Forbidden: A bully romance (An Academy Twin Rivalry Series Book 2) Read online

We could be together and make each other forget – even if only for a little while. That didn’t seem like too much to ask.

  Me: … I’d like to now.

  I hit send before I could over-think my words. I longed for him to finish the storm he’d started. It wasn’t appropriate at the moment, and I knew that, but another part of me wanted to be reminded what it felt like to be alive.

  J: We have someone watching us, waiting for a slip. Soon. I promise.

  Me: I’ll be thinking of it. Do you think you could show me where to bite you?

  I had never sexted anyone before. Braddox had tried mentioning dirty acts he’d like to do to me, but I’d been unsure about him, us, me, and what I wanted.

  With the death of my dad and now Jaxon’s mom, the life lesson that people could disappear at any moment – damn, I could die at any moment! was one that seemed to be the motivator behind my need to do things I would normally push off.

  I wanted to sleep with Jaxon. There was no logical reason why I shouldn’t.

  Put him across the hallway from me and plenty of sleepless hours ahead of me and I logically couldn’t come up with a reason not to make it happen.

  Except Braddox. Braddox wasn’t the reason in that I was torn between him and Jaxon any longer. That ship had set sail and I wasn’t going to pursue things with him. I’d like for us to be friends, though.

  I had a feeling that wouldn’t be an option, if I traipsed across the hall and slept with Jaxon underneath Braddox’s nose. I had no doubt he’d be pissed as hell.

  Wouldn’t I? We weren’t even an item and I was mad that he’d been sleeping with Staci.

  Just thoughts of that blonde riled my anger again.

  My phone buzzed in my hand and I pressed my lips together. Jaxon texted me, distracting me from the vein my thoughts had taken.

  J: There’s so much we could do to each other. Let’s talk about this later. I need to sleep. See you in the morning?

  J: Not because I don’t want to sit here and keep texting you, but because I don’t want to get a hard-on and do nothing with it. ??

  I grinned at the thought of him getting hard just because he texted me.

  Me: Good enough for me. Sleep tight. I’ll see you in the morning.

  The morning would bring school, Braddox and Jaxon in the same room together.

  I took a deep breath and made my way to the large bathroom en suite. I needed a bath and then to try to get some rest myself.

