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

“Yes. I always cry, and I’m weak, but no one is weaker than you.” He flinched. “Look at you, all worked up because of me. You don’t even have a clue how to deal with your mess, so you’re going in circles and acting like a big bully.”

He grabbed my upper arm and jerked me toward him, rage and hurt flashing in his eyes. “Don’t fuck with me, Metts.”

My eyes darted between his, too many emotions clogging my chest. “I’m just speaking the truth. You don’t have an answer, so you’re just using aggression, threats, and insults to make yourself feel better.”

“Shut your mouth.”

“No. I was silent for far too long, and it didn’t do me any good. This is not some punishment for I don’t know what. This is a pathetic attempt to deal with your anger. You can’t direct that anger to the right target, so you’re using me to get rid of it and get rid of your frustration.”

His face twisted in pain, and his eyes turned the color of tempestuous clouds. I hadn’t expected such a reaction from him, but instead of satisfaction, I felt pity.

He looked away and pursed his lips, but he didn’t let go of me.

I smiled sadly. “Don’t you see? It never gets better, because making my life shitty doesn’t make yours any less shitty, and you know it. And it will only get worse for you.”

He lowered his head, his grip on my arm turning shaky and breaths heavy. He didn’t say anything, and I didn’t know what to do. I should get out of his car, but I didn’t have it in me to move, bound to him for a reason I still tried to deny. My chest constricted at seeing him this vulnerable.

“Fuck you,” he said suddenly.

I recoiled. He grasped my other arm and raised his head to look at me. His red eyes darted all over my face, tracing each inch of it.

“Fuck you for making me this confused. Fuck you for all the pain. Fuck you for bringing back the nightmares. And fuck you for making me break the promise I made her.”

I didn’t dare speak. I didn’t dare even move. His words were so harsh, but his eyes…they were fire.

“I’m betraying her because of you.” He shook me, his face distorted by despair. “I’m not supposed to feel like this!” My chest hurt so much. It was too much. “I’m supposed to hate you.”

His eyes fell on my lips and lingered there. I still couldn’t move, holding my breath…

“Fuck you for making me do this,” he whispered and leaned in too quickly—

The knocks on the window froze us in our tracks before his lips could touch mine.

“Blake?” Masen said. “The race is about to start, man.”

“Shit,” Blake muttered as he released me and looked away.

I closed my eyes with shame. This took the cake.

What was I thinking? I would’ve let him kiss me. No, not only that—I’d been anticipating it.

Bad. That was so bad.

I needed to get away from him. This was more proof that I couldn’t trust myself when I was around him. I rushed to get out as I opened the door, but he grabbed my wrist and made me look at him, back to his old self.

“Don’t say a word about this to anyone.”

I didn’t reply. I just scrambled out of his car, completely flustered and confused.

I couldn’t even look at Masen as I closed the door. I rushed between the cars and headed back to Melissa, but not before I managed to hear Masen say something to Blake that sounded like “You don’t look good.” I was curious as to why he’d say that, but I didn’t turn around or slow down to hear more.

If Masen hadn’t appeared, I would have been kissing Blake. He’d wanted to kiss me. I groaned, forcing myself not to think about that. It was a disaster and not something I should be excited about. Not at all.

I joined Mel close to the starting line. She was surrounded by a group of girls in leather jackets who looked like they would pummel us if we even looked at them the wrong way. I shivered. The cold in my limbs contrasted with the rising anticipation in the air.

Mel’s eyes slid down my body as if looking to see if I was in one piece.

“I’m alive,” I told her. I hoped she wouldn’t ask for details.

“And strangely flushed.” She narrowed her eyes. “What happened in his car?”

“Nothing,” I fired back quickly.

“Mhm. And I’m Spider-Man’s bride.”

“He didn’t hurt me, so you can relax.” She raised her eyebrow, but she chose to stay silent. “How many laps do they have to make?”

“Five. There are eight miles in total. Look, they’re starting.”

Six cars lined up on a wide circuit track that was lit by generator-powered flood lights. Blake’s Dodge Challenger Hellcat and Masen’s yellow Chevrolet Corvette were parked in the middle. Steven’s silver Audi TT was between Masen’s Corvette and a green Mustang with a black skull painted on the hood. The furious rumbling of engines roared through the air, and the spectators cheered louder.

He was close to kissing me…

Shut up, stupid brain. Close the door on it.

I couldn’t. He’d mentioned something about a promise to a girl and betraying her, and my mind took me back to Emma and his connection to her.

A race girl wearing knee-high boots and a mini skirt that barely covered her butt sashayed her way to the starting line, breaking through my thoughts, and marked the start of the race.

The cars left the starting line in a cloud of smoke, and my pulse quickened with excitement. I’d never cared much about racing and didn’t understand what was so special about it, but watching it in person with the sounds of engines and the ecstatic crowd all around filled me with energy.

I was sucked into their world, my eyes plastered to the cars. Steven was