Confronting the enemy, p.9
Confronting the Enemy, page 9
“Cha…Cha…nce…” she choked out, and I immediately released her.
“Are we clear?”
Payton instantly started rubbing her neck, her complexion settling back to its original color. “I’m sorry,” she lied. “I was just…I like you, Chance. I hate to think that we’re over.”
She still didn’t get it. “We never started, Payton,” I said cruelly. “You were a good fuck, and that’s it. But newsflash; so were a lot of other girls.”
Her green eyes flashed with bitterness, but she quickly masked it, trying a different tactic. “I bet I could make you forget all about Harper Crosby if you just let me try.”
I’ve been inside all three of this girl’s orifices, so she had nothing new to show me. Besides, after being with Harper, there wasn’t a girl on the planet who could tempt me, not that they ever could. Being with Harper felt like a religious experience, and Payton was out of her mind if she thought that she could compare to my baby.
“That would be a no, Payton,” I told her. “In fact, that’s a hell no.” The more that I thought about it, the more that I realized that a little rudeness was going to have to do for the next few months. Thanks to me, Harper was already insecure about the way she looked and not totally convinced about how I felt about her, so it wouldn’t do to be talking friendly to anyone who I’ve slept with before, even if it was innocent. Besides, it wasn’t as if I gave a fuck if these people got mad at me. The problem with coming from a big family was that I had more than enough people in my life that I didn’t need to make new friends. If these assholes started getting upset that I was ignoring them, it really wasn’t an issue for me. Right now, the only thing that I had to navigate was how to get along with Cable because Harper wasn’t giving him up.
I was just about to tell Payton to go eat someone else’s dick when she her eyes flared, then she threw her arms around my neck, leaning up and kissing me.
And. I. Saw. Motherfucking. Red.
Chapter 16
Harper~
The instant that I felt moisture between my legs, I had immediately excused myself from fourth period. I wasn’t due to start my period for another two weeks, but I’ve also never had so much sex in two days. Wanting to make sure that I wasn’t bleeding, I rushed towards the closest girls’ restroom just to check things out. If nothing else, each restroom was equipped with vending machines for feminine needs. I could always grab a panty liner if it was just…uh…Chance still leaking from my body. I had no idea if that was still possible hours later, but what did I know about sex?
However, on my way to the restroom, I hadn’t expected to see Chance huddled up next to Payton Florence, but he was.
He really, really, really was.
Payton was up against the wall, Chance crowding her, and my heart was breaking with every breath that I was struggling to take in. Everyone knew that Payton Florence was one of the girls that Chance had kept going back to for repeats. Though she hadn’t been the only one, she had appeared to be one of his favorites. She would brag about it enough that…well, if she were to be believed, she was the closest thing to a girlfriend that Chance had.
She was also beautiful, slim, charismatic, popular, and confident. Looking at them, knowing what I now knew about Chance in the bedroom, my mind was assaulted with visions of her letting him do all those things that he’d done to me, but with the lights on. Even as intense as things had gotten this weekend, Chance had allowed me to keep my shirt on or leave the lights off. We hadn’t showered together, and that was another thing that had been denied him.
I imagined Payton letting him get his fill of watching her come undone for him, and it felt like I was choking on it all. Men were supposed to be visual creatures, and I had robbed Chance of that this weekend. While I had been lost in my own head, letting him show me things that I never imagined that I could enjoy, I had prevented him from the same experience by being insecure.
Just when I was about to walk up and ask Chance what was going on, Payton threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, and that was answer enough for me. Turning around, I ran back down the hallway, looking for another restroom.
When I finally found one, I rushed inside, quickly checked each stall, then slid down the wall, crying for how stupid I was. As tears soaked my face, I knew that I’d never been so disappointed in myself. I had fallen for every stupid word he’d said, and I had no one to blame but myself. Chance McCellan had shown me who he was a long time ago, and instead of steering clear of him, I had fallen for his bullshit, hook, line, and sinker.
