Invern Elite Prep School: The Complete Series

By Moira Barretti

The complete Invern Elite Prep School series in a single volume.

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I don't belong here.

That's my first thought when I enter the Invern Elite Prep.

Unfortunately, the hottest boy in school, Cole Arretti, thinks the same, and he seems to be determined to make my life as miserable as possible.

And that's not all. He's the son of a ruthless mafia boss, so having him as my enemy is a very dangerous game to play.

But I'm not very good at staying put.

I'll fight back.

I'll bring Cole to his knees.

No matter what it takes.

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The series is not intended for readers under eighteen years of age.
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The complete series:
Bully Me Once (Book 1)
Bully Me Twice (Book 2)
Bully Me Never Again (Book 3)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Moira Barretti
• Release date: Jun 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201103125

Book preview

INVERN ELITE PREP SCHOOL: THE COMPLETE SERIES

BULLY ME ONCE (BOOK 1)

BULLY ME TWICE (BOOK 2)

BULLY ME NEVER AGAIN (BOOK 3)

MOIRA BARRETTI 

Table of Contents

Invern Elite Prep School

Table of Contents

Bully Me Once

Copyright Page

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Bully Me Twice

Copyright Page

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Bully Me Never Again

Copyright Page

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Rivenn Royal Academy

Books by Moira Barretti

Invern Elite Prep School Series

Book One

BULLY ME ONCE

Moira Barretti

Copyright © 2019 Moira Barretti

All rights reserved. No part of this novel may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior permission in writing from the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

moirabarretti.com

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Chapter 1

INVERN ELITE PREP SCHOOL.

I eyed the large building with distrust as my father pulled over in the parking lot.

Ever since I’d found out that I’d have to attend a fancy private school, I hated the idea of it. And the most annoying thing was that I couldn’t find much info about it at all.

The school’s website didn’t offer much, and a lot of the info seemed to be outdated, and, of course, they claimed all their students ended up going to college, which was basically what every prep school I’d checked out said.

The building looked like a huge mansion or a museum, with ornamented facade, statues, and a fountain in front of the entrance.

I let out a small sigh.

Maybe I’d have liked it here if I were a freshman, but I was a senior, so my brief passing through this school probably wasn’t going to help me much with getting into college, but apparently, this was the only school around here willing to accept new students.

We’re here, Ava, my dad said, as he and my mom turned around so they could look at me in the back seat.

Since I hadn’t said anything or gotten out of the car, they probably believed I was too lost in my thoughts to notice. It hadn’t been a long drive and I could’ve walked, but my parents had insisted it was right on their way to the bank.

I was pretty sure that they still saw me as their little girl who needed protection, or maybe they were worried I’d end up going somewhere else instead.

Do I really have to do this? I asked, leaning forward.

My mom tucked a strand of her dark brown hair behind her ear, her dark brown eyes filled with compassion.

We’ve talked about this, she said.

I know, but I’m eighteen. Maybe there’s a different way for me to graduate. How am I even going to catch up? This school is nothing like mine.

If only we hadn’t had to move.

I’d been happy in our town. My old public school wasn’t anything special, but I’d had friends there, and here I didn’t know anyone.

Why couldn’t my dad have waited just one more year to open a bar here? The business hadn’t been so bad, had it?

Or maybe I just hadn’t been paying enough attention. My parents had assured me that they’d had no choice, and now we were here.

Don’t worry about anything. The teachers will help you. The school wouldn’t have accepted you if they didn’t believe you could graduate here just like everyone else. My mom gave me a small smile.

Yeah, actually, I wanted to ask you something. I narrowed my eyes at my parents. How can we afford all this? I thought we were struggling.

I’d seen the fee on one of the papers my parents had been given, and my head had started to hurt. Every time I asked my mom and dad about it, they found a way to distract me, divert the conversation to something else, or we got interrupted.

But now we were trapped in this car, so unless they wanted to run out of it, I didn’t think they could find a way to avoid my question.

