Chapter Four — Bruises and Lies
907 Words
I didn’t see Alexander all morning.
Not in the halls. Not in class. Not even at lunch.
And somehow, that made me feel worse than if he’d been right in front of me, teasing me with that crooked smirk and dangerous stare.
Tessa noticed.
“You okay?” she asked, sipping from her juice box as we sat under one of the trees by the soccer field.
I shrugged, staring out at the clouds. “Yeah. Just tired.”
“You’ve been weird since yesterday,” she said. “You didn’t go up there, did you?”
I hesitated too long.
“Oh my god,” she gasped, sitting up straight. “You did.”
“I didn’t do anything,” I muttered. “We just talked.”
Tessa raised an eyebrow. “No one just talks with Alexander Kings. He either kisses you, ruins you, or both.”
I didn’t answer. Because the truth was — I didn’t even know what we were doing. One second he wanted to devour me, the next he vanished into thin air.
But the worst part?
I missed him.
---
After school, I stayed late in the library, needing some quiet to think. The books didn’t help. My mind kept drifting, my stomach tight with unease. Everything felt off.
By the time I stepped out, the halls were mostly empty. Quiet. Almost too quiet.
That’s when I heard it.
A thud. A grunt. A sharp curse.
I froze near the stairwell, curiosity prickling at my spine. Slowly, I stepped around the corner — and my heart dropped.
Alexander was there.
But he wasn’t alone.
He was pressed against the wall, fists clenched, blood at the corner of his mouth. Another guy — tall, broad, and older — stood in front of him, breathing hard.
“You think you can disrespect me, Kings?” the guy growled, grabbing him by the collar.
“I don’t respect anyone,” Alexander spat, smirking despite the bruise forming on his jaw.
The guy slammed him into the wall again.
“Hey!” I shouted before I could stop myself.
Both heads snapped toward me.
The guy cursed and let go of Alexander, who staggered slightly, wiping blood off his lip.
“What the hell, Ava?” he snapped, pushing off the wall.
I stepped forward. “Who was that?”
“No one.”
“He just hit you.”
“I said it’s none of your business,” he growled, his voice raw.
I reached for him, but he pulled away.
“Don’t,” he warned. “Don’t touch me right now.”
I stared at him — at the blood, the fire in his eyes, the walls he was trying so hard to keep up. And I didn’t care.
I reached out anyway, brushing his hand gently.
“You’re bleeding,” I whispered.
His breath caught.
Something flickered behind his eyes — not anger this time, but something else. Something broken.
“I told you to stay away from me,” he said, quieter now.
“And I told you I don’t listen well,” I shot back.
That made him chuckle — low and bitter. “You’re going to hate me eventually.”
I looked up at him. “Then give me a reason.”
He stared at me like I was something he didn’t understand.
Then, out of nowhere, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the nearest empty classroom.
---
The door slammed shut behind us.
His back hit it, his chest rising and falling. I stood a few steps away, heart pounding so loud it echoed in my ears.
“I shouldn’t have let you see that,” he said. “You’re not ready for my world.”
“Then stop pulling me into it,” I snapped.
He moved so fast I barely had time to blink.
One second I was standing still, the next I was pinned against the wall, his hands braced on either side of my head.
“You think I want this?” he hissed, voice low and furious. “You think I enjoy dragging you into my mess?”
I swallowed hard. “Then why do you keep doing it?”
His eyes burned into mine.
“Because I can’t stop,” he admitted.
My breath caught in my throat.
“I’ve tried. I’ve tried ignoring you. Tried pretending you’re just another girl. But you’re not. You’re different. You make me feel things I don’t want to feel.”
His voice cracked.
And then he kissed me.
Hard.
It wasn’t gentle, it wasn’t slow — it was desperate. All heat and hunger and chaos. His lips crushed against mine, and I didn’t push him away. I melted into it.
Because I wanted him just as badly.
His hands tangled in my hair. My fingers clawed at his jacket. The air between us was fire, and for a moment, the world disappeared.
But then — he pulled back.
Just enough to look at me.
“This is going to destroy you,” he whispered.
I touched his face, my thumb brushing over the bruise. “Then we’ll burn together.”
We didn’t speak after that.
He walked me outside, silent, bruised, and beautiful.
And I realized something terrifying as we stood in the golden light of the setting sun.
I wasn’t just falling for Alexander Kings.
I was already in too deep.
- Writer