  Nothing about the last few weeks had left me feeling refreshed for anything I was dealing with. If any of us could sleep that night, I’d be completely surprised.

  ~~~

  I’d gotten rid of my West Shores Academy school uniform when we’d sold most of our things. I think I’d tossed it in the garbage in one of my crying fits of rage.

  Missing breakfast on purpose, I hiked my backpack higher on my shoulder and skipped down the steps.

  Stephanie had sent me a thumbs up when I’d texted her and asked for a ride to school that morning. The last thing I needed was to be torn between a ride from Braddox or Jaxon. I knew who I wanted to pick, but was it slapping Braddox in the face to choose his brother? Most definitely.

  He wouldn’t let me live that down.

  I’d been able to avoid both of them for the majority of the morning.

  I didn’t want to come across Jaxon and risk Braddox finding us and I didn’t want to run into Braddox and the possibility of a tense conversation with him. None of it was appealing, to be honest.

  My entire life could be summed up with an acronym – TBH. I hated that.

  I’d braided my hair. One of the things they liked to do at West Shores when they didn’t like someone was to hot glue chunks of hair together that hung down a girl’s back. She didn’t notice it was happening because her hair was like a curtain.

  A braid was harder to mess up since you could feel every tug and touch. Plus, while the bitches at East Side had been mean and confrontational, they were nothing compared to how the whores could act at West Shores.

  I’d been in the pack. I knew how horrible they could get. I wasn’t going to be a part of that side of things. Instead, because of the rumors from both Braddox and Jaxon, I’d be the target for anyone with a slightly bitter outlook of East Shores.

  Fine. Not a big deal. Like I said, my life was a series of TBH moments and I faced one of them. Had I missed the kids at WSA? No, but I’d missed fitting in. Since I knew that wasn’t a possibility anymore, I wasn’t worried about what they thought of me. I’d already dealt with ESA and the general hatred for where I was from. I could cope with the shit I was going to get at West Side.

  Especially since Braddox and I weren’t going to be together.

  There was more than a little fear in how Jaxon was going to be received. With Braddox at the helm of the school, things could go one of two ways. Braddox could force everyone to accept Jaxon and treat him like he belonged, or he could ostracize his own twin and make the school blacklist him.

  Knowing Braddox and how much he hated his twin; the latter was more likely.

  Maybe that’s why I had a hard time really caring for Braddox. It was so damn difficult for him to forgive, forget, and move on. He didn’t give an inch but he demanded a mile.

  There had to be more to a relationship than that. There had to be more to a couple than one giving-giving-giving and the other taking-taking-taking and demanding more.

  I stepped out of the front doors, tugging on the strap to my bag to settle it into place.

  The morning sun had crested with no clouds in the sky. Spring would be moving into summer and the wind wouldn’t settle down – ever.

  Shadows from the trees and other foliage danced on the pavement and I turned to the left of the doorway, facing the El Camino.

  Where Braddox waited. He turned the key in his ignition, revving the engine and waving at me. He didn’t pull out but stared pointedly my direction as if waiting for me to join him.

  I blinked, glancing to my left at the sound of a supped-up engine roaring to life.

  Jaxon’s Nova rumbled. The paint shined in the early morning sunlight. He rested his arm on the open windowsill, watching me with questions in his eyes I wasn’t ready to answer.

  He wanted to know if I’d choose him in the light of day. I wanted to, but at the same time, I couldn’t.

  If I chose Jaxon and embarrassed Braddox, Brax would never let Jaxon fit in at West Shores. Every chance Jaxon could possibly have would flit away with the exhaust.

  If I chose Braddox and went to school with him, I’d be shoving everything with Jaxon down his throat.

  Neither option was possible.

  I smiled tightly at both of them and sighed in relief at the sight of Stephanie’s little BMW sliding into the drive in front of me. I opened the passenger door. Ducking into the front seat, I dropped the backpack on my lap and ordered, “Drive.” I didn’t even click my seatbelt before she’d roared off.

  She glanced at me, her eyes wide and her eyebrows arched. “Girl, that was both O’Donnells! Did you see the looks they gave you? Holy hell… It was like you were dessert and they had to fight to eat you.” She shook her head, her lips bright pink and pursed in a small circle of surprise.

  I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. “It’s ridiculous. Braddox slept with Staci after taking me out Friday night and then somehow Jaxon was arrested after our date Saturday. Then…” I reached out and tapped Stephanie’s arm. “Their mom died yesterday. Jaxon found her. Oh, and… Steph, my mom married Trenton O’Donnell.” I rolled my eyes.

