Beautiful Hell: A Contemporary High School Bully Romance Page 22

  “Why, thank you, good sir,” I giggle, my knees turning to Jell-O. “Everything hurts, but I’m doing it, you know? I’m practicing again. I’m… I’m dancing again. I could cry…”

  Tears prick my eyes, and Elias kisses me again, cupping my face in his hands. He’s the best medicine for pretty much anything. I’m actually inclined to disagree with Madame Olenna about dancing… eventually, our bodies give in. But this? Having someone to hold me. Someone who supports me. Someone who celebrates my wins just as much as they’d celebrate their own… Now that’s worth the world.

  “Don’t cry. Save your sobs for when you nail the lead in The Nutcracker,” Elias replies, holding me close while the last of the afternoon students go by, some giving us curious or surprised glances. Yeah, I didn’t see this coming, either, and yet here we are. “I’m already inviting potential donors and family friends to see the show before Christmas.”

  “Well, then… we’d best not disappoint them!” I say, fires igniting in my cheeks.

  “Come on. Let’s grab dinner somewhere, and you can tell me all about your first practice session,” Elias says, but his smile quickly fades, his gaze lost somewhere behind me.

  I turn around to find Janelle getting out of her car. She’s in one of her smart suits, likely back from Fowler & Malone. She spots me in Elias’s arms, and she freezes. I’m not sure what to think of this. I love and trust Janelle, of course, but she’s working for my dad. Part of me can’t help but worry a little.

  Janelle crosses the street, reaching us just as Elias takes a step back, putting a decent distance between us. “Hey, Jan,” Elias says, his tone uneven. He’s nervous. I can tell.

  But Janelle seems… fine. “Hey, guys!” She looks at him, then at me. “What, um… what’s going on here?”

  Okay, so maybe not that fine, but I’m sure she’ll understand once I explain everything. “Um, well, Elias and I… we’re… um, I guess you could say that—”

  “We’re together,” Elias takes over, as I can’t seem to find the right words.

  “Wow,” Janelle manages, eyes wide with shock. “I thought I’d imagined it. Okay…”

  “It just… It happened,” I say, trying to smile, but fearful of her reaction. “It was long overdue, if I’m honest, but… you know, we’re finally something more than just our last names.”

  Janelle gives me a soft smile. “I get it. I wasn’t expecting it, truth be told, but it actually makes a lot of sense. It definitely explains a lot of the tension between you two,” she chuckles, and I’m suddenly embarrassed.

  “Yeah, we sort of figured that one out along the way,” Elias says, hands behind his back. Oh, he’s so nervous, it’s almost infectious. He talks a good game, and his composure is enviable, but I can see it in his eyes. He’s worried.

  “Don’t tell Dad, Janelle,” I manage, instantly regretting it.

  Janelle looks offended. “What the hell, Kira?!” she snaps. “You’re my best friend. I would never do that to you!”

  “Oh god, I am so sorry,” I say, clasping my hands together in a pleading gesture. “So, so sorry! It’s just that… if he finds out, it’ll be an absolute mess. You know him almost as well as I do. You know what I mean, right? It’s not that you would deliberately tell him, but… hey, it could slip!”

  “You’re going to have to tell him at some point, though,” Janelle mutters, crossing her arms as she measures us both from head to toe. “You don’t want him catching you. Or someone else telling him. Given that you’re both out here, in public, it’s obvious word is going to get out, soon enough.”

  “We’ll figure something out,” I say, trying to reassure him. Janelle’s right. We do have to tell him. We’ll just have to find the right way.

  “Maybe you can take advantage of this charity work you’re doing together,” Janelle suggests, and Elias nods. His hesitation is impossible to ignore.

  “Maybe…”

  “What are you doing here?” I ask, eager to change the subject. Elias and I can talk about it later. Janelle scowls at me, even scrunching her nose a little too dramatically.

  “We had plans for dinner tonight. I texted you. You texted back. Said yes. Then I said cool, that I’d pick you up?” Janelle replies, and I’m left looking like a dunce.

  “Crap. Right,” I grumble, pinching the bridge of my nose. “You are absolutely right. You did text, I did say yes…”

  “And you forgot,” Elias chuckles.

