“Really? Cause it looked like you were going to faceplant if I didn’t save you,” he murmured.
I squirmed slightly, placing my hand on his chest.
“Just let me go,” I said, attempting to sound stern.
His smug grin deepened and he tilted his head to the side, his lips brushing against mine as he spoke.
“Say ‘thank you,’” he whispered.
I frowned and tried to push him away, a poor attempt to create some distance between us. “No, I’m not…” Then I let out a gasp of surprise as he began lightly kissing my jaw, working his way towards my lips.
“C-Connor, what are you doing?” I asked, my voice weak.
He pulled away slightly, positioning his lips above mine. Then, I remembered something.
“What are you hiding from me?” I asked, placing both hands on his chest, in case he tried anything else. His eyes flickered from my lips to my eyes.
“What are you talking about?” he asked, trying to lean back in.
I gave him a hard shove, catching him off guard. He stumbled back a step or two, while I placed my hands on the hips, jutting out my leg in that don’t-fuck-with-me-right-now-bitch pose.
“Don’t even…” I hissed, taking two menacing steps forward.
Connor raised his eyebrows and looked at me. Getting right up in his face, I was filled with a familiar confidence.
“I don’t know…”
“What are you hiding from me?” I asked slowly. “I know you have something over Jess’ head, so you might as well just spit it out.”
Connor’s expression went blank and he crossed his arms.
“I have to go now.”
As he turned, I yanked his arm back, stepping in front of him and blocking his path. Connor’s eyes narrowed, a telltale sign that I was annoying him.
“Answer me,” I snapped, ignoring the dangerous glint in Connor’s eyes.
He took a deep breath, which looked as if it was supposed to calm him down.
“I have to…” he said while trying to sidestep me.
“Go? Yeah, I get it,” I snapped, blocking his way. “You can.”
He took another step, which was quickly mirrored by me.
“Once you tell me what’s going on.”
I didn’t have a chance to react as I found myself being shoved into the row of lockers next to me. Connor towered above me, leaving only a couple inches between us.
“Don’t test me,” he growled.
My heart was racing as his words sunk in, fear rushing into me. After a few moments of silence, Connor pushed away and turned to leave.
“What would you do? No! What can you do?” I called out.
And then, I couldn’t help but let out a gasp of shock as I found myself in the same position I was in only seconds before.
“This,” Connor whispered.
I opened my mouth to reply in confusion, when I realized I couldn’t speak. Connor’s mouth was on mine, leaving me in a state of shock. I was frozen as his arms looped around my waist, pulling me closer. It seemed only then that he realized I wasn’t responding to the kiss. He pulled away a bit, letting his lips hover above mine.
“Come on, Bells. You know you want to,” he whispered, his hand slipping under my shirt, resting on my waist. I flushed, and looked up at Connor. At that moment, he crashed his lips to mine once again. Only this time, I responded. I melted into the kiss, our lips moving rhythmically against each other. I felt Connor smirk, which caused me to make the sickening realization—I was making out with Connor!
Seriously?
Coming to my senses, I placed my hands on his chest, shoving him off of me. He stumbled back at bit, a confused expression on his face.
“You asshole!” I snarled. And before I could think it through, I slapped him, causing his head to snap to the side. Anger and annoyance filled Connor’s eyes and he took a step forward.
“Bella?”
I looked down the once empty hallway and at the confused Liam. He looked from Connor to me, not seeming to piece everything together.
“Liam.” I breathed out, pushing past Connor to walk over to him.
He gave me a small smile as he placed a small kiss on my cheek.
“You okay?” he asked, concern shadowing his eyes.
I nodded, glancing back at Connor. He smirked and walked over to us, passing by us, but not before whispering something.
“Are you going to tell Liam? Or should I?”
My blood ran cold as he walked down the hallway, pausing as he turned at the corner. He glanced back at me and winked before he disappeared from our sight.
“What was that all about?” Liam asked, breaking me away from my thoughts.
I turned to look back at him, flustered.
“Wha——? N-nothing,” I stuttered, still feeling flushed.
Liam only nodded, not catching the obvious.
“Well, I was worried about you,” he said, looking down at me. “You never showed up to class.”
I frowned, looking back. “I’m fine,” I murmured, my mind in other places. Well, other “people”, for that matter.
Connor, to be exact. Connor Michaels.
Connor
I grinned at Bella’s back as she continued to ignore me, something she had been doing ever since our little run-in. I could tell she was pissed at me, but that only added to the excitement. As soon as the bell rang, she bolted from her seat and sprinted out of the classroom, being the first one to leave. My smile deepened as I got up and followed her, a plan developing in my mind.
Walking over to my locker, I noticed Bella was leaning against hers and talking to Liam. Plastering a fake smile on my face, I walked over to them, my eyes twinkling at Bella’s look of annoyance.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, disgust lacing her tone.
Brushing it off, I grinned and pinched her cheek. “Oh, Bells, don’t be like that!” I said, enjoying the look of horror as she pushed away my hand, rubbing her cheek furiously.
“Connor, man. I was just about to see if Bella could leave…”
“Leave?” I asked, cutting off Liam.