There will always be money for your education, honey, my dad said, but his green eyes briefly shifted to my mom.

We have a savings account for you, my mom said. It was supposed to wait for college, but we’ll find a way. Her shoulders were tense, or maybe I was just imagining it.

I really hoped they hadn’t pulled some strings or done something not so legal to get me in here.

Right. I glanced back at the school.

I could do this.

I could survive.

It was just a school, and my senior year would pass in a flash.

Besides, if I had to catch up and pass some additional exams, then I’d be too busy to even think about anything else.

I’m sure you’ll love it here, my mom said. The principal told me all sorts of wonderful things about it.

Okay. I’m going. I grabbed my bag and slid it onto my shoulder.

Do you know where you need to go first? It’s right down the hallway and— my mom said.

Yeah, I know. I gave her a small smile. Wish me luck.

I pushed the door open and got out of the car. After I gave my parents a small wave, I made my way across the parking lot, steeling myself for what was coming.

It couldn’t be that bad, could it?

I was sure no one was even going to notice I existed. I was just like any other girl with dark brown eyes and long, dark brown hair. It shouldn’t be all that hard for me to blend in.

Hell, maybe I could even make some friends. Hopefully, not everyone had their own little groups that were so tight they didn’t let anyone else in.

But as I approached the entrance, my fingers tightened around the strap of my bag.

When I’d found out that we wouldn’t have to wear uniforms, I’d been thrilled, but as I passed by a few students, I suddenly wished I’d picked something else to wear.

My dark blue jeans, checkered shirt, leather jacket, and old sneakers couldn’t be more out of place.

Maybe these people didn’t wear uniforms, but it was almost as if they were. And there I thought they wouldn’t fit the stereotype.

Expensive, brand new clothes.

Newest phones.

Branded watches, bags, and shoes.

Even those who’d opted for a more casual look still seemed as if they’d picked their clothes right out of a fashion magazine.

Oh shit.

But maybe what they were wearing didn’t define them, and this wasn’t going to be like in one of those movies where the rich kids looked down on and made fun of anyone who wasn’t like them. Surely, not everyone was the same.

When I stepped through the door, I felt like a deer caught in the headlights.

Everyone’s gazes turned to me, and the looks on their faces were not friendly at all. Why did I have a sensation they’d already made up their minds about me long before they actually saw me?

I was new in town and in this school. I’d expected no one would know anything about me, but what if somehow they did?

Had they been talking about me?

If they were like a small community, and the principal or one of the professors had mentioned me in hopes it would make things easier for me, then maybe they’d already researched me.

Okay, that would be weird. Why would they even care?

Unless the school rarely accepted seniors, especially those who hadn’t attended a private school before, and they were wondering how the hell I’d even gotten in.

I took a deep breath, doing my best to ignore the stares.

It would stop eventually. I was a new face here, so they were curious, and maybe my anxiety about my first day here was making me feel as if they were all judging my every step.

It was going to be fine. They’d lose interest in me and I’d just be another student.

But as I made my way down the hallway, there was only one thought in my mind.

I don’t belong here.

Chapter 2

AFTER I WAS DONE WITH the administrative part—the principal seemed really nice, and my mentor who was supposed to help me adjust was okay too—I had to find my way to class.

But even though the principal had explained how to find the right hallway more than once, this building was still unfamiliar to me. I supposed I shouldn’t have refused my mentor’s offer to walk me to class, but I really didn’t want any more attention on me.

As I was looking right and left, trying to find my way, I bumped into someone.

Sorry, I— I looked up from the paper I was holding and found myself staring straight into a pair of angry blue eyes.

Watch it! the most handsome guy I’d ever seen said, and then he cocked his head as he regarded me from head to toe.

Well, damn.

Maybe there was finally something interesting in this school.

His short black hair was just the right amount of messy—definitely the kind of carefree look that totally took ages to arrange—and his black T-shirt and dark blue jeans perfectly fit his lean and strong body.

