A Hurt So Sweet Volume Three (Elite of Eden Falls Prep 3)

“To fuck me.” She looks right into my eyes this time, her gaze burning with pain as it meets mine. “Easton told them all they could fuck me.”

“Who?” I demand, forcing my fingers not to crush hers out of the pure rage I’m currently feeling. “Who did he tell they could fuck you?”

“Caspian,” she whispers. “Julian. And… Lai.”

“Lai?” I repeat. “But they didn’t do it, right?”

She laughs bitterly and I squeeze her fingers, hoping she can see how important this is to me.

“Pandora,” I bite out. “Lai called me. He told me to come and get you, he told me where you were. Everybody was going crazy after the party; your father is fucking furious. He told me I could use Kelley to come and find you, toy. He’s desperate to bring you back. He never approved this, Pandora. We can just go back and everything will go back to normal, okay?”

“Normal?” she repeats, her voice shaky as she pulls her hand away. “Things will n-never be normal again, Dexter. And it’s all because of you!”

“What?” I furrow my brows at her. “What did I do?”

“You started this sick… fucking game! This is all about Easton’s revenge against you, can’t you fucking see?” She starts to cry again, burying her face in her hands as she cries harder and harder.

“Pandora,” I say, keeping my voice softer than I want to. “What happened after Caspian came in?”

“What the fuck do you think happened?” she snarls. “He fucked me, Dexter! He fucked me like I was nothing but a plaything for him, because that’s what I am, isn’t it? That’s what you made me into!”

I’m lost for words. How can I make it up to her? How can I give her back the innocence she lost when I’m the one responsible for ripping it away from her? Shame burns me up from the inside, the flames threatening to swallow me whole. I deserve this, but Pandora doesn’t.

“Come on,” I utter, reaching out for her, but she flinches when my fingers touch her skin. “I’ll get you home. I have Kelley waiting downstairs, he’ll take you straight to

the Estate.”

“And then what?” She laughs bitterly, with no happiness in the sound. “They won’t keep it a secret like you did, Dexter. They’re going to tell everyone – and then my life will be over.”

I struggle to find the words to calm her down, knowing she’s right. There’s no way Easton will keep his mouth shut about this. Pandora will be a pariah at school. She’ll be exposed, her Firstborn status taken away. Her life will be over. Unless…

“I’m the reason all this happened,” I say. “It’s my fault this happened to you. So I swear to you right now, Pandora, I’ll make it up to you for everything you’ve gone through.”

“How?” she demands, shaking her head in frustrated disbelief. “There’s nothing you can do, Dexter. It’s over for me. I’m done in Eden Falls.”

“Not if I have anything to do with it,” I tell her, offering her my hand to help her get out of the bed they defiled her in. “Come with me, Pandora. I’ll make it all better. I won’t leave your side at school, I’ll protect you. I’ll make sure nobody ever hurts you again.”

It’s as much as I can give her, the promise hanging in the air between us as she eyes me suspiciously, her gaze searching mine for another ulterior motive. I hate that it’s come to this, that she can’t trust me at all anymore, but I’m a man of my word and I fully intend on protecting Pandora from the others like I promised.

Finally, she puts her hand in mine and I pull her out of the bed.

“Where are your clothes?” I question her, and she gives me a long look that speaks volumes.

“They took them,” she finally mutters, and I curse under my breath before slipping off my jacket and wrapping her up in it.

“Come on, I’ll get you home.”

“What about my father?” she asks, her bottom lip jutting out. “He’s going to fucking kill me.”

“No,” I say resolutely. “I’ll make sure you’re okay, don’t worry. Come on, we need to get the hell out of here.”

I lead her out of the house to a shocked Kelley who doesn’t say a word, just opens the car door for us and silently drives away from Julian’s lake house.

Pandora’s quiet for the entire ride home, and I take every chance I can to check if she’s okay. Apart from the ruined makeup she looks just like the girl who’s been the thorn in my side for months. But there’s something different – the way she holds herself, the way she meekly looks away every time my eyes meet hers. Her defiance is gone, wiped out by the boys I called my friends only a day ago.

They broke her.

They broke her the way I never could.