12. HATE

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THE TENSION WAS THICK between us. We were still sat on the swings, my hands playing with the chains on the swing, and he was just staring at me, his eyes observing me.

"Stop looking at me," I tell him.

He shook his head. "Say something, then."

"I just did."

Rolling his eyes, he stood up, walking in front of me. "I want you to say something directly at what I said which was—I like you, Sammy."

I couldn't help but laugh at the situation. After all this time and the torture that I was put through for being his girlfriend and him just acting like he hated me. Travis Mason liked me. It wasn't a joke anymore.

Yet, I found it like that. A joke.

"Just because you apologized to everything you did and said you weren't sorry on certain things means that everything is okay, Mason," I spat. Now, I'm angry. Now, the hate I felt inside for him was bubbling. "You tortured me since we were little up to the point in my life where everything went to shit. So, no, I don't like you. I hate you and I don't even care anymore and after this, I don't even care anymore if you're blackmailing me because a person who would like some would never—"

"I never had anything against you," he cut me off. What? "I just said that because you weren't boring and wanted to get to know you better."

"So this thing with your sister—?"

He smiled a little. "I made it up. The Christi part is true, though. I mean, I think the proof is the part wherein you got beaten up because of me."

This time, I stood up.

So, he lied to me about his sister berating him about having a girlfriend, and he lied about having pictures with my secret exposed. All he did was lie and bully me while forcing me to be in a relationship with him even if it was fake. The only true thing he did was telling me that Christi having people beat me up was his fault because it was.

We were inches away; and I decided to do something to him that he deserved since the very first time we met.

I kissed him.

To tell you the truth, even I didn't know what happened.

All I remember was grabbing him by the collar of his jacket and pulling his lips to mine, his back arched towards me as I tip-toed a little to reach his height. His hands were in my waist, anchoring me steadily. I couldn't even focus—his lips tasted like mints and strawberries (possibly what he ate before meeting up with me), his scent smelled of his intoxicating cologne, and then, his hands moved up to my hair, to my jaw, to the nape of my neck, pulling me closer to his lips.

It was hot, too hot.

What the hell are you doing, Sam?

I snapped out of it, pulling myself away from him—practically jumping away. His icy gray eyes observing me, wide and alert.

I remembered saying that it was a mistake, and he tried to convince me that it wasn't.

So I punched him in the cheek with my unharmed hand. It was hard enough to make him double over to the ground, giving me time to escape.

Now, I sat at the couch of the house, holding a cup of coffee as I stared at the blank space.

"You alright?" Mom sat down beside me, pulling the coffee away from my hand. "You don't like coffee. You only drink it when you're in a bad place. What's up, honey?"

My brows furrowed. "Look, ma—"

She shook her head. "You don't need to apologize. Sean explained. Whoever did this to you does not know who they're messing with, Sam. You're the strongest of this family and them thinking that it was okay to mess with you was a big mistake."

This was my mother. Always forgiving me, always praising me, and always loving me. This is why I know that I can't live without her—because she and Sean are the only light in my life that helps me from not being consumed by darkness.

"Tell your mama why you're upset," she smiled.

Her eyes were tired, there were circles under them, and her nose was red. It was an indication that she cried about something. Normally, she would talk to me why she's upset but this time, she's the one that's asking the questions, and I'm the one that's going to talk.

"Travis likes me."

My mom's brows knitted together. "Isn't that why you two are together? Because you like each other?"

I shook my head. This was going to be a long story.

* * * *

I WOKE UP from the coldness of the room.

The window was opened again.

But this time, there was box lying on the ground next to it. It was an engagement ring box. I opened it up and found a locket of a heart.

This can't be... This was my locket. The one I threw away when I finally got out of his abusive grip.

Mine. Amelia Adams.

A chill went up my spine. This was the locket that Max had made for me, a remembrance that I belonged to him. This was his promise to get me a ring, run away, and elope with him. This was all right before that horrible night.

"Tell me that you're mine!" He screamed, his hands on my wrists, gripping my tight. "Didn't I tell you to never talk to someone else? Especially your ex!"

I shook my head. "I didn't, Max. You have to believe—"

The sound of his palm hitting my cheek for the tenth time resonated around the room. I could taste the blood in my mouth. I could feel the ache of my cheek. And the fear that I felt inside was growing.

