I Despise You: A Dark High School Bully Romance Read online

  “Wait, how are we going to get in? Do we need tickets or IDs?” I don’t have a fake ID to convince the bouncers that I’m older than I actually am.

  “Don’t worry about it. We have an agreement with the owner. If something happens, we’ll figure it out.” Vanessa laughs. “Relax. We’re here to have fun.”

  “So you all bribed the owner?” I guess that’s what happened.

  A bunch of rich kids who want to have a party can surely pay nicely for the privilege.

  “Shh!” She places her finger over her lips. “Not so loud! Someone might hear you.”

  I glance around, but no one is close enough to overhear us. Still, I keep my mouth shut, glad that I don’t have to pay the entrance fee.

  Once we’re inside the huge club, it takes my eyes a few moments to adjust to the darkness and flashy, colorful lights.

  The music is so loud I can’t hear Vanessa at all when she says something, but I guess she wants me to follow her.

  We push through the sweaty crowd, and I see a few familiar faces from our school. They all already look drunk out of their minds.

  Vanessa finds us a good spot so we can dance. I want to ask her how many times she’s been here, but there’s no way I can do that without shouting into her ear. It doesn’t matter anyway.

  I dance and dance, and then I spot him.

  Chase is dancing with some girl, a glass in his hand. He downs whatever is in it and smashes the glass against the floor. Everyone standing close by jumps away, including the girl he’s with.

  He’s drunk or stoned.

  Or both.

  Totally out of control.

  He reaches for the girl and tugs her toward him, his movements sloppy. I eye the brunette.

  She’s wearing a short, tight pink top and a black miniskirt that’s almost short enough that I can see her underwear. If she has any at all.

  Chase’s arms are around her waist, and I wonder how old she is, because I don’t think she goes to our school. I’d say she’s at least thirty, but maybe the lights and her heavy makeup are making her seem older.

  But it’s none of my business who Chase is hooking up with. Unless...

  I lightly bite the inside of my cheek. Would Chase’s father be bothered by any of this? Would the school?

  If a video of Chase getting drunk and dancing with an older girl was posted online when he was supposed to be sleeping in his room at school, would that help me?

  Vanessa is too lost in music to care what I’m doing, her arms in the air, her eyes closed. I pull my phone out of the hidden pocket on my dress and lift it toward Chase and the girl.

  A groan escapes my throat. The lighting here is shitty, and my cheap phone camera is even shittier.

  Chase looks like a bunch of pixels, and if I posted a video, he could claim that it’s not him in it without any problem.

  Fuck! I’m sure Vanessa has a way better camera, but I don’t want to tell her what I’m up to. At least not yet.

  I tear my gaze away from Chase.

  Maybe next time, I should just call the paparazzi. If the Campbells are so important, then the press might want an exclusive of what Mr. Campbell’s son is doing while attending a fancy boarding school.

  I just don’t know if that would be interesting enough for the press, or if Chase’s father would stop them from publishing anything. Maybe that’s why there aren’t any reporters here right now.

  Hell, maybe Mr. Campbell would be proud of his son.

  It’s not like I know anything about him.

  A guy approaches Vanessa and says something into her ear. She laughs, or at least I think she does, and then she takes his hand.

  Before she goes off with him, she winks at me. She mouths something to me, but I’m terrible at reading lips, so I have no clue what it is.

  All too soon, she’s out of sight, and I’m alone. I guess I can have some fun on my own. As I dance, I forget about everything, just let myself enjoy the music.

  When someone’s arms wrap around my waist from behind, a strong body pressing against mine, panic bubbles up inside me.

  “I didn’t expect to see you here,” Chase says into my ear, his lips brushing my earlobe and sending shivers through me.

  My hands grasp his arms as I try to free myself, my heart jumping into my throat, but he’s too strong for me.

  He grinds his hips against me, and I can feel his erection poking at the small of my back.

  A jolt shoots through my core, and I dig my nails into his arms.

  He doesn’t let go of me, but I manage to turn around to face him.

  One of the bright lights crosses his face. His eyes are glassy and his breath reeks of alcohol.

  “Let go of me!” I shout, pushing at his chest, but I don’t think he can hear me or understand what I want him to do.

  If he even cares.

  Instead of letting me go, he pulls me closer, his hands roaming my back.

  “You’re so beautiful tonight.” His lips linger on my ear as his hands cup my ass, squeezing.

  “Let me go!” I yell, even though I don’t like how close our faces are, but I need him to finally hear me.

  “Why?” His fingers entangle in my dress, tugging it up.

  I shove at his chest again, and he laughs.

  “All right. This time I’ll let you go, but the next, I’m going to fuck you.” His eyes briefly meet mine, and I swallow past the lump in my throat.

  “Fly away, little bird. Don’t let me catch you,” he says.

  His tight grip on me loosens, and I stumble away from him.

  I break into a run, pushing people out of my way.

  All I can think about is getting out of here and away from Chase. He’s not thinking clearly, and I can’t risk being around him or in this place.

  I don’t stop, even when the branches whip at my legs. My feet protest, and the heel of my shoe gets stuck in something.