Had I really been that starved for affection? Had I really been so damn naïve? Had I really convinced myself that I’d be enough for someone like Chance? More importantly, had I really forgotten what I looked like? Had he manipulated me so much this weekend that I had forgotten that I was fat, wore glasses, and wasn’t pretty?
I wasn’t sure how long I sat on the restroom floor, but I knew that I couldn’t hide in here forever. If nothing else, I needed to properly excuse myself from the rest of my classes. With lunch coming up next, it’d be easy to fire off a text to Olive and Zach and go home sick. Now that Zach was around, I didn’t feel bad calling out on Olive.
After washing my face, readjusting my glasses, and doing my best not to look like a total nightmare, I left the restroom to head to the nurse’s office. Blind to everything but the pain of my unrivaled stupidity, I hadn’t realized that I was walking the wrong way until I heard voices coming from around the gym building. The nurse’s station was in the opposite direction, so I quickly went to turn around because I did not need anyone to see what a mess I was.
However, the sound of my name stopped me in my tracks, and while my instincts were urging me to keep going, the masochist in me stayed to hear what was being said.
“You guys are stupid if you believe that shit about Harper Crosby,” a guy said, and I couldn’t place his voice at all.
“Dude, you saw him Friday night,” a second guy said. “I’m telling you that it’s true. Chance wasn’t fucking around.”
“I don’t know,” a third guy said. “Chance has always been about that premium pussy. Why would he want Harper Crosby? I mean, the girl’s never done anything to me, and I got no issues with her, but she’s hardly a runway model.”
“Exactly,” Guy #1 said. “While she might be nice enough, there’s no denying that she’s not very pretty and lifting her would be a chore.”
“Then why would Chance announce her as his girlfriend in a room full of people if she wasn’t?” Guy #2 asked. “Why risk his reputation like that?”
“Because his reputation is hardly at risk,” Guy #1 answered. “He’s Chance McCellan. He can do whatever the fuck he wants.”
“He’s got a point,” Guy #3 chimed in. “In all actuality, it’s probably just a case of Chance having already gone through all the pretty girls, and he’s bored enough to try something different.”
Oh, God.
“Actually, it’s a dare of sorts,” Guy #1 said, and I could feel my entire soul crumbling inside my chest.
“A dare?” Guy #2 asked.
“Yeah…oh, hey, here’s the last hit.” It wasn’t until Guy #1 mentioned the word hit that I could make out the faint scent of them smoking weed.
“Thanks, man,” Guy #3 said.
“What do you mean?” Guy #2 asked, wanting to finish their gossiping session about me and Chance.
“Yeah, so after Chance dragged Harper from the party, it was all that everyone could talk about. Of course, they all waited until his friends and brothers left, but it was all anyone could talk about,” Guy #1 went on to explain. “So, I found myself talking to Payton Florence about it since she’s his favorite piece of ass and all, and she said it was all a dare.”
“Why?” Guy #2 asked. “Who would dare him to mess with Harper like that?”
“Actually, it was Payton who dared him to go after her.”
“Bullshit,” Guy #3 scoffed. “Why would she dare him to do that?”
“She said that Chance had made some comment about easy pussy, and she got hurt enough to dare him to prove that he can get anyone he wants,” Guy #1 said. “I don’t know. There was a lot more to it, but I was drunk by then. I can’t recall all the specifics, but Chance is fucking with Harper to prove to Payton that he can fuck anyone he wants because it’s all easy pussy…or something along those lines.”
Not being able to take anymore, I finally left and practically raced towards the nurse’s office. As hurtful as hearing their conversation was, I was glad to finally know the truth. It all made sense, and I had no idea how I was going to ever find the strength to forgive myself. I already had to live with the regret of giving my virginity to Brad, and now I had to live with this, too.
Then there was the fact that it was only the beginning of senior year. How in the hell was I going to be able to continue going to Windsor without wanting to throw up every day? Unlike the last time, my humiliation at the hands of Chance McCellan was going to be public this time, and I wasn’t sure that I was strong enough to withstand the entire school laughing at me.
