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

glanced at Blake, who was talking to a clearly pissed-off Bobby Q. Masen stood next to them, and he looked as tense as Blake was now. The traces of triumph on Blake’s face were long gone. Blake got into Bobby Q’s face, looking like he could punch him at any moment.

My hand clenched around my phone. “Don’t fight,” I whispered right before I got a new text. I dragged my gaze from Blake and opened Mel’s message.

Why are you still in his car? Let’s go.

Her next message arrived only seconds later.

And guess what? My idiotic brother agreed to finally come back home. Hallelujah.

I looked at the guys in time to see Masen step between Blake and Bobby Q to prevent things from escalating. He said something into Blake’s ear and motioned my way with his head, and Blake glanced at me. Giving Bobby Q one last glare, he spun around and marched back to the car, his jaw clenched furiously.

I bit into my lip and quickly typed a message to Mel, acting on an impulse.

That’s great! Btw, Blake will drive me to your place. Sorry. Talk to you later.

I turned off the sound and put my phone back into my pocket. Blake got inside the car, slammed his door shut, and gripped the steering wheel. His breathing was rapid, and it looked like he was on the verge of either exploding in white-hot anger or having a breakdown.

The urge to touch him reared its stupid head, and I curled my hands to stop myself. He leaned his head against the headrest and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. Bobby Q returned to his car and sped away, kicking up some gravel for the show, and the crowd started to thin out.

I looked at his scraped knuckles again, conflicted. “Blake? Are you okay?” He didn’t move to look at me, just clenching the steering wheel more tightly. “Can I…can I help?” I pursed my lips, feeling stupid for even asking this. There was no way he would actually accept my help, but I couldn’t just sit there and pretend he wasn’t falling apart right next to me.

“I guess not,” I muttered.

“You already are,” he said, so quietly I thought I’d heard him wrong.

My throat tightened. “What?” He didn’t reply immediately, not until his breathing evened out and he raised his head, avoiding my gaze.

“Nothing.” He put on his seat belt.

Infected Mushroom’s “Becoming Insane” played next, and its strong, Latin-infused beats filled the uncomfortable silence between us as he started the car.

I twisted my hands in my lap. I didn’t know how to act around him. He flashed his lights at Masen when we passed, and he waved at us with a knowing smirk on his face. I looked around for Mel, but she was nowhere to be found. I felt a twinge of guilt because I was leaving this place with Blake instead with her.

“Are you even able to drive? Because you don’t look so good.”

“Yeah, I can drive. I’m not made of glass, Metts,” he replied brusquely.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “If you’re going to talk to me like that, you can drop me right here and go. It was just a simple question.”

He looked at me with parted lips. I expected him to insult me or stop the car so I could get out, but he didn’t do either, which floored me.

The lights coming from the generators were replaced by darkness as he drove along the forest path surrounded by endless trees. This only made the atmosphere between us more intimate, and it was confusing. I found it hard to breathe evenly, too aware of how close he was. His smell was everywhere, toying with me, rousing me.

I wanted to ask him what had happened back there with Bobby Q and what he’d done to shake Blake so badly, but I knew I would be stepping into forbidden territory and he would refuse to answer.

“Take me to Mel’s house. I couldn’t tell my parents about the track, so I said I was going to sleep over at her place.” I didn’t know why I felt the need to explain myself. “That was the only way they would let me go out.”

He raised his eyebrow. “And they bought that?”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

“Right. I forgot—you’re a good girl who just likes playing bad from time to time.” He threw me a smile, but I didn’t know if it was mocking or not.

I crossed my arms over my chest, staring ahead. “Why did you offer to drive me home?”

“Because I wanted to.”

My breath hitched. I was stumped by this sudden change between us. The lines were becoming blurred, and this gray area we’d plunged into was something I hadn’t been prepared for.

I looked at him. “You wanted to drive home a person you despised until very recently?”

He returned my gaze for a second, two… Breathe, Jess. Breathe. “Would you rather have me despising you again?”

My eyebrows scrunched together. “Of course not. I’m just confused by this change between us.”

“You’re not the only one who can’t figure out what’s happening here. I have no clue what we’re doing.”

My chest squeezed painfully. “We aren’t doing anything. We’re nothing, Blake.”

“Sure. Lie to yourself if that will make you feel better.”

“It’s not a lie.”

He met my eyes. “Then why are you looking at me like you want me to kiss you again?”

I blushed furiously and looked away, making sure my hair hid most of my face from him. “I don’t want you to kiss me again.”

He took a turn, reaching the road. “Lie to yourself some more and maybe you’ll start believing it.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. “Why does it even matter to you? You said you won’t ever be with me.”

“And I meant it,” he replied without missing a beat. “No matter how things go between us, the endgame is always the same—we won’t be together.”

A bolt of pain struck through my chest, even though we were supposed to be this way.