Trapped (Bullied Book 4) (Bullied Series) Vera Hollins (best large ereader txt) 📖

glancing between her and him. “Because people are staring at me. A lot.”

“Yep,” she answered. “It was embarrassing, but they stopped staring that much eventually.”

“That much, huh?” I let out a nervous chuckle.

“Don’t pay attention to them,” Hayden told me in his even tone of voice. “They’re just jealous.”

I sighed. “I’m not so sure about that.”

“What do you mean?” Sar asked.

“I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but I…” I blushed. “I kinda feel inadequate as Blake’s girlfriend. The way some girls look at me…it’s like he deserves someone much, much prettier.”

“You’re right,” Hayden said, and I snapped my eyes to him, mortified, but then he continued, “You shouldn’t feel that way.” My chest deflated in relief. “Because Blake doesn’t care about that. He likes you the way you are, and who gives a fuck what others think?”

My blush intensified. I knew that. I was taking baby steps when it came to self-acceptance and body positivity. I knew I was going to have setbacks from time to time, but I wasn’t going to let it drag me down anymore. I was pushing forward, and I knew one day, whether I had more or less pounds, I was going to love my body just the way it was.

“I know. I just have to learn to ignore all their stares and mean comments.”

“I’ve seen the way he looks at you,” Sarah said, her eyes glimmering. “Believe me, he’s crazy about you.”

“You got that right,” Blake said from behind us as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into him. I sank back, my pulse starting to pound.

Blake liked to cuddle. He used every opportunity he could to touch my hair, kiss my forehead, or hug me, and he loved when I initiated our kisses. That was why I pressed a quick kiss to his lips over my shoulder, more than aware of the dozen pairs of eyes homed in on us from all sides.

“Hello to you too,” I said to him. I noticed the darker tint to his eyes as he looked at my lips. He wore a black cap, which hid the bandage that covered his wound, and it only made his delectable gray eyes stand out more in the shadow of the bill. The previous paleness of his face was replaced with a healthy color, and the bruises on his cheeks were faded and scarce. It was incredible how quickly he’d gone back to normal, after only a week.

He looked at the blonde next to us, who stared open-mouthed. “What are you looking at?” he snapped. “You’ve never seen two people kiss each other?” She blushed and scurried away.

Hayden looked at Blake with amusement. “I’ll quote you,” he drawled. “‘You might want to fuck each other later, when there’s no audience.’”

Blake tightened his grip around me. “Fuck you, princess.”

Hayden narrowed his dark eyes at him. “Wanna say that again with a broken jaw?”

“No more injuries, okay, guys?” Sarah said before kissing Hayden’s cheek. “First you with the car accident and getting jumped out, and now Blake. Both of you have already gone through more than enough.”

Hayden said something, but I didn’t hear him, because the words “jumped out” got stuck in my mind. Only now did I remember that Blake was still in the gang, and to get out—if he wanted out—he would have to get jumped out too. That was the only way T, their gang leader, would allow him to leave.

My stomach plummeted. I sneaked a glance at Blake and dug my nails into my suddenly cold palms. I couldn’t lose him. Not a chance.

More eyes landed on us when we entered the lunchroom, but I was hardly aware of them. Kev and Marcus waited for us at our table, and I waved at them, feigning enthusiasm.

“Are you okay?” Sarah asked me quietly.

I pulled her closer, letting Blake and Hayden join the line first, and whispered in her ear, “Is there really no other way out of the gang except getting jumped out?”

Her brow furrowed as understanding dawned on her. She looked at Blake. “Did he say he wants out?”

“He didn’t, but if he does, he has to go through that, right?”

She sighed. We stopped behind Blake and Hayden, who were talking to each other, but not close enough to hear our whispers.

“He can leave Enfield. We’re graduating in two months, so that could be his chance to escape from here until they forget about him.”

I bit my lip and took a look at the food choices with no interest. I’d already lost my appetite. “But that’s a big if. What if they never forget about him? Would he need to hide forever? What if they wait for him to come back and hurt him for leaving? What if—”

“What are you rambling about?” Hayden asked, looking at me over his shoulder, and I blushed.

“Nothing,” I said. I didn’t want to talk about it now. I met Blake’s gaze, unsure if they had heard anything.

There was always a chance Blake didn’t want to leave the gang. He’d said he’d never cared about college, and if his life in the gang provided him with coping mechanisms for his PTSD, he would most likely stay there. I didn’t know how to feel about that.

We took our food and continued to our table. Kev and Marcus were in the middle of their conversation about Marvel superheroes when we arrived.

“Superheroes are boring,” Hayden declared as he put his tray on the table and sat across from them.

I sat down between Blake and Sarah. This was Blake’s first time to sit at our table, which did something unusual to my heart. It was such progress compared to just a few weeks earlier.

“They’re not boring.” Marcus popped a piece of his steak in his mouth. “Captain America rocks. And he’s super sexy.” He winked at Kev.

Kev blushed and righted his glasses. “Yeah. Chris Evans is, is, is eye candy.”

Blake rolled his eyes. “Scarlett Johansson is eye candy.”

I gaped at him. Did all guys have