Add an expensive-looking leather jacket and black boots, and I thought he’d come here straight from a fashion shoot, or maybe from the red carpet where he’d been promoting his latest movie.

Yeah, he was beyond hot.

You’re the new girl, he said, loudly enough for the whole hallway to hear him, and then his lips quirked up.

Well, great.

If anyone hadn’t been aware of that fact, now I was sure they were.

Um, yeah, I’m A— I didn’t get to finish the sentence because he grabbed me by the shoulders.

My back slammed against the wall, and the guy placed his hands on each side of my head, trapping me.

What the fuck?

My heart was thudding loudly in my chest as he leaned in, his face only inches away from mine.

You don’t belong here, Ava, he said, and the way he spat out my name made me flinch.

He knew exactly who I was, which meant he’d come prepared. For a few moments, I was too shocked and stunned to do anything.

He was right.

I probably didn’t belong here at all, but what difference did it make to him?

Why do you care? I managed to choke out, my voice not as steady as I wanted it to be.

Look at you. Do you think you’re one of us now? Huh? His gaze dropped to my chest and then to my bag. He caught my bag and ripped it out of my grasp.

My bag fell to the floor, some of my things spilling out of it, my phone among them.

He stepped away from me, and I took in a shuddery breath. But then he picked up my phone and laughed.

Did you steal this from a museum? He waved with my phone, and the group that had gathered around us snickered.

I pressed my lips into a tight line.

Hey, Cole, one of the guys from the group said. Can you even take a selfie with that thing?

Cole made a show of inspecting my phone. It doesn’t have a front camera.

Really? The other guy laughed.

Give that back to me, I said, trying to snatch my phone out of his hand. If you want to take selfies, use your own fucking phone.

He lifted it above his head so I couldn’t reach it. What if something happened to it? Would you cry? Or would you tell whoever you fucked to get you in here to buy you a new one?

What? I gaped at him.

This had to be a nightmare because what Cole was saying didn’t make any sense.

Oh, come on. Nobody gets to attend the Invern Elite Prep just like that, especially not a senior. And if I’m not wrong, your father had to take on a loan so he could open a bar here and start over. You didn’t get a scholarship, so who’s paying for all this?

That’s none of your fucking business. I finally managed to snatch my phone out of his hand.

Seriously, what the fuck was wrong with this guy?

Had he done research on me? But he was wrong about the loan, wasn’t he? My dad didn’t really discuss his business with me. And how the hell had Cole found that out?

Rich guy.

Right.

Paying an investigator was nothing to him.

But why would he do that? Just to entertain his friends? It seemed so damn stupid.

Or was he showing off and trying to prove he could find out just about anything about anyone?

If you think we’re going to let you pretend you’re one of us, you’re wrong. You’ll never graduate here, Cole said, lowering his voice. Leave and never come back. Find some other school. If you don’t, very bad things will happen to you. You’ll regret ever setting foot in here. Do you understand?

I just stared at him as he gave me a warning look.

What the fuck did he think? That he owned the school and could decide who could attend and who couldn’t?

Why did he even care?

Or was he just trying to appear as some big bad wolf in front of the new girl who didn’t know any better?

I supposed I should’ve been investigating the students here or something, but how could I have known who they were? Besides, stalking them on social media just to try to find some dirt on them seemed silly and a waste of time.

But there was something about the way Cole was looking at me.

Something sinister.

The show he’d mounted just seemed to be a cover. I didn’t think that it bothered him where my money had come from.

There was something else, but I had no clue what it was.

He turned away from me as if I was the most insignificant thing that had ever existed, and his friends trailed after him. The rest of the students were watching me with wary eyes.

Maybe Cole’s intention was to make everyone suspicious of me. It would be hard to make friends if they thought I’d done something weird to get in here.

But hell, I was suspicious about how I’d gotten in here too, so maybe they were all onto something.

I trusted my parents, though. They wouldn’t lie to me.

I couldn’t let Cole rattle me.

Except, he’d done just that.

