My heart froze in my chest. “Don’t lie to me, Rogue.”
“I’m not, dammit,” he said, his hands going down to grip my waist. “I tried to stay away like you said, but I couldn’t even last one goddamn day,” he admitted, like he was angry at himself. “You deserve someone better, but I can’t give you up now. I’m done trying. You’re mine.”
I swallowed. “But are you mine?”
His thumbs drew circles over my waist. “We go to Stephanie’s house because Godfrey and I tricked her into thinking we like to hang out, when really, we can’t fucking stand her. While Godfrey keeps her…occupied, I go down to her basement where I’ve stashed the photographic evidence that we stole.”
My eyes widened. “You hid the evidence at her house? Why?”
The edge of his lips tilted up. “Her daddy is Judge Palmisano. If the evidence comes to light, they’ll find it at his house. Won’t look good for him.”
“Stephanie has no idea?” I asked.
He shook his head. “She thinks I get off on watching them,” Rogue explained. “Godfrey usually gets her loaded, or he has to fuck her while I do my thing.”
My stomach churned with something uncomfortable. The fact that they were using Stephanie like that didn’t sit well with me, but I also felt badly for Godfrey. What was that doing to him if he didn’t even like her?
“Why do you keep going back?”
“I’ve been going through the photos. But it’s time consuming. There are…a lot, and most of them are fucking horrible. Plus, I can’t sneak off into the basement for too long, or Stephanie would get suspicious.”
I run a hand through my hair as I digest all of this information. “This is so fucked up.”
“Forget all that for now,” Rogue said, gripping my hand. “I’m not fucking anyone else. I don’t want anyone else, and like I said before, I can’t let you walk away.”
I swallowed hard, almost too afraid to believe him. “Rogue…”
“We’re doing this thing, Scarlett,” he said, cutting me off. “I fucking love you. So let me.”
I studied him for a long time, watching as the dawn slowly began to lighten his features, softening him and making my heart constrict. Finally, I nodded. “Don’t make me regret this.”
“I won’t.”
Chapter Thirty
I took a long, cold shower in the gym locker room. Letting the water wash over me, I tried to wipe the smile off my face, but failed. I stayed until my fingers were pruned and my body was numb from the chill, then got dressed and fixed my hair and makeup just in time for first bell to ring. I didn’t see any of the guys as I made my way down the halls, but I could still feel Rogue’s hands on me, like his touch branded me for everyone to see.
Every time we came together, things felt more and more intense. I couldn’t believe Rogue had said he loved me. It felt like a dream. If it weren’t for the soreness between my legs, I might’ve believed I’d imagined the whole thing. But it did happen. He loved me—and I loved him. It finally felt like all of the fighting and tugging had actually gotten us to the right place.
It was stupid to love him. I’d probably regret it. He’d probably ruin me and trample my heart in the process. But it was too late. Maybe it had always been too late. All I could do was trust that he meant what he said. I had to trust that he loved me enough not to break me completely.
I was lost in thought as I took my seat in Calculus, barely paying attention when Godfrey took the seat beside me. People were stealing looks at him, noticing his bruised face, and there were already wild rumors going around about how he’d taken on five other guys at a rival school and had beaten the shit out of them. That was no doubt Bonham’s crafty storytelling at play.
There were other stories, too, each one more outlandish than the last, and all of them painting Godfrey as some hero or badass. I was glad for him that no one knew the truth. And I knew that he would hate me if I looked at him with pity, which is why I didn’t. He preferred the adoring and flirtatious looks that he got from the other girls, and there were plenty of those.
He flung his arm over the back of my chair, startling me out my thoughts. “Good