  I turn to him. “I’m sorry!”

  “No need,” he replies, nodding at Janelle. “You girls go get your dinner. Talk things through. Catch up. Janelle, Kira has a lot of good news, by the way.”

  Janelle lights up, eyeing me curiously.

  “Okay, let’s go, then,” I say, flashing her a grin.

  “And I’ll go home, order some Chinese,” Elias adds, looking rather dull. “Watch a rerun of something.”

  “You sound so miserable,” I reply and he pouts.

  “Guys, you can see each other later,” Janelle cuts in, trying not to laugh.

  Elias feigns enlightenment. “Oh, my god. Yes! I’ll come to your place tonight,” he tells me.

  “Don’t even joke about that! Are you insane?!”

  He throws his head back, roaring with laughter, while Janelle pulls me away. “Come on, girl, we obviously have a lot to talk about!”

  I glance over my shoulder and see Elias sending me an air kiss. It’s such a strange sight, yet so wonderful altogether. It’s like we’re both different people. New people. Upgraded versions. There are times when I think that everything that has happened up to our first night together has been nothing but a bad dream.

  That we’ve only just awakened to this reality.

  If only erasing the past was an actually possibility.

  24

  Kira

  Dinner with Janelle runs smoothly, and she drops me back at my car, outside school, shortly before midnight. We’re still laughing, as I’ve finally had the courage to tell her everything that I’ve been going through. I’m as light as a feather, and it feels so… liberating.

  “Listen, whatever you’re doing now, don’t stop,” Janelle says, leaning against her car. “It looks good on you, K.”

  “It feels good, too,” I reply. “It’s like I’m a whole new person…”

  “Nah, it’s still you, but without all the unnecessary drama,” she chuckles, then briefly gets serious. “How are you feeling, though? With the pills and all?”

  Exhaling sharply, I put on a half-smile. “I’ll be okay. I’ve got a lot to stay sober for…”

  “Wouldn’t it be better if you throw the pill bottle away?”

  I shake my head. “Elias says I have to face the demon and resist it. Throwing the Oxy away would be like hiding from it. If I cave, I’ll have someone to get the pills from, anyway. It doesn’t make much of a difference. I need to resist the urge, not the actual bottle.”

  Janelle nods slowly, then hugs me so tight, my air’s cut off. “I’m proud of you, Kira. I really am. You deserve all the good stuff in the world,” she says. “And talk to me, the next time you feel like you’re crashing, okay? Don’t hold it all in. I love you like a sister, and I will always be there for you…”

  I’m tearing up again. This is the second time I’m hearing such kind words today. In contrast, the idea of going home and maybe crossing paths with my dad sounds like the most depressing way to end this wonderful day. I can’t even remember the last time he said he loved me, or that he was proud of me.

  “I love you, too, sweets,” I reply, gently stepping back.

  She gets in the car and drives off, and I stand there for a while, in the semi-darkness of a boulevard, watching people go by. There are bars farther down the street, the music floating towards me. It’s a Friday night, after all. I have to be at the school, early in the morning, though. I promised Madame Olenna. Every day, morning and evening, I will practice.

  It’s quiet at home. Dad’s in the master bedro
om. I can hear him snoring all the way down here, in the main lobby. Turning the lights off, I go upstairs into my room, carefully locking the door behind me. I’m smiling like an idiot by the time I step into my bedroom.

  “Took you forever,” Elias says, and I nearly scream.

  “What the…”

  Flipping the light switch, I whisk around to find him sitting on the sill, window wide open and curtains dancing in the midnight breeze. Shock doesn’t even begin to describe what I’m experiencing right now. Well, that and elation. I certainly did not expect this.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I hiss, setting my purse on a nearby side table.

  “I had Chinese. Watched a rerun. I was bored,” Elias replies with a shrug. “Plus, I did say your place tonight. You didn’t seem to mind.” He’s laughing while he says it, the idiot.

  My phone beeps. “Hold on,” I tell him and hold a hand out to him, making sure he doesn’t step further into my room. I check the new message. It’s from Janelle. She wants to make sure I’m home safe.

