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sixty-seven
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2024-12-21 14:10:02
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Hated By The Bully King sixty-eight
CoraWe enter the shop. The bell above our head gives a small jingle, gathering the attention of a few diners. They stare at the three guys, some of the women gaping like they're the perfect male specimen they've ever seen. They kind of are.I lead them to a table in the back, away from all the stares and scrutiny. Colt and I sit side by side while Ethan and Alessandro sit across from us. Darla, a middle age woman who's been working here for years, hands us each a menu.Her eyes land on mine. "Cora! You're here visiting?""Yeah. It was my mom's birthday yesterday.""Of course. Please tell her happy birthday for me." She pins her eyes on each of the guys. "Who are your handsome friends? From that fancy school of yours?""Yep. Darla, meet Colt Montgomery, Ethan Aldridge, and Alessandro Beckham.""Beckham? As in thee Beckham?""Yeah.""Your family paid for my father's cancer treatment!" She gushes to Alessandro. "I'm forever thankful to you and your family. My dad is doing so well, all b
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-21Hated By The Bully King sixty-nine
CoraOnce we're done with the tour and return to the car, I direct Colt to an ice cream place that has nearly every flavor. On the way, I get a text from Elissa.Elissa: Missing my bestie like crazy. Can't believe your home and I've hardly seen you."Guys?" I ask. "Is it okay if my friend joins us for ice cream?""Sure," Colt says. "The more the merrier."I'm cool with that," Ethan says. Alessandro nods.I text Elissa to meet us there in an hour. The guys and I stop at a few more locations, and I tell them some anecdotes pertaining to that location. Like the time my class took a school trip to the fire station when I was really little and I asked one of the firemen if I could stay because I wanted to be a firefighter, too. Or the time Elissa and I accidentally got off at the wrong bus stop when we were like eight and wandered aimlessly around town. It was fun at first, two kids taking on the world, but then we realized how screwed we were and started crying. An old couple found us and
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-21Hated By The Bully King seventy.
CoraAs I'm breaking my head over pre-calculus homework, I get a text.Alessandro: Meet me? Don't want to be alone right now.Me: Are you okay?Alessandro: Yeah. I'll wait for you outside the Tunnel.I put on a hoodie and slip into the Tunnel. Alessandro's leaning against the wall with his arms crossed."Everything okay?" I ask.His face was a mask of anger and loss, but it changes when he takes me in. His eyes light up and a sweet smile conquers his lips. He slides his hand into mine and leads me toward the forest."Where are we going?" I ask. I can barely see a thing, though my eyes are starting to adjust to the darkness."I want to show you something."I don't know how long we walk, but we're definitely far from the academy. "Are you sure it's okay to be out here?" I whisper. "There's still someone out there who wants to hurt you."Alessandro waves his free hand. "I don't care about that. I'm not going to live my life in fear because of some asshole who wants to take me down.""I'm
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-21Hated By The Bully King seventy-one.
CoraI lay in bed several hours later with Rosie the narwhal in my arms, still unable to believe what happened. After campus security learned the situation, they immediately called the police. Alessandro and I were questioned thoroughly, and the weapon was discovered.What I did was risky, but at least I saved Alessandro's life.Reaching for my phone, I send him a text.Me: You awake?Alessandro: Of course. Think I can sleep?Me: Me either. Colt and Ethan were texting me nonstop. Not sure if they were more worried about me or you.Alessandro: You. Definitely you.Me: Doubt it.Alessandro: Colt's pretty proud of himself. He wants to take credit for your high kick, but I refuse to let him.Me: Lol. Did they figure out who the man worked for?Alessandro: Dad did some digging. He works for our biggest rival and competitor. No surprise there. Dad suspected he was the one behind it, but he could never find any proof.Me: Did your dad seem relieved that it's over? Concerned what could have h
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-21Hated By The Bully King seventy-two.
CoraThe limo stops before a building with music you can hear from miles away."Are you sure this is the place?" the driver asks."It is," I assure him. "Come, Alessandro."He wrinkles his nose. "Where the heck are we?""A teen club," I say."A club?""Have you ever been to one?""No. Colt has many times, but not me. Especially not one like...this.""Trust me, you'll have a blast."Alessandro wrinkles his nose again as we walk inside, then his eyes light up in wonder. The decor is amazing, so retro. It really feels like we've gone back a few decades."This is..." he starts."Awesome, right?" I take his hand and lead him further into the club. Some people stare at our clothes—we're way too overdressed—but I ignore them and pull Alessandro to the center of the dance floor. "You've got moves, Beckham. Show these people what you've got."Alessandro and I let loose and have a blast dancing to the music. He smiles so many times, I've lost count. My dress gets in the way sometimes, but it's
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-21Hated By The Bully King seventy-three/transition.
