girl definitely gave better than she got.
Mr. D put them both on detention for a week, but for some reason didn’t expel either one. I’m glad—at least for Violet.
“Love you, Angel,” I tell her softly.
Violet stares at me for a minute or two and then gets up and comes over to where I’m sitting. I turn to face her, and she straddles my lap.
“That’s better,” she murmurs when I wrap my arms around her.
“Not that I’m complaining, but what brought that on?” I laugh.
“I missed you,” she answers.
I lean in and kiss her, my eyes closing at the sweetness that is her. Jesus, just when I think I can’t love her any more than I already do, she proves me wrong. I know the whole school is talking shit about me. Violet hasn’t even blinked an eye. It doesn’t bother her at all. Jesus, she actually is proud that I’m her man and shows that every single day, especially at school.
“You two get a room,” Ben laughs and I give him a wink, before turning my attention back to my girl.
“He’s just jealous,” I joke. Violet is smiling down at me, but her body stiffens and her smile kind of freezes in place. I turn my head to see what took her attention away from the two of us and that’s when I see Davis and Lindy walking together hand in hand.
Fuck.
Lindy is looking at Violet, gloating. Davis is avoiding looking at me and seems very uncomfortable. I’m pretty sure that isn’t a good thing. What happens next pretty much solidifies it.
An announcement comes over the loudspeaker, asking for Violet Raines to come into the office.
“Fuck,” she hisses, and we share a look. I hope we’re both overreacting, but as Lindy walks by—minus Davis, because he’s suddenly disappeared—and gives out her fake as hell laugh, I get a sinking feeling in my stomach.
“Karma’s a bitch,” Lindy snickers, and then walks off.
“If she’s done what I think she’s done, I’m going to kill her,” Violet mutters, standing up.
“What did she do?” Ben asks, but I don’t respond. I stand and take Violet’s hand. I squeeze it in support.
“I’ll be back…” she murmurs, but we know, we both know.
“I’ll go with you,” I tell her.
“Mike they won’t let you come—”
“I said, I’m going,” I mutter, kissing her forehead. She sighs, but we walk toward the office hand in hand.
“If they outed your job, I’m going to kill Davis.”
“We both know they did, Mike.”
“Probably,” he says, resigned, his jawline tight. I can tell he’s grinding his teeth. He’s also holding himself together by a thread. He’s pissed. Pissed for me.
I’ve got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I’m ready to get this over with. If they reported me, I’ll survive.
Somehow.
37
Violet
“I’m sorry, Violet. This expulsion is not coming from me. I fought for you. If there was any way around the committee’s decision, I’d fight for you. You can appeal the decision…”
Mr. D’s voice echoes in my ears as I walk out of the office. I see the women in the office staring at me. I ignore them. I’m mostly numb. I saw the pity on Mr. D’s face and that was enough.
“This is bullshit, Violet,” Mike growls. He’s angry as hell and he doesn’t truly know what Mr. D. said to me. I guess he can read it on my face, but he wasn’t allowed into the office. He wraps me up in his arms and I lean against him. It doesn’t make me feel weak. If anything, it comforts me because Mike is here, supporting me, loving me and he doesn’t care that everyone here pities me. He doesn’t care that they think I’m immoral or something because I strip for money. He doesn’t care about shit, other than he’s afraid I’m hurt.
“It’s okay, Mike,” I whisper, and it is. If this had happened before Mike and I hashed things out, I’d be a mess. The truth is that now that Mike is with me and we’re kind of living our lives together, I don’t feel this burning fire inside of me that says I have to prove myself. I don’t have to show the world that I’m better than my mother anymore. I finally have someone in my life who thinks I am everything. That’s a gift that I will never take for granted. We’re young, I can’t tell you what might happen in the future, but I know that I will fight tooth and nail to