It took me a few moments to realize my bag was still on the floor and that I had to get to class. All the things I should’ve said to him flew right through my mind, but it was too little, too late.

I stuffed my things and my phone into my bag and stormed down the hallway.

Maybe I’d find someone normal in this school too. Not everyone was like Cole and his little gang.

But when I looked at the few students who seemed more interested in learning than in what clothes they were wearing, they averted their gazes from me.

No one wanted to get the new-girl disease.

Right.

Mumbling under my breath about the silliness of it all, I headed in what was hopefully the right direction for my class.

But I supposed I should thank Cole for something. Now I wanted to stay at this school more than ever.

There was no way some asshole was going to tell me what to do.

Chapter 3

I LOOKED AROUND THE cafeteria, holding my lunch.

All the tables were occupied, and as I made my way through them, trying to find a free spot for myself, everyone was staring at me as if I was some kind of strange creature they’d never seen before.

Great.

I did my best to ignore them, but then Cole appeared in front of me out of nowhere.

With a smile on his face, he knocked my tray out of my hands. Some of the food spilled over my shirt and pants, and the rest ended up on the floor.

I let out a groan, giving him an annoyed look.

Don’t forget what I said. You need to get the fuck out of here. Find another school, he said, his eyes focusing on the food stains, his lip curling in disgust.

You’re a fucking child. You should be in kindergarten, I said, brushing past him and making sure some of the ketchup from my sleeve rubbed onto his shirt.

There was silence for a few seconds, as if everyone had stopped breathing, and then more than a few students burst into laughter.

What the hell did Cole think? That he could act like a five-year-old and that I was just going to do as he said?

Probably.

Guys like him were used to getting whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it.

A bit of food on my clothes wasn’t going to stop me. It’d wash out.

The whispers and giggles drew my attention, and I glanced over my shoulder at Cole, who was looking down at his shirt as if I’d completely ruined it.

A small smile curved my lips as I went to grab some more food.

I expected him to come and try something again, but he didn’t.

He was messing with the wrong person, and the sooner he figured it out, the better.

Hey. A girl with long brown hair and hazel eyes gave me a small wave, a smile on her face. You can sit with me.

I eyed her for a moment, wondering if it was a prank, but she was alone at the table and she had a different air around her. Maybe I could finally meet someone normal around here.

Someone who wasn’t afraid of what Cole would do to them.

Hi, I said as I took a seat.

I’m Paige, she said. Are you a scholarship student too? I mean, I’m just assuming since Cole targeted you. They did that to me too, you know. Made fun of me, called me names... But they got tired of it quickly. I think the school wouldn’t even offer scholarships if they didn’t believe they had to do it once in a while to make themselves look better in the press.

She shrugged. It’s good for us, though, because if you ignore all the douchebags here, it’s a good school. Once I get into college, none of this will matter. It’ll be worth it.

I only gave her a small nod and a smile. It was better if she believed that I was just like her at the moment because I really needed a friend here. The last thing I needed was to alienate everyone. I’m Ava.

Well, nice to meet you, Ava. Paige grinned. You and I are going to be great friends, aren’t we?

Sure. I picked up a fry from my plate.

There was at least one good thing about this school. Unlike in my old school, the food here actually looked edible and delicious.

Plenty of choices and healthy stuff too.

So Cole targeted you too? I asked.

Oh no. She waved her hand. It wasn’t him. It was one of his friends, Rob. But don’t worry. Like I told you, they’re going to get tired of it. They always do. Especially if you don’t react. What you did there with Cole was hilarious, though.

The corners of her lips quirked up. I don’t think anyone dared to stand up to him like that. Well, except for one guy. They got into a fight. It was nasty. But it’s better for you not to piss Cole off. I know it’s hard to let him torment you, but the sooner his attention is off you, the better. She lowered her voice, leaning over the table toward me. He’s dangerous.

"What do you mean dangerous?" I glanced over my shoulder and spotted Cole glaring at me from across the room where he was sitting with his friends.

The look in his blue eyes was that of pure anger, but there was also something else that I couldn’t quite identify.

