His Second Chance Obsession

The punch bowl trembled in my hands as Kathryn Romanov's manicured fingers "accidentally" knocked it forward. The crimson liquid... Some unholy mix of cranberry juice and whatever vodka the seniors had smuggled in, splashed across my emerald gown in a violent arc, soaking the bodice and dripping down the skirt like blood on a battlefield. Hushed gasps came from around us followed by the usual snickers. I didn't gasp. I didn't scream. I just stood there, frozen, as the cold seeped through the fabric and chilled my skin. It was routine at this point. Had been my daily routine since the very first day I set foot in Tyrell Academy. "Oops," Kathryn purred, her voice dripping with fake innocence. She tossed her glossy black hair over one shoulder. With high Greek cheekbones as sharp as blades and piercing ice-blue eyes inherited from her Russian side, her unusual beauty twisted into a venomous smirk. Her silver sequined dress caught every light in the ballroom, making her look like a walking chandelier. "You really should watch where you're standing. One would think a w***e like yourself would be careful about making a mess." The words hit harder than the spill. Whore... Illegitimate. The usual barbs, sharpened by the truth everyone at Tyrell Academy loved to whisper about. Bloodlines mattered here. Old money, pedigrees traced back to founding families. I was an ugly stain on the school's pristine tapestry. My mother, the infamous Elena Gordons, had married her way through three wealthy husbands, each one richer than the last, each divorce more scandalous. Asides the usual scandals of multiple lovers some of them married men, she'd even gotten arrested several times for drug abuse. She wasn't here tonight... probably overdosing on coke somewhere or off on some yacht with husband number four, but her reputation clung to me like a shadow. I wasn't scholarship trash; I was worse... illegitimate golddigger spawn, tolerated only because my latest stepfather's heavy donations kept the whispers at bay and kept the academy's doors open for me. Behind Kathryn, the evil twins, Trixie and Talia Dalton cackled like hyenas. Blonde, leggy, identical right down to their beady eyes and cruel sneers, they flanked her like bodyguards in matching red gowns. This wasn't about me, though. Not at first... It had started five minutes ago when Mila, my sweet, brilliant best friend, the actual scholarship kid and top of our class, had tried to refill a tray of champagne flutes for the guests. She was half-Mexican with beautiful brown waves cascading down her back, thick glasses perched on her nose and silver braces that flashed when she spoke. Mila was everything these bitches hated: smart, kind, and here on merit, not money. Mila had accidentally bumped into Kathryn while laughing at one of my jokes and in turn Kathryn had shoved her roughly. Mila stumbled, glasses slipping, and a flute tipped over, shattering on the marble with a crack that silenced the nearby crowd. The teachers, Mr. Langley and Ms. Perkins looked over, saw who it was, and immediately found something fascinating on the far wall at the other end of the hall. They never interfered. Kathryn's parents donated enough to Tyrell Academy every year to fund half the science wing. Scolding her meant unemployment. I hadn't thought. I'd just stepped in front of Mila. "Leave her alone, Kathryn," I'd said, my voice quieter than I wanted. Kathryn's laugh was like shattering glass. "Defending the charity case again, Gordons? How fitting for a golddigger's bastard. Move, or join her..." Then came the punch bowl. And now, as I stood dripping, Kathryn ground her stiletto into the hem of my dress, tearing the chiffon with a rip that echoed in my ears. Mila's shocked gasp came from behind me. "There," Kathryn smirked, stepping back with a satisfied grin. "Now it matches your trashy bloodline..." Talia and Trixie's evil cackle rose up behind her. "How disgusting... I've just lost my appetite. Can we go look at something that doesn't make me want to throw up?" Talia spat. Kathryn's glare settled briefly on Mila, who was shuddering behind me. "Sure. These two are just pathetic. I won't let them ruin the night." She walked off abruptly, the sound of her heels echoing against the tiles. Mila's eyes filled with tears behind her glasses. "Hayley, I'm so sorry..." "It's not your fault," I whispered, grabbing her wrist and pulling her away from the gawking stares. We retreated to a shadowed corner near the velvet-draped windows. Once out of sight, Mila crumpled, silent sobs shaking her small frame. I wrapped my arms around her, ignoring the sticky mess soaking into my skin. "Hey," I murmured, stroking her hair. "Breathe Mila, It's just a dress. And Kathryn's just a bully with daddy's money. Besides we're seniors now... this is our last year at Tyrell Academy. We've made it this far. Remember our Plan... we hang on a little longer, you graduate top of the class like you always do, and we're out. College... Real life. They can't touch us forever." Mila nodded against my shoulder, her eyes still misty. "You didn't have to step in. Your dress. It's ruined because of me." "Don't worry about my dress," I said, forcing a smile. "It was overpriced anyway." I glanced down at the wreckage. Dark red stains blooming like bruises on the deep green fabric, the tear