  “No way in hell. I know you’re telling me the truth because there’s no way you can make that stuff up.” Steph shook her head. “I was going to ask if you’d gotten your cherry popped since I picked you up at Braddox’s, but if Jaxon is there, too…” She shook her head. “Girl, you are so screwed. And now you’re back at West Shores? Jeesh. Are you a glutton for punishment or what?”

  I laughed with her, but a small part of me
winced in trepidation. She was right.

  There was only sadistic crap ahead of me. I should have asked to be homeschooled the last few months of high school. Facing the students at West Shores after the stuff I’d been through was unnecessary stress.

  Stress I didn’t want to deal with. Stress I had to deal with.

  Because while my mom had dealt with Dad’s death and then gotten married, I still hadn’t gotten over that and the mysteries around his accident.

  There were too many questions for me to completely accept that he was just gone from my life or that he’d just died and we’d been fighting at the time. Maybe it was my refusal to accept that which left the matter feeling unfinished.

  “Do you want to skip school?” Stephanie stopped at the octagonal sign to the crossroads where you had to choose between going west or going east.

  Tempting as it was to say turn around, I had to deal with this. I didn’t want to leave Jaxon alone with Braddox at school, but I also wanted the chance to get my old classes back.

  Plus, I needed to get the hard part out of the way.

  I shook my head and pointed west. “Nah, I can do this. I deal with you, don’t I?” I grinned at Steph and tamped down the fear inside me that no matter what my attitude was, school was going to be hell.

  The arrival of two revving Chevies behind me cemented that fact.

  Chapter 6

  Olivia

  I was trapped in some kind of weirdly disorienting matrix. I had to be.

  Standing at the desk of the posh reception area at West Shores, I couldn’t help feeling like I was reliving the moment at East Shores with the bitch-faced receptionist there. I couldn’t even remember her name.

  Except this woman was nice and more than willing to help me while the other lady wanted me to burn in hell.

  Gonna be honest, the feeling was definitely mutual.

  “Here you go, Ms. Ramirez. All the same classes you were slotted for. You’ll have quite a bit of makeup work, but you had enough credits to graduate with at the end of the last quarter. These classes aren’t even required.” She winked and slid the paper across to me. “Mr. O’Donnell made sure to call the principal today and complete the payments on your tuition. You’re all set to finish out the year.” Her overly bright smile reminded me of a stewardess I’d seen once on a plane. All smiles not a lot of smarts.

  I smiled politely back and nodded as I took my schedule from her. I already knew where my classes were, but I didn’t want to seem impolite as she’d already printed things off for me.

  I turned, pausing at the sight of Jaxon standing behind me. Heat in his eyes promised me he remembered our conversation via texting the night before, but something held him back. Probably the fact that I hadn’t chosen him that morning. That would have irritated me if I’d been on his end, but I couldn’t put him in that position. Braddox would have held it against me. And Jaxon.

  Jaxon glanced at my hands then reached out, claiming my paper with his fingers and striding past me. Smiling with more charm than I thought possible, Jaxon arched an eyebrow at the receptionist. “I’m Jaxon O’Donnell. I’m sure my father has already called in my registration. I’d like to have this same schedule, if you don’t mind.”

  The woman blinked at him. Astonishment opened her mouth without any sound as she stared at him with her glasses perched on her nose and her hair curled just so. After a minute, she adjusted herself on her chair and folded her hands on top of the desk. “Of course, I mean, yes, Mr. O’Donnell. Your father has already put everything into place. I had your schedule printed up for you, but if you’d like this class load, you’re welcome to be placed there. You might find resistance from the teachers. These are fairly advanced courses.”

  They weren’t fairly advanced. They were the highest level of difficulty the school offered. I narrowed my eyes as Jaxon nodded at her to continue and waited.

  The woman made the changes in her computer and then retrieved the new paperwork from her printer. She handed both schedules over – mine and his – and batted her lashes at him. “I didn’t know Braddox had a twin.”

  “Thank you. A lot of people weren’t aware.” He raised the paperwork like a flag and then turned to face me. “Let’s go to –″ He lowered the paper and read from the first class listed. “Applied calculus II. Sweet. Math in the morning. At least we’re getting it out of the way.” He moved ahead of me and opened the door, holding my bewildered gaze as I walked past him. Did his gaze follow my ass as I moved ahead?

  I turned and furrowed my brow. “What are you doing?”

  Jaxon’s eyes moved upward from, yep, my ass. A light in his eyes warmed me from head to toe. He cocked his head as he moved into step beside me, letting the door shut softly behind him. We were inches from each other. I could feel the heat from his body as he murmured, “I’m… how did you put it? Claiming you in public?”