When I got to the nurse’s office, I shot a quick text to Olive and Zach, lying through my teeth that I was sick and was going home. After I assured them that I would be fine, and they had informed me that they would check on me after school, I walked into the nurse’s office, and lied about being sick.
The poor woman got one look at me and believed me wholeheartedly. However, instead of letting me go on my way, she had insisted on going through the whole routine of checking my temperature and all that jazz. She had even bullied me into taking some ibuprofen, even though the pain I was experiencing couldn’t be fixed with medicine.
After I let her do her thing, I got my note, then rushed my way back to my locker. The lunch bell was going to ring soon, and I wanted out of here before anyone could see me. My face looked a mess, and there’d be no denying that I’d been crying. However, luck wasn’t on my side today. Halfway to my locker, the bell run, and I quickly put my head down, so no one would notice my face.
Rushing in a jog, I tried to do the math in my head, and see if I could buy myself some time before Chance realized that I wasn’t still in fourth period. He’d have to leave his classroom-
Was he even in class?
My stomach almost emptied when I realized that he had probably ditched fourth period to hook up with Payton. Suddenly, panic gripped me, and I knew that I needed to get the hell out of here. Then it really took hold of my thoughts when I remembered that Chance had driven me to school this morning. I quickly shook my brain of that thought. I had no problem walking home if I had to.
Anything to get away from Chance McCellan.
Chapter 17
Chance~
I was still pissed off, but there wasn’t a lot that I could do about it. I didn’t hit females, no matter how provoked. Oh, Payton was going to get hers, but it was going to have to wait until I called Maggie to come handle the bitch.
After Payton had kissed me, I had shoved her away, and I had been angry enough to let her know that she had just made the biggest mistake of her life. Wanting the bitch to suffer with uncertainty, I’d left her with that parting shot, already calling R.J. to ask him to do is worst.
Cheating wasn’t done in our family, and though I hadn’t technically cheated on Harper, another girl’s lips on mine had felt close enough. The fact that Payton had tried to violate what I had going with Harper had me hoping that she took a blade to her wrists by the time we were done with her. Another girl had put her hands and lips on me, and I couldn’t believe how disgusted I felt about it. This disturbing feeling gave me a whole new appreciation for women who have been sexually violated before. While I’ve always known that it was wrong, and that those kinds of men didn’t deserve to live, Payton’s audacity had just cemented my opinion on the matter tenfold.
My mood only got worse when I’d been waiting for Harper outside her fourth period class, only to realize that she hadn’t been in there. When I had pulled my phone out of my pocket to see if she had texted me and saw nothing, that had only served to fuel the flames of my anger more.
Now I was storming my way through the hallways towards her locker, wanting to know where the fuck she was. While I was trying to make concessions for the fact that Harper didn’t know me well enough to know that her little disappearing act would bother me, I was still pissed.
When I saw her at her locker, I felt relief at seeing her, but anger that I didn’t know where she’d been. Possessive? Sure. Crazy? A bit. Still, I finally had this girl right where I wanted her, and I wasn’t going to let anything come between us. So, if that meant monitoring her every move, well…she’d just have to get used to it.
“Where were you?” I asked as soon as I reached her locker.
Slamming it shut, Harper turned to look at me, and the slap that she delivered was enough to snap my head sideways and stop every living body around us from taking another step. The entire hallway thundered with silence, and they weren’t the only ones wondering what the fuck was going on.
“Stay away from me,” Harper hissed, her voice raw and serious.
Turning my head to face her again, it was obvious that there was something seriously wrong with her, but I had no idea what it was. “While I’m certain that slap was a long time coming, what exactly did I do between the beginning of fourth period until now to deserve it?” I asked, my voice low and vicious.
Harper’s brown eyes were filled with so much hate that it was hard not to react. “I know all about it, Chance,” she spat, her eyes spilling over, though it was obvious that she’d already been crying.
