She hoped it was over, that he would take no for an answer because she’d never known Wade to be persistent, but an evil glint came into his eyes and her stomach roiled. He had something up his sleeve and she wasn’t going to like it.
“You’ve always been a stubborn little cunt. But you know I always get what I want. Your mother’s never been able to resist me and neither have you.”
Twyla felt the vomit rise in her throat. It would serve him right if she puked all over him.
“I have several witnesses who are willing to come forward to say that this relationship between you and Gunnar Fox isn’t anything new. No. They’re perfectly willing to tell Principal York, and if it comes to it, the cops, that he’s been fucking you since you were sixteen.”
“That isn’t true!” she burst out, and immediately slammed her mouth shut. But it was too late. The damage had been done. Wade knew he had her, narrowed his eyes and sneered at her.
“Who’s going to believe you? You’ve been a good-for-nothing troublemaker in this town for years. You think a few weeks of clean living is going to change people’s minds about you?”
She didn’t, actually. She knew there were people who still talked about how she used to be, who would never believe she’d changed for real. But her hurt feelings weren’t important right now.
“Who are these witnesses?” Something occurred to her. “Those boys who beat me up and have a pretty good reason to get me and Mr. Fox in trouble?”
Wade shrugged. “Not just them. They’ve still got friends, you know, and lots of ‘em.”
Fuck. It would be one thing if it were just those boys and Wade. It would be pretty obvious they were just trying to get revenge. But more people? She hoped Principal York would believe her, and if not her, then Mr. Fox, but even this kind of rumor could lose a man his job. And she wouldn’t do that to Mr. Fox. Ever.
He’d done so much for her and she wouldn’t let him get fired from a job he loved for it. She’d learned a lot about responsibility from him and she wouldn’t let him take the hit for this, even though she knew he would. Maybe especially because she knew he would.
“Fine. But I need to pick up some of my things first.”