Page 63 of Brutal Little Secrets

“Everyone has a price, EvanAnn. Besides, I’ve heard you’re a cheap whore, so I’m sure the number won’t even make my allowance flinch.” That evil smile again.

“No.” I turn to walk out of the bathroom.

“What do you mean, no?” she huffs out.

I turn back and smile at her. “That’s what you tell someone when you don’t want what they’re offering. I know you might be unfamiliar with it, but my answer is no.”

“So you won’t stay away from Damon?” Olivia crosses her arms with a glare.

“You make a lot of assumptions about me and about Damon, but I don’t think you really know what he wants, or you’d know he doesn’t want someone to control him.” I step toward her. “And if you knew me, you’d know I’m loyal to whoever I give myself to.”

“I heard Chase had an open relationship with you.” She smirks.

“That’s what he thought, but it wasn’t something we discussed.” I laugh. “Is that the best you have? My fuckboy ex?”

“I fucked him this summer, gave him some quality road head.”

My heart skips. She was the one in Chase’s car, or was that another time? What if Damon wants to blackmail her instead to get revenge? My chest aches. I couldn’t sit by and watch that happen. It would crush something in me I’m trying desperately to ignore.

“Maybe I should just tell Damon you’re a stuck up virgin who won’t give it up.”

“Go ahead. I won’t take your money to ignore Damon Storm.”

She steps toward me menacingly. If someone more comfortable fighting with money than her fists could be considered menacing. “I can make school hell for you.”

“And how would that be different from the past three years?” My anger that was on simmer burns through me. “Do you think it’s easy to go here when you aren’t rich? Do you think this has been easy for me? That I’ve been happy being alone? What areyou going to take from me? My ex? My best friend, who I’ve known for a few weeks?”

“Damon is mine,” she bites out.

“If he is, then I’m sure he won’t even try anything with me because he’d be with you, so we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.” I take a step back and hold in the fact that he’s mine. Maybe he won’t be for long if he finds out Olivia was the girl in the car that night. My stomach churns.

“Maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know why I ever thought he might want someone like you.” She looks me up and down like I’m the trash beneath her feet. “He wouldn’t even let you come near him. Even your name is stupid. EvanAnn? It’s like your parents wanted to brand you as a loser. You’re low class and have no future.”

Fuck this bitch. Yes, she’ll always have money, but that doesn’t make her better than me.

“That’s where you’re wrong.” I straighten. “I have a future. Whatever it takes, I’ll rise, because that’s what I’m meant to do.”

She smiles. “Not if your play doesn’t do well.”

I shake my head. “One play will not make or break my career. Yes, it might set me back if I did something wrong, but that’s not what’s going to happen. And if you think you can threaten me?—”

The door opens, and I turn to see who came in. I swallow as Damon meets my eyes. My body softens with his nearby. My chest aches. Will he want revenge against Olivia? Isn’t that the whole reason he went after me to begin with?

“Did you miss me, lover?” Olivia smiles and knocks my shoulder as she walks over to Damon. She puts her hands on his chest. “We were just negotiating a deal.”

I turn away. I can’t watch her paw him. He needs to act the part to make her give up on her quest to pay me off. But that doesn’t mean it won’t hurt.

“Are you okay?”

“What?” Olivia practically shrieks. “She doesn’t want you. She wants her skeezy boyfriend.”

His hands fall on my shoulders, and I suck in a breath. I don’t dare turn around, because I’m sure everything is written all over my face. Olivia will know. What is he doing?

“What are you doing, Damon?” Olivia is practically melting down. “She’s nothing. She’s worse than nothing. She’s an ant.”

I turn to glare at Olivia. Money isn’t everything.

Damon gazes down at me with those sharp blue eyes, but I don’t dare look at him. I try not to give anything away.