Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 32934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Whore.
Slut.
No one wants you.
Just kill yourself.
Cunt.
Bitch.
Someone’s footsteps were quickly heading in my direction, but I was so horrified by the writing on my locker that I couldn’t even force my head to turn to see who it was. “Elizabeth—Jesus fucking Christ,” Drake swore as he stared at my locker.
The tears in my eyes slowly rolled down my cheeks. “Can you leave me alone?” I croaked, unable to look at him. Because of him, the bullying was so much worse. I quickly spun away, just wanting out of school and away from all the shit there.
He grabbed my arm. My books fell to the floor at our feet, but he paid them no mind as he turned me back to face him. “Drake, please,” I croaked, staring at his expensive shoes. I trembled, my breath hitching when I tried to suppress a sob.
“Open your locker,” he told me. I looked up at him through blurry eyes, not understanding. “Put your things away. We’re going to get out of here for the day.”
I shook my head at him. I’d rather deal with the bullying I did before than all of this. This was worse than what I’d been dealing with before—way worse. I just wanted him to leave me alone so maybe things would go back to how they used to be.
“Drake—” I croaked.
He gripped my chin, tilting my head back to look up at him, this time so I couldn’t look away. “Elizabeth, put your things away and come with me,” he gruffly repeated, not giving me a choice in the matter.
Sniffling, I slowly turned toward my locker, my shaky fingers having to try the combination three times before I could finally get it to open. He kneeled and began picking up my things, and by the time I had the locker opened, he had it all gathered in his arms. He put it all in my locker and closed it, spinning the lock before he grabbed my hand in his and led me down the hallway. Everyone parted for him like the red sea, and the tight grip he had on my hand never left, even when everyone cast me disgusted looks when they thought he wasn’t looking.
Once we got outside, he drew me against his side, wrapping his arm around my waist. The stares intensified, but for once, no one was running their mouths. It was almost eery how everyone was shocked into silence.
I didn’t know whether to freak out or be thankful.
“I’m sorry about all of this shit,” Drake apologized, warming my heart despite the shittiness of my day. He was apologizing for something that was out of his control. Even though I knew him hanging out with me was the reason, he wasn’t to blame for anyone else’s shitty behavior. He sighed. “I’ll never understand why people get so worked up over what I decide to do with my own personal time,” he grumbled. “Nor will I ever understand why people hate you so much.”
He opened his truck door and helped me inside before he shut it and walked around to the driver’s side. He backed out of the car park and headed toward the school gates. “Are you hungry?” he asked me. “You know what? Don’t answer that. You need to eat regardless. What’s your favorite food?”
I shrugged. “Chicken nuggets?” I said, though it came out as more of a question.
He flashed me a grin, and my body tingled. “Chicken nuggets it is.”
I drunkenly laughed as Drake stumbled to his feet, grasping the tailgate of his truck to keep himself upright. After getting food, he snagged a couple of bottles of liquor from his house and drove us out to a random field in the middle of nowhere. And from there, we proceeded to get royally shit-faced.
“Come on,” he told me with a grin, holding his hand out to me. I eagerly placed mine in his, allowing him to pull me up from the ground. I crashed into his chest, another laugh spilling from my lips. “Let’s get up here. We can watch the stars,” he said, pointing the bottle in his hand toward the sky.
“The stars don’t do anything.” I pouted when he pulled away from me and managed to get in the back of his truck, reaching down to haul me up as well.
He laughed at me. “I know they don’t, babe, but they’re still pretty as fuck—like you.”
I landed sprawled across his lap, my cheeks burning at his sweet words. “You’re pretty, too,” I told him, reaching up to run my fingers over his lips. They parted the slightest bit, his warm breath fanning my fingers. “Really pretty. I’ve always thought you were pretty, Drake.”
He groaned and leaned down to kiss me. His lips felt perfect against my own. I moaned when he slid his hand over my belly and under my shirt, his rough skin gliding over my soft torso. I shivered, my body arching into his touch.