at the hem gaping like a wound. My bright auburn waves were stuck to my damp shoulders and I could feel my green eyes stinging with unshed tears I refused to let fall. I tried dabbing at the stains with a napkin from my clutch. Useless. The fabric was saturated, the color bleeding. I gave up, tossing the napkin into a nearby bin. "Come on." I said, squeezing Mila's hand. "We volunteered for the drinks station, remember? And we busted our asses on the planning committee... Decorations, playlists, the whole winter wonderland vibe. We're not letting those bitches ruin the night we helped create." Mila giggled. "Hell yeah! They really are bitches. Did you see Trixie's makeup? She looked like a corpse. How terrifying!" We stifled our giggles and slipped back to our spot behind the long table, laden with crystal bowls and flutes. We were volunteering today alongside the other scholarship kids. It was an unspoken rule in Tyrell Academy that the Scholarship kids and other misfits would serve at every other event. It didn't bother me though. A long list of extracurriculars would be helpful when I applied for college. My dress was ruined and Mila's face was puffy and red. A few pitying glances came our way, but no one spoke up. No one ever did at Tyrell Academy. The quartet played on.The ballroom was a dream. Ice-blue drapes, white roses, snowflake projections dancing on the walls. Mila grinned at me. "Wow... We went a little crazy with the planning didn't we. It's beautiful. Your idea for a winter wonderland was perfect!" I felt a flutter of pride. "You helped a lot too in bringing it to life." Mila shrugged playfully, then her eyes rested on a blonde haired boy, three paces away. "Would be nice if we were actually participating though wouldn't it? It's a school dance after all..." Her voice trailed off. "Seriously Mila? Anyone but Tyler..." I rolled my eyes. "What's wrong with Tyler?" She countered. "He's slept with virtually all the girls in our class and he's doesn't have two braincells to rub together. You deserve better. Mila." Mila bit her lips, waggling her brows playfully at me. "What if I don't want better..." "You little minx..." Then a sudden hush fell over the room. It started at the double doors and spread like frost. Conversations stuttered and heads turned. It was a nightmare come to life. Xander Thorne had arrived. My stomach twisted. He strode in like he owned the oxygen in the room... which, in a way, he did. Dark tousled hair falling just right over his forehead, piercing grey eyes scanning the crowd with a predatory intensity that made my skin prickle. His black tuxedo hugged his broad shoulders and lean, athletic frame, the white shirt open at the collar in that careless, arrogant way that made every girl in the room forget how to breathe. Due to his ridiculously wealthy lineage, he was treated like a god in these halls. He was also a notorious bully who had made my life in Tyrell Academy hell for years on end, his word alone could destroy reputations. He was a terror to teachers and students alike. And he was Kathryn's boyfriend, of course. It was a match made in hell. The Bully and the b***h. But tonight, something was different. No lazy confidence. He looked restless, unsettled, like a storm about to break. His eyes roved the room frantically, searching for... something. I felt my heart hammer against my ribcage. Xander was known for bullying and harassing students unprovoked, simply for his own entertainment. He used people like playthings and sometimes he'd bully not just the scholarship kids but other Elite students simply because he felt like it. I willed myself to become invisible, shrinking myself further against the curtains. I had been a regular victim of his harassments but recently I'd learnt how to avoid him and stay out of sight. Tonight had been terrible so far but if Xander spotted me. I'd be finished. He was flanked by his usual shadows: Ethan Hunter, tall and Irish with freckles dusting his sharp cheekbones, red-gold hair slicked back, and piercing green eyes that always held a hint of mischief. He also happened to be my half-brother although he'd rather chew his own teeth than call me his sister. My mother had had a brief affair with his father that ruined his marriage and produced an illegitimate child. Me. Ethan hated me with every bone in his body and honestly I didn't blame him. His second shadow was Rohit Singh, the son of extremely wealthy oil magnates, strikingly handsome with warm brown skin, jet-black hair, and dark eyes that saw everything. He had the uncanny ability to find out things about people. If you had a secret, you could trust on Rohit to find out and reveal it to everyone. It was he who had exposed my mother's identity which I'd originally kept hidden when I arrived. My life had been in shambles since then. I watched Kathryn light up like a spotlight had hit her. She sauntered forward, hips swaying, her voice a sultry purr. "Xander, baby, you're late... I've been waiting all night to dance with you." She trailed a talon down his arm, pressing close enough that her sequins brushed his tux. "Miss me?" Xander barely glanced at her, shrugging off her touch with a distracted grunt. "Not now, Kat." Ethan chuckled, "Whoa, mate. Rough night already? We came here to party man.You look like you've seen a ghost. Or lost your trust fund..." Rohit