Bully King - J.A. Huss Page 0,101

gets a little glint in his eyes when he grins. “I know what really happened to you. I know why you got that abortion. And I know it had nothing to do with Cooper Valcourt.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE - COOPER

Once upon a time I met a girl in the woods.

A gentle little girl who likes to wear dresses and peek out from behind trees to giggle at me and my friends. She always had a book, often had a paintbrush, and sometimes she talked to us.

She made hyper-Ax calm, quiet-Lars chatty, and selfish-me generous.

I wanted to give her everything. Rocks. Sticks. The crumbling cookies in my pockets.

Just… all the things.

Cadee Hunter makes us better.

I think that’s why I like her.

Because when she’s around I am better.

I spend the first four days of challenge three absently flicking through various streaming services, moping on the couch, and generally thinking about why I am such a fucking fuck-up.

I count up all the ways this summer has gone wrong. How I failed everyone who needed me. How not even Cadee Hunter could make me good enough to save Isabella, or Sophie, or Ax.

I think about how I let Lars and Michael down, how Valentina and Selia will just have to surrender at the end of the year, and how I should’ve spelled out the consequences to Maddie, Natasha, Roland and Jamie.

Because that’s what the whole point of rush was about.

Consequences.

And their indifference won’t save their souls once they’re sold.

I think about how maybe it’s just time to admit that I can’t win.

My father really does run this world and there is no hope for me.

I am an utter and total failure.

But that’s not even the worst part.

The worst part is that I’m taking everyone down with me.

I’m dreaming about the girl in the woods when my phone buzzes and wakes me up.

“Yeah,” I say, still imagining Cadee Hunter.

“I’m coming up to your room. I just didn’t want to scare you and make you scream.”

“What?” I laugh and sit up. “Cadee?”

“Are you expecting someone else?”

“Did you just say—”

“Knock, knock.” My bedroom door opens and there she is. My dream girl.

“What are you doing here? Jesus Christ. Dante is going to lose his mind.”

“Dante sent me.” She stalks towards me, taking her shirt off as she crosses my room. Then she pulls my covers back, takes a moment to admire my body in the moonlight, then straddles my legs and hovers her upper body over mine.

“What the fuck is happening?” I laugh.

“Cooper Valcourt. I would like to save you.”

“What?”

“Save you. But first, I would like to kiss you.” Then she leans down and presses her lips to mine.

I’m so stunned, it takes me a moment to kiss her back. But once I do, I forget all about her offer to save me, and this fucked-up summer, and what might be waiting for me when my father finally gets home, and I just enjoy her.

The kiss starts soft, our lips meshing together as I wrap my arms around her back and release the clasp on her bra. Our tongues doing a little dance as her hair sways across my bare chest. Our heartbeats picking up as she flicks the button of her shorts.

I immediately start tugging them down her legs. And when I get them over her hips, she squirms and wiggles until she’s naked too. Then, breathless, she hovers over me once more, her heart pounding against mine. I smile up at her, dragging her hair behind her ear so I can see her face better. And I’m reminded of easier days. When she was younger. When we were both younger. And I would spy on her in the woods and she would pretend not to see me.

I’m just getting ready to miss that girl—her innocence, because she’s not innocent anymore and that’s what bothers me most about what happened to her three years ago—but I stop myself. Because she’s still here and she’s strong now.

I sit up, bring her with me, and then lay her back on the bed so I’m on top now. She giggles at me. And there it is. That innocence. It wasn’t lost. Just hidden. Waiting for the right opportunity to bring it back.

Or the right person.

And that right person is me. I vow it.

I bend her legs and push her knees up to her chest as I kiss the inside of her thigh. She shivers with anticipation underneath me. My kisses travel upwards and then I place my fingers on either side