Cornered

The moment I stepped into the girls’ locker room after school, a cold wave of dread washed over me. The air inside felt heavier somehow, thick with whispered malice I could sense before I even saw them. I didn’t need to look around to know that Savannah’s minions were waiting—always waiting—ready to pounce the second I was vulnerable.

I tried to keep my steps steady, my breath slow, but my heart was already hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. The fluorescent lights above buzzed faintly, casting harsh shadows across the lockers, and every noise seemed sharper, louder. The sharp clack of my shoes echoed off the tiled floor as I moved deeper into the room, hoping to get to my locker and out before anyone could corner me.

But I wasn’t quick enough.

They emerged from the shadows like predators sensing weakness.

A cold laugh bounced off the lockers.

“Well, look who decided to show up,” sneered one of them, a girl with dark eyes and a cruel smile that didn’t reach them. “Back from her little hospital vacation.”

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat, forcing my voice steady even though every word felt like I was swallowing glass. “Just trying to get my stuff.”

Another stepped closer, blocking my path with a smirk that made my skin crawl. “Nobody’s in a hurry to let you leave without a little... entertainment.”

I tried to step around her, but they closed ranks like a trap snapping shut.

One shoved me hard against the cold metal of a locker. The impact made me wince, the bruises on my ribs flaring painfully. My hand instinctively went to my side, fingers trembling, but they didn’t let up.

“You think after everything, you’re some kind of victim?” one whispered dangerously close to my ear, her breath cold. “No one’s buying it.”

A shaky breath escaped me. The weight of their hatred pressed down so heavily I felt like I could suffocate.

Suddenly, I was shoved again, this time so hard I staggered and almost fell to the floor.

I caught myself just in time, but the world tilted uncomfortably, and my heart slammed in my chest.

They closed in, voices dripping with venom.

“You don’t belong here.”

“You don’t deserve anything.”

“You’ll never be anything but the joke.”

I bit back a sob, my body trembling in a mixture of fear and rage. I wanted to scream, to fight back, but my voice caught in my throat like it was trapped behind a wall.

And then—

The door burst open so violently it shook the whole room.

A sudden presence filled the space, thick and electric, like the air itself had charged.

I froze as his shadow darkened the doorway.

Jaxon.

He stood there, every inch of him radiating controlled power. His eyes, dark and intense, swept over the room, locking on me with a heat that made my breath hitch.

I felt his gaze like a shield, fierce and protective, as if he alone could hold the world at bay.

The girls around us faltered, their confidence crumbling beneath his fierce glare.

Savannah’s smirk vanished, replaced by a flicker of fear as she realized she’d pushed too far.

Jaxon’s jaw clenched tightly, his body taut like a coiled spring ready to snap.

Without hesitation, he strode forward and closed the distance between us in two long strides, pulling me into a fierce embrace that took my breath away.

His arms wrapped around me with an urgency that sent a rush of heat through my veins. His chest rose and fell against mine, steady and grounding, yet his grip was possessive—unyielding.

I pressed my cheek against the hard fabric of his shirt, feeling the steady pulse of his heartbeat beneath my trembling skin.

His voice was low, rough, and trembling with something I couldn’t quite name.

“Mine,” he whispered.

The word hung between us like a vow, fierce and irrevocable.

I wanted to believe him.

I wanted to sink into the safety of his arms and forget the world.

But his eyes widened suddenly, realization crashing through him as if he’d spoken aloud what he barely understood himself.

He pulled back just enough to look at me, the fire in his gaze flickering with hesitation.

Savannah’s voice sliced through the thick tension, spiteful and sharp.

“You’re delusional if you think he cares,” she spat. “He’s playing you. Always has been.”

Jaxon’s eyes narrowed, and something dark and dangerous flickered there.

“You’re wrong,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Jaxon’s hand tightened on my waist, his thumb brushing over the sensitive skin just above my hip in a touch that was almost too deliberate.

“Stay away from her,” he growled at Savannah, his voice low and shaking with barely controlled fury.

Her eyes flashed, but she backed down, dragging her minions behind her as they slunk out of the room, their faces pale with fear.

I stayed wrapped in Jaxon’s arms, the warmth of his body seeping into my cold skin.

My mind swirled with everything I couldn’t say, everything I felt but didn’t understand.

His presence was overwhelming—solid and fierce, a promise of protection in a world that had only ever tried to tear me down.

I wanted to ask him everything.

Why him?

Why me?

What was this wild pull between us that burned so hot I could barely breathe?

But the words stayed locked inside me.

Instead, I clung to him, the ache in my chest easing just enough to let a fragile hope bloom.

As the door closed behind Savannah and her minions, silence fell heavy around us.