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

the way he was acting, it was like we’d never had a moment in the basement. I just wanted one day of peace—free of confusion and these feelings brewing in me each time he was nearby.

“And you do? You’ve been abusing me since the first day of our senior year, and I’ve always stayed quiet, but you’ve never stopped. I’m tired of the same cycle. Why are you so obsessed with me?”

The muscle in his jaw ticked. “Careful now.”

“No!” I hated how good he smelled and how much I wanted to lean into him. It was absurd, yet my body basked in it. It basked in his nearness and his attention. So sick. “You keep bullying me, and I’m losing my mind here!”

“You are losing your mind?”

“Yes!”

“Then what can I say about everything you’re making me go through?! It’s killing me. It’s destroying my life!” He stepped away from me, on the verge of exploding, his veins protruding from his neck.

“What are you talking about?”

“I want my life back, but I can’t have it when you’re around! I’ve been trying to get you to leave East Willow High, but no. Despite everything I’ve done, you’ve stayed.”

I’d suspected he wanted me out of school, but I’d never known why. “If that’s the case, then get away from me. I’ll stay out of your sight—”

“I CAN’T!” His roar rattled all of me, attracting attention from a few people in the parking lot, but he didn’t care, never taking his eyes off of me. “That’s the thing! I. Can’t.”

My chest throbbed. “Why?” A question I’d asked myself a hundred times already.

He didn’t say anything, observing me silently for a long time. The part of me that wanted his attention reveled in this; it clung to the fact that he obviously wasn’t immune to me. Something shifted in his expression, and he crossed the distance between us. I backed up against my car, struggling to breathe. He supported himself against the roof and leaned close to my face. A slow smirk formed upon his lips.

“My patience with you can only go so far, so you better watch your mouth.” He tilted his head to the side. “Because who knows? Maybe I see a therapist because I’m a psychopath. So I wouldn’t mess with me if I were you.”

My eyes darted between his. I didn’t believe him, but the words ventured out of my lips anyway. “Are you? A psychopath?”

His smirk widened. He cast one lingering look at my mouth then walked away.

“This is rich,” Melissa said, lounging on the couch in Hayden’s living room. She and Sarah had a day off from their part-time job at the retirement home, so we were spending Saturday morning in Hayden’s house—and Sarah’s. This was also her home now since she’d moved here after her birthday more than a week earlier.

“Hayden goes to therapy,” Mel continued. “Sar goes to therapy, you go to therapy, Kev goes to therapy—although for his speech—and Blake goes to therapy! Let me guess…Barbie goes to therapy too?”

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. She sat cross-legged in the armchair across from Mel and me. “You are who you hang out with?”

“Do you go to therapy?” I asked Melissa.

“No, but I did a few years ago. Does that count?”

“Yes. That makes you a certified member of our ‘freaks’ club,” I said with a soft smile.

Mel rolled her eyes and sighed. “Oh goodie. We’re all fucked up.”

I giggled. “That we are.”

“So how was your session?” Sar asked me.

I looped my hair behind my ears as my smile turned into a thin line. They knew about my struggles with weight and self-image, but I’d never told them about throwing up, because I was vulnerable and ashamed to admit it. I was terrified of them judging me. One day, I might be ready to talk about that, but not now.

“It went better than I expected. I was on a downward spiral after Blake’s insults during our detention—”

“What did that gorilla say?” Mel’s sharp tone sliced through the air.

I stared at my hands as I recounted his put-downs, choosing to keep what’d happened the next day in the basement to myself.

“Just the usual: I’m fat and no one would want me like this. But this time, it hit the mark, so I felt down and really, really fat—”

“Geez, Jess,” Mel interrupted me and grabbed my hand. “Are you serious? So what if you have a few extra pounds? There’s nothing wrong with that. And you look sexy. I would kill for your curves.”

“You already have curves.” I pointed at her hips.

“Yeah, but not like yours. And I’d pick thick thighs over skinny thighs any day—no offense, Sar.” She patted Sarah’s shoulder.

Sarah chuckled. “None taken.”

Mel shook her head. “Damn that asshole Blake. Don’t listen to him, okay? You’re a knockout.”

I melted a little inside because of her sweet words. I smiled at her. “This isn’t just because of him. I’ve been unhappy with the way I look way before I met him.”

“But why?” Sar asked me. “You’re beautiful.”

“Exactly,” Melissa agreed. “You look good the way you are. Like, I get how you feel because all of us complain and manage to find something wrong about ourselves, but we should accept it. Nobody is perfect. Not even those top models.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” I told her. “You’re hot and your face is super attractive.”

She rolled her eyes. “And I have pimples all over my shoulders and upper back. My nose is slightly crooked. See?” She showed us her profile, pointing at her nose. “My left boob is smaller than my right one, and my right foot is bigger than my left foot. Oh, and my feet easily get sweaty and stinky…do you want me to continue?”

I laughed, shaking my head at her.

“So, as you can see, there are plenty of things I hate about myself,” she said. “We all have flaws, girl. So don’t listen to that stupid gorilla, because his opinion isn’t worth a dime. If he