Page 23 of Until Presley (Happily Ever Alpha World)
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
PRESLEY
A s I make my way across campus, I’m beside myself as people point and stare.
I can’t believe this is happening to me.
My first week of classes were awful. Clara is in the class I’m teaching.
I had to tell Professor Blackman that I’d need a TA to grade the class, or at least her papers, to avoid any conflicts of interest. Since then, she’s doubled down on her efforts to embarrass me.
I know it’s her. The latest act is a picture meant for just Ham and me that she posted on the school’s social feeds.
It got taken down, but then it showed up on several other social media platforms.
It got me thinking, and I examined the image of Ham.
I now realize my mistake. When I couldn’t find my phone at Thanksgiving, she must have gotten into it.
She somehow figured out my password and accessed my photos.
It scares me because I don’t know what else she stole from my phone.
I need to figure this out. It’s time I stood up to her.
My class sucked today. The students whispered behind my back, passing yet another photo of me around.
As I weave through the buildings, heading toward my car, my arm is grabbed, and I’m yanked into an alcove.
I scream, but it’s cut off when the person slaps me hard.
Pain bursts across my face, and I feel blood dripping from my lip.
“Listen here, Elvis. I won’t have you failing me.” Clara holds up her paper, and I see the bright red “D” marked on it.
I hold my cheek. I can’t stop the tears from rolling down my face. “I didn’t grade it.”
“You’re the fucking teacher. Pass me, or I’ll really make you sorry. I have more pictures, and I know how to find Ham. I can really fuck with you more than I already have.”
It all makes sense now. It was all her. I’m here in Miami, miserable because of Clara. I should have trusted Ham.
“You did it. You broke us up.” It’s not a question, because I know.
“Bitch, I told you I’d make you sorry. You took my mom from me.” She swings at me again, but this time I raise my arm and stop her.
My first year in college here in Miami, I met Morgan, who has a lot of martial arts training. She talked me into taking a self-defense class. All that training kicks in now, even after all these years.
Clara screams from the pain of hitting my forearm and advances on me. I’m in heels, slacks, and a blouse, while she’s in shorts and a tank top. I remember Morgan telling me to use everything at my disposal as a weapon—clothing, shoes, and whatever I could get my hands on.
Using my heel, I stomp her foot when she advances on me. I punch, but she blocks it and hits me again. When she goes for a third hit, I grab her arm and twist her around.
“I’m done being your whipping girl. I’ll be calling the police.
I never took your mom from you.” I push her against the wall and step out from the alcove.
“You’re nothing but a spoiled bitch.” I back up until I’m far enough away that I’ve attracted attention, then turn and run for my car.
I call the police and ask them to meet me at my condo.
She’s bullied me enough. I cry all the way home, knowing our parents are going to be pissed.
I park and get out of the car. My shirt is torn, and there’s blood on it from my split lip. One of my eyes is swelling, making it hard to see.
“Presley,” Ham shouts, his voice is higher pitched than I’ve ever heard it, and he rushes to my side. I collapse into his arms. “What the fuck happened to you?”
I cry and hold on to him. “I’m sorry. It was Clara. She did it all.”
“She beat you up?”
I’m about to answer his questions when the parking lot suddenly flashes with red and blue lights. Ham helps me to my condo with the police following closely behind us. At this point, I don’t care who sees me like this.
I want to change, but the officer insists on taking pictures of me first. I stand there, trying not to tremble and shake with the fear that I’m going to lose everything and everyone now.
I need to talk to Ham, but I can’t with the police here.
When they finally let me go clean up, I make my way toward the bathroom.
Ham pushes his way in and helps me. I strip out of my clothes and grab the sweatpants and T-shirt from the back of the door.
Ham’s lips tip up in a soft smile when he sees the Navy shirt I stole from him. I couldn’t completely walk away.
“Baby, I’m so pissed this happened to you. But we have a lot to talk about. Come on, the police are going to want to question you some more.” He leans down and presses a gentle kiss to my forehead. I want him to kiss my lips; I’ve missed his kisses.
He opens the door and takes my hand. We return to the small sitting area. I’ve already told the police about the attack, and they sent officers to pick her up. What more do they want to know?
“Miss Blanchard, can you tell us why she attacked you today?”
“I’m her teacher for the Intro to Marine Biology class,” I begin, “but because she’s my stepsister, I asked the TA for the professor overseeing the class to grade the students’ assignments.
That way, it avoids any conflict of interest. The first paper was returned to the students today, and hers got a D. She demanded I pass her.”
“She’s also been posting photos of Presley online,” Ham adds and shows the officers his phone. The latest image is one that Ham took of me when we were out on a surfing date. He captured me lying on the beach, watching him.
“Oh my God! That’s the picture she posted today?” The caption says I’ll pass all the students if one will come give me a good time.
“This is dangerous for her,” Ham states, pointing at me, and I’m beside myself with worry. I can’t believe she did this to me.
“Your address is posted in the comments. Do you have another place to stay?” one of the officers says.
“I don’t know. I can get a hotel. I can’t leave the area until I clear it with my advisor.”
“I suggest you do that. Clara will more than likely make bail right away because of who her father is,” the officer says, and he’s right. Her father always gets her out of trouble.
“We are getting an attorney. I want a restraining order filed right away,” Ham says.
