Page 396 of Tis the Season to be Bullied

I fall to my knees, not just so I can start putting my stuff back into my bag, but because my legs honestly can’t support me a moment longer. It’s there, on my knees, that Jude wraps my ponytail around his fist and forces me to look up at him.

“And Harper...ifanyonefinds out about this, I’ll be doing more than just slapping your cunt.”

He walks away wearing a smirk, my panties still bundled in his fist like a fucking trophy. I watch with furious tears brimming in my eyes before I blink them away, not letting a single one fall.

“Sick fuck,” I mumble at his retreating back. I glance at the shards of broken glass glistening on the grass, and my shoulders slump in defeat.

Guess I’m going to bed early tonight. Just me and a bottle of wine…maybe two.

Chapter 18

Harper

I let Jude get a good lead on me before I head inside. It takes me longer than him to get back to the school’s main hallway because I don’t dare cut through the boys’ locker room, just in case he’s waiting there for me. I hurry past the lockers, making a beeline for the parking lot without bothering to stop at my locker first. Whatever’s in there can fucking stay in there until Monday.

“Harper? Harper!”

I freeze in my tracks, and grudgingly glance back. Eliza is on her way over to me. I could keep on walking, but I don’t want to be rude to the only person in school who’s actually spoken to me, other than Talia so I stay where I am and wait for her to fall in step with me.

“Hey, so, Jude was looking for you. Did he find you?”

I’m suddenly uncomfortably aware that I’m not wearing underwear. I never realized how muchcontactthere is down there without all that cotton in the way. Fighting an encroaching blush, I shrug. “Yeah, thanks.”

“It’s just, he looked...” She hums as she thinks. “Worried?”

Yeah, Eliza, I wouldn’t know how the fuck to describe that expression of his either. Worry,concern,though...that’s grasping.

I say nothing because his threat comes back to haunt me. I doubt Eliza could find out what happened out there, but I don’t want to give Jude a single reason to terrorize me.

“You coming to the game tonight?”

So I can watch Jude strut his stuff on the field? Fuckhim.

“No.”

Eliza gasps like I’ve legitimately just shocked her pom-poms off.

“But...why?”

“Because I have better ways to spend the evening,”...is what Ishouldhave said. But what comes out is, “I’m helping my mom with this charity fundraiser thing.” I roll my eyes. “I mean, I’d love to?—”

“Oh my God, the Feast of Ashes?” Eliza’s eyes brighten up. “I’m so fucking jealous.” She grins and gives me a friendly punch on my shoulder. “Hey, if you need any help with that you let me know. I’ve been dying to get on that committee.”

She could have been speaking Mandarin for all the sense she’s making. So I nod and step hesitantly away. She waves at me, that same big grin still plastered on her face. I’m a yard away when she calls out, “Oh, and forget about Talia’s hundred bucks.”

I spin back to face her. “What?”

She waves away my concern with a flick of her wrist. “It’s on me.”

I’m still so fucking confused when I get into Jude’s truck that I don’t even look at him. I guess he takes it as submission or something because, after one long look in my direction, he keeps his eyes on the road for the rest of the drive home.

I should be relieved, but instead I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The urge to raid the pool house bar keeps building on the drive, but I can’t imagine what he’d do if Jude saw me headed in that direction. So instead I lock myself in my room until my mom gets home. Thankfully I only have three hours to wait, and for once I get some homework done.

I quickly finish up an assignment after I hear her car pulling into the drive and head downstairs. She’s in the kitchen preparing supper, which is weird because I’m pretty sure Wayne told Jude that they had a thing tonight, that’s why he couldn’t come to Jude’s football game.

“Aren’t you guys going out?” I ask, coming to stand nearby as she chops vegetables on the granite countertop.

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