Page 40

“ C ome on, I have something I want to tell you,” Bellamy says as soon as she finds me in my overly full living room. The party at The Wolves Den is already in full force after the football win today.

From the moment Mav and I picked her up today, she’s been different. The way she kissed me in front of my brother filled my chest with a hope I haven’t felt in so long.

“I’ve been dying to tell you,” she smiles, excitement in her tone. “I saw Tori today in the psych building.”

“Okay…” My heart starts to race as I follow her into my room.

“I was worried my video of their embrace wouldn’t be enough, but then something very unexpected happened…” Rolling her lips, she’s keeping me on edge, and I’m damn near bursting at the seams.

“Come on, baby. Don’t leave me hanging like this.”

“So a very important birdy told me that very serious allegations have been brought out about Professor Douglas; therefore, he’ll be fired effective immediately.”

While processing everything she’s telling me, Bellamy shows me the video of Tori at the professor’s door.

Their embrace may be minor, but there’s no doubt it’s a sexual relationship.

I feel nothing but disgust for them both as I watch.

Him, because he’s taking advantage of his title as a male teacher, and her, because she’s been taking advantage of me for some unknown reason.

At this point, I’m not even sure she knows the reason anymore.

“I know it’s not hard evidence on Tori, but I think with him being fired and the proof that there’s more to their relationship, she’ll flop under the pressure of getting kicked out of school for inappropriate behavior with a professor.

Since he wasn’t her teacher, it makes it seem more likely that their relationship was consensual. ”

“Yeah, but what if one day she decides to take revenge out on you?”

“My theory is that, by then, she’ll have some rich guy convinced she's the best trophy wife, and she won’t want him to know about her previous shenanigans with her professor, so that will keep her in check. Or maybe I can find a way to get her to confess it.”

I smirk at her notion, but it still makes me nervous that we can’t control what devices she has the video stored on.

Bellamy gently takes my face in her hands and leans her forehead against mine. “Cash, I promise you, I’m okay with this. I don’t care what the fallout may be; at this point, I just don’t want her to hold this over your head another day.”

I gently place a kiss on her lips, overwhelmed with gratitude at the risk she’s willing to take for me…for us.

“Well, isn’t this cute…” Tori says from where she stands in my doorway, and my body stiffens at the sight of her.

“Is this why you haven’t fucked me in months?” Tori snarls at me.

I open my mouth to tell her that yes, it absolutely is, and to get the hell out of my room, but Bellamy turns immediately, making her way to Tori before I can get a word out.

“You are right on time, Tori. Too bad you don’t have your video camera ready,” Bellamy sneers, getting in Tori’s face.

Wide-eyed, Tori lets out a small gasp and glances at me.

“Yep, that’s right. I know about your pathetic little blackmail stunt. So, I decided to take a trick out of your playbook.” Bellamy’s words are smooth and calculated as they roll off her tongue.

That has Tori’s eyebrows pinching together. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Cash, baby…can you bring me my phone?”

Bellamy’s attitude is making my dick hard.

Once I pass her the phone, she scrolls with one hand on her hip, like the idea of showing this to Tori is an inconvenience to her.

That mischievous smirk is back with even more satisfaction as she flashes the screen to Tori.

“Looks like you aren’t the only one capable of blackmail.”

Standing tall beside my girl, I take the opportunity to speak up, “So here’s what you are going to do.” I hold up one finger. “First, you are going to delete the video of Bellamy from any device you have it on. Second, you are going to leave us alone…for good.”

Tori looks at me, her astonished expression still in place, before she flips her attention back to Bellamy, pointing at her phone. “That doesn’t prove anything.”

“Well, there’s more where that came from, and since your precious Professor Douglas is under investigation…

” she pauses, holding up her finger and glancing at the time on her phone, “as of about five hours ago, I’d say even the slightest bit of evidence would implicate your name as a willing participant. ”

Tori sucks in a sharp breath. “You’re lying.”

Bellamy raises her eyebrow. “I don’t really give a fuck if you believe me or not. You’ll find out soon enough, but in the meantime…” She invades Tori’s space, their faces only centimeters apart. “Don’t test me. If you want to be a conniving bitch, I can be one too.”

Tori steps back, throwing her clenched fists down at her sides.

“Fuck you. You are both sick.” Her eyes dance chaotically between us, and I roll my eyes.

