Chapter 7

“You should be thanking me, though,” Trevor said, his tone casual but smug.

“Why should I? We took drugs, for goodness’ sake! What is wrong with you?” Ivy exclaimed, her eyes narrowing in anger.

Trevor scoffed and took a step closer. Before she could react, his hand gripped her jaw gently but firmly, tilting her face up to his.

“Little miss creep,” he murmured, his smirk widening, “you don’t get to shout at me after accepting my deal.”

“Take back the deal,” she demanded, her voice trembling with frustration.

But Trevor leaned in closer, his eyes boring into hers, the smirk never leaving his face. “It’s a deal,” he whispered.

Ivy went silent, her breath hitching. The only sound in the room was the soft rhythm of their breathing as they stared at each other, a tense and unspoken energy building between them.

Ivy’s heart pounded as Trevor’s smirk deepened, his face just inches from hers. The intensity of his gaze made her feel both angry and nervous. She clenched her fists by her sides, determined not to let him see how unsettled she was.

“Let go of me,” she said, her voice low but firm.

Trevor chuckled softly, his fingers loosening their hold on her jaw, but he didn’t move away. “Feisty as always. That’s what makes this fun.”

“What’s fun? Ruining people’s lives?” she shot back, her eyes blazing with defiance.

He raised an eyebrow, his smirk fading slightly. “Ruin? I wouldn’t call it that. I prefer to think of it as… pushing boundaries.”

“You crossed the line this time, Trevor,” she said, stepping back to put some distance between them. “Whatever game you’re playing, leave me and Justin out of it.”

“Leave you out of it?” he echoed mockingly. “You’re the star player, Ivy. Without you, this wouldn’t be half as entertaining.”

“I’m not your puppet,” she snapped. “I don’t care what deal we made. I’m done.”

Trevor’s expression darkened, and for a moment, he looked almost serious. “You don’t get to back out so easily,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “You needed my help, and I gave it to you. Now, you play your part.”

Ivy’s breath caught, but she refused to let him intimidate her. “We’ll see about that,” she said, turning on her heel and walking out of the kitchen, her heart racing with anger and unease.

As she headed back to her room, her mind raced. She couldn’t let Trevor control her—or drag Justin into his schemes. But how was she going to fix this without everything falling apart?

Walking into her room, Ivy froze when she saw Justin sitting on the bed, now awake. Their eyes met, and her heart skipped a beat.

She prayed he didn’t remember the kiss. If he did, things were bound to get awkward. That kiss had been her first—something she’d always imagined would be special, romantic, and planned. A part of her almost wished he remembered, but the risk of ruining their friendship outweighed the curiosity.

“You slept the whole time,” she said, forcing a chuckle as she walked closer. Standing in front of him, she nudged his shoulder playfully.

Justin groaned, rubbing his temple. “I’ve got a splitting headache.”

“Sorry,” she said softly, sitting beside him. “Maybe it’s just from all the excitement.”

He sighed. “I can barely remember what happened. Like, we left school, and then…”

“I don’t remember much either,” she interrupted quickly, hoping to steer the conversation away from anything kiss-related. “I think we just crashed when we got back.”

Justin studied her for a moment before nodding. “Yeah… maybe.” He frowned, massaging his forehead. “Do you think that drink Kulture gave me caused this?”

Ivy froze for a split second, then quickly masked her reaction. She knew the real culprit was Trevor, but she couldn’t tell Justin his own brother had spiked their drink. “Who else would it be? I mean, the last thing we drank was from her,” she said, moving her hands to his head to massage his temples.

Justin closed his eyes, groaning softly. “Why would she even do that? Unless she wanted to, I don’t know, get me in the mood or something.” His lips curled into a faint smirk. “Maybe she thought we’d hook up in the locker room.”

Ivy rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to shove him. “Even if that’s true, it doesn’t make it right. She drugged both of us. That’s crossing a line.”

Justin sighed, leaning into her touch. “Especially with you drinking it too. I don’t like that part.”

Her hands paused briefly before she continued. His concern for her sent an unexpected warmth through her chest. “Well, I’m fine,” she said lightly, hoping to keep things casual. “But still… someone needs to call her out on it.”

“Yeah,” Justin murmured, his tone more serious now. “If she really did this, it’s over between us. I don’t care what excuse she tries to come up with.”

Ivy bit her lip, unsure how to respond. A small part of her felt guilty for letting Kulture take the blame, but a bigger part didn’t care. Kulture had always been awful to her, and if this was karma, so be it.

“Well, you deserve better anyway,” she said, her voice soft.

Justin opened his eyes and gave her a faint smile. “Thanks, Ivy. I mean it.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked away, focusing on his hair instead of his face. “Yeah, well… someone’s gotta keep you in check,” she teased.