  Those weren’t my exact words, but I got where he was coming from. Oh, wow, did I get it.

  I clenched my jaw and tugged his elbow to the side hallway. I glanced around at the slowly thinning crowd passing us by. “Look, if you’d claimed me at East Shores, it would have helped both of us. Here… You need to understand that I’m a pariah. People think I betrayed Braddox and the school by sleeping with you and attending East Shores.” I shook my head and took a deep breath. “You don’t want to be tied to me here. It won’t end well for you.”

  Forget about me. I didn’t care what people thought regarding me or even what they were going to do to me as things went on throughout the day. None of it mattered because I knew them. I knew things about these students they didn’t want me to share.

  Jaxon was fresh meat in a school that was made up of sharks and pretty snakes.

  He leaned down and kissed the tip of my nose. “Don’t worry about me, Liv.” But I did worry and I didn’t want to trivialize something that could make someone want to hurt themselves.

  “Are you sure you’re ready for calculus II? It’s not an easy class.” I eyed him with more anxiety. He acted cocky, but could that just be a show after his mom died?

  He hadn’t even had proper time to mourn and there he was starting a new school in a very hostile environment. He’d moved houses, moved socioeconomic classes, and lost someone. The fact that he was still smiling left me more than a little worried that he might be losing it.

  “Lead the way. I’ll be fine. Stop worrying.” Jaxon reached out and smoothed the lines between my eyes above the bridge of my nose with a warm thumb. Tingles zinged to the middle of my chest and I inhaled sharply when he dropped his hand, smiling knowingly at me.

  I swallowed. Damn the hot guy and his arrestingly broad shoulders.

  I moved ahead of him, leading the way like he’d asked to calculus. Mr. Riggins was a pervert but he was a good teacher. I’d had him in geometry my first semester of my freshman year and he’d made math click. Girls just had to ignore the fact that he liked to seat the pretty ones in front and walk by to peek down their shirts. Whatever.

  Some girls even dressed the part. One girl claimed to have screwed him for extra credit. With his dark swarthy Italian good looks, I wouldn’t be surprised if her claim was true.

  I opened the door to class, ignoring the side glances and not so subtle glares from both girls and guys. I glanced back at Jaxon and offered him a reassuring smile.

  The only two seats left weren’t by each other which meant I’d be in the front while he was in the back. I couldn’t even offer him support from nearby. I’d have to turn to even look at him.

  Mr. Riggins jerked his head up in acknowledgement of our arrival, but otherwise he continued speaking on parabolas in four-dimension.

  Jaxon sat in the back, slouching into his seat without taking out books or paper or anything else.

  I pulled out a spiral notebook and my pencil. Riggins was hard, but he gave you the information you needed, as long as you paid attention.

  Jaxon wasn’t going to do very well, if he wasn’t going to ta
ke notes.

  “Does anyone know how to find the derivative in this equation?” Riggins pointed at the white board, holding a blue dry erase marker in his hand like he offered out a prize. “I’ll let whoever answers it get out of class for the week.” He wiggled his eyebrows as he looked over the class. His gaze stopped on someone in the back and he narrowed his eyes. “Yes, Mr. O’Donnell?”

  “Would you let that person pick someone else to skip with them?” Jaxon’s voice surprised me. He was bartering with Riggins when he wasn’t even sure what class we were in? Hadn’t Jaxon said something about math in the morning was gross but at least it was out of the way?

  I didn’t think Jaxon was stupid. I just had witnessed the limitations of the classes they offered at East Shores. He hadn’t exactly been offered a stellar education.

  Riggins grinned, his mouth curving in a slicing taunt. “Tell you what, O’Donnell. If someone answers this particular equation correctly, the entire class can have the week off. Does that sound like a reward?” He stared at Jaxon, moving back as the sound of someone standing filled the room.

  Everyone leaned forward in their seats, turning to watch as Jaxon left his seat.

  What was Jaxon doing? I stared at the board. I would need a ton of time to remember the steps in the equation. I pressed my lips together and watched Jaxon pass me by, his butt inches from my shoulder.

  He calmly took the marker from Riggins and approached the board, a slight swagger in his step.

  Without hesitation, he flipped off the lid of the marker and then scrawled the marker tip around as he showed his work.

  My jaw dropped as I followed him step by step, tracking everything he did like I expected him to fail. When he finished the equation, Mr. Riggins approached the board, arms crossed over his chest. He shook his head and turned to face Jaxon. “Have you seen this equation before? How did you do that?”