  I text her back. I’m home, safe. Elias snuck in. Fun times!

  Frowning, I set the phone aside and look at him. “You’re literally trespassing.”

  “You can call the cops on me. Or handcuff me yourself.”

  He’s smiling. He’s really enjoying this. Admittedly, I am, too. In fact, my blood is already racing, my core warming up in anticipation of all the mindless and sweaty lovemaking I know is coming. God, he reeks of sex appeal, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.

  His black jeans seem tight, considering the erection they’re trying to fit. The first three buttons on his navy-blue shirt are loose, revealing his muscular chest. I can’t wait to touch it again. The feel of his skin is intoxicating. His cologne lingers in the air, electrifying the space between us.

  “You are on enemy territory right now,” I tell him, my temperature rising.

  He stands, his shadow stretching across the room. His gaze is pitch black, and it’s enough to make me whimper, ever so softly.

  “That’s what makes this so much hotter,” Elias replies, stalking towards me.

  I move away from him, reaching the nightstand. “Elias stop!”

  “That’s not what you’ll be saying in a few minutes,” he quips and my pussy responds, moistening like he licked the words right against my center. Jesus Effing Christ!

  He reaches out to me again and again, I pull back – despite the fact that my body is practically begging me to fall on his cock.

  I watch as he moves toward the drawer, his eyes fixed on me while – with practiced precision – he pulls out the little whip I keep inside.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think this wasn’t the first time you’ve entered my room,” I say.

  He pulls a finger over the heart shaped tip. “You don’t know better,” he says. Despite the fact that I should be really fucking concerned that Elias has checked out my room before, I’m not. Instead, a part of me is intrigued by that fact and another part, curious.

  I sink my teeth into my lower lip, still watching him.

  The look on his face shifts into something much darker, more dangerous. The thrill of merely anticipating his next move makes me gasp when he moves toward me. I’m, vibrating with arousal, now.

  “You’ve never used it, huh?” he asks, his eyes finding mine.

  I shrug. “Maybe I’ve tried it on myself a couple of times… Just curious, you know?”

  “Why’d you buy it?”

  “No reason,” I say, my cheeks on fire.

  “No reason,” he mimics, eyebrows arched high. Then, his eyes turn into emerald slits as he extends a hand, offering me the whip. “How did you try it on yourself? Show me.”

  All of a sudden, I’m hot. Hot enough that sweat starts seeping through my shirt.

  “I’d have to be naked,” I whisper.

  He crosses his arms. “Well, then, what are you waiting for?”

  His authoritative attitude turns me on. I can’t help but obey when he orders me around like this. I know he’s hard. The prominent bulge in his pants is proof. It’s getting bigger, and I’m getting wetter. Moistening my panties to the point of embarrassment.

  I get rid of my shirt first, then peel my jeans off. Elias’ gaze lingers on my bra and panties—matching baby blue lace with silk straps. He raises a hand and traces an invisible line from my neck all the way down to my navel, where he lingers for a moment before he tugs on the hem of my panties, licking his lips.

  “Go on,” he says, his voice gruff and dripping with desire. “Show me.”

  It’s not hard to get past the awkwardness of doing something I’ve only done in the privacy of my room—not when Elias is looking at me like this. I slap the heart-shaped tip against my thigh, gasping from the mild stinging sensation. He watches, quietly, as a pink rose blooms through my skin.

  “Again.”

  I hit my buttock this time, closing my eyes for a moment. Clearing his throat, he unzips his jeans and releases his bulging erection. I bite into my lower lip, already yearning to feel that inside me. I could cry…

  “Undress me,” Elias says. How can I say no to that?

  Slowly but surely, I bite on the whip’s slender stem and take off his shirt, allowing my fingers to brush over his skin. His muscles twitch beneath. His chest is bare, now, so I have to pull the jeans and briefs down. Hooking my fingers between them and his hips, I yank downwards. Both easily drop, and he slips out of them, while I linger on my knees, his cock inches away from me.

  I look up at him, and he seems to register my intention, but says nothing.

  Taking hold of the whip again with one hand, I use the other to grip his throbbing member. It’s hard as a rock, the veins swollen and the tip glistening with precum. Squeezing it, I lick the pearlescent bead off, and he takes a deep breath, twitching in my hand.