  I catch myself on a tree so I don’t end up face-first in the dirt, and I take off my high heels. It will be a billion times easier to run without them, even though the straps have already cut my skin a bit.

  With my shoes in my hand, I rush across the field and find the door through which Vanessa led me out. All it takes is one little push to open it, and I’m glad for it.

  As I stumble through the darkness, trying to get my phone out, I try not to think about what my bare feet are touching.

  A beam of a flashlight right in front of me nearly blinds me, and a yelp escapes my throat.

  “Who’s there?” A voice says.

  Shit! The guards!

  I forgot about the guards, and I don’t know their schedule.

  The flashlight turns toward me as my stomach twists.

  I can’t get caught.

  I can’t!

  Without even thinking, I rush the guard, keeping my head down. I shove him out of the way, surprising him, and the flashlight falls out of his hand as he goes down with a shout.

  I pause for a few moments, worried that I’ve seriously injured him, but my eyes lift to the shadow at the end of the hallway that’s visible because of the fallen flashlight.

  Chase grins at me, a wicked smile on his lips, and I know I can’t just stand frozen on the spot.

  I race away from there, through the darkness, until I find my room. Once I do, I lock the door and press my back against it, my chest heaving.

  What have I done?

  Chapter 9

  MY HAND HOVERS OVER the door handle. The principal requested everyone’s presence in the auditorium this morning, and I know it’s about what happened last night.

  By now, the guard must’ve told the principal everything, and there’s a high chance I’m going to get expelled.

  I’m surprised no one has come for me already, but maybe the principal wants to do it in front of the whole school to serve as a warning to other students.

  But I did what I did, and now I have to face the consequences, whatever they are. Going to the party was a mistak
e. I know that now, but it’s impossible to turn back time.

  If only Chase hadn’t found me or approached me at all.

  But I can’t change that either.

  I steel myself and get out into the hallway. Vanessa’s door opens a moment later, as if she’s been waiting to hear me come out.

  “Hey,” I say, wondering if everyone already knows what’s going to happen. It wouldn’t surprise me if someone had insider info.

  “Hey.” She gives me a small smile. “Are you going to the auditorium too?”

  “Obviously.” It’s not like we can avoid it. If I could just not go, I’d stay in my room.

  “Right.” She waves her hand.

  There are dark circles around her eyes, and she looks tired. I don’t know how long she stayed at the party, or maybe she didn’t sleep well for some other reason.

  “I can’t believe this shit,” she says with a groan. “Everything was going so fine, and then someone just had to mess up. Probably some drunk idiot who forgot the rules. And now we all have to pay for it!”

  Drunk idiot?

  That would be me.

  Except, I wasn’t drunk, and I was running away from Chase.

  This means Vanessa doesn’t know who it was. She’ll hate me when she finds out the truth.

  “Seriously, I’m so pissed off.” She keeps talking. “I followed all the rules, but I still ran into a bunch of guards. Just like everyone who came after me. I don’t know how they figured us out. Maybe a freshman did it so they’d get in the principal’s good graces or something. But if I were them, I’d be scared, because everyone will want them dead. Wait, how come you didn’t get caught?” Her eyes focus on me. “Don’t tell me you left the party early.”

  “I did.” It’s not a lie.

  “You’re lucky. The rest of us are going to get one month of detention, and they’re going to check in on us randomly to make sure we don’t leave the campus. They called our parents too. I guess we’ll all have to find a new way out if we want to party. Thank god we’re seniors. I can’t imagine what this school will turn into after this.”

  I chew on the inside of my cheek. Vanessa already knows her punishment, and I’m even more worried about mine. But there’s also something else I need to know.

  “I heard that one of the guards got hurt or something,” I say. “Is that true?”

  “Um, not really. He just fell after someone ran into him. He’s fine.”

  Relief floods me. At least now I know I didn’t seriously injure him. But I guess his testimony will doom my future at the school.

  “Why are you even asking?” Suspicion flashes across Vanessa’s face.

  “I just want to know how bad the whole situation is.”

  “Well, it’s bad already. Trust me.”

  I don’t want to tell her that it was me.

  Maybe I should. She’s going to hear it from the principal and will never forgive me. Maybe it’s not too late to confess and explain what really happened.

  But I’m likely going to be kicked out anyway, and there’s no time for me to explain things properly.

  The auditorium is already full when we get there, and it takes us a few moments to find empty seats.

  As I spot the principal across the room, I want to disappear. Her eyes fly over me but don’t linger.

  When she starts speaking, the room finally goes silent, and I grip the armrests, dreading what’s coming.

  “I believe you all know why we’re here,” the principal says with a grave face. “I must say I’m deeply disappointed.”

  I feel someone’s gaze on me, and when I turn my head, I meet Chase’s eyes. He grins at me, and I quickly look away.

  He’s won.

  He’s fucking won.

  I despise him so, so much.

  “I’m going to make you an offer,” the principal says, and I focus back on her.

  At least no one is looking at me yet, so I hope I didn’t miss anything important because I was too distracted by Chase’s stupid, handsome face.

