In Ruins: A Dark High School Bully Romance (A Black Falls High Novel Book 1)
In Ruins: Chapter 32

When I finally woke, hours had passed, and it had grown dark out. Thunder rumbled in the distance. I shivered and decided I wanted something sweet and warm, so I made my way downstairs and dug around in the kitchen until I found everything I needed to make a mug of hot cocoa. I let out a groan when my doorbell rang. Considering I was on the outs with everyone, there shouldn’t have been anyone at my door at nine at night.

Sighing, I jerked it open to find Fox staring back at me.

“Go away,” I said in an even voice.

“Christ, Rosalie, your face—”

“Oh, this?” I let out a bitter laugh as his brows crinkled. “Tell your girlfriend thanks. Now that you’ve had your look, run along and laugh about it.” I made to close the door, but he held his hand out and stopped me.

“What the hell? Let me help you.”

“You can help me by going to hell, Fox.” I tried closing the door again, but he wasn’t having it. He pushed me aside and stepped into the foyer.

“I told you to get the fuck out,” I snarled at him. All the anger I’d been harboring came bubbling out. “I’ll call the cops.”

“You can call an army. I’m not leaving here until I help you.” He didn’t wait for my answer. He strode past me like he really wanted to help. I stared dumbly at him for a moment before letting out a grunt of frustration. Whatever. I’d go up to my room and lock the door. He could sit downstairs by himself.

I ambled into the kitchen, but he wasn’t there.

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Figuring I didn’t really give a damn, I went back to making my hot cocoa, telling myself I probably would call the cops if I couldn’t get him out of my house in the next ten minutes.

“Sit.” He came back in the room carrying rubbing alcohol and a washcloth. I eyed the items nervously and shook my head.

“I don’t take orders from you. I want you out of here—”

“I’m not playing around, Rosalie. Sit your ass down before I put you down.” The way his blue eyes flashed told me he wasn’t playing.

I already knew how very serious he could be. Rather than fight more with anyone, I sat at the kitchen island, eyeing him nervously. He shuffled beside me and uncapped the alcohol as he faced me.

“Tell me what happened.”

“You already know—”

“No, I don’t. If I did, this would be a different conversation. Who did this to you?”

“I told you already. Juliet and her plastic patrol.”

A muscle in Fox’s jaw tightened as he dabbed the alcohol on my forehead. “When?”

“After gym. In the locker room.”

“Did she do it alone?”

“No,” I mumbled, telling him about Melissa and Tara. He dabbed more on my forehead, scrubbing slightly.

“Did she say why?”

“Does she need a reason to be a bitch?” I countered. “But if you want to know the reason, she said you sent her. That it was part of the game you guys were playing. Somehow, I’d lost, so she got to have a little fun.”

“Fucking bitch,” he growled. “I had nothing to do with this, Rosie. I swear to you. I’d never do this to you. Never.”

I grew quiet as he continued his work. My throat ached as I tried to push away my feelings.

“She said I was trash. A whore. She said she knows about me, you, and Cole. She saw us earlier this week at school. She said that I needed to stay away from you. This was my warning.”

Fox nodded tightly, his eyes darkening as he continued dabbing alcohol on my forehead.

“She won’t bother you again, Rosalie.”

I snorted and looked away from him.

He was quick to grab my face and turn me back. “I’ll make sure of it.”

I scoffed. “Right, just like you already promised. Twice!” I threw my hands up and got up from my seat, all my emotions pouring out of me. “If you’d have just let me be that day in the cafeteria with her, none of this would be happening right now! It’s all your fault!”

“You know damn well when someone wants what they want, they will find a way to get it,” Fox snapped back, getting to his feet. Thunder rumbled louder outside. The lights flickered in my kitchen as the wind picked up. I could make out lightning streaking across the sky from the patio doors behind Fox. This was going to get nasty in more ways than one.

“I wouldn’t know shit about that,” I snapped. “I’ve never gotten what I’ve wanted.”

“Didn’t you want us? Didn’t you want me?” he demanded. “Because the girl I’ve spent time with these past few weeks, sure acted like she did!”

I glowered at him. “I was forced into it, in case you forgot! You were mean to me. Just awful. Then you bossed me around. And then to gain leverage to make me do your bidding, you filmed me almost being raped and blackmailed me to keep you from showing the video. And now that you made me feel more for you, more for all of you, you decided to have one more fucking laugh at my expense by siccing your psycho girlfriend on me.”

A muscle popped along his jaw, and he shook his head in disbelief. “I thought we were beyond that. I thought you knew we never intended to actually use the video. We just wanted… I just wanted…” He chuckled wryly, rage and sorrow warring on his face. “I’m sorry. But haven’t you ever wanted something enough to actually fight for it? Have you ever fought for anything in your life? No, wait. I can answer that for you. No, you haven’t. You don’t even fight for your dreams, Rosalie! I know damn well you don’t want to go to Pendleton. I saw how happy you were when you were singing in my bedroom. You’re settling so you don’t have to fight—”

“Get the hell out of my house, Fox. I’m not fucking kidding. Don’t come in here acting like a white knight after everything, thinking you can play these mind games with me. I’m not letting you in anymore! Whatever sick game you’re playing with me is done! So get the fuck out and don’t come back!”

He stared me down, a vein pulsating in his forehead. His mouth opened to say more, but I wasn’t finished yet.

“You don’t fight for what you want either. Our failed friendship is a shining example! I hate you, Fox. I hate you so fucking much it hurts!” I pounded my palm against my heart. “You’ve done nothing but ruin my life. But that’s what you wanted, wasn’t it? To leave me in ruins? It’s what you vowed. To make me pay for whatever the fuck you think I did to you. I was a kid, Fox. A fucking child. I didn’t have shit to do with your mom dying. I know you blame me for it! It wasn’t my fault! The only thing I ever did was love you. I loved you even when you hated me. But now, that shit is over. This is over. Get out. And don’t fucking come back.”

He pushed passed me and went out the front door, slamming it so hard the windows rattled. Torrents of rain came down, and the storm intensified outside.

But it had nothing on my heart. I fell back onto the stool, sobbing. I caught my reflection in my mom’s China cabinet and let out another sob.

Fox had gotten the words off my forehead.

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