FURY: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rosewood High Book 6)

  Fury

  Rosewood High #6

  Tracy Lorraine

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Tracy Lorraine

  Copyright © 2020 by Tracy Lorraine

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Edited by My Brother’s Editor

  Proofreading by Sisters Get Lit(erary) Author Services

  1

  Ashton

  Mom cuts me a seething look as she pulls to a stop at an intersection.

  “I’m sorry, okay.” It’s so cold in here with a broken heater that my breath comes out in white clouds as I talk.

  One of her brows lift. Disappointment comes off her in waves and I hate it. She’s the only one whose opinion I care about. The only one I try to do better for. Hell knows she deserves it after all the shit I’ve put her through.

  I promised her things would be different after I got back from Rosewood after Halloween, and I truly believed it would, but then she happened.

  Things changed the night of that party. I took things that weren’t meant for me, and I’ve been living with the consequences—the memories—ever since.

  I never should have touched her, let alone allow myself to go as far as I did. And I really, really shouldn’t have craved more so badly that the only thing I could do was leave.

  I knew the second her orgasm rocked through her that we couldn’t be under the same roof, let alone in the bedroom next door to each other. Everything about her was too much of a temptation.

  I’d told her I wanted to ruin her for ruining my life, but it turned out there was only one person whose life was turned upside down after visiting my stepsister.

  My fingers wrap around the edge of Mom’s passenger seat, my nails digging into the worn leather as she pulls away slowly, the road like a sheet of ice beneath the tires.

  “You promised me, Ash. You promised me that things were going to change. Yet here I am picking you up from the station. Things are getting worse, not better, Son.”

  I blow out a long breath.

  “I know, Mom. But really, they had no reason to arrest me.”

  “They said you were dealing.” Her anger is palpable. I’ve done a lot of shit over the years, but this is my first real scrape with the law. And I certainly wasn’t dealing.

  “But I wasn’t,” I answer, exasperated from giving the same argument for the past fuck knows how long. “I hadn’t even smoked any today.”

  “Today? Ash, you shouldn’t smoke any day. You’re supposed to be an athlete.”

  “Hardly,” I scoff. “I played football at school, Mom. I’m hardly an athlete.”

  “Well, you could play at college if you actually applied yourself.”

  “I’m not going to college. We can’t afford it,” I argue like our financial situation is the only thing stopping me. My awful GPA and the fact I don’t have enough credits to graduate might also have something to do with it.

  “I don’t care, Ash. I want you to have everything.”

  “And I want us to get out of our shitty apartment and live a decent life.”

  “Just stop, Ash. Stop trying to fix everything.”

  “What’s wrong with me wanting us to have a better life? One where you don’t have to sleep with a sweatshirt on and turn to a bottle or two every night. And don’t even think about arguing, I know exactly how much you’ve been drinking.”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “Is it not? You need to let him go, Mom. It’s been years. He’s moved on, married... happy.”

  “Enough,” she screams, her face going beet red with anger. “That’s enough. It’s not... shit,” she squeals as the car jolts to the right as she hits a patch of ice. Her arms tense to try to control it, but she can’t. Two seconds later the tires leave the road and we’re falling down the bank off the side of the road.

  “Mom,” I cry as the car tumbles.

  “Ashton.” The fear in her voice is something I’ll never forget for as long as I live, assuming I get out of this.

  I have no idea how long the car continues moving, time seems to grind to a halt before the world goes black.

  “Son.” His voice is like knives as it fills the silent room around me.

  He is the last person I want to see or talk to right now. I knew he was coming, the nurse told me they’d called him the second I was admitted. I’m still a minor. I need a parent here with me.

  I’m sitting on a hospital bed with my thighs tucked up against my chest and my head on my knees in my attempt to process what’s happened in the past few hours.

  I feel empty in a way I’ve never experienced before and utterly exhausted. But it’s the least of how I should feel after what I went through.

  My eyes are closed tight, but I still know the second he approaches me. When his hand lands on my shoulder, I flinch.

  “Ashton, I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t,” I bark, still refusing to look up at him.

  I don’t want him. I don’t need him.

  I want her.

  “I’ve signed your discharge papers. You’re free to go when you’re ready.”

  I blow out a long breath.

  So that’s it then, is it? After everything, I’m now supposed to walk out of here like everything’s fine. Like my life hasn’t just come to an end.

  “Ash?”

