Tough Shit (Rejects Paradise 1)

It didn’t happen often at Breakers Flats High, but when it did, my go-to coping mechanism was pulling out my phone and giving up until the lesson was over. I don’t have that option here and for the first time ever, I think I actually miss that stupid school.

Colton’s arm brushes past mine again and goosebumps sweep through me. I’m slammed back into yesterday afternoon when he had me pressed up against his bedroom door. He’d lowered his walls and let me in if only for a minute, but that minute was enough to tell me that this whole douchebag, arrogant prick routine is just that. He actually has a heart buried under all the coal and my gut tells me that it’s damaged. You don’t escape a childhood like that without a few scars.

Mr. Weathers finishes with his lesson on whatever the fuck I just blanked on and requests us to turn to page 84 in our textbooks. I get busy scanning through the pages when a bang at the door has everyone’s heads shooting up.

I look over just in time to see Spencer storming through the door. His eyes are stormy and his brows are drawn with a hard, pissed off line. There’s practically steam huffing out of his ears. I’d hate to be the guy who pissed off Spencer Vanderbilt. His eyes scan around the room and within seconds land on our table.

Oh, fuck. What have I done now?

My heart rate kicks up a notch and I feel the need to cower behind Colton’s large frame. Maybe If I disappear, he’ll forget I’m here. Don’t get me wrong, I can handle guys coming at me constantly, but being in the dark and not knowing what it’s about? Yeah, I’m not a fan. I like a little preparation to ensure a thorough ass-kicking. Nonetheless, I don’t hide.

Colton accused me of playing the victim and I’m determined to prove him wrong. I can handle my own shit. I don’t need someone coming in and saving me, but in reality, that’s what Nic and the boys have always done. I hadn’t even realized that I’d been using them as a crutch and just claiming that I was tough shit. How wrong have I been?

Mr. Weathers flies to his feet and storms forward, realizing something is about to go down but Spencer evades him like some kind of ninja and forges on. “Spencer,” Weathers roars. “Out. Now.”

It’s as though he didn’t say a damn word.

He reaches our table and his hand shoots out. I wince, preparing to be struck but his hand curls into a fist around the front of Colton’s shirt. He tears him out of his seat and I watch with my mouth hanging open at his sheer strength to be able to do that.

Spencer pushes past me and slams Colton against the wall at my back so hard that I feel it vibrate with the pressure. “Spence,” Charlie yells from the back of the room. “What the fuck, dude?”

“Is it true?” Spencer growls, leaning into Colton and getting right in his face, making me panic that Spencer is going to cause some damage. After all, to mess up Colton’s face would be a damn shame. It’s so fucking pretty, but on the other hand, watching these two fight would have me coming so hard. I wonder how they’d feel about sharing. Spencer has that whole rich, playboy, dangerous vibe going on and it’s kind of sexy. Add that to Colton’s bad boy mystic and it’s a sandwich I’d be a part of any day.

Colton doesn’t take his eyes from Spencer for even a second. “Is what true?”

“Your old man with Jacquie.”

“The fuck are you talking about?” Colton demands, getting his hands up between them and giving Spencer a hard shove, his hand flailing in the process and whacking me across the face.

“Ah, fuck,” I grunt, slapping a hand over the sharp sting on my face but neither of them seem to notice as their too stuck in their stare-off. Weathers certainly notices though and does his best to get between them, however, he doesn’t get far.

“My dad’s not fucking your cousin,” Colton roars, pissed off to be put in this situation. “That’s bullshit. Where the fuck did you hear that crap?”

“Don’t fucking lie to me, man,” Spencer demands, trying to grab him again, the two of them constantly bumping into the side of my chair and making me rock around.

“I’m not fucking lying. He’s not screwing your cousin.”

Getting tired of being rocked around, I slam my chair back into Spencer’s hip and fly to my feet. “Who’s your cousin? Platinum blonde, fake titties, and big cock-sucking lips?”

Spencer tears his eyes from Colton and his glare is sharp enough to kill. “Yeah. What the fuck do you know about it?” he growls as I feel Colton’s eyes raking over my face and zoning in on the red mark covering my cheek.