Cora"Cora!" Someone bangs frantically on my door. Sitting up, I check the time on my phone. Six o'clock in the morning."Cora!"It sounds like there are two people banging now. And two voices. Ethan and Colt.Springing out of bed, I unlock the door and stare into two hysterical faces. "What's wrong?""It's Alessandro," Ethan says. "They're taking him away.""What?"Colt shoves his phone in my face.Alessandro: Father's sending me to an all-boys boarding school in Europe. I leave early morning."And he attached this," Colt says, clicking on a link. It's a news article of Alessandro and me at the teen club, dancing and having good time, and then one of us kissing."But I..." My heart is hammering so hard I'm starting to grow dizzy. I can barely think, barely breathe. I clutch my side, forcing oxygen into my lungs."Get dressed," Ethan says. "We might be able to stop him before he's gone."I can't move. I'm still clutching my side as I struggle to breathe. Alessandro...leaving?Ethan hu
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-21Hated By The Bully King 74
Cora"Cora?"There's a light knock on my door, followed by a short pause, before it clicks open and a light brown head peeks in."Hey," Colt Montgomery says softly, flashing me a sweet, hopeful smile and widening the door. Ethan Aldridge stands behind him, offering me an identical smile. Well, he's trying to. He's nowhere as good at hiding his worry as Colt is, and the corners of his lips tremble slightly.They both know the combination to my lock. I'm not really sure when they convinced me to give it to them—the past week has been such a blur. But I guess they were sick and tired of not being able to see me. Truth is, I don't think I would have eaten anything these past few days if not for them.Colt is still all smiles as he strides inside and lowers himself on my desk chair. Ethan's more hesitant, carefully shutting the door and dropping down on the corner of my bed. His weight sinks it down, and I immediately feel the warmth of his body through the blanket wrapped around me. Still
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-22Hated By The Bully King 75
EthanColt's flirting with a girl outside Cora's room. Trying not to grit my teeth at how selfish he can be, I make my way toward the exit of the girls' dorm."Ethan, wait!" Colt calls after me. I don't stop. It's not long before he catches up to me. "Told you to wait up, man."I whirl around. "How could you flirt with a girl like that? With everything that's going on? With Cora locked in her room and refusing to come out?"His jaw falls open. "Are you kidding me right now? You think I was flirting with that girl? I was trying to get her claws off me." He gives me a betrayed, hurt look. "I thought you thought higher of me."I scrub my hand down my face. "Sorry. I just assumed...you're right, I do think highly of you. I just can't take it, Colt. I can't stand seeing her like this."He blows air out of his mouth as he leans back against the hallway wall. Many girls pass and throw us flirty smiles, and I wish I could just...I don't know. Maybe knock some sense into them? Do they really t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-22
Bab terbaru
Hated By The Bully King 130
CoraFour years laterAlessandro, Ethan, Colt and I stare at the mansion that sits before us, our jaws practically hitting the ground.Colt whistles. "That's a little bigger than our last house."I throw him an incredulous look. "Major understatement of the year. This isn't a mansion—it's a palace."He throws an arm around me and grins. "A palace fit for the most beautiful queen in the world. Our queen." He brushes his lips across my cheek.I playfully swat him away. "You know I don't like when you guys call me your queen.""Too bad. Because you are our queen. Just get used to it, Cora. The guys and I want to spoil you rotten. You gotta learn to accept it."I smile and shake my head. "Never."Ethan slides his hand into mine. "Ready to see our new home?""I'm more than ready."The four of us march up the stairs, where staff members scurry around to help us with our bags and welcome us in. I'm still trying to get used to the whole staff thing. The guys insisted we have them at our old h
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CoraBeckham watches his son for a very long time, the fury seeming to grow even more intense. Then he finally sits forward, placing his palms on his desk. "What a little boy you are," he hisses. "You think you're in a damn romance movie? This is real life, Alessandro. In real life, you don't get to live in fantasy worlds. You don't get to decide what happens. You do what it takes to jump over everyone else, or else they will be the ones on top and they will step on you. So stop with this childhood nonsense. You'll marry a girl whom I see fit, someone who will help you advance in your life and career."Alessandro folds his arms over his chest, his fury a match for his father's. "Someone like Heather Mclauren?""Yes. Heather Mclauren is the perfect match for you.""Match," Colt mutters under his breath. "Who the hell gets matched up these days?"Alessandro lowers his hands on the desk, leaning close to stare his dad down. "You sent her after me, didn't you?""Of course I did! Someone h
Hated By The Bully King 128
CoraThe limo stops before the Beckham Mansion. I stare up at it from the window, once again marveling at how stunning it is. I can't believe just four months ago, I came here for the first time working at Alessandro's party. I remember that day as though it happened yesterday: how there were so many people, but Alessandro was still alone. How I saved his life, which led me down the path that would become my dream future. It's funny how one small act can change your life forever."Cora?"Ethan is holding out his hand for me. Colt and Alessandro have already climbed out of the car, Alessandro looking a little anxious. He's not trying to hide his emotions anymore—none of the guys are. The three handsome young men who stand before me are the true souls I have come to love with every fiber of my being.I accept Ethan's hand and let him help me out of the car. Colt puts his hand on my shoulder while Alessandro slides his hand into mine and gives it a reassuring squeeze. "Whatever happens,
