I release her neck, and she sucks in a deep breath. My hand moves over her jaw and her chin. I force two fingers into her mouth. “Suck,” I order roughly.
She closes her lips around them and begins to suck them as if she’s trying to swallow my cock.
I lower my lips to her chest, massaging her breast as I take her hardening nipple into my mouth. Sucking on it, I force a moan from her. I bite on it, and she opens her lips to cry out, but I push another finger into her mouth, shoving all three down her throat and causing her to gag.
I kiss my way up her chest and to her neck while my fingers in her mouth shove her head to the side, giving me access to her ear. I whisper, “Don’t ever think that I don’t own you, doll. Nothing you do or say is going to change that.”
I remove my fingers from her mouth, crawl off the bed, and make my way to the bathroom, needing that cold shower.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
HENLEY
I walk into third period and sit down in my seat. Students look at me and whisper. That’s nothing new. It’s been happening since I pulled into the parking lot this morning. I’m not going to let it bother me.
Dax walks in, and all whispers come to a halt. I avert my eyes, looking down at the desk. I feel like I’ve come full circle since the first day I returned. How I was afraid to look him in the eyes. I still can’t, but now it’s due to shame.
He sits down behind me, and I try to calm my racing heart. Will things ever be normal? Will I ever be able to move on from this? Is this how he felt when I testified about what I didn’t see?
The kid to my left, who is always eye-fucking Mrs. Shepherd, starts laughing and leans over the side of his desk to get in my face. “Now we know it was because he wouldn’t fuck you.”
The class bursts out into laughter.
I hear a chair scraping across the floor, then there’s a figure next to me. It’s Dax. He grips the kid by the hair, yanks his head back, then shoves it into his desk so hard it bounces back.
Students gasp and jump up from their seats as the guy rolls out of his seat and onto the floor, holding his bloody face.
Monroe turns to face the class. “Anyone else have anything to say to Henley?”
Silence follows. He looks down at me, and in true Dax style, he gives me that wink. The one I was terrified of outside that courthouse and then again in this classroom, but today, it helps to ease some tension.
“Okay, class …” Mrs. Shepherd enters the classroom. “What happened?” she demands when her eyes find the kid on the floor and bloody.
No one says a thing as the guy gets to his shaky legs. Blood drips down his face and onto his shirt.
“What happened?” Her voice snaps and she places her hands on her hips.
Dax stands from his chair. “He fell, Mrs. Shephard.” He looks around the room. “We all saw it.”
Murmurs of agreement come from all the students, going along with the lie.
She looks at him for a long time, and I see the corners of her lips turn up. Finally, she nods. “All right. Let’s open your books to page three hundred and sixty-two.” She turns her back to the class and starts writing on the board.
I look over my shoulder at him, wondering what the hell that was, and he just shrugs.
_______________
“You didn’t have to do that,” I tell Monroe as we exit the classroom.
He comes to a stop, and I do too, turning to face him. “I thought … I thought that I did something to you, Henley. For you to go after me like that.”
My chest tightens at his words. “I’m so sorry, Dax. You never did anything to me. You were my best friend.” I sniff. “I thought I was doing the right thing.”
He pulls me in for a hug in the middle of the packed hallway as kids watch us. He pulls away. “You’re still in trouble for that video. I told you not to say anything.”
“When have you ever known me to listen?” I joke, lightening the mood.
We walk into the cafeteria and go to our usual table. We’re the first ones here, but as I sit down, I look up to see Scout enter with Laney, and for once, I don’t care who he’s hanging all over. A weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I can breathe. I know it sounds stupid, but I feel like Brenda’s spirit found peace since her body was found. And that for once, maybe things can go back to how they were before I ruined everything.