  Without so much as glancing at him, I climb from the bed. My legs shake as I try to stand strong. There might be nothing seriously wrong with me, but my head pounds like a motherfucker and I’m so dizzy it’s like the entire world is moving around me.

  Reaching out, I steady myself with my hand on the foot of the bed. I regret appearing so weak the second he steps up in front of me.

  “It’s okay, Ash,” he soothes, placing his hand on my upper arm to steady me.

  “No,” I snap, pulling away from him. “You don’t get to do this now. You don’t suddenly get to care because you’re all I’ve got.”

  “Ashton, you know that’s not true.”

  “Do I?” I hiss, looking up into his eyes for the first time since he walked into this room. His eyes are so similar to the pair I see every time I look in a mirror. They’re just another reason why I hate him. He forced this life on us—on me.

  It never should have been like this.

  “Let’s get out of here. We can get
some food and pack you some things. I’ve booked a hotel and got us on a flight back in the morning.”

  “A hotel? A flight? I’m not leaving here.”

  “Son,” he sighs. “You have to. You can’t stay here alone.”

  “But... but this is my home.” I hate that I sound so vulnerable, but I have no idea which way is up right now, let alone how I’m supposed to deal with any of this.

  She’s... she’s gone. And it’s all my fault.

  That in itself is enough to swallow me whole, let alone the fact I’m now expected to walk out of here with him and start my life over.

  “Lisa is getting your room ready.”

  I pause as I lift one foot to shove in my boot and look up at him.

  Does he really think it’s that easy? That I can just move into his new house, join his new family, and everything will be okay?

  I just lost my fucking mother.

  I shake my head, unable to say the things I want to say to him.

  All of this is his fault. If he’d never betrayed us, if he’d never left us, if he’d never broken her heart, then none of this would have happened. We might still have been a happy family in a nice house in a decent part of town.

  But no. The selfish prick had to turn his back on us and walk away for someone else, for another family.

  Grabbing my jacket from the end of my bed, I throw it over my shoulder, wincing as every bit of my body aches after being thrown around like a ragdoll and march toward the door.

  “Don’t touch me,” I seethe when his hand shoots out in an attempt to support me. “I don’t need you.”

  He silently follows me out of the hospital, but I’m forced to stop when I get outside.

  The cold hits me but I barely feel it.

  My breath clouds around me and I’m reminded of sitting in the car with Mom not so long ago when everything was almost right in my world.

  Now?

  Now I’m walking out of a hospital and leaving her behind.

  Emotion clogs my throat and tears burn my eyes.

  She’s gone and it’s all because of me. All because I couldn’t keep my promise to her and stay out of trouble.

  I look back at the building, wondering where she is and if she’s finally at peace.

  “Ashton?” Dad asks, concern obvious in his tone. But it doesn’t reassure me, make me feel like I’m less alone. All it does is infuriate me. He’s not here because he wants to be, he’s here because he has to be. Because it’s his fatherly duty.

  “You can leave now that you’ve signed me out.”

  A bitter laugh bubbles up his throat.

  “I don’t think so. I’ve already told you, you’re coming home with me.”

  “And you seem to be forgetting that this is my home. I belong in Seattle; I live in Seattle.”

  We stand staring at each other, the frigid air almost crackling with tension between us.

  It never used to be like this between us. He used to be my best friend. But that was then. This is now and he doesn’t get to drag me around like I’m a fucking kid and dictate my life for me.

  2

  Ruby

  “You really should just go home and get it over with,” Harley says, following me to the bathroom in Aces on Monday afternoon.

  I know Harley’s right, but just the thought of going home and seeing him makes me want to puke.

  Stephen and Ashton flew in this afternoon, by now he should be making himself at home in the room next to mine once more. Only this time, it’s not for a short stay.

  He’s moving in.

  My mouth waters and my stomach twists. Turning away from Harley, I race into a stall and drop to my knees, dry heaving in the toilet. I haven’t eaten a damn thing, so I guess I shouldn’t really be surprised when nothing comes up. The only substantial thing that’s passed my lips since that phone call has been alcohol. I can’t stomach anything else.

  “Rubes,” Harley sighs, dropping down beside me and rubbing my back. “You need to go home and get this over with.”

  Dropping to my ass, I bring my knees up to my chest and rest my forehead on them.

  “I can’t, Har. I can’t see him again.” My heart shatters in my chest and my hands begin to shake.

  “I know, but... you’re kinda going to have to.”

  “I hate him. I hate him so fucking much.”

  “So tell him.”