Hated By The Bully King 127
CoraEthan's just as happy to see me at his door as Alessandro was. There's a change in his face, and as I make my way inside, I try to figure out what it is. He seems...happier, maybe? No, it's more than that. It's like—"What?" he asks with a laugh as he sits down at his desk and motions for me to come over."Sorry, was I staring?" I head over to him, where he pulls me onto his lap, my back pressed tightly to his chest, and his arms wrapped around my stomach. "I don't mean to. There's just something different about you.""There is?"I stretch my neck to scrutinize his mesmerizing emerald eyes. "You look alive.""Alive?" A soft chuckle reverberates through his chest. "Yeah, I think I'm breathing.""You're laughing, Ethan. A real one. I can't remember the last time I saw you like this."He tucks some hair behind my ear. "I'm happy, Cora. I think for the first time since my family died, I feel genuinely happy. It's like up until today, I was just trudging through life, going through th
Hated By The Bully King 126
CoraAlessandro's eyes fill with surprise when he opens the door. "Cora, hi.""Hi. Can I come in?""Sure." He widens the door.His desk is cluttered with papers—business documents. "Am I bothering you?""You never bother me," he says with a smile, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes.I take his hand and lead him to the bed, where we sit side by side. "Sandro, what's going on?""What?""I know something's bothering you. And I have a feeling it's not the three boyfriends thing."His cheeks puff up. "You know me really well, don't you?" He shakes his head. "It doesn't matter. I'm okay.""If we're going to be together, you need to be open and honest with me. You don't have to worry about protecting me. I want to be here for you. I want you to pour your heart out to me. I want to feel as close to you as I can.""I want that, too." He caresses my cheek, gazing at me with raw emotions. "I want that really badly."I press my lips to his palm. "Tell me what's going on."He turns away from me,
Hated By The Bully King 125
CoraThe four of us are quiet.Colt looks at Alessandro. "I'm sorry for being selfish. I guess I was a little jealous of how close you and Cora were getting. I've wanted something like that for a really long time. It was never my intention to steal her from you or anything. I want you to be happy, Sandro, really I do. But the more time I spent with you, Cora, the more I liked you. I didn't ask you to come to New York City for some romantic getaway. I wanted to escape my life for a few days, and I knew you would be the one to make me feel better. But it was never my intention to kiss you. It kind of just happened. I'm sorry for being so selfish, Sandro."Alessandro's quiet for a few seconds before shaking his head. "I'm the selfish one. A part of me suspected you and Ethan might like Cora, too. But I wanted her all to myself. We should have talked about it.""Like we're doing now?" Colt says with a wry smile. Then he faces me. "All I want is for the two of you to be happy. So if you an
Hated By The Bully King 124
CoraAnother week passes with Alessandro and Colt not speaking."That's it," I mutter Saturday morning. "It's time I take matters into my own hands."I'm sick of feeling confused and guilty. I'm sick of seeing three former best friends hardly saying a thing to each other.I send Ethan and Colt a text, telling them to meet me in the bowling alley in half an hour. Then I head over to Alessandro's room. I could send him a text, too, but I know he won't meet up with us. It's harder to refuse someone when they stand right in your face. Well, that's what I'm counting on, anyway.I knock a few times on his door, hoping he didn't go away for the weekend. A few seconds later, footsteps approach."Who is it?" his voice calls."Cora."I hold my breath. There's a good chance he'll ignore me.The air slowly leaves my mouth when I hear him turn the handle. He stands before me with an unreadable expression on his face. I look at him closely, making out the hint of emotion hiding behind his blank mas
Hated By The Bully King 123
CoraI try texting Ethan the rest of the night. He answers a few, usually one worded answers, assuring me he's okay, but that's about it. Colt and I text, too, talking about the silliest things in the world. I guess neither of us wants to broach the kiss, Alessandro, or even Ethan.Alessandro doesn't answer any of my texts. It's been a week already. Is he ever going to forgive me? Or at least talk to me?Somehow, I fall asleep. I wake up the next morning way too early, and the first thing to enter my mind is Ethan. I reach for my phone and send him a text.Me: Are you feeling better?He responds almost immediately.Ethan: A little.Me: I hate that you were alone yesterday.Ethan: I wouldn't have been the best company.Me: I don't care about that. I just didn't want you to feel so alone.He's quiet for a bit before he responds.Ethan: I am alone. The only one left in my family.That causes tears to prick my eyes.Me: Can I take you out today? I want to take your mind off things.Ethan:
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CoraColt's talking to me, which is such a relief. Though he doesn't mention anything about New York or what happened right after. He, Ethan and I sit together during lunch, but Alessandro is nowhere to be found. I don't think he even eats lunch. And I can't voice my concerns with the guys because I don't want to cause any more drama.The fact that Alessandro and Colt are still not talking to each other is like a stab in the heart. I never meant to ruin their friendship. I don't think Alessandro talks to Ethan, either. He must feel so lonely.Friday morning, I'm woken up by a text from Alessandro. I'm so shocked and thrilled that I drop my phone. After quickly sweeping it off the floor, I read the text.Alessandro: Hard day for Ethan. You should make sure he's okay.My fingers fly across my phone screen.Me: What do you mean? Why is it a hard day?He looks at the text right away, but he doesn't respond.Me: Alessandro, why is today hard for Ethan?Finally, he responds.Alessandro: His