  I’ve never done this before, but I’ve seen my share of porn. Wrapping my lips around the head, I try to take as much of his cock as possible. It reaches the back of my neck, and I’m only halfway through. Good grief, this is going to be a lot of work…

  My hand slips to the base, gripping tightly as I start sucking, slowly at first… until a rhythm emerges. His hips move, and he pushes himself deeper into my mouth, grunting softly. The whip’s tip hits my ass, and I feel him swelling in my mouth. This turns him on to a whole new level, and I am dripping wet.

  I suck him harder, bobbing my head and relaxing my throat until I get all of him.

  “Oh, fuck,” he croaks, planting one hand on the back of my head and keeping me in place. I tear up, but I’m loving this. I’m loving the power it gives me. I whip myself again - harder this time. Elias groans, as I look up at him, my lips stretching around his cock. “Again…”

  Yet another whip, as I take all of him in. It’s getting harder to breathe, but I don’t want to stop. Elias, however, has other plans. He pulls back, and I’m left swallowing the salty sweetness of his precum. He takes the whip away and motions for me to turn around.

  Once my back is to him, I feel his hand on my ass, caressing each cheek. My panties vanish, and so does my bra.

  “Bend over,” Elias demands. I do just that, planting my hands on the edge of the bed for support. My temperature is spiking, a cold draft swishing past my hind. I am naked, my legs spread before him. I should feel vulnerable, but instead, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more empowered.

  The sting of the whip is so unexpected, I grit my teeth to stop myself from squealing. A split-second later, he penetrates me—hard and fast, and I am breathless. He whips me again, harder. It makes me clench, my pussy tightening around him. “Elias…” I moan.

  Another whipping, as his thrusts intensify. He fucks me harder, his rhythm heady and determined. Every lash stings enough to make me squeeze him as he goes deeper, and every sensation serves to bring me closer to the edge.

  Before I can sense what’s coming, the whip comes down again, and my left hand slips between m
y folds, where a hardened clitoris awaits. Elias takes me, faster and faster, with enough strength to make me squirm as I flick my hypersensitive nub into oblivion.

  “Oh…my…” I gasp, as he whips me again, and my entire world is rocked and turned upside down.

  Elias is close to his climax, and so am I. White light explodes around me as I let go. The whip. His almost violent pounding. Our hearts racing. Our bodies merging and… our spirits unraveling, as we both ride the wave of a simultaneous orgasm.

  “Kira…”

  He can barely articulate my name, as he comes, his hips jerking. I melt and ripple outwards, like a lake unsettled by a bouncing stone, the climax spreading like a supernova throughout my limbs. His hand slips around my waist. The whip falls on the floor. He pulls me up straight, still thrusting and filling me to the brim.

  I turn my head, and we kiss, basking in the sweetness of aches and stings.

  “You’re mine, Kira. All mine.”

  “All yours,” I breathe, unable to come down from where we’ve climbed.

  This is perfect, just the way it is. And I want as much of this perfection as I can possibly get. He tries to pull away, but I moan in protest.

  “No, baby, don’t. Stay inside me,” I tell him.

  He stills, his hands traveling up and down my body, memorizing every inch of skin. They settle on my breasts, and he pinches my nipples, making me shiver. He’s getting hard again. I’m in for quite the marathon…

  25

  Elias

  We left the window open. The mornings are quite chilly around this time of the year, but Kira keeps me warm enough. We barely slept for a couple of hours, fucking like rabbits until dawn. I can’t get enough of her. I doubt I ever will.

  She’s awake. I can tell from her breathing. But I leave her to her thoughts, just as, right now, I need a minute with mine. I’m falling for this girl, hard and fast and completely unrestraint. I’m watching her heal and every moment that she gets a step closer to the best version of herself, is a moment that I’m filled with the kind of pride that kids my age hardly ever experience. There’s only one problem. It’s the same problem we’ve always had. Her father. My plans to find out whether or not he murdered Janelle’s father are still in place. Kira and her dad have their issues, sure. But he’s still her father. Still the only family she has left.