  “He’s just lost his mom.” Pain for what he’s just been through lances through me, but it doesn’t stop me hating him.

  “Don’t make excuses for him. He was a class-A prick. If you want to lay into him when you see him, go for it, he deserves it.”

  I glance up at her in time to see her wince at her own words. “You know I can’t do that.”

  “I know,” she whispers, dropping down beside me and holding my hand. “I just... we need you in top form, Rubes. Nationals are only a few weeks away. We can’t do it without our best flyer.” She winks at me.

  I nod. The nationals have been my dream for... forever. To get to attend this year as varsity. It means everything to me. But I fear he’s about to fuck everything up without even knowing it.

  The door to the bathroom opens and Chelsea, our pregnant captain, walks in. She does a double take when she spots us on the floor in one of the stalls.

  “Is everything okay?” she asks, looking between the two of us.

  Harley looks at me, her brows pulling together. I’m not sure if she’s begging me to sort my shit out or to be honest with Chelsea. I go with the former because the thought of having to explain to someone else about Ashton fills me with dread.

  “Yeah, we’re good. I just got a bit queasy. I’m fine now.”

  Releasing Harley’s hand, I push to my feet but as I walk toward Chelsea, she doesn’t move.

  Her eyes drop down the length of my body. “Are you eating right? I know I’m putting you through a lot right now, you need to be looking after yourself.”

  “Y-yeah, I am,” I lie.

  “Regionals were tough, but it’s only going to get harder for nationals.” She glances from me to Harley and back again. “I need all of the squad focused and prepared.” Her words are all business, but I see a softness in her eyes that never used to be there.

  “I’ve got this, Chelsea. You don’t need to worry about me.”

  She stares at me for a beat, as if she doesn’t quite believe what I’m saying. But after a second, she nods.

  “Okay, that’s good. But if you need me, either of you.” She looks between us once more. “You know where I am, yeah?”

  “Yeah. Thanks, Chels.”

  “Anytime. Now, I really need to pee.” She races toward the stall and I can’t help but laugh at her.

  Our stone-cold queen bee really has softened somewhat recently.

  “Want some more advice?” she calls out.

  “Sure.” I start washing my hands, waiting for her words of wisdom.

  “Unless you want to pee every thirty seconds, keep the team away from your vag.”

  We both snort a laugh. “Sure thing, Chels.”

  My heart is in my throat as I pull my car to a stop in the driveway beside Stephen’s and stare up at the house. My head spins and my hands tremble.

  He’s just one person. One asshole of a person. I shouldn’t be this terrified to see him again.

  Movement in the kitchen window catches my eye and my stomach twists once more.

  I really just need to get this over with.

  He’s probably forgotten all about what happened at Halloween and moved on. He’s certainly got bigger things to worry about right now. There’s no way he’s obsessing about seeing me like I am him. That asshole doesn’t give a shit about anything, especially not me. He made that abundantly clear the very first time we met.

  After blowing out a long breath, I grab my purse and duffle then climb from the car.

  The house is silent as I walk down the hallway. I don’t drop my bags like I usually would, I want to be re
ady to make a quick escape should I need to.

  “In the kitchen, sweetie,” Mom calls.

  I can do this. I can do this, I repeat over and over in my head as I make my way down to them.

  My temperature soars, my skin feeling like it doesn’t belong on my body, and as I round the corner, I swear I stop breathing.

  That is until I find a room with just Mom and Stephen in it, both of their faces pulled tight with worry.

  The air I was holding comes rushing out of me as I look between the two of them.

  “What’s going on? Where’s A-Ash?” I stutter, not really wanting to say his name out loud.

  Stephen’s shoulders sag before he looks to the floor. Mom races over to him and wraps her arm around his shoulder.

  “B-but you said he was okay. Just cuts and bruises,” I whisper, misreading Stephen’s reaction.

  “Oh, he is, sweetie. He’s fine. He just—”

  “He refused to get on the airplane,” Stephen says, standing and marching to the other side of the kitchen.

  Mom and I watch as he reaches into the top cupboard and pulls down a bottle of whiskey, twists the top, and takes a large drink.

  My hand clenches with my need to do exactly the same thing.

  “So... he’s not moving here?” I ask, hating the hope that fills my voice. I know it’s a pointless question. Ash isn’t eighteen yet and I’m not sure he has any other options aside from Stephen—juvie, maybe.

  “Y-yeah, he is. He’s just... making his own way.”

  “W-what does that m-mean exactly?” My voice betrays me, cracking the whole way through the question.