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

neared the corner, but it could’ve been miles and it would’ve been the same. My pulse thrummed hard in my throat. This was my chance.

But before I could approach him, some guy rounded the corner, and I bumped into him. The books he carried crashed to the ground, scattering all around.

“Watch it,” he snarled as he pushed me away, which attracted everyone’s attention.

I barely managed to catch myself before I fell, supporting myself against the locker.

He hovered above me. “Why don’t you look where you’re going? Look what you’ve done!” He pointed at the books.

I didn’t get to answer him because Blake rushed over and shoved him against the lockers, leaving me speechless.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Blake hissed, grabbing the collar of his shirt. My pulse increased rapidly.

He’s jumping in to help me.

“Let me go, man.” He fought to set himself free, but Blake was much stronger than him.

Blake’s fingers tightened around his collar. “I asked, what do you think you’re doing?”

The guy cursed into his chin. “You saw it. That stupid bitch didn’t watch where—”

“The fuck did you just say?” Blake slammed him harder against the locker, and the guy’s head collided hard with the metal.

He cried out. “Hey, I—”

Blake got in his face. “You don’t get to call her that. You don’t get to even touch her. Got it?” My heart leapt in my chest at hearing his words. The guy didn’t reply immediately, and Blake pressed his arm against his throat. “Got it?!”

The guy tried to remove Blake’s arm with no success, his face going red. “Yeah, man! I got it! I’m sorry!”

“You better be. If I ever see you near her again, I’ll break your jaw.”

“All right! All right. I won’t even look her way.”

“Good.” He shoved him away hard, sending him crashing against the ground. His fists were clenched as he watched him pick up his books and leave in a rush, and something in my chest grew tight. He glared at the crowd that still watched. “What are you all looking at? Fuck off!”

The students were quick to disperse, muttering among themselves about what had just happened, while all I could do was just stare at Blake with parted lips and an increased heartbeat.

A trembling smile took shape across my face. He’d just helped me, despite everything. I didn’t know what to make of this, but it was hard not to feel hope.

He didn’t stop looking in the direction the guy had gone in as I stepped closer to him, having yet to look at me.

I cleared my throat. “Thank you, Blake. I really appreciate what you just did for me.”

His hands flexed again. My smile diminished. He didn’t move a muscle as he stared straight ahead, and this went on. What was going through his head?

“Blake?”

Without a word, he spun around and moved past me as he returned to his locker, not looking at me even once.

My throat constricted. I went after him. “Blake, wait. I know how things are between us, but I want you to know I’m very sorry. I know how wrong I was, and I wish I’d never done it. I wish—”

“Stop. Talking.” He slammed his locker shut and reached for his backpack that was on the ground. “This doesn’t change anything,” he muttered through gritted teeth as he finally looked at me, carrying anger in his eyes that told me he already regretted helping me. “I meant what I said. Stay away from me.”

He turned around and walked away, effectively destroying any hope I’d had.

“Okay, you’ve been acting weird today. What’s going on?” Melissa asked.

Sar and I had gone to Mel’s place after school. We were in her room, which was an enormous space that could easily accommodate a plane. Well, almost. It had a balcony that looked over their botanical garden and floor-to-ceiling windows that provided enough light to compensate for all the dark tones in the room. Dark furniture, navy blue walls, a black punching bag, a black bookshelf that took up the entirety of one wall, dark sheets—all of that topped off with black carpet with a skull pattern.

It quite matched my mood at the moment.

“You didn’t stay long Saturday morning, so we didn’t get to talk,” Sar said as she moved to sit across from me on Mel’s bed. “Did something happen with Blake on Friday night?”

I gave them the rundown of what had occurred after we left the track, minus the steamy parts, feeling a constant ache in my chest. I’d been able to see the part of Blake I’d never been aware of, and now it was just a memory serving to bring me to tears.

Mel’s eyes bulged out. “You ended up kissing?”

I dropped my gaze. “Yes.”

She didn’t need to say anything because her face was a clear enough message that she didn’t approve of it.

“How did it feel?” Sar asked.

A blush spread across my cheeks. “He really knows what he’s doing.”

Melissa snorted, playing with a pillow on the sofa. “Of course he knows. That guy is a walking prostitute.”

Sarah frowned. “That’s not helpful, Mel.”

“Pardon my mistake. He’s not a walking prostitute—he’s a walking pro-jerk-stitute.” I picked at my nails, unable to look at her as she spoke. “You should’ve kicked him in the balls and threatened to castrate him if he ever approached you again, not kissed him.”

Sarah scowled at her. “Leave it be and try to understand her. She can’t help how she feels. And apparently, he can’t help how he feels either, and that counts for something, right? He wouldn’t have taken her to his favorite place if he hated her.”

Mel grimaced. “Yes, but that doesn’t change the fact that he abused her for eons. Like I get that he might have feelings for her, which is super twisted, but that doesn’t give him a pass to act like he hasn’t been a major douche from the start.”

“And I know that very well,” I told her. “But I’m not you.”

She poked her pillow idly.