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CHAPTER 9
Connor's POV
"Dude, she's lying to you." James said lazily, falling onto the coach lazily. I scowled and sat down in the armchair next to him.
"Yeah, man, I saw it with my own eyes." Matt said, sprawled out on the other couch. I cursed and glared at them both.
"I warned her what would happen." I said, curtly. Matt and James exchanged looks before one of the spoke.
"Listen Connor, you've always been known as the guy who gets the girl. When other guys find out that Liam is getting closer to her, she's going to be seen as free meat." Matt said with a shrug as he turned on the TV. I frowned as I thought about this- Matt was right.
"What am I supposed to do? Beat the crap out of Liam because he talked to Bella?"
"I don't get it." I turned to look at James, who was now sitting up, his brows furrowed in thought.
"What?" I asked
"You normally get the girl in a matter of minutes, hours, days. But with Bella, it's different. It's been nearly a week." James pointed out.
"Well remember Sarah? It took me two months to break her." I pointed out. "Oh and remember Anna? She took me nearly three and a half months." Matt and James both nodded.
"We were worried for a second that you were going soft."
I scoffed and looked at them. "Like I would ever go soft for someone. Bella is no different from the rest. Sure, she's entertaining and very stubborn, but in the end, she'll crack and give into me."
Sure, when we kissed, it was amazing. Something about her made me what to be with her, get closer to her. And yeah, it pissed me off that she wanted nothing to do with me. But I can't let myself fall for her, that won't happen.
"Bella, is a nice girl... I'd hate to see her get hurt." Matt said, mostly to himself. I exchanged looks with a surprised James.
What? Does Matt now like her too??
And you know what? That made me angry.
Wait what?
Oh no. Do I have competition to get her?
Guess I'm going to have to try another technique.
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Bella's POV
I woke up extra early, and begged my mum to go with my dad to work so that I could take my mum's car. I had spent nearly twenty minutes trying to cover up the large hickey on my neck, and even now, there was a faint shade of purple leftover.
I was just about to get into the car, when I heard the familiar roar of an engine- a motorcycle's engine. I looked up to see Connor pulling off his helmet, a grin stretched across his face.
"Bells, I take you to school now. Remember?" Connor asked. I let out a short laugh and began climbing into the car. I tried to close the door, only to have it be held back.
"Connor what are you doing?" I snapped, glaring at him.
"Come on Bella, don't be stubborn." He said, gripping the door firmly in place. Even then, I continued to tug effortlessly at the handle in attempt to budge it. Suddenly Connor's face lit up and he smiled.
"What?" I asked suspiciously, leaning away. Connor leaned down, ducking his head into the car.
"Let's ditch." He said, his eyes bright. I frowned and shook my head in disbelief, putting the keys in the ignition.
"Bella." He warned, narrowing his eyes at my hand.
"Connor, there is no way I'm going to ditch with you. Hell- there is no way that you're going to get me out of this car." I snapped, trying to close the door. Connor raised his eyebrow and leaned further down, so that his whole upper body was now inside the car.
"You leave me no choice." Connor whispered, causing me to look at him in confusion. Before I could react, Connor unbuckled me, and lifted me slightly only to push me into the passenger seat. I opened my mouth to protest as Connor slid in, shutting the door behind me.
"What are you doing?" I asked loudly, pushing him angrily. He smirked as he adjusted the mirrors, buckling himself as started the car.
"Don't even." I hissed, locking my hand onto his wrist.
"You left me no choice." He said, with an amusement filled toned. He backed out of the driveway and began driving down the street.
"Connor! Get out of my car!"
He glanced at me quickly. "Put your seat belt on." I frowned and crossed my arms defiantly. Connor raised his eyebrow.
"Challenging me?" I didn't reply, only smirked at him. I watched as Connor shrugged and looked forward continuing to drive.
"I'm giving you one last chance." Connor said, turning to look at me. I shook my head and glared forward. Suddenly Connor's foot flew down onto the gas pedal, sending us flying down the empty road. I let out a strangled scream and I gripped his wrist tightly, and felt the fear rise throughout me.
"STOP! STOP!" I screamed, tears pricking the corners of my eyes. Connor continued to stare forward as he sped down the empty streets. I shut my eyes closed, remembering the last time I was in a situation like this.
**Flashback** (VIOLENT CONTENT BUT IT HAS TO DO WITH SAM)
"I-I-I'm s-sorry!" I wailed, as I clutched my bruised stomach, cradling my broken body in the passenger seat.
"Sorry doesn't cut it!" Sam roared, the car speeding up as he gripped the wheel tightly. I flinched and shrunk back in the seat, my body shaking from the sobs. The searing pain in my stomach reminded me off how violent Sam could get.
"I d-didn't cheat o-on you!" I whimpered, choking on my sobs.
"Liar!" He bellowed. His fist came from nowhere, connecting with the side of my head and causing me to smash my head against the window. I let out a blood-curdling scream and clutched my head in pain, the blood seeping through my fingers.
