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Chapter 4

Adele Wilson

“What do you want in return for helping me?”

Jason paused and turned to me, his expression still the same. Unreadable.

He gave me a long stare, then looked me in the eyes and asked, “What do you have to offer me?”

I bit my lip, dropping my gaze to the floor. It was soon foolish of me to have asked that question. I really had nothing worthy that I could offer Jason. Money? Friendship? He has all of them. He was only doing me a favour here, but still.

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

He scoffed.

“So, is that a yes?” His eyes bored into mine.

I knew this was going to cost me more than I imagined, but for the first time in my life, I was ready to make a change in my life. It didn't matter the consequences of my decision.

I squeezed my eyes shut. “Yes… I will accept your offer.”

A smug smirk flashed through his face, but I swear I saw it.

He held out his palm. “Let me have your phone.” He demanded, and I gave it to him.

I watched as he punched a few numbers into it, and the next minute, his phone started to ring.

He flashed his phone in my face and said. “I will call you.”

My lips parted in shock. Wait! I now have Jason's number? Gosh! This was like a dream come true for me.

“Alright…” my voice came out in a whisper.

“We’ll talk more when you're ready to stop surviving, and start winning.” And with that, he turned his back on me and started to walk away.

He paused just before he reached the exit, then looked back at me over his shoulder and said, “For now, avoid Henry and Chloe as best as you can.”

He finally exited the rooftop.

My mind reeled with the same thoughts as I stared after him. Why was he helping me? Did I make a mistake accepting the offer?

‘You didn't, Adele. You need to save yourself, and Jason is the only one who could do that for you’.

My heart hammered against my ribcage as I went back to the class. I could hear every student I walked past, whisper loudly about me. They were making comments about Jason's jersey that I wore, but I didn't pay attention to any of them.

My heart froze as I collided into a hard surface. A hard chest, actually. The familiar pair of red sneakers made my knees weak as I dragged a step back.

“I've been looking all over for you, fatty…”

Henry spoke, and I gulped down nothing.

My hands trembled, and I rubbed them on my skirt, trying to regulate the pounding in my chest.

“Where have you been?”

His smirk welcomed me as I lifted my gaze to him. His eyes dropped to the jersey, and he scoffed. “You've been with Jason?” He raised a brow.

“I…I… I was…” my voice faded into silence.

“Follow me.”

I trailed behind Henry, my legs trembling beneath me as I dragged them along the walkway.

What is he going to do to me now?

‘For now, avoid Henry and Chloe as best as you can't

I halted abruptly, my fingers tightening around my backpack.

‘Run, Adele. Run!’

A voice spoke in my head, but before I could swing into action, Henry had stopped walking and looked back at me.

“What are you doing? I told you to follow me!”

I flinched.

Henry walked back to me and grabbed my backpack. He yanked it so hard that I stumbled. Then he dragged me down the walkway…past the professor’s quarters, past the ballroom, toward the old, weed-ridden basketball court.

“Gosh! My hand hurts. You're so heavy.” He huffed as he dragged me past the professor's quarters, past the ballroom, the old classrooms, and when we arrived at the old basketball pitch that was no longer in use, he pushed me to the floor, but I only muffled a wince.

“Get up.” He crossed his arms on his chest.

Pain exploded through my body as I dragged myself to my feet.

“I will ask you this once… What game are you playing?” He closed the distance between us, his eyes boring holes into my body.

“Huh?”

“Why did Jason save you yesterday? Why did you hang out with him today? Why are you wearing his jersey?” He gritted out, eyes blazing with rage.

I opened my mouth to talk, but no words came out.

He scoffed, lifting his hand to my face and grabbing my cheek, pressing it hard. “You think you can get away from me by hanging around Jason?”

My vision slowly blurred as tears clouded my eyes.

“Why the hell are you shedding tears, Adele? I'm not bullying you, am I?” His lips curled in a smirk.

“I'm just asking you questions.”

He held my shoulders, digging his fingers into them. “This is not fair, Adele, you know? If you run to Jason, who the hell do I have left to toy with?”

This is what matters? To toy with me?

My shoulder throbbed from where Henry grabbed me. It would bruise by morning… Just one more mark to hide.

‘You are fucking crazy, Henry!’

I wanted to yell in his face, but I did a good job composing myself.

“You are going to stop hanging around him, right?”

His voice was calm, a smile on his face, but I could see and feel the burning anger behind them.

“I'm giving you a chance to make things right, Adele. I don't ever want to see you around Jason.”

He tapped my cheek gently, then smirked before he walked away.

I clenched my fingers tightly in a way that my knuckles turned white.

No way! I don't want to keep suffering like this. I don't want to keep being the prey and enduring everything thrown at me when I never did anything wrong.

“I won't sit back and do nothing, Henry.” I whispered…