And I hadn’t much cared for the fact I’d felt this pang in my chest that his side of the bed had been cold, meaning Hades had left probably before the sun had even risen.
I took a shuddering breath and wondered how Hades would handle this? Definitely with his head held high and his middle finger in front for all to see. But truthfully, no one would have given him this kind of reception. They were too afraid of him, and rightfully so.
When I’d tried sleeping in my bed the night after he’d taken my virginity, he’d made some inhuman sound and said I was to sleep beside him from now on.
And so that was what I’d done. And I enjoyed it. I loved how he wrapped an enormous arm around my middle and hauled me close to him, how he buried his nose in my hair and inhaled deeply, as if scenting me.
Not the time for those thoughts.
I garnered my resolve and pulled my shoulders back. Taking that first step was uncomfortable, especially when I noticed many of the girls all but snarling at me.
Maybe if they knew he was trying to actually assault me, they wouldn’t be looking at me like I was the person who brought down the fall of one of their beloved. But I shook my head as my thoughts told me these people were like a pack of wolves. I was an outsider they saw as an enemy.
And I brought down one of their members. Today was gonna suck.
And by the end of the day, those four words had never been truer.
With the shoulder checks in the hallway from the girls, the nasty words being thrown at me in all directions from the guys, and every single person drilling holes in the back of my head, I was mentally and emotionally drained.
I skipped last period, not caring if they notified Hades, and certainly not giving a shit if he got pissed.
I went to the bathroom and locked myself in the stall without using it. I just needed a minute to gather myself and wait until the hallways cleared out as everyone went to class.
Then I’d leave. I’d walk back to the estate, because truth be told, I just wanted to be alone.
I heard someone enter and then the sound of giggling proceeded.
“She’s the one who put Trevor in the hospital, the skanky bitch.”
“I thought it was the big dude who showed up and kicked Trevor’s ass?”
“Shut up, Beth. Trevor didn’t get his ass kicked. He was drunk, so he wasn’t at peak performance. If he’d been sober, he could have taken the dude.”
Hard no.
“Of course it was that asshole. He put Trevor in the hospital. But clearly he did it forher.”
I didn’t recognize the voices, but I peeked through the crack of the hinges on the stall door.
I could make out the trio of girls, all of them with blond hair that ranged in shade.
They primped and prepped, re-glossing their lips and touching up their eyeshadow.
“Like who even is she?” the one in the center said. “Some bitch who shows up at a brand-new school her senior year? I’m sure she had a lot of skeletons in her closet.She was probably a whore at her last school.”
The one speaking gasped like she’d just come up with the most perfect conclusion.
She looked at the other girls. “I bet she got knocked up. Popped out the kid and had to transfer to a new school.”
There was a round of laughter, a couple more insults thrown my way, and then two of the girls left. I could still see one standing by the sink. I realized she had said little the entire time her friends had been talking shit about me.
She exhaled and turned to leave, but she froze, her gaze trained on the ground. I realized she could see my shoes between the space underneath the stalls.
“You can come out. They’re gone.”
Her voice was soft and coaxing. Almost nice. I couldn’t hide in here forever. I stepped out, and we stared at each other. She stayed by the sink, looking more curious than anything else. But there was a strange cast in her eyes. She averted her gaze and cleared her throat.
“I just want to let you know—”