The old picture that used to be there where I was sitting with him and smiling and the other was kissing him was gone. This time this was pictures of me sleeping, from the look from my face, this was before I got beaten up.

There was a small note behind the locket. With one free hand, I opened it up and read it.

Whoever has hurt you has to pay. Soon, we'll meet, my love. Remember, you're mine.

- M.A.

The handwriting, the messiness of it—calm down, Sam. Remember what Ruvée said? She'll handle it.

That night—I didn't sleep a wink.


I called up Ruvée that evening, giving her all the details that happened but she ended up telling me that it was just probably someone else and this fear that the person wants to create is happening but I know that there's something wrong in what he just said. He may be dead, but it sure as hell doesn't feel like it anymore.

The paranoia followed me everywhere, up to the shower. It felt like someone was watching me—a ghost.

"Hey," my locker got slammed in front of me, snapping me back to reality. "I thought you were going to be absent this time, again."

I smiled at Tyler, not minding the fading bruises on my cheek looked. "Yeah, I thought of it but decided against it. Mom and Sean wanted me to go to school so here I am."

"There she is!"

I turned around, seeing Lucas run towards me, his arms engulfing me into a tight hug around my waist, while Robbie, Riley, and Tyler followed suit. "I missed you, Sam-bear!"

I couldn't help but cock a brow. "Sam-bear?"

He lets me go and grins. "Yeah, that's what I'm deciding to call you now, and you can't do anything about it."

Robbie waved at me. "Hi, Sam. Don't bother trying to change his mind. He's really set on giving you a nickname ever since Travis kept calling you Sammy over and over and you didn't kill him about it."

"So," Riley waved his brows. "did something happen between the two of you that's why you aren't talking?"

Wait, what the hell?

My eyes snapped at Travis. "You told them?"

Travis rolled his eyes, and slapped Riley at the back of his head, earning him a yelp from him. "Serves you right, jackass." I turned, ready to walk away from him but he grabbed my unharmed hand, turning me around in the middle of the hallway in front of a lot of people, and just gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I'm still sorry."

I stilled, staring right into his gray eyes. "I still hate you," I whispered.

The corner of his lips lifted and I had a strong urge to kiss it away. What. Is. Happening. To me?! "Do you want to—"

"—Wow, the ragdoll is back."

"Fuck," Travis and I both whispered in unison.

Standing in front of us was Christi and the Golden Sisters, both brows arched up high, arms crossed, and eyes for heat vision staring at me. "What happened to your cheek, ragdoll?" Hailey spoke first, laughing with Bailey. "Did you do this to yourself for attention?"

Christi shook her head, pursing her lips at me. "Awe, I guess all that time you were gone didn't treat for your craziness, ragdoll?"

Sweet Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, please don't make me walk up to this girl and slap the bitch right out of her—

"Alright, shut the hell up," Sean spat, immediately appearing by my side and pushing Travis away from me. The devil spawn's brow raised higher if that was even possible, and I could just hear the thoughts about how my brother could talk to her like that when she's one of the richest and most popular kid in the school. "I'm done with you bullying my sister and acting like a bunch of assholes. Either the three of you walk away or else—"

"—or else what?" Christi hissed. "Threatening, are we, Sean? You may be part of the popular table but let's not forget that you're just a poor lost puppy who begged for Travis to take you in as one of their own."

That's it! I am not letting her insult my brother.

As I was already ready to lunge at her, an arm snakes around my waist, pulling me back. Again.

Of course, it was Travis fucking Mason.

But he didn't go after Christi. All he did was cup my chin and force me to stare into his eyes and—ohmyGod, how I hated how those orbs calmed me down faster than anyone could. I was losing my cool, and I needed to bring back the anger because I needed to hit the bitch.

"We're not doing this," he whispered, his breath fanning my cheek. He smelled of mints like the night before but the difference is, it isn't strawberries. It's the chocolate-chip pancakes that Mrs. Aries cooked for me. I couldn't help but smile. "Why are you smiling?"

I shrugged. "Nothing."

"Does this mean that you don't hate me anymore?"

My face went blank. "Keep dreaming, buddy."

Then, as I turned my back, I tugged my brother's sleeve and pulled him away from Christi and the Golden Sisters, completely forgetting that they were there in the first place.

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