Page 49 of Dare To Take

As I step away from Elena, I catch Eli’s frown. Weaving my way quickly through the crowd of people toward the back of the building, I don’t stop until I’m in the restroom, shut behind the door of one of the stalls. I lean back, eyes closed, and rest my head against the smooth wood.

I’m shaking.

Reality snaps back, ugly and stark, with everything that lies ahead. An overwhelming sense of dread clutches me, my head a mess of anxiety and fear that I’m struggling to subdue.

This is what they want. I have to be strong. No emotions. Don’t feel, and they can’t hurt me.

I focus on the words.

To survive, I need to bury everything deep, just like I’ve done in the past. Show no weakness and live behind a hardened shell. Shut my emotions down.

Being with Eli has made me forget that. When we go back to school, will he fall back into his role as the Monster of Churchill Bradley Academy? Will I be cut loose, a passing distraction while we’re at home?

Will I become an outcast?

A door bangs beyond my stall.

“Did you see her? What was she wearing?”

I open my eyes at the sound of Tina’s voice and clench my hands.

“I still can’t believe she’s coming back,” another female voice replies. “I thought she would have slithered back to wherever she came from.”

“I bet her mom and Eli’s dad just want to get rid of her. That video is everywhere. I knew she was a slut from the beginning. There was no way she was as innocent as she pretended. Thank god, Lacy had the sense to remove her from the cheerleading squad.”

“I want to know if Eli is coming back to school.” Tina’s friend sighs. “I miss that thing he can do with his tongue.”

Tina giggles. “Maybe we could talk him into a threesome. He won’t say no to having two girls at the same time. At least that’s what I’ve heard.”

Something hard and cold solidifies inside me, crushing every other emotion. I straighten, turn, unlock the door, and saunter out. The second they see me, they stop talking.

“Hey, Arabella.” Tina flicks her hair over her shoulder. “I heard Miles dumped you over the phone.”

I move past them, wash my hands in the sink and dry them. “And?”

She blinks at my response. “You must be broken up about it.”

I shrug. “Plenty more fish in the sea.”

“Like anyone will want you now.” Her friend snickers. “At least not as a girlfriend.”

I walk toward the door, and I don’t let any of the hurt or pain show on my face.

I hate them. But this is just a taste of what I’m going back to. I have no doubts in my head that Tina and her friends are going to make my life a living hell.

When I step out of the restroom, I turn in the direction of my mother, only for someone to grab my wrist. I expect it to be Eli, but wariness hits me when I find it’s Bret instead. His friend, Garrett, is just behind him, watching me intently.

“Want to come and suck our cocks?” Bret tugs me toward him, the pressure he’s exerting on my wrist giving me no choice.

I try not to panic and pin a smile on my face. “I don’t think there would be much to suck.”

His other hand moves to grip my waist. “We’ve seen what a horny little slut you can be. Two guys at once. Maybe you can take three. One for each hole.”

The sour smell of beer is on his breath. My skin crawls at the way his hand squeezes my hip. Garrett moves to circle behind me. He’s so close I can feel the heat from his front warming my back. I’m wedged between them with nowhere to go.

Everyone around us is absorbed in drinking and chatting, not paying us any attention.

Bret tugs at my hand. “Come on, let’s go outside.”

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