  “The name of the one who attacked Mr. Richards so callously, and this incident will be removed from your record, and you won’t get detention. And don’t think you can just say any name. Mr. Richards provided us with some details that you’ll have to know about the attacker.

  “If you’re caught in a lie, your detention will be doubled. If you’re one of the rare responsible students who weren’t a part of this, don’t think this doesn’t involve you. If you know the information we seek, report it, and you’ll get rewarded. No anonymous reports. This is too important for any games or tricks.”

  My lips part in surprise.

  They don’t know.

  They don’t know it was me.

  Sure, it was dark, and everything happened really quickly, so maybe the guard didn’t get a good look of my face.

  It’s not like he knows me, but I suppose he knows the attacker is a girl with dark hair and eyes. Most of the girls here fit that description. The guard must’ve looked at all our photos, but he wasn’t able to narrow it down.

  I can get away with it.

  A part of me feels guilty, but the other part sees the opportunity. I just don’t know what Chase will do.

  He saw me.

  But will he use it against me or not? I’m not quite free yet.

  I avoid looking in his direction while the principal talks about responsibility, character, and about her disappointment in all of us. When she’s done, we all flock to the exit.

  Vanessa loudly complains about the whole situation, and some of the students around her agree.

  While she’s busy talking to them, I head out because I need some air. The auditorium seems like a mousetrap.

  I don’t get far because Chase gets in my way.

  “Where are you going, princess?” The corners of his lips lift up.

  “None of your business,” I snap.

  “Ah, but you see, it is. I have a proposition for you.”

  I don’t like the look in his eyes. It’s strangely detached. Cold. Like, deep down, he doesn’t really care about anything at all. Any lives he plays with mean nothing to him.

  “What do you want?” I suspect it has something to do with last night.

  “We both know what happened yesterday. The principal’s office is very close, and I could just walk over there and tell her everything. She’s really pissed. Never seen her like that before. She hides it well, but her eyes tell a different story. If I tell her the truth, you’re so done for.”

  But since he hasn’t told her, he clearly wants something. Do I even want to know what it is?

  I just raise an eyebrow at him.

  “But I don’t have to tell her anything,” Chase says. “All you have to do is drop out of the race for the scholarship. It’s that simple.”

  I press my lips into a tight line. It’s something I can’t do. “So you’re going to tell the principal that you were at the club too?”

  He chuckles. “Oh, come on. No one’s going to believe that. I’m the best student here. I can say that I heard some noise and went out into the hallway to check. Then I saw you. Running like crazy with your shoes in your hand. I checked the time on my phone, wondering if you needed help and where you were at such a late hour. But since you just flew past me without a word, I figured it was nothing and I could go back to sleep.

  “I assumed you were just hooking up with someone in their room. I didn’t step forward with the info immediately because I didn’t connect the dots, and right now, you stopped me and threatened me. But I decided to be brave and still went to tell the principal everything.” His face transforms into the most innocent look ever.

  It’s like magic.

  One second, he’s a heartless monster.

  The other, he’s the perfect golden boy who wouldn’t hurt a fly.

  Fuck.

  It would come down to his word against mine, and I already know his would carry more weight. His rep here is way, way better than mine.
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br />   “It’s better that you forget about the scholarship, which you won’t get anyway.” He leans forward, as if he wants to whisper a secret to me. “Drop out of the race now, while you still have the chance to graduate nicely. If you don’t do as I say, things will get ugly, and you don’t want that.”

  I’m angry.

  I’m so fucking angry I want to rip his head off.

  Why would he get to decide who can be in the run for the scholarship and who can’t? Just because he somehow has the whole school under control?

  Well, I’m here for that damn scholarship, and if I don’t get it, finishing school here won’t mean all that much.

  Yes, it will be useful no matter what, but fuck everything if I let this asshole have what I want so easily, and if I let him win with his stupid cheat tactics.

  “Why are you so afraid of me?” I tilt my head, my lips spreading into a smile. “Are you scared that I’m better than you? Is that why you’re trying to blackmail me into dropping out? Because you know you can’t beat me?”

  He just watches me with those frustrating eyes of his. “I’m just trying to help you. Your place isn’t at the Richerville University. It’s for me. The sooner you accept it, the better.”

  “You’re an asshole,” I say, brushing past him.

  He doesn’t try to stop me, but I can hear him laugh.

  He’s crazy.

  Totally insane.

  And the worst part is, he’s in control.

  If he tells the principal, I’m screwed.

  But how can I stop him without giving him what he wants?

  Chapter 10

  I DON’T PULL MY APPLICATION.

  Chase can suck it.

  Even if he tries to get me kicked out, the worst thing that can happen is that I end up back at my old school. The scholarship is the only thing that matters, but Chase doesn’t know that.

  It would be very easy for him to make a call and find out everything about me, but he clearly doesn’t care enough to do it.

  He doesn’t know why the scholarship matters to me so much, but even if he did, I’m sure he wouldn’t give a damn.

  The only thing that matters to Chase is Chase.

  But there’s one thing that bothers me. If he wanted me expelled, he would’ve already told the principal the truth, so why hasn’t he done it?