smirked, crossing his arms. "Yeah, what's got you all twitchy all of a sudden? Usually you're the one making everyone else sweat. Spill—did your old man cut off the yacht privileges? You know I'll find out if he did. I always find out..." Xander ignored them, his hazel eyes sweeping the ballroom again. "Shut up," he muttered, tension coiling in his jaw. "I'm looking for someone." Ethan raised a brow, grinning. "Someone? As in, not Kathryn? Bold, man. She's right here, claws out and everything." Rohit snickered. "Step away Kat. You're in the way. He wants fresh meat tonight..." Kathryn's flirtatious smile faltered, turning sharp. "Excuse me? Xander, what the hell—" But Xander's gaze had locked on me. Across the room. Straight through the crowd. My heart slammed against my ribs. Oh God. No. Not him. Not after everything tonight. Their eyes followed his to settle on me and I felt the stares shift to me at the drinks stand with my ruined dress and the stains. Snickers bubbled up. Phones lifted, ready to capture my second humiliation. I'd clearly been chosen as the scapegoat tonight. The teachers were suddenly nowhere to be found. Kathryn's lips curved into a delighted, vicious grin, her eyes gleaming. "Oh... I see. This should be good," she said to the twins. "Xander's spotted the w***e's daughter. Entertainment time." Trixie giggled. "Ten bucks, he dumps more punch on her." Talia snickered back "Twenty bucks he makes her cry this time." Kathryn nodded, smirking. "Make it fifty... He's got that look. She's toast." Mila grabbed my arm, her voice a whisper. "Hayley? Let's go..." It's too late. I'm frozen in fear, watching as Xander stormed toward me, cutting through the crowd like a blade. Fast. Purposeful. His friends trailed behind him, confused. "Xander, what the hell man?" Ethan called. "Dude, slow down," Rohit added. "You're acting weird... you're gonna make her melt from fear." He didn't stop. Hazel eyes burned into mine, fierce and desperate. I backed up a step, bumping into another table. Terror clawed up my throat. He was coming to bully me as usual. To finish what Kathryn started... Another Public humiliation. Everyone expected it. The snickers grew louder. More cameras were raised. I brace myself, preparing for impact. Perhaps he'd dump the second punch bowl on me and berate me for existing. I wait for the liquid to hit my dress but nothing comes. Instead, his hands shot out. One cupped the back of my neck, fingers tangling in my auburn waves. The other banded around my waist, yanking me against him with desperate force. Then he kissed me. Hard and Urgent. Like I was air and he'd been drowning. His mouth claimed mine with raw hunger, tasting of mint and something achingly intense. My soaked dress pressed to his crisp tux. Ruins meeting royalty. My hands flew to his chest ready to shove. What in the world was he doing? But the kiss deepened, and for one stunned, breathless second, everything else vanished. His mouth was relentless. Hot, demanding, devouring. Like he'd been holding back a lifetime of want and couldn't contain it anymore. One hand fisted in my auburn waves, tilting my head exactly where he needed it, while the other clamped around my waist with bruising force, crushing me against the hard length of his body. His tongue swept past my lips without permission, claiming every inch like territory he'd already marked as his. I felt the low, ragged growl vibrate in his chest as he pressed harder, deeper, like he was trying to fuse us together so I couldn't run. My soaked dress clung to him, the sticky chill forgotten in the searing heat of his skin through the thin white shirt. My hands, still flattened against his chest to push, curled involuntarily into the lapels of his tux, knuckles white, holding on as my knees threatened to give out. The ballroom erupted around us. Murmurs ripped through the air like gunfire. Phone cameras flashed in frantic bursts, like lightning in the midst of the storm. From the corner of my blurring vision, I saw Kathryn's face contort into raw fury, her ice-blue eyes blazing murder. Ethan and Rohit stood frozen right beside us, jaws slack, shock etched across their usually smug features. Mila's eyes went wide as saucers, her hand still gripping my arm like she'd forgotten how to let go. Then abruptly he broke the kiss. My brain was still struggling to process what just happened... His forehead slammed against mine, breaths coming in harsh, uneven pants that mingled with my own. His hazel eyes wild, haunted and burning locked onto my green ones from inches away. Sweat beaded at his temple, dark hair falling messily over his forehead. "Don't you dare try to walk away from me again," he rasped, voice low and cutting, thick with something raw and unfiltered that hit me like a slap. "Not this time. Not ever. I lost you once—I won't lose you again..." The strange words hung between us, sharp and desperate, so unlike the cruel, untouchable Xander Thorne everyone knew that they stole the air from my lungs. Lost me? What the hell did that even mean? I stood there, lips swollen and tingling, heart slamming so hard it hurt, mind reeling in complete chaos. Xander Thorne, the bully who'd tormented me for years had just kissed me like I was his salvation... In front of everyone. My world didn't just shatter. It burned and I had no idea if I'd survive the blaze...