Page 115 of Depraved Desires

I got in bed, spreading my legs out before me and dislodging my phone from my jacket pocket. It wasn’t surprising that Rocky had already texted me a few times. Since we were ambushed by Foster yesterday, he’s been clingier.

Opening the messages, I glanced down at my screen.

Rocky

Are you going straight home after school?

I can walk with you if you want.

Are you still planning on drugging Henderson?

That last message made me pause. He was an idiot for putting that in text, but it wasn’t like I intended on killing the asshole. My intention had been to drug him and rape him. He stood by and watched them all do it to me. Hell, he orchestrated a few of the assaults. It only felt fitting to show him how it felt. But then the unexpected happened. Hewillinglyfucked me. So, stealing his virginity was now out of the question, and maybe that was a good thing. I couldn’t help but wonder before if doing that to him was too far.

I hated having a stupid heart.

They all deserved to suffer for what they did to me, but as the days went on and as I spent more time with them, revenge started becoming less and less appealing.

Blowing out a breath, I typed out a response to Rocky.

Aspen

Can you come over? We need to talk.

Rocky wouldn’t be happy with my sudden change of heart. For some reason, he’d been just as eager to make them pay as I had.

My phone dinged with another message, and I glanced down at it again. Tension rolled through me. He was telling me that he was on the way, which meant I couldn’t avoid this conversation any longer. Not that avoidance had been my prerogative anyways.

It took him less time to get here than it should have, making me believe he’d already been heading this way before I even asked him to come. He barreled through my bedroom, closing the door behind him. In a few strides, he was seated on the edge of my bed with his body positioned toward me.

“Hey,” he greeted, sweeping his gaze over me. A look of concern flashed across his face. It wasn’t often that I asked him to come over. My feelings pertaining to him were still muddled and I didn’t have the slightest idea on how to sort through them.

I swallowed thickly before straightening my spine, using the bedframe as support. There was no point in deflecting or trying to beat out around the bush, so taking a direct approach seemed the most sensible.

“I don’t think I should drug Foster.”

His eyes widened momentarily in surprise, but then he nodded. “Okay, then let’s do something without the pills,” he offered.

I worried my lower lip between my teeth, relishing in the sting it caused. My mouth was swollen after yesterday—hell,everythingfelt swollen. “Actually,” I began reluctantly. “I was thinking about just letting it go.”

This time, he reeled back. Staring at me like I’d grown a second head. “What the hell are you talking about?” he asked in bewilderment. “Did you forget what they did to you?”

Sighing, I dropped my hands in my lap and glanced down at my nails. These acrylics lasted longer than expected. After using them to tear down Foster’s back, my index one had managed to fall off on my right hand. “No. I didn’t forget. I just know that it won’t accomplish anything. I’ll antagonize them, and they’ll come back stronger. It’s a war I can’t win.” That was the truth. “They promised to leave me alone as long as I didn’t bate them.”

Rocky scoffed, rolling his eyes and glancing away, almost like he couldn’t even stand the sight of me. For some reason, that hurt more than I cared to admit. “Yeah,” he retorted. “Because Foster left you alone last night?”

“He didn’t hurt me. I actually managed to slice his face open.” I grinned, feeling pretty proud of myself for that.

Finally, he brought his gaze back to mine and narrowed his eyes. “Was that before or after you fucked him?”

My heart dropped into my stomach. He never asked what happened in those woods, but I suppose, that when we emerged, it was probably obvious. “It’s not like it wassupposedto happen,” I defended.

“So what? You got all hot and bothered by the danger of it all and then fell on his dick?”

Heat spread through my veins and coiled around my insides. What the actual fuck was his problem? I knew they didn’t particularly like each other, butnoneof them were my boyfriends. “Screw you, Rocky,” I snapped. “You’re not so innocent when it comes to fucking other people either. Or did you already forget about Dixie?”

In a flash, his hand was locked around my throat. Not tightly, just firm enough to hold me in place. He leaned in, his breath a whisper against my lips. “I already explained that arrangement to you.” He clenched his jaw, his fingers applying a little more pressure.

I wasn’t used to seeing him so angry, but anyone had the power to surprise you. He was here for a reason. Everyone who got sent to the academy had a dark side. Either this was his, or it was just breaching the surface of what he was capable of. That thought both terrified me and excited me.

---