“My parents are going to be looking for me,” I say without thinking to Bernadette, wondering how she’ll respond with no one else around.
“We’ve taken care of that,” she states plainly without looking up.
“How?” I gape, shaking my head. “What could you possibly have done to make them okay with me just vanishing and not coming home?”
“The principal talked to them,” she smiles with creepy confidence. “You don’t have to worry about them. In fact, that should be the last of your worries. You need to be more concerned with your biological father and whatever he decides to do next.”
I look back down to my phone and then around the schoolyard at the other students and teachers. Everyone is decidedly ignoring me once again, even though I know my appearance must be rough. They’ve got everyone playing along with their game, and I guess it makes sense. Everyone seems to be tied into Jameson Automobile Company to some extent, and if it goes down…the whole town goes down with it.
Before I can muster a response, I hear Emmett’s voice from around the corner. He sounds upset, but I can’t make out the words. I know Bernadette won’t let me out of her sight, so I try inching far enough away without looking suspicious…just enough to get a better view of him.
I step a few feet away casually, looking around at random things in the parking lot before darting my eyes to the side of the school. I see Emmett’s arms flailing. He’s talking to someone. As he moves to the side, I’m able to make out Vivian standing next to him. They’re having some kind of argument.
I assume she must be in the loop. Steering clear this whole time to let Emmett do what he has to do, by orders of his father. If she only knew just how well he was doing it. How serious he took his orders to look after me. I bite my lip with the memories of him taking me over the bathroom sink. The sounds of his moans and hot breaths as he came.
I look back to Bernadette to see if she’s alarmed by my distance, but she doesn’t seem concerned. She’s too wrapped up in her phone, but she glances up every so often to make sure I’m still within her sights. I should be trying to run away, even though I probably wouldn’t get very far. But instead, I’m drawn to Emmett’s conversation with Vivian like a moth to a flame.
As I boldly wander just a few steps further, hoping to get close enough to hear them, Vivian’s eyes bolt toward me, sparking the moment they meet mine. She looks furious. Without another word to Emmett she pushes past him and barrels toward me furiously.
“You!” she growls. “Don’t fucking move.”
Emmett rolls his eyes and follows slowly behind as she marches forward. I do as she asks, not moving, trying to hide the curious grin sparking across my face. I don’t know what I expected, but of course Vivian parades right up to me and punches me square in the face. I buckle over from her blow, trying to straighten and hit her back, but she grips my hand in midair.
“You have some balls, you little whore,” she hisses at me, full of hatred. “You’re lucky I don’t kill you right here.”
“Vivian,” Emmett groans, doing nothing to step in and make her loosen her hold on me. “I told you she has nothing to do with this.”
“You think you can come in and steal my boyfriend?” her fist shakes, twisting my arm around. “If you survive this shitshow with your dad, I’m going to make you wish you never even looked at him.”
I have no idea what’s going on, but I can only assume Emmett has told her about us. Maybe he broke up with her. The thought makes me happier than it should.
“Enough, Vivian!” Emmett barks, coming over and ripping her hands away from me. “You’re being paranoid. I told you I don’t want anything to do with her. I love you.”
My heart plummets. How stupid I was to think, even if only for a second, that he would actually leave her for me. Of course, he wouldn’t. I’m just his hostage. Everything in me screams as I watch him try to pull her in for a reassuring kiss. I have to stop myself from going over and socking him in the face.
Emmett is sick. Just a couple of hours ago he was fucking me in his bathroom. And now here he is telling Vivian he loves her right in front of me.
“Get it together, Vivian,” Bernadette chimes in, looking around in embarrassment. “What the hell are you thinking?”
Vivian huffs over to her. “What am I thinking!?” she scoffs. “What is your stupid fucking brother thinking!? He hasn’t a
nswered my calls or texts. I’ve had no idea what was going on. My parents won’t tell me anything. I can only assume this little bitch has been whoring herself out to Emmett.”
I press my hand to my cheek, still sore from Thomas and now even worse off thanks to Vivian. I ache with disappointment, having thought Emmett might have told her something. Broken it off. But no. She just jumped to conclusions in a frenzy of feeling left out of the loop. And he’s doing nothing to let on that her suspicions are true.
“Emmett doesn’t want anything to do with her,” Bernadette defends half-heartedly. “He’s just looking after her for Daddy. You’re making a fool of yourself.”
Vivian turns back toward me, her arms crossed in shame now that her friend isn’t backing her up. It’s strange to see her slip from her pedestal. Humbled into being worried about her own position in things. They’re all acting on edge, and it’s making me nervous. I’m used to seeing them calm and in control. Always one step ahead of the game.
I should be comforted that my dad’s threats have them so afraid, but it only makes my position less certain. They could get tired of waiting at any moment and follow through on their own threats.
“Bernadette’s right,” I offer dejectedly. “Emmett doesn’t want anything to do with me. And I sure as shit don’t want anything to do with him.”
I don’t know why I say it. Maybe as some last desperate attempt to hurt Emmett back. It looks like it might have worked as his eyes glint over to me in subtle surprise.
“I don’t need you to placate me,” she barks back. “Soon this will all be over, and you’ll go back to whatever little white trash hole you crawled out of.” Her voice wavers with doubt. “Emmett, take a walk with me.”
“You know I can’t,” he walks over to her, keeping his voice down while cutting his eyes over to me. “I can’t let her out of my sight. I’ll call you later, okay?”