Ham
I walk the police to the door. I need to get her somewhere safe, but I also need to get us back on solid ground. I know she missed me; my shirt is proof of that. But it’s been three weeks since I’ve kissed her or spoken to her.
Her phone rings, and I turn around as she answers the call.
“Yes, Dad. Yes, I did that. She attacked me.”
I can hear him yelling at the other end, his voice getting louder with each question she answers. I walk over and sit next to her. I reach for the phone and hit the video button so he can see her. When he sees me, he sputters and blusters for a moment.
“What are you doing with her? You’re a cheater,” he yells, and she leans into my body. I wrap my arm around her, pulling her closer as we look into the screen. “Oh, dear God, what happened to your face?”
“Clara. I haven’t told you, but for years she’s been bullying me. This isn’t the first time she’s beat me up. But this time, I stood up to her.”
“What the hell?” Thea says from behind her husband. “We are getting on a plane.”
“We’ll be there as soon as we can,” her father says before hanging up.
There is a pounding on the door, and I check the peephole before swinging the door open. A young college punk is standing there.
“Don’t even think about it. She’s spoken for, and if you come back, I’ll pound you into the ground. Spread the word, fucker,” I growl, and he rushes off.
“Ham, what are we going to do?”
“I’m taking you to a hotel. Pack up. Then we are going home after you meet with your advisor tomorrow.”
“Okay. I have a class tomorrow too.”
“You aren’t going. Sorry, babe, but I’m not letting you get hurt any further. Come on. I’m going to take you to a clinic to get you checked over.”
“Okay.” She doesn’t argue; she just does as I say, and that’s when I know how close to the edge she really is. She needs a hot bath and to relax.
I help her get packed, and we head down to her car. She follows me to a hotel close by, and we get a room. She calls her advisor and asks for a meeting tomorrow. Then she calls Professor Blackman to tell him she can’t teach the class because she was injured.
As soon as she’s done getting everything taken care of, I draw a bath in the large tub and help her climb inside.
I strip down and slide in behind her. She settles against my body, and I know now is the time to have the conversation we need to.
I’m glad I asked for a suite with a large two-person tub.
Now I have her exactly where I want her.
She’ll have no choice but to listen to me.
“Presley, we need to talk. I know what you did for Win for his birthday.”
“I know we need to talk. I’m sorry I ran without confronting you. But after my last two boyfriends cheated on me, I just reacted.” She pauses and smiles up at me. “It wasn’t Win’s fault that I ran. I promised him I would get him shark pictures for his room. So I had them sent.”
“Thank you. He loved them. You only told me about the one boyfriend in college.”
“I had another. He was just a summer boyfriend when I was in high school. He cheated with Clara.”
“Jeez. They were idiots, and as far as I’m concerned, boys . I’m a man. I love you. I want forever with you. After this time apart, I know what it’s like to lose you, and I’m never going to let that happen again.”
She twists around in the tub so she’s facing me. I pull her up my body, and she straddles me. “I love you too, Ham. I was scared.”
“I won’t ever do that to you. As soon as you get your doctorate, I’m knocking your ass up and we’re getting married.”
She giggles. “Shouldn’t we get married first.”
“I don’t care in which order it happens, but it’s happening.”
“Okay. What about school?”
“We can make this work. I’m hoping, with everything going on, they will let you come back to Key West. But if they don’t, we will get you a new condo, and then we’ll make it work.”
“Okay. I’m scheduled to go up to Chattanooga in March to work with the aquarium up there. It’s part of the new path my advisor is stressing I complete so I can get my doctorate by Christmas.”
“Then let’s do it. How long will you be up there?”
“A week. I have a friend who wants me to come to her wedding too.”
“Babe, I want to support your dreams. Because you are my dream.”
She leans up, and I gently kiss her lips. My hand goes to her hair, and I angle her head so I can kiss her deeper, mindful of her split lip.
“I like the new haircut.” I smile at her before kissing down her neck.
She trimmed a bit of her length and added thick, full bangs that frame her forehead perfectly. Her lips tip up before she bites on the corner of her bottom lip. I can’t take it and lean back in to kiss her long and deep. I’ve missed kissing her and need to make up for time lost.
“I missed your lips so much, baby. I missed you.”
“Me too. I knew the moment I saw you again, I would forgive you because missing you was worse than anything. I spent the first couple of days in my condo hiding out until I had to go back to campus.”
I kiss down her neck, pulling her slippery body up mine so I can get to her beautiful breasts. The moment I get one into my mouth, she starts moving her hips, teasing herself with the head of my cock.
“Put me in, baby,” I order when I switch breasts, and she moves her hand to wrap around my girth.
She starts pumping her small fist up and down my length, making my eyes cross.
“Now,” I growl, and my cock kisses her entrance.
I push her down my length with my hands around her waist, and we both sigh at the feeling of completeness.
“I’m not going to be gentle.” I start moving her up and down on me.
Water sloshes over the tub. I need deeper and pull her off me and flip her around.
“Hold on.” She grabs the edge of the tub, and I rise up on my knees to take her from behind.
When I slide back into her body, she throws her head back. Presley and I might look different in size but where it counts; she’s perfect for me. Her heat, tightness, and the way she takes me, all combine to make our sex off the charts.
As she starts moaning louder and saying my full name, I slam a bit harder into her, my hands gripping her hips tighter. She screams my name when she comes, and a couple of thrusts later, I’m coming deep inside her body.