All Chapters of Bully's Sinful Obsession.: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Chapter 12: The Defiant ShieldThe air felt freezing cold, even though the sun was beating down on us. I sat on the damp grass, my chest burning every time I tried to take a breath. Smoke still clung to my clothes and hair. All around the lawn, hundreds of students stood frozen on the concrete steps. Nobody moved. Nobody said a word.Principal Hayes stood right outside the circle of guards, wiping sweat from his forehead with a shaking hand. He kept nodding like a broken toy."Of course, Mr. Vance," the principal said, his voice squeaking. "It’s done. We’ll process her file right now. She’ll be off school grounds by noon."My whole body went cold. My scholarship was gone. I dug my fingernails deep into the wet mud, my eyes stinging with hot tears.Edward Vance turned his back on the principal. He glanced down at me for a second, his gray eyes completely blank, like I was just a piece of trash on the grass. He raised his hand to tell his drivers to open the SUV door."Wait."The word

Chapter 14: The Wilderness ListThe lock clicked shut in the quiet room. My fingers were still resting on the side of Julian's neck, feeling the hot, tight strain in his muscle. His dark eyes stayed glued to mine, his fingers holding my waist just enough to keep me close.Then he snapped.His hand shot out like a lightning strike. He grabbed my wrist and slapped my hand away from his shirt. My arm hit the hard wood of the door frame with a loud bang, sending a sharp pain right up to my elbow."Don't touch me," he snarled.That tiny flash of softness in his eyes was gone. The thick, cold wall was right back up, hiding the scared boy and replacing him with the scary bully everyone feared. His jaw stayed locked tight as he took quick, shallow breaths.I squeezed my hurting wrist, backing up until my spine pressed flat against the door. "Julian…""Shut up, Maya," he snapped, his voice totally flat and cold. He took a step back, putting space between us. "You think because I stopped my dad

Chapter 16: Lost in the BrushThe ice-cold rain hit my face like hundreds of tiny needles. Every breath pulled into my lungs burned, freezing and thin, making my chest ache with every step. My thin sneakers were soaked straight through, weighed down with heavy mud that made moving feel like dragging rocks across the woods.I stumbled forward into the dark, wrapping my arms tight around my ribs to stop the violent shaking. The trees stood like giant black shadows looming over me. Wind howled high in the branches, sounding almost like a person screaming."Julian!" I yelled out into the storm. My voice came out small, completely lost in the roaring rain. "Is anyone there?!"Only the heavy smack of rain on wet leaves answered me.I wiped the soaked hair out of my eyes with a shaking, dirty hand. My fingers were so numb from the freezing cold that I couldn't feel a thing. I took another slow step, but my shoe slipped off a slick root. I slid sideways, crashing hard into the rough bark of a

Chapter 18: The Sanctuary CaveJulian didn't wait. He shifted my weight in his arms, turned his back to the harsh, howling wind, and stepped right into the waist-deep water. Every single step through the thick mud was heavy and hard, his boots squelching loudly in the rising pool. I buried my face in the crook of his neck, my hands clutching his wet shirt like my life depended on it."Hold on to me," Julian growled into my hair, his chest heaving as he pushed us up the steep, muddy hill. "Don't let go, Maya.""It hurts," I whimpered, the words slipping out before I could stop them. Every sudden move sent a wave of sharp, sickening pain shooting straight up my left leg."I know. Just keep breathing," he rasped, his voice rough and tight with effort. He grit his teeth, his heavy boots digging into the loose rocks and wet roots. Mud slid down around us, but Julian didn't slip once. He moved like a man possessed, his strong arms locked tight around me, shielding my body with his own whene

Chapter 20: The Fevered VowThe small fire crackled softly in the dark cave, throwing long orange shadows across the cold stone walls. Outside, rain pounded against the thick trees, but inside, the air was surprisingly warm.Julian slumped sideways against the rough stone wall, his head resting heavily against the dry rock. His chest rose and fell in fast, shallow breaths, every single breath sounding like a ragged scratch in his throat. Sweat stood out across his pale skin, dripping down his forehead and catching along his sharp jawline. His teeth chattered violently, loud enough to ring inside the quiet space, even as his bare skin radiated a terrifying, unnatural heat.I completely forgot about the sharp, throbbing pain in my left ankle. I forgot about the ugly purple swelling hiding beneath the thick flannel shirt he had buttoned around me.I dragged myself forward across the dirt floor, wincing as my bad leg brushed against a loose rock, but I didn't stop until I was sitting righ