bossy, but not mean. Even Fox hadn’t really been.

“They’re staring at us. I mean you.” Jamie averted her gaze from the guys. “They look hungry.”

“What?”

“Like, they’re staring at you like you’re an all-you-can-eat buffet. What in the hell is going on?”

“I wish I knew,” I muttered, pushing past her. I could still feel their stares on me. I launched into telling her what had happened on the bleachers and then with Fox as we walked to my locker. I couldn’t process it all and holding it in wasn’t helping. I had to tell someone. She gave a low whistle as the floodgates opened, and I spilled everything to her.

“I heard they do it together.”

“What?” I stopped, shoving my books into my locker and turned to look at her. “What are you talking about?”

She glanced around before leaning in to whisper to me. “I heard they do it together,” she repeated.

“Do what together?”

“It. Sex. I heard they share girls. Mona from my PE class was talking about getting it on with Cole and Ethan. I overheard her say it was amazing.”

I wrinkled my nose at the information, pushing down the butterflies that were churning a storm in my belly. Mona wasn’t popular by any means. She was a band geek with mousy brown hair and big, luminous eyes. I’d never spoken to her, but I assumed she was a nice girl.

“They said they chose you. What if that’s what they meant?” Jamie stared at me with wide, unblinking eyes. “I mean, come on, Rosalie. Ethan was seeing Chloe Morris last year before Enzo was. And wasn’t Fox dating Mandy Peters right around the same time Cole was? What about Fiona Wells? She was seen with all the guys. They’re hot, babe, but they do tend to be seen with girls like us from time to time.”

I opened and closed my mouth several times before I shook my head. Jamie was right. All of the guys had been seen at one point or another with a girl far below their league. “No. Not possible. You forget Fox is in that group, and he hates me. I think it’s something else. They’ll probably shove me into the pool on Saturday.”

“Fox stuck up for you. He wants some too. Even if it’s good old hate sex.”

I rolled my eyes at her. There was no way. I was a nobody.

But Fox said I’d gotten his attention.

No. No way. It was another cruel intention.

“So you’re going on Saturday?”

I shook my head. “No. My parents are going out of town this week for my dad’s work. Dad is taking my mom to some opera in the city after. I’ll be home alone. That means lounging in my pajamas and ordering takeout while streaming movies I’ve seen a hundred times.”

“I wish I could join you,” Jamie groaned, leaning against the locker next to mine. “My parents are dragging me to a fiftieth wedding anniversary party for my Uncle Artie and Aunt LouAnn.”

“Bummer.” I wrinkled my nose at her.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

She nodded her agreement. “Ian said he was going to the party though. At least he’ll keep you company if you go.”

“I guess,” I mumbled, catching the quick grimace on her face. “What’s going on with you two?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I mean, I wish something, but you know how Ian is. He likes not being attached.”

“You should just tell him how much you like him.”

She shrugged. “I’d rather not lose him as a friend or make things weird. I’ll suffer in silence.”

The fact she wasn’t denying she liked him meant she was feeling it. I gave her a sympathetic nod.

The bell rang, so we had to break up our conversation. When we reached a T in the hall, we said our goodbyes, her shuffling away with her head down. I didn’t get time to contemplate it because I caught sight of Fox and Juliet down the hall. She was pawing all over him. The other guys were leaning against the lockers. They must have come in using the east entrance because I hadn’t seen them pass by my locker. Juliet pressed her mouth to Fox’s, but his eyes were open and locked on me as she kissed him.

I flushed and looked away from him only to lock eyes with Cole. A shiver crawled through my body as I passed by.

I thought I was in the clear, but an arm snaked around my waist, startling me. I peeked up to see who was touching me.

“Enzo’s right,” Cole said, keeping pace with me. People cast us funny looks and rightly so. He was clutching my waist like we were an item. “You look beautiful in that dress.”

“Thanks,” I murmured, praying I’d get to my class soon.

“You’re so fucking shy. I love it,” he continued. “And sexy as hell. Watching your tight little ass sway in this short dress is doing something to my head.”

Goosebumps swept through me. “Then don’t look at me.”

He let out a soft laugh, giving my waist a squeeze. “It’s hard not to. You’re perfection.”

The pitter-patter of my heart was making me breathless. It was nice having someone talk to me like I was a walking sex goddess, but considering the source, I found myself more concerned with the motive behind his words. When we reached my classroom, he tugged me to a stop and stared down at me.

“Come to the party. You’ll have fun.”

“Why? Why are you guys suddenly interested in me? I’ve been suffering here at this school for years and no one gave a damn—”

“That was before we saw you on your knees.” He licked his lips, his blue eyes flashing. I flushed beneath his stare. “Besides, I told you you’re doing something to my head.”

“Then get it looked at.”

He pressed me against the lockers, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. He grabbed my hand and pressed it to the front of his jeans where he was sporting a hard-on. My pulse roared in my ears, a sweeping heat rushing through my body.

“This head. And I’ll see about having it looked at.” He released my hand and backed away. “I’ll see you around.”

He sauntered away like nothing had happened, leaving me frozen where I stood, my breath coming in gasps.