“All about what?” I demanded.
“I know about the dare, Chance,” she said, and I had absolutely no idea what in the fuck she was talking about.
“What fucking dare?” I practically roared, not caring that we had an audience. Nothing mattered but finding out why Harper had slapped me.
“The dare between you and Payton!” she yelled, bringing everyone in on our fight. “I know all about it!”
“What in the fuck are you talking about?” I asked again because there was no dare.
“I’m talking about the dare for you to try for some pussy that might not be so easy to get, even if you are Chance McCellan,” she spat. “And who better than the one girl at Windsor who truly hated you?”
I could only stare down at her, wondering where in the fuck she heard such a thing. There was no such dare, and after this weekend, it was rocking my soul that she believed that I would or could do that to her. I had spent every second of this weekend showing her how much I wanted to be with her and showing her how sorry I was for what I’d done three years ago. Hell, I had even introduced her to my parents. How in the fuck could she think that our relationship wasn’t real?
Grabbing her arm, I shook her a little as I glared down at her. “Look, I don’t know what in the fuck it is that you heard, but there is no dare, Harper,” I growled. “Let’s forget the fact that there’s too much free pussy in this place to ever fuck with a girl’s emotions like that, but how can you even think such a thing after this weekend?” I shook her again for emphasis. “How many fucking times do I have to tell you that I love you before you believe me?” You could hear shocked gasps at my statement about loving her.
“Never,” she sneered. “I’d have to be stupid to believe it. Any girl would have to be stupid to believe it. The only person that you love is yourself, Chance.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I snapped. “You met my fucking parents, Harper. What the fuck?”
“And I wish that I never had,” she snapped back. “I wish that I’d never met any of you.”
“There’s no fucking dare!” I roared, completely at my wit’s end.
“Just like I didn’t see you kissing Payton Florence in the hallway earlier?!” she yelled, a choked sob rising and escaping from her chest.
I let go of her arm, running my hands through my hair, ready to kill Payton Florence with my bare hands. “That is not what it looked like, Harper. She-”
“Are you seriously going to go with that line?” she asked incredulously. “That’s the best that you got? It wasn’t what it looked like?” Harper took a step back, and the look that she gave me would have leveled a lesser man. “I might be fat, I might be a nerd, I might wear glasses, and I might be ugly, but I’m not fucking stupid, Chance. I saw her wrap her arms around you and kiss you.”
“Yeah, well, if you had stuck around, you would have seen me push her off,” I shot back.
“Sure, you did,” she sneered. “Because everyone knows that I’m such a better catch than Payton Florence, the girl that you’ve been fucking for years.”
Her self-disparage had me seeing red. “Yeah,” I snarled. “In fact, you are. Because for all that you think Payton Florence is, she’s not you. The only thing that girl has ever done for me was get my dick hard, just like all the other girls that I’ve ever fucked. She’s never made me want to spend one second with her outside her clothes being off. She’s never met my parents. Hell, she’s never even been to my house. None of these girls have. You are the only girl who has ever been in my bed, and you want to know why?” I didn’t let her answer. “Because, not only are you the type of girl to demand more from a guy than just bending you over the hood of his car, but you’re also the only girl that I have ever loved. So, yeah, Harper, you are better than Payton fucking Florence. As far as I’m concerned, you’re better than every girl at Windsor. So, whatever it is that you think you know, you don’t.”
Not believing a word I said, Harper said, “Go to hell, Chance.”
I stepped to her, fear at that one little statement threatening to distract me. “You are out of your mind if you think that I’m going to let you break up with me, Harper,” I told her. “Out of your fucking mind.”
By this time, word must have gotten around because Mad, Neo, and Gideon had walked up, making a makeshift wall between us and the spectators. The only problem with them showing up was that I was expecting Olive and Zachary Cable to be next, and I knew that there was no way that Olive and their new best friend were going to let this play out without interference.