His father is a mob boss, she whispered. It’s kind of a public secret and no one wants to openly talk about it, but everyone knows that Mr. Arretti isn’t just a businessman like he pretends he is.

My eyebrows shot up.

Cole was a mob boss’ son?

Well, shit.

No wonder he thought he owned the school. Maybe his father actually did own it through a proxy, or he wouldn’t want his son to attend.

Rumor has it that all the guys in his group are sons of the men who work for his father. He’s not someone you want to mess with. Trust me.

I looked straight into her eyes, and I didn’t think she was lying to scare me.

When I stole another glance at Cole, I wondered how far he’d be willing to go to make me pay for sticking up for myself.

No wonder he knew a lot about me. His mob boss father must’ve told him something.

Oh hell.

What if my dad had opened his bar in the Arrettis’ territory?

A shudder ran through me.

That wouldn’t be good at all. What if the Arrettis asked my dad to pay them for protection so they wouldn’t thrash his bar or hurt my mom or me? But if they thought we weren’t doing so well, then maybe Cole was trying to find out how I could afford to attend this school.

Maybe they thought my dad was hiding his wealth somehow or that he might be a threat to their reign here, which was ridiculous, but who knew what those guys thought?

Do the Arrettis control the whole town? I asked.

Maybe my dad’s bar and the house we’d rented were out of their territory. That would make me feel a tiny bit better. I could handle silly stuff at school, but I couldn’t let things go too far.

Um, maybe. I don’t know. I’m not really an expert on criminals, and since they haven’t been caught yet, no one is willing to openly talk about it, Paige said. But don’t worry. If you keep your head down for a week or two, Cole and his gang will move on to someone else.

Yeah, sure. I gave her a small smile that I knew didn’t reach my eyes.

Would Cole really move on to his next victim?

As my gaze met his once again, I somehow doubted it.

For some reason, he didn’t want me here, and I supposed I was going to find out soon just how far he was willing to go to achieve his goal.

Hopefully for me, this was all just a silly game for him so he could entertain his friends. Because if not, I had no idea what I was going to do.

I wasn’t someone who backed down easily and it was going to be hard not to respond to whatever Cole said or did to me next, but maybe Paige was right and I should try to stay out of Cole’s way as much as possible.

Chapter 4

CHEERLEADING? MY EYEBROWS shot up as I stared at my mentor.

Yes. I’m afraid everything else is full. She gave me an apologetic smile. But I’m sure you’ll fit right in. Mrs. Kowalski will explain everything you need to do, and you’ll get your uniform. Do you know where the locker rooms are? She’s expecting you there right now. The practice will start soon.

Yeah, okay. Thanks. I got to my feet, heading for the door.

Being a cheerleader had never been on my list of things that I wanted to do, but it looked like it was the only activity that was available.

The classes I’d had in mind were either full or it would be too difficult for me to catch up since I was new here, and there was no time for the teachers to do some additional work with me.

As I was on my way to the locker rooms, I realized one thing.

The football team was having practice too.

What were the odds that Cole was on it?

I inwardly groaned, hoping that I wouldn’t see him, or at least that he wouldn’t see me. Surely his game or whatever he was going to do was more important than messing with me. Besides, I still had no clue what I was going to have to do.

You’ve got to be kidding me. What is she doing here? a girl who I didn’t know loudly whispered to one of her friends, just as I was about to enter the locker room.

Oh great.

Now I was going to be an intruder in the cheerleader squad too.

Ava Morris? the young-looking coach said, her dark brown hair tied into a ponytail, as she crossed out something from the list that she was holding.

Yeah, that’s me. I gave her a small smile as all the girls glared at me or eyed me with suspicion.

They were already in their uniforms, so maybe I wouldn’t have to do anything today.

You’ll find your uniform in that locker over there. There are all sizes, she said, pointing at the locker in question. Get dressed and then come out onto the field. I’d love to see what you’ve got. Have you ever done something like this before?

