Page 406 of Tis the Season to be Bullied

Before he can make it off the bed, I grab a fistful of his hair and slam his head into the bedpost. He falls onto the floor without a sound and lies on the carpet like a dead thing.

Harper.

She’s still writhing, as if she doesn’t realize the guys who’d been pinning her down are gone. Her shirt is off, her bra askew and baring one nipple, but the rest of her clothes are still on. Her hands are gripping the sheets, twisting, and her eyes are wide open but staring at nothing.

Daniel is running for the door. I catch him before he can get past, grip his throat and slam him into the nearest wall. “What did you do?” I growl out, my voice as brutal as the fingers closing over his windpipe.

He drops his phone, grabs my wrists, tries to peel my fingers from his neck. I slam him into the wall again, and his eyelids flutter with pain. “Christ, Jude, nothing! I did nothing! They just told me to film!”

Just like Sean told me to film him and Monica doing it. God, that feels like a lifetime ago now. I throw him away from me because all I want to do is keep slamming him into the wall until he stops moving. I see him scramble back to get his phone, and I know I should have taken it from him and smashed it, but then Sean pushes himself to his feet and lunges at me.

We both go down. Wrestle. I manage a blow to his jaw, he fists me in the gut. The pain is intense, but focusing too. I grab his ears and head-butt him right in the nose. Blood sprays into my face. I taste it in my grimacing mouth. He screams like a fucking girl and lets me push him off.

I don’t care about him anymore. I need to get Harper the fuck out of here. Home, safe, away from all this shit.

And I need to leave before this fury turns to rage and I can’t stop.

I climb back on the bed, dress her. She tries to fight me, but she’s as weak as a fucking baby. Because sheisa baby. She’s too young foranyof this shit.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I berate her quietly as I drag her to the side of the bed.

My voice is too rough. It’s not her fault. She didn’t ask for this, didn’t deserve this. And the worst is I knew about this party. Sean even fucking invited me. This would never have happened if I’d come. I’d have seen them trying to pull this shit a mile away. I could have stopped this.

I could have protected her.

Even if she didn’t want me to.

“I’ll never let anyone hurt you again,” I murmur, moving aside a section of her silky hair. “I swear it, Harper.”

Her eyelids flutter a little at my touch, and then slowly open. She watches me for the longest time, but as if she’s looking through me. “Is it really you?” she whispers.

“Yes, it’s me. I’m here. You’re safe now.”

I scoop her into my arms, cradle her against my chest. She snuggles against me, and I can’t understand why it feels so fucking good. I head for the stairs, Alex ahead, pushing people out of the way. The worst way to do this—everyone’s gonna know. But maybe that’s for the best. I’m claiming Harper asmine.No one’s gonna fuck with her after this. No one willdare.

Halfway down the halls, she grabs my hoody and murmurs, “Don’t be mad.”

Alex glances back, sees me, comes back. “Jude?”

“Bring my car around the back, as close to the garage as you can.”

I’ve been to Sean’s house before. Came here to drop off notes for him when he was off sick for like three weeks back when I was a sophomore. His mother invited me into the kitchen for milk and cookies like I was five years old, and I felt too bad to say no. I was a fucking pushover back then. Before Mom died. Before Harper arrived. When everything was still going as well as could be expected.

With luck on my side, I can get Harper out through the kitchen without anyone seeing. Then it’s back home. Fuck knows what’ll happen when we get there.

Because despite Harper’s plea…I’mpissed.For her sake, I hope the drive home gives me enough time to cool off.

Chapter 24

Harper

The rumble of Jude’s deep voice vibrates through me as he murmurs, “Easy, we’re almost there.” I force open eyes that feel weighed down with lead and try to focus on the face so close to mine.

My body bobs up and down, and for a moment I’m convinced we’re in the swimming pool again. But I’m not cold—I’m wrapped in a warm cocoon.

Jude glances down. Does a double-take when he sees me looking back. His dark eyes narrow, then flare wide. “Can you hear me?”

“Yes,” I murmur. My body feels lame, numb, loose. “What...what happened?”

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