Page 76 of Fighting the Odds

I don’t like it. I know I’ve seen Zan getting cozy with her, then Brax, but at the time I hated her even though I still craved her. She was under my skin and held residence in my heart, even though I despised her for what she did.

Wait! What I thought she did. But really, she did nothing.

“Sierra, I’m so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”

Her eyes go wide, before she bursts into hysterical laughter. It takes a moment for her to compose herself.

“You treat me like shit, ignore me unless you’re bullying or threatening me, the whole school, and hell, even the teachers, are in on what’s going on because of you, and then you get Sam taken away from me. And you want me to forgive you? Fuck you, Wesley, and the horse you rode in on. Get out of my home.”

“You heard my niece, get the fuck out, or I’ll let these three boys beat the shit out of you while we watch. That’s if you’re under eighteen. If you aren’t, then me and Cyrus get to have some fun rearranging your facial features.” Rico’s hands are fisted as he glares at me.

“I still need to tell you something. Like I said, my dad cheats on my mom. You weren’t the first, but it hit the hardest. He’s been talking about a stripper. You. But I don’t know if he knows you’re Lilac or not. Anyway, he’s trying to get you to do a private show with him, off site. He plans to do the same thing to you that he did that night. Promise me you won’t do it. I couldn’t take it if he hurt you again.”

“Him hurt me? Guess how you hurt me was different. You practically tried to fuck me in the library the other day, Wesley. If Savannah hadn’t shown up, you would’ve raped me too, wouldn’t you?”

My stomach churns and I can feel the vomit trying to work its way up. I did that! I was forcing myself on Sierra, just like my dad did.

Fuck!

“Sierra, I’m—”

“So sorry. Yeah, that’s a broken record at this point. It’s a little too late if you ask me. You told me what your dad plans to do and gave us the flash drive, so you can go now with your conscious clean.”

“Sierra!”

“She said go, little boy,” Rico orders, as he walks over, opening the front door, gesturing for me to leave.

Turning, I head towards the door, stopping before I step into the hallway and turn back around to look at her.

“I’m going to work every day to make up for what I did to you. I love you, Sierra, and one day I want you to see the same boy I used to be before all of this. I want a future with you and I’m going to make it my mission to show you how serious I am.”

She doesn’t say anything. I didn’t expect her to. But I want her to know I’m going to fight for her. Sierra needs to see that I mean what I say. Once she knows I’ll be there to back and support her, I know she’ll forgive me. She has a heart of gold and this was all just a misunderstanding. A terrible one.

Once I leave the apartment, I don’t look back. I’ve got a lot I need to do.

I need to handle the whole fucking Savannah issue. Make it known at school if anyone bothers Sierra, they’ll be treated just like she was.

Then there’s Dad. I still don’t know what I’m going to do about him.

But I need to figure all this shit out, because tomorrow I’m winning Sierra back.

Chapter 36

Rico

“Sierra, what does he mean? Lilac? Stripper?” one of the guys asks, but I’m not sure which.

“Not now!” Cyrus’ firm voice answers.

Good, he can handle his band of merry men while I get my anger under control.

I want to wrap my hands around that asshole’s neck and squeeze until his eyes bulge out and take joy in him struggling for breath. Oh, I will toy with him a little first. Let him take a gasp of air here and there, but only a small amount. Then I’ll cut off his air supply again as I revel in him taking his last breath.

But there’s bigger fish to fry right now.

His dad needs to die.

Any trace of the video needs to be erased from these knuckleheads’ phones. And for that bitch at her school? I’m going to think of something extra special for her.

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