“Yes, leave,” Bella snapped, closing her locker. She was about to take a step towards Liam, but was held back by my arm that was now on her waist.
“Sorry, she can’t,” I said, watching as Liam’s once happy expression evaporated.
Bella struggled, but my grip was firm, showing her that it was useless.
“Why not?” she asked, her temper flaring. A light pink had flooded her cheeks, telling me that she was frustrated.
“Bella!” I cried out in a shocked tone. “Don’t tell me you forgot about our tutoring session!”
Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
“B-b-but we haven’t h-had one in so long!” she stuttered, her face reddening even more.
I resisted the urge to grin at her, and instead turned back to Liam.
“Sorry, Liam. But it’s my duty to make sure she learns,” I said, ignoring Bella’s furious struggling.
Liam looked at Bella and me, an unsure expression on his face.
“Well, okay then…” he trailed off, giving Bella a small peck on the cheek before turning to walk away.
I rolled my eyes as soon as he was gone. A peck? Really? Bella grabbed that moment of distraction as her chance to pull away, a look of fury and hate crossing her face.
“What the hell, Connor?” she exclaimed, which caused the remaining people in the hallway to turn and look.
I gave them all a curt wave and they quickly scurried out of the hallway, which, in turn, made me chuckle in amusement.
“Come on, Bells! It’s studying time!” I cried out with fake happiness, and she narrowed her eyes in annoyance. Then, I watched as she glanced down the hallway, where Liam had exited. I sighed and dropped my bag, running after her as she sprinted for an escape. I was nice, though. I waited until we were just at the door before I crushed her hopes and dreams of freedom.
?
??Where do you think you’re going?” I asked, scooping her up into my arms and throwing her over my shoulder.
She began cursing and yelling, and vehemently refused to shut up.
Grabbing my bag, I headed towards the library, and placed her down between me and the door. Before she could react, I turned her around and wrapped one of my arms tightly around her waist, as I opened the door with the other.
“Walk, Bella,” I whispered into her ear.
She squirmed in my grip, but stayed in the same spot.
I held in a groan of frustration and sighed. “Then, I’ll drag you,” I snapped, placing my legs on either side of her, I began walking towards the table at the back. Ignoring the shocked looks coming from everyone in the library, I continued to waddle towards the table. Once we got there, I dropped my bag and spun Bella back around to face me, pinning her against the table. Sporting a smug smile, I leaned in closer while she leaned away, a disgusted expression on her face.
“You’re unbelievable,” she hissed.
My grin widened and I let out a small laugh. “I know,” I said.
She rolled her eyes, pushed me away, and dropped into a chair. I sat down as well, pulling out her work from her bag.
“Hey!” she snapped, reaching out to grab it.
“I just want to see which classes you’re failing now,” I said, my eyes twinkling.
She gritted her teeth and crossed her arms, sinking back into her chair. I smiled at her and began working despite the fact that she was unresponsive and still fuming.
But let me tell you one thing… Bella’s anger?
It was a total turn on!
Bella
Surprisingly, we actually studied. I was cautious though, ready for Connor to pull any crazy stunt.
“Are you ready for your Bio test?” he asked, looking over my binder.
I shrugged and leaned back in my chair.
“Bells, babe, come on! I’m trying to help,” he said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
“With you, there’s always an ulterior motive,” I snapped. “And don’t call me babe.”
Connor laughed and stood up, right as the bell rang. So I quickly grabbed all of my stuff, cramming everything into my bag. Then I stood up and was ready to walk away, when Connor decided to stand right in front of me.
“What?” I asked exasperatedly.
“How is it?”
I tilted my head in confusion. “How is what?”
“Dating Liam,” he said.
I tried to back away, but only found myself trapped because of the chair behind me.
“No escape,” he whispered.
I froze and looked at him, rage filling every inch of my body.
“I don’t owe you an answer,” I hissed, venom seeping into my tone.
Connor wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close. I placed my hands on his chest, refusing to let him pull me any closer.
“That bad, huh?”
My vision went red and I glared at him.
“You fu——”
“I mean, judging from the girly pecks he keeps giving you.”
My jaw dropped and I stared at him in shock.
“What are you…? How do you…? Shut up!” I was flustered, my face heated up and I looked at the ground.
Then, a hand gripped my lower chin, forcing me to look up.
“I know you, Bella. You’re not one to enjoy those girly, unmanly moves,” Connor stated, tightening an arm around me.
“Oh yeah?” I asked, raising an eyebrow, challenging him.
Connor dipped his head down so that his mouth was by my ear. “Yeah.” Then he turned a little and gently pushed me, causing me to fall on my back onto the table. He quickly leaned over me, pinning me down. He poised his mouth above mine, hovering expectantly.
What I did next, it made me hate myself.
I put my arms around his neck, pressing my lips to his. Instantly, our lips began moving in synch. His tongue plunging into my mouth, causing me to let out a sigh of delight. He pulled away, causing me to whimper in need. He smirked and began feathering kisses along my jawline. I let out a moan as he pressed his lips to the base of my throat.
“Told you so.”