Justin chuckled, leaning back slightly. “You’re better at it than anyone else.”

They sat in silence for a moment, the unspoken tension lingering between them. Ivy wondered if he truly didn’t remember the kiss—or if he was just pretending for her sake. Either way, she couldn’t shake the feeling that things between them had already started to change.

~~

The next day came faster than Ivy expected, and her anticipation grew as she waited for Justin to confront Kulture. She knew it was going to be a spectacle, and she wasn’t about to miss it.

When they arrived at school, Ivy spotted Kulture lingering near her locker. As soon as Kulture saw them, she strutted over, her signature pout firmly in place.

“You left me yesterday, babe,” she said, her voice dripping with sweetness as she moved in for a hug. But Justin took a step back, stopping her in her tracks.

“If you wanted sex, you could’ve just told me, Kulture,” he said bluntly, his voice laced with irritation.

Kulture froze, her eyes widening in shock. “What do you mean?” she asked, her tone high-pitched and defensive.

“Don’t play dumb,” Justin said firmly, his expression hard.

Ivy stood to the side, watching the interaction unfold. She had to press her lips together to keep from laughing at Kulture’s flustered expression. Her day was already made. She couldn't wait to tell Stephanie about this later.

“Play dumb? About what, babe?” Kulture asked, fluttering her fake lashes in what was supposed to be a charming gesture.

“The drink you gave me. You spiked it, didn’t you?” Justin said, his voice rising slightly.

Kulture gasped dramatically, clutching her chest like he’d just accused her of a crime. “No, I didn’t! Why would I do that?” she exclaimed, her tone a mix of indignation and fake innocence.

Justin scoffed, clearly unimpressed. “Don’t lie, Kulture. We both know you did.”

“I’m being serious, babe! I’d never do something like that!” she insisted, her voice wobbling as she tried to play the victim.

Ivy had to turn away for a moment to suppress her laughter. Kulture’s theatrics were almost too much. This is gold, Ivy thought, mentally rehearsing how she’d recount the story to Stephanie later.

Justin folded his arms, his sharp gaze fixed on Kulture. “If you didn’t do it, then who did? Because I don’t believe for a second that drink was clean.”

Kulture opened her mouth, then closed it again, clearly scrambling for an explanation. Ivy leaned against the lockers, thoroughly entertained. She almost felt bad for Kulture. Almost.

Kulture shifted uncomfortably under Justin's glare, her usual confidence faltering. “I swear, babe, I didn’t do anything to that drink! Why would I even think of doing something like that?” she stammered, her voice trembling slightly now.

Justin tilted his head, unconvinced. “You tell me. You handed me the drink. After that, Ivy and I both blacked out. Do you think that’s normal?”

Ivy, still standing a few feet away, decided to chime in. “You’ve always been sneaky, Kulture. I wouldn’t put it past you,” she said casually, crossing her arms and enjoying the drama.

Kulture’s eyes darted to Ivy, her expression hardening. “Oh, shut up, Ivy. You’re always hanging around Justin like some lost puppy. Maybe you spiked the drink!” she snapped, her voice venomous.

Ivy rolled her eyes, unfazed. “That’s a pretty weak attempt to deflect blame, Kulture. Try harder.”

Justin stepped in before the argument escalated. “Enough,” he said firmly, his tone silencing both of them. “The fact is, I can’t trust you anymore, Kulture. If you didn’t spike the drink, you wouldn’t be acting so defensive right now.”

“But, babe—” Kulture started, her voice desperate now.

“I’m not your babe anymore,” Justin cut her off, his voice cold and final. “This is over.”

Kulture froze, her lips trembling as she processed his words. “You’re breaking up with me? Over this?!” she shrieked, her voice echoing down the hallway.

“Yeah, I am,” Justin said simply, stepping back from her. “I deserve someone I can actually trust.”

Kulture stared at him in disbelief, tears welling up in her eyes. For a moment, she looked like she might argue, but instead, she turned on her heel and stormed off, muttering curses under her breath.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Ivy couldn’t help but laugh. “Wow, that was… intense. But she had it coming.”

Justin turned to her, shaking his head with a wry smile. “You’re not wrong. She’s been showing her true colors for a while now.”

Ivy grinned, feeling oddly triumphant. “Well, glad you finally see it.”

Justin nodded, running a hand through his hair. “I think I need a break from dating for a while.”

Ivy raised an eyebrow. “A break? Or are you secretly crushing on someone else now?” she teased.

Justin chuckled, but his gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than usual. “Maybe,” he said cryptically before turning toward the classroom.

Ivy’s cheeks heated, and she quickly followed him, her mind racing. What did that mean?

TBC