Um, no. There was a dance group at my old school, but practice was at the same time as my drama class, so even if I’d wanted to go, I couldn’t have done it.

Some of the girls rolled their eyes as soon as I answered.

I supposed cheerleading was very important to some of them, so having someone like me who barely had an interest in it here and in the squad had to be pissing them off.

It looked like it was impossible for me not to piss people off in this school, no matter what I did.

Okay. We’ll see, the coach said. Girls, let’s go.

Once they were all out, I opened the locker to find my uniform.

It consisted of a tight black top with orange lines and the name of the football team on it, and the short skirt was also black with an orange edge.

When I was ready, I grabbed the pom-poms and headed out, hoping I could survive this.

The whole squad was already doing their routine at the side of the football field, and then I saw the football team.

It took me exactly twenty seconds to spot Cole across the field.

Oh fuck.

He was looking straight at me, his eyes narrowed, right before he put his helmet on.

But he wouldn’t have the time to bug me, and he wouldn’t do it in front of the coach.

Or at least I hoped so.

He was the son of a mob boss after all. Maybe he could do whatever the hell he wanted and everyone would just smile and ignore what was happening because they didn’t want to put their lives, their jobs, and their families at risk.

Ava, the coach said. Come on. Take a few moments to watch and then try to copy what everyone is doing, okay?

I nodded and then focused on the cheerleaders.

Damn, some of those moves were way more complicated than they seemed, and a few moments later, I was out of breath.

The whole football team was out on the field and most of the girls were eyeing the players. Some even cheered louder when Cole ran not too far away from us.

Ava, you’re doing great. The coach gave me a thumbs-up, even though I was pretty sure I was messing up most of the routine.

Or she just had terribly low expectations for me, so anything I did was great. At least I still hadn’t ended up on my ass.

Watch out! someone yelled, but there was no time for me to react.

Something hit me hard in the side, the impact so strong that I toppled over. I was breathless for a few moments as the coach rushed toward me.

Are you all right? she asked, worry creasing her brow.

It took a moment for the pain to register, but then it burst through my side and radiated all over me.

Can you get up?

I gritted my teeth as I pushed myself up.

Sorry. I heard Cole’s voice as he picked up the football that had hit me. His gaze met mine, a smile on his face.

Son of a bitch.

He wasn’t sorry at all, was he?

He’d done it on purpose.

Let’s get you to the infirmary to make sure you’re okay, the coach said, helping me to my feet.

I shot a glare at Cole, whose lips silently formed a few words behind the coach’s back.

He said, You’ve been warned, or something like that.

He must’ve thrown that football with all his strength. What if he’d hit me in the head? He could’ve killed me.

I was sure of it.

Or at least, even if his aim was so damn good, he could’ve seriously injured me. And the look he was giving me as the coach led me away from there told me that he wasn’t about to give up on tormenting me.

But why?

Maybe I should be looking for another school.

Except, who knew what my parents had done to get me into this one?

Would reporting Cole to someone help or only make things worse? And how could I avoid him when he seemed to be everywhere?

After the coach took me to the infirmary, the nurse gave me a thorough check-up and told me that I’d only have a nasty bruise, which was a relief.

The phone on the desk rang, and after the nurse picked up, her gaze lifted to me. Then she offered the phone to me.

Um, hello? I said, unsure as to who might be on the other end of the line.

Oh honey. Are you okay? my mom asked. The principal called us to tell us what happened.

Yeah, Mom. I’m fine.

Are you sure? I can pick you up and take you home.

I wanted nothing more than to crawl into my bed and forget about this school.

But I couldn’t let Cole think he’d gotten exactly what he wanted.

No, Mom. It hurts, but the nurse will give me some painkillers.

Honey, is everything all right? At school, I mean. Is someone giving you a hard time? I know we didn’t get a chance to really talk about it at home, but if there’s anything you want to tell your dad and me, you know you can. We’ll always find the time for you.

Oh yeah.

Totally.