I looked up to see Connor looking down at me, smugly smiling. Then I watched as he straightened up before helping me up.
As we were preparing to get out of the library, I remembered something.
“Wait. Connor, I need you to do something for me.” I adjusted my bag, fixing my shirt and hair.
“What is it?”
I shuffled my feet and took a deep breath.
“Please just tell me what you’re hiding,” I begged, grabbing his hand.
He frowned and pulled away. “I don’t owe you an answer.”
I gritted my teeth in annoyance, narrowing my eyes. “Yes, you do. It involves me,” I retorted.
Connor leaned in, his eyes flashing dangerously.
“Hmmm. If I told Liam about what just happened, how do you think he’d react?” Connor asked.
I choked and my hands shook.
“You wouldn’t,” I said, my voice barely audible.
“Oh, Bella, don’t kid yourself,” Connor said. “Of course I would.” Then he pulled away, leaving the library without another word… leaving me completely and utterly speechless.
Jess left after lunch ended, an obvious attempt to avoid me. After what Connor said, I realized that I could only depend on her to tell me the truth.
Later that day
“Mum, can you pass the salad?” I asked, holding out my hand expectantly.
She smiled warmly and handed it to me.
“Bellaby! Guess what?” Luca asked cheerfully, bouncing in his seat.
“Yes?” I asked, grinning at his excitement.
“I’m going to be Superman for Halloween!” he cried.
“Bellaby! Bellaby! I’m going to be Cinderella!” Sophie cried out, twirling around in delight.
“What are you going to be?” they asked at the same time, staring at me with eager eyes.
I shrugged and played with my food.
“But Halloween is Monday!” Sophie said in a hushed tone, her eyes as wide as saucers.
“I have three days to choose, Sophie.” I said, laughing. “I think I have enough time to choose.”
“Well, you can’t go shopping Sunday night. That’s when the Michaels are coming over,” my mum said casually, picking up all of our empty plates.
I choked a bit on a piece of salad in my mouth, causing my dad to look at me in alarm.
“You choke a lot,” Luca observed, hopping off his chair and walking off with Sophie to go play.
I scowled and stood up, helping my mum.
“Do we have to have dinner with the Michaels again?” I asked.
“Yes! Mrs. Michaels is one of my closest friends. So, no complaining,” my mum warned me. “And Mr. Michaels is your father’s boss. So as long as you’re staying here in America, you must be nice to him. He could take away your father’s job whenever he wants to.”
I crossed my arms angrily, glaring at my mum.
“I didn’t even want to be here,” I snapped, not thinking over my choice of words.
My mum placed the plate down in the sink, letting out a sigh. Turning to face me, I noticed the annoyance, as well as sorrow, in her eyes.
“So you wouldn’t mind leaving? Just like that,” she asked, her tone quiet.
“No, but…”
“What about Jess? What about Liam? Or Connor?” she asked, her voice rising with each question.
I sighed and leaned back on the table. “I didn’t mean that,” I whispered, staring at the ground.
“Do you know how worried I was for you?” her voice cracked at the end, which made me turn my head up in her direction.
“I’m sorry,” I said, quickly walking over to hug her. I felt her shoulders lightly shaking in my arms, making it obvious that she was crying. I bit my lip, the sickening feeling of gu
ilt taking over me.
“I just don’t get why you want to go back there. Why would you go back there?” she choked out.
“Mum, I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry.”
Then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Seeing my dad, I stepped away from her, letting him pull her into a warm embrace.
“I’ll take it from here,” he mouthed.
I nodded and went upstairs, locking myself in the bathroom.
I felt sick to my stomach. Seeing my mum like that brought back all the memories I had pushed to the back of my mind. When I first woke up in the hospital, she was the first one I saw. The first one who cried. The first one who hugged me and reminded me how much she loved me.
And not once did I think about how she felt.
I splashed cold water on my face and took deep breaths. Pushing myself away from the sink, I left the bathroom, headed to my room, and collapsed on my bed. The sound of my phone ringing made my eyes fly open in surprise. Reaching over to my nightstand, I grabbed my phone and stared at the unknown number that flashed on the screen.
“Hello?” I asked, dropping back onto my soft pillows.
“Hello, my favorite little foreigner.”
I frowned and sat up slightly, adjusting my phone.
“Who is…?”
“Babe, it’s Jack. Don’t tell me you already forgot about me,” he said, amused.
My eyes widened and I looked down at my phone, slightly surprised.
“Jack, why are you calling?” I asked, confused. It had been weeks since we met, and since Connor punched him in the face.
“Ouch, hun. That hurt,” Jack said, feigning offense.
I rolled my eyes, leaning back on my pillow.
“But seriously, why are you calling now?” I asked.
There was a slight pause before he spoke again.
“If I remember right, you owe me a date.”
I scowled and considered hanging up at that moment.
“How could I forget?” I snapped, referring to the football game fight. I heard Jack chuckle darkly.
“Yes, yes. Anyway, is tomorrow okay for you?”
“No,” I said quickly.
“Bella.”
“I’m seeing someone,” I said, pursing my lips in finality.