The audacity to call us sick after what she’s put me through with that video—put us through.

“Do you actually think your parents will ever be okay with this? How awkward will the rest of your lives be?”

I let her loud words roll off my back, but I can see a slight shift in Bellamy’s badass stance and expression. I know Tori’s blow landed exactly how she intended.

I move to stand beside Bellamy again, draping my arm over her shoulders. “Good thing it’s really none of your fucking business, Tori. Now leave before I have you escorted out in front of everyone.”

Surprisingly, she listens, stepping out into the hallway, and Bellamy follows her, just as Tori spits, “Maybe if you didn’t want to fuck your stepsister so badly, you would’ve actually paid me attention, and this whole thing would’ve never happened.”

“Fuck off, Tori. Don’t blame me for this.” Bellamy leans her body lazily against the wall in the hallway, her nonchalance pissing Tori off even more.

“You are such a cunt,” she sneers at Bellamy, and that’s when my girl steps back into her face.

“Trust me, you haven’t seen shit yet, but I suggest you leave before you find out what a real cunt I can be. I’d hate to really hurt your little feelings.”

With narrowed eyes and flared nostrils, Tori finally storms off, and that’s when I notice Nate and Berkley at the top of the steps.

I can feel the tension wafting off Bellamy from Tori’s words about our parents. Just when we take five steps forward, something or someone always brings us ten steps back.

My head falls back against the wall before I look at Nate. “Fuck, dude. Please don’t let this shit mess up your birthday party.” I point to the stairs, releasing a heavy breath. “Hopefully, she just leaves.”

I want to talk to Bellamy, but I see the fake smile she puts on for her friend, and I know her well enough to know now isn’t the time.

Especially when Berkley winks at Nate. “Give us a few. Go have a drink with the boys, and I’ll see you back downstairs.”

My eyes lock onto Bellamy’s sad green eyes, and it kills me to walk away. Not wanting to cause a scene again, I contemplate how to get a few more minutes with her until she says, “Go take a shot with the birthday boy, and we’ll talk more later. I’ll be down in a few.”

I stare at her, silently begging her not to let Tori’s comment take her back to that place, begging her not to give up on us, begging her to see how much I love her.

Bellamy

Berkley and I walk downstairs to find Cash deep in a beer pong game with his roommates. My sweet bestie could tell there was more to what went down between me, Cash, and Tori upstairs. But for some reason, even though I trust her with my life, I couldn’t let any confessions slip from my lips.

I’m in love with my stepbrother.

I’m terrified of what our parents will think.

Tori has a video of me taking a cumshot to the chin and she’s blackmailing Cash with it.

With Berkley still eyeing me curiously, I put on my best smile and nod toward the guys. “Go over there with your mans. I know our little hallway tiff earlier was the biggest cockblock.”

She grabs my hand, pulling me farther onto the back patio of The Wolves Den. “Nothing is blocking me from that cock.”

Berkley laughs, and I let the sound of it wash over my weary soul.

“Okay, feisty thing, let me go get us a drink, and I’ll meet you over there.”

Unfortunately, I let Tori’s stupid words affect me, and I just need another minute of alone time before I join the party.

Do you actually think your parents will ever be okay with this? How awkward will the rest of your lives be?

“Okay, I’ll take a Blue Moon.” She smirks, letting go of my hand and heading toward the guys.

Walking back inside, I’m shocked to see Tori standing in the living room with a group of people. Trying my best to ignore her, I head to the fridge and grab two beers.

“Can we talk?” the annoying voice says to my left as soon as I close the fridge.

Giving her a blank look, I bite out, “About what, Tori?”

“Just give me a few minutes, Bellamy.” There’s emotion behind her request that I haven’t heard from her before.

I nod hesitantly and follow her back into the hallway, where Nola’s and Graham’s bedrooms are.

What’s she up to?

I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her, but I’m desperate for closure. Desperate to officially have her out of our lives. I don’t care that we lack the privacy needed for this conversation. If she wants to air out my dirty laundry, I’ll hang hers on the line right beside mine.

But I also remind myself the type of person she is.

“Let me text Berkley so she doesn’t send the search party in after me and her beer,” I say, keeping my tone nonchalant so she doesn’t suspect anything.

Instead of texting Berkley, I start recording, knowing I need everything I can possibly get to protect Cash and me. “Okay. What do you want, Tori?”