When Zach called me up asking me to hang out, I was down. I’m all for hanging out with my friends even if I’m exhausted from work. It’s the good kind of exhausted, like after a game. So I picked him and Justin up and met up with other guys at A4cade.
Everything was great. Enjoying some sodas, snacks, friends, and arcade games. A hell of a way to spend a Wednesday night. Or it was until Brant Jones showed up. The smug fucker crashed our night, and of course, most of the guys were cool with it.
Me, I was seething. Brant shows up and then insists we go somewhere else. He apparently booked an hour at Key To Amaze, the VR place.
And while I have nothing against playing VR games, I have a lot against spending any time around Brant Jones. But everyone else was down, and I go along since I’m Justin and Zach’s ride.
It’s getting late as I’m following the others from the arcade. I frown as I watch Brant’s car, and then the other car I’m follow
I don't know what's going on with GN today. But they aren't allowing me to publish chapters with a future date/time. This should've been Saturday's chapter. Chapters are typically posted Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
What the hell just came over me? I intended to just clean him up and get some ice on his hand. That’s it. End of story. It was supposed to end there. So why the fuck am I kissing him? I can’t blame him. He didn’t start this. I mean, unless I can blame him for being surprisingly awesome, badass, and hot. Can I blame him for that? Use that to explain this away? No, that wouldn’t be fair. I own my actions. For a second, I worried I totally read all this wrong. And that I was now one of those dumb girls and asshole people who kiss someone that doesn’t want to be kissed. But just as I was going to pull away and apologize for my mistake, he started kissing back. It was tentative like he was afraid. Is he afraid I’m going to kick his ass? If so, why? Does he think I’ll kick his ass if he doesn’t kiss me? I don’t want this kiss to be like that. I don’t want anything about this to be forced on either of us. His lips were following my lead, certainly some
This woman is going to make me pull my hair out. I’m getting whiplash with this hot and cold. And I want to be mad at her. I want to throw it back at her, but I can’t. She’s been through something, something that left her scarred in ways I can’t begin to imagine. And so, however, she feels even if it changes direction faster than the wind, I can’t fault her. And she’s right. It was easier to believe his story when she and Brant broke up. That they hooked up, and she thought it meant more than it did. It wasn’t the first situation like that among guys I know. Look at Jane and how she’s about Darius, and he wasn’t even her first. So yeah, it was easier to write it off. To believe Brant that Cassidy was just another clinger. Even if, at my core, I couldn’t fully buy it. Nothing about Cassidy Summers ever made me think she’s a clinger. If anything, she always seemed the indifferent type. The one to dump a guy leaving him broken.
****CONTENT WARNING**** THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DISCUSSIONS OF SEXUAL TRAUMA. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. ****** I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ve lost my mind. Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age. Ha, cause seventeen is old. I don’t know. But I made up my mind, and I can’t just change it now. So I let Collin into my house. Leaving him alone in the living room while I went upstairs to change. As I shut my bedroom door, I consider taking a shower. Wrinkling my nose as I smelled the fried fish on me. I almost consider jumping into a quick shower but then rethink that. I’m not leaving Collin unsupervised too long in my house. So instead, I quickly change out of my work clothes, using my Bath & Body Works Strawberry Pound Cake body spray to best mask the smell till I can take a proper shower… or two. Taking my hair out of the bun I spray my brush with the same body spray and quickly brush out my ha
I’ve had this sinking feeling about what Brant did, how he could have traumatized Cassidy to the point of the panic attacks I’ve witnessed. I’ve been dreading hearing the truth. I knew whatever it was, it would make me angry. But I was not prepared for how angry I got. Brant raped Cassidy. He tied her up, hit her, and took so much from her. And fuck, she’s so damn strong to keep fighting. To continue to stand against him and people like him. I want to find Brant and bash his brains in. That no justice was given for what he did. He got away with it because of his fucking daddy. The fact he’s still walking the streets, and fuck that he’s walking in general, astounds and angers me. And of all this, what I can’t understand is James. He’s Cassidy’s brother, yet he hangs out with Brant and is his friend. Unless it’s an act and he’s just getting close enough to off the fucker without anyone thinking it was him, there’s no reason to be Brant’s friend.
I can’t believe I just told Collin Cole the truth. I told someone who’s not my family, therapist, or cop what Brant did to me. And he believed me! He held my hair when I threw up. And got pissed at Brant and even James. He was seriously going to blacklist my little brother. And I don’t want to inflate his ego, but while Collin doesn’t have the name-brand pull of the Frost triplets or the sleaze Brant Jones, he is still one of the most popular guys in our school. If he told people to ignore James, they would without question. And as much as James probably deserves it for not believing me, for not standing up for me and with me. I can’t let that happen. I know my brother better than anyone. His need to be popular, to have friends, and feel like he belongs stems from unresolved issues with knowing we will never find out who the sperm donor was and his feelings of incompletion and abandonment. I sighed, pushing off the door after shutting it.
I seriously do not understand that woman. I know he’s her brother and whatever. But seriously, she needs to draw the line. She can’t keep letting him get away with treating her shitty and defending him from someone calling him on it. “What’s up with you and Summers?” Forrest questioned as we got changed for gym. I wasn’t ready for this question. I’m not even sure how to answer it. “Me and James? The kid just annoys me.” I shrugged. I rather doubt she would want me to say anything to him about us. I figured I was safer to answer based on the younger Summers than assuming Forrest meant Cassidy. Fuck are we even an us? Crap, I feel like a girl. Questioning if two kisses means we’re an item or not. I groaned, leaning my head into my locker. How has this girl wholly blown up my game? I’m the one that lives girls guessing, not the other way around. I don’t like this yo-yo shit. I also do not like that whatever is going on b
I knew I wasn’t going to be able to catch Cassidy. She was heading to her Art class, which means she’ll meet up with Riko to walk between classes. But I know she has history after me to catch her then. One monotone history lesson later, I was out of my seat and waiting near the door. As I spotted Cassidy in the crowd, her red hair a dead giveaway, I moved through the crowd. “Can we talk, please?” I questioned, quietly getting in her path. I considered taking her into an empty classroom down the hall, but I didn’t want to trigger her. I don’t want to corner her. So all I can do is ask for her time. “Pethel’s classroom is empty.” I offered, nodding down the hall. Cassidy sighed, running her hand through her long red hair. I want to do that. I remember how it felt in my hand last night when I held it back for her. “You’re going to keep bugging me, aren’t you?” “Probably, or I’ll save up all my questions for tonight when I show up at your plac
I don’t know what the hell is going on with me today. I didn’t need to make that dig at Collin during gym class. I chose to dance with Forrest to keep away the vipers that wanted to prey on him. He’s claimed. And as Riko’s friend, I’m obligated to defend her territory. But it wasn’t fair or pleasant of me to say what I did, at least with the level of snark I did. Collin is single, but I didn’t need to point it out so cruelly. I also didn’t need to be such a bitch about Jessica. I had to put a fake smile on my face as she told me she would ask him to the movies. I have nothing against Jessica. She’s a nice person. But I wanted to punch her when she said she would ask him out. I’m usually all for girl power and encourage people to make the first move if they are comfortable. Her making a move on Collin was pushing my buttons. I love art. I at least had all of art class to just chill. And with Riko in class, it’s more fun.