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

A knot of nervousness in my stomach grew stronger when I stepped inside and reached my seat with my eyes fixed on the floor. I felt like I could erupt into tears at any moment, but it was out of the question, and I tried my best to smile back at Marcus when I sat down, pretending I was perfectly fine.

Blake’s proximity to me was torturous, but Marcus provided a good distraction as we messaged each other on Snapchat. This helped me forget about Blake at least for a little while.

When the class was over, Blake was the first to leave. He didn’t look at me even once, which was completely fine by me. I fiercely hoped he would skip detention and go somewhere far away. Like to the moon.

Ms. Gentry cast me a long glance that said loud and clear: Don’t even think about missing detention. I nodded at her, my stomach twisted in knots.

“Can I talk to you?” Marcus asked me in the hallway. “I need to tell you something.”

“I’d like to, but I have detention now.”

“It won’t take long.”

“Okay then.”

We stopped at the corner that coincidentally looked right at Blake’s locker across the hall. He was there, leaning against it as he talked to some girl, and my stomach churned with misplaced bitterness. I pulled my gaze away from them so he wouldn’t notice me looking and focused on Marcus. He seemed uncomfortable.

“What’s up?”

He scratched the back of his neck and ran his hand over his twist out. “I guess you’ve probably heard the rumors that I’m gay?”

I shifted on my feet. Okay, this was unexpected.

“Yes.”

“I thought you didn’t want to go out with me because of the rumors.”

“No, that’s not it. I just…”

My gaze darted to Blake, and my stomach somersaulted because his eyes were already on me. Aversion was written all over his face as he looked between Marcus and me, and once more, the world narrowed to the two of us. Anger flickered in me, reminding me of how degraded I was when he ripped my money into pieces.

He would never change. That simply wasn’t possible.

Blake’s stare became too intent, and I blushed profusely. He didn’t even pay attention to the girl talking to him, until he suddenly pulled her against him and made a great show of kissing her. His hands slid down from her shoulders and cupped her butt right in the middle of the half-empty school hallway. I dug my nails into my palms, pursing my lips as I tried to suppress the increasing anger.

“Jessica?” Marcus called out to me, and I forced my gaze back to him.

“I’m sorry, Marcus. I really don’t want to hurt you, but I don’t feel that way about you. I see you as a friend—”

He grinned. “That’s okay. It’s good that you see me only as a friend, because I lied to you.”

I eyed him carefully. “You lied to me?”

“Yes. I don’t actually like you.”

My heart contracted painfully because for a moment, I thought he was going to say he’d asked me out because of some stupid bet he’d made with his friends or something.

“Then why did you ask me out?”

He slumped his shoulders, avoiding my eyes. “Er, the rumors are true. I’m gay.” I was only able to stare at him, confounded. “And I asked you out because I thought if I got closer to you, I’d also get closer to Kevin.”

I tipped my head to the side. “You asked me out because of Kevin?”

“Yes. I…I like Kevin.”

I couldn’t find the words right away as I processed this latest piece of information. Seeing how vulnerable he looked, I didn’t think it was the right moment to tell him his “strategy” was absolutely not the way to get anyone. It was beyond me how he could’ve thought that by asking me out he could be with Kevin one day, but I didn’t have it in me to get angry.

Now that I thought about it, Marcus and Kevin would look so cute together. I could already imagine them walking together holding hands. So cute.

“Then you should talk to him and tell him that.”

“Er, I don’t know.” He rubbed his neck. “It’s not easy to say that. And what if he’s not into guys?” Aww. The blush that covered his light brown face was adorable.

“You won’t know that unless you talk to him.”

“How about you talk to him?”

“Me?”

“Yes. Please. I’ll owe you forever. Just tell him I like him and want to ask him out.”

I wasn’t sure that was a good idea. “Marcus…”

He looked away. “Look…I’m sorry.” His quiet words were dripping with shame. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Blake coming in our direction, and I grew very still.

“Why are you sorry?” I asked Marcus. Please don’t stop. Just go somewhere far, far away.

“Because it sounds like I wanted to use you. Okay, I did want to use you, but I didn’t have any bad intentions. I swear.” He looked at the floor. “Now I see how stupid it was. It was so, so stupid.”

Blake was only a few feet away from us, and I tried my hardest to ignore him…

“Don’t worry. I’m not angry. I—”

“Whore,” Blake spat out without stopping. The word was so harsh and demeaning it felt like a slap on my cheek, and I recoiled in shock. I flexed my hand into a fist.

Ugly. Fat. Stupid. Disgusting. Whore. All those powerful insults…they only produced more pain and insecurity until I was reduced to an unworthy being. Until I believed them.

The words were burning in my throat, echoing in my mind louder and louder as my anger rose. First my money, now this. I was tired.

I was tired of him, and I was tired of fear and shame.

Of his continuous insults.

Of waiting for him to change.

Of my heart going against my logic.

Screw this.

“You’re a whore!” I exploded loud enough for the whole hallway to hear it. “You’re the only whore here, Blake Jones!”

He stopped mid-step, and I was sure I