“What the hell were you all here for?” Vincent asked, storming toward them.
Adalyn and Lake pulled their dresses down and pulled their tops up to cover their cleavage. “Why the hell do you think?”
Vincent’s face started to contort.
Lake stepped in, confessing, “I begged her to come dancing with me. It’s my fault. The only way we could get in was going with those guys. We didn’t do anything with them, though.”
Vincent took a deep breath. “Good. You can’t date boys until you graduate. I don’t care if it’s only a few months away. I won’t say anything, but I better not catch you two again.”
Nero watched the two both nod, even though it took Lake hitting Adalyn’s arm before she did.
Vincent held out his keys. “Go get in the car. I’m taking you both home.”
Adalyn snatched the keys and they both started running.
Vincent yelled, watching Adalyn hold her dress down as she ran, “You’re burning those fucking dresses when we get home!”
Lake tried to pull her dress down at Vincent’s comment.
Vincent changed his mind. “Actually, give them to me. I want to get rid of them.”
Nero would have laughed under different circumstances; Vincent was clearly just as shaken up as he was right now.
Vincent walked toward him. “My fucking retinas are burned from watching my sister’s ass in there.”
Amo was able to laugh, though. “Yeah, right, you were too busy watching Lake’s ass to notice it was even your sister with her.”
Vincent was about to say something, but then thought otherwise, looking at Nero. “I’m sorry about Elle, man.”
“Yeah, I feel bad. I set this whole thing up, then Elle and Vincent’s sister happened,” Amo added.
Nero ran his hands through his hair. “Oh, yeah, we owe you a thanks, right?”
“Thanks a fucking lot,” Vincent got out.
They started to hear sirens coming closer. “Let’s get out of here. Amo, you’re going to fucking owe me for this.”
“All right, man, I understand.”
They all started walking to their own cars.
As Nero walked toward his Cadillac, he thought of Elle’s last words. ‘Just leave me the fuck alone!’ He opened his car door, getting in. Not in a million years, baby.
Nero spun out of there right before the cops arrived. He didn’t know how he would win her back yet; all he knew was he wasn’t going to stop until Elle was his. For good.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The Horror in the Mirror
Elle spent the whole weekend in her bed, trying not to cry. Yeah, unsuccessfully. The only time she left her bedroom was to go to work, which she couldn’t get out of. She hated leaving the house to do so, though.
The love of watching the city pass through her bus window and as she walked to work was now gone. Elle had felt like a mushy mess; her eyes were stained red, her hair was unkempt, and her clothes were mismatched. She had actually thanked God for her uniform this weekend.
Elle went through varied emotions. She went from happy that it was over so soon between them to sadness it was over and all the way to straight-up ax murderer that he had done this to her, and everything else in between.
Elle promised herself she was going to get over him by Monday. There is no way Nero is seeing me like this.
Elle was determined Nero wasn’t going to think he had gotten the best of her. She was going to move on, and he was going to see it Monday morning.
When Monday morning rolled around and Elle’s alarm clock went off, she thought of a new way to destroy it when school was finally over. She woke up groggy. More like I feel like shit.
Turning on the bathroom light, she saw the horror in the mirror. She didn’t exactly know if this was even fixable. She wished Chloe was there to help. Wait, Chloe can help.
Elle ran back to her bedroom and hit Chloe’s number. It rang several times. Elle knew it was pretty early and thought she should hang up, but then it was answered.
“Hello?”
Chloe sounded wide awake to her. She knew she’d hardly slept, but damn it was early.
“Chloe, I need your help. I look like shit.”
Chloe’s voice sounded almost cheerful. “Be right there. Bye.”
Chloe was definitely the one for the job. She had to look like a million dollars a lot of the time, due to her dad’s work. She had to go to many occasions with her parents and look like the part of the perfect, beautiful daughter. Unfortunately, with her scars, her father made sure she looked like two million dollars, so it would distract from the slashes down her face.
Elle knew if any other girl had Chloe’s markings, they wouldn’t pull it off, but since Chloe was beyond gorgeous naturally, she made them look beautiful. Chloe can pull anything off.
Elle brushed her teeth and washed her face before Chloe got there. When she did arrive, she immediately got to work. Elle kept her hands locked in her lap and didn’t move while Chloe was working on her. She thought Chloe would wear gloves before she even started working. She didn’t, and Chloe made sure to use all the tools.
“Okay, what are you going to wear?” Chloe asked as she put away her hair tools.
Elle shrugged. “I don’t know. Just a t-shirt and jeans, I guess.”
“I did not do your makeup and fix your matted hair for a t-shirt and jeans.” Chloe walked into Elle’s closet and came out. “Where is the green sweater?”
Elle looked at the floor. “I don’t want to wear that.”
“Why not?” Chloe asked, sitting on her bed.
Elle knew it was stupid, but the only reason she had liked it instantly was because it had reminded her of Nero’s eyes; as such, she didn’t want to wear it. Elle didn’t want to tell Chloe that, though; therefore, she simply shrugged.
“Elle, do you want to make him regret ever cheating on you and shove it in his freaking face?”
Elle thought for a second. Yes, I fucking do.
Elle got up and went into her closet, shutting the door. She dressed in the small space, putting on her black leggings and getting the sweater down from the top shelf. Then she put on some high, black boots.