My mom’s intuition wasn’t wrong on this one, but I didn’t want her to worry. She and Dad had enough work with setting up his bar and making sure everything ran smoothly.

Everything’s fine. Gotta go, Mom. Love you.

At least I hoped it would be fine.

As for Cole, I had no clue what to do about him.

Chapter 5

IF COLE DIDN’T WANT to leave me alone, then maybe I should do everything I could to avoid him as much as possible.

The good thing was that he wasn’t in any of my classes—the teachers here preferred smaller groups and I had a feeling he and his friends were enough for one group all on their own.

Since my nasty bruise was still healing, I didn’t have to do any cheerleading, so I avoided Cole during practice too.

Once my classes finished, I usually waited until the last moment to minimize the chance of running into him in the hallway. During lunch, I went outside instead of to the cafeteria, and Paige brought me food.

Maybe it was stupid to do this, but I had a feeling that it was working. If I was out of Cole’s sight, he would eventually forget about me.

Some of the other students were still sneering at me when they saw me, but most couldn’t care less, which was just fine by me.

Soon, no one would care.

Or at least I hoped so.

But as days went by and my bruise healed, it was time for me to go back to cheerleading. I decided it was better to come late to the locker room.

If the coach asked, I could always say that my mentor had taken more time to explain something to me, which wouldn’t be all that unbelievable, and I didn’t think the coach would check with my mentor.

The hallway and the locker room were empty, so I hurried to get dressed as quickly as possible. Being slightly late might be tolerated, but that didn’t mean I could show up in the middle of practice.

Cole was probably somewhere out there on the field already. But this time, I intended to make sure he couldn’t hit me with a football.

I’d stay behind everyone else, and I’d keep a close eye on everything that was going on.

Just as I was about to grab my pom-poms, something thudded not too far away from me. I froze, listening carefully.

Maybe it was nothing, or maybe someone was here. But who? Was one of the other girls late too?

I padded around the lockers, toward the showers.

A yelp escaped my throat when Cole grabbed me by the arms and slammed me hard against the locker.

What the hell was he doing here? How was he even here?

I glanced around, but we were alone in here.

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.

Haven’t I made myself clear? I don’t want you in this school, so why the fuck are you still here? He effortlessly pinned my arms above my head, his face so damn close to mine, his piercing eyes hard on mine. Is your pretty little head that empty?

Let go of me, I said through my teeth, doing my best not to show that my heart was thudding loudly in my chest, as my whole body trembled.

Focus on something, Ava. You can’t let him see your fear.

But all I could focus on was his proximity.

And his scent.

Oh hell.

Breathing it in felt like running through the woods right next to a beach.

This is your last warning, he said, holding my arms up with just one hand as his finger poked into my side where my skin was still slightly tender. This was nothing.

He leaned in, his mouth brushing my ear. I can make your life a living hell, he whispered, and his fingers trailed down my stomach.

I let out a small gasp as I stared deep into his eyes.

You’re the one who isn’t supposed to be here, I said. You’re in the girls’ locker room.

He cocked his head at me, and for a second, I thought I saw amusement flash through his eyes. But then he pressed me harder against the locker.

You don’t know what I’m capable of. You don’t want to try me. Trust me.

Maybe I do. I bared my teeth, and as he jerked back in surprise, I lifted my leg and kneed him in the groin.

Shoving him away from me as he doubled over, I raced for the door.

Once I was out on the field, I stopped to take a few deep breaths. My pulse was still racing and I was trembling all over.

Had I just made a mistake? But thinking about what I’d just done made me smile a little.

He wasn’t going to hurt me.

At least not seriously.

Why else would he bother with giving me all the warnings and everything? All he wanted was to intimidate me.

It was all just a game to him.

I was sure of it.

It wasn’t like I’d done anything to him that would make him want me to drop out of school.

Hell, if he didn’t want to see me, he could easily avoid me.

And if it was all about my dad’s bar, then the Arrettis would’ve come to him and not to me. How was bullying me going to help them with anything or earn them any money?

Unless they decided