"Fucking whore!" He snarled, slamming down on the breaks, causing my body to fly forward, only to be held back by my seat belt. I felt a cracking sensation in my ribcage, causing another scream to rip through me. The door flung open, and Sam unbuckled me, yanking me out.
"P-please! No!" I screamed, raising my hands in a weak attempt to push him away.
"You did this to yourself." He spat at me. The last thing I remember was his fist coming straight for my face.
**End of the Flashback**
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Connor's POV
It was a joke. Honestly. I was speeding through empty streets so that Bella would just finally just put on hr damn seat belt. I had no intention of making her that upset, and if I had known it would, I never would have started speeding.
I had just turned into another empty street when I saw Bella squeeze her eyes shut and curl up into a ball. I was just about to ask her what was going on, when she paled and started shaking violently in the seat. I panicked and slowed down, pulling over at the side of the street and stopping.
"Bella?" I asked, placing my hand lightly on her leg. At the touch, her eyes flew open and she let out a bone chilling scream. She took one look at me before she started sobbing and moving away, pressing her body up against the door.
"Bella? Bella, what's going on?" I asked, seriously worried. She squeezed her eyes shut, sobbing and shaking. I quickly got out of the car, rushing over to the passenger side. I opened the door and unbuckled her, pulling her out of the car.
"No! P-please! Not again!" She wailed, I held her wrists as she attempted to hit me away.
"What are you talking about Bella?" I asked, pushing her gently into the side of the car so that her movements were limited.
"I didn't do it!" She screamed, tears were flooding down her face, causing me to become extremely worried.
What the hell is going on?
"Bella! Calm down!" I said, locking her arms to the side of the car. She tried to fight me off, but I made sure she couldn't escape.
"Bells, please." I whispered, pressing my body into hers. Suddenly she froze and looked up at me.
"C-Connor?" She asked, her voice weak, cracking a bit.
"It's okay Bella, I'm here." I whispered, pulling her into a hug. I rested my chin on the top of her head, rocking her slightly back and forth.
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Bella's POV
It happened all over again- well, I thought it did. A week after the accident, I slipped into depression and I had to be on meds for six months. After I was off the meds, I started having nightmares of that night, which led me to being on more meds.
They went away, but every now and then, it comes back to me. It doesn't matter what I'm doing, or where I am, it just comes to me.
"I-I'm sorry." I murmured in to his shoulder, hiccupping slightly. He pulled away slightly so that he was looking into my eyes.
"Why don't we head back to my house? You can take a nap or something..." Connor offered, trailing off awkwardly. I hesitated before answering. I was really surprised by what Connor said. It was... thoughtful. Not a word that I would use to describe Connor with.
"Thanks." I said softly, looking at him from underneath my lashes. He gave me a small grin and pulled me into one last hug before we went back into the car. My heart was pounding inside of my chest as we drove to his house- this time I had made sure to put my seat belt on. There's no way I'm going to school now, I thought to myself, not in this state.
I moved my head so that my hair created a thin wall behind Connor and me, so I could sneakily glance at him. In all truth, I felt bad for him. After I snapped out of my trance, the amount of relief that washed over his face was unbelievable. I felt guilty for putting him through that, normally it happens after I dream about it- at home.
"We're here," Connor said softly. I noticed he was about to place his hand on my leg, put hesitated and pulled away, watching me cautiously. I frowned as I got out his car, following him to the door. As we walked, he kept glancing at me, as if I was a ticking time bomb.
"Do you want something to drink?" Connor asked as I sat down numbly on his couch.
"Water, please." I said. I watched as he stared at me for a couple moments before turning to walk into the kitchen. Had I really freaked him out? Who am I kidding, I turned into a psychopath in front of him, of course he was freaked out.
"Here." He said, handing it to me. I gave a small 'thanks' and took a sip. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Connor remain standing there, still watching me cautiously.
"Do you um," He rubbed his neck awkwardly, "need to rest, or something?" He glanced at me, taking a step back as if I was going to lunge at him or something.
That does it.
I slammed my glass on the table in front of me, causing a loud noise to echo through the room. I stood up and faced Connor, glaring at him as I began my rant.
"Look Connor, I know I freaked you out and all, but really? Why are you treating me like a kid that belongs inside of an insane asylum?" I shrieked, throwing up my arms in emphasis. "I'm fine, okay? I don't need any special treatment- especially from you."
Connor stared at me in shock for a couple moments, before he frowned and crossed his arms.
"What the hell? I've been nothing but nice to you since your little freak out attack, and this is how you thank me? And what do you mean 'especially from you?'" He asked, his eyes narrowed and a look of annoyance set on his expression.
"You were being cautious! I don't need you acting like I'm going to freak out at any given second!" I screamed.
"Well it's for a good reason. Look at you! You couldn't even take two sips of water before you lost it!" He snapped.
I raised my eyebrow in annoyance. "What, you think I'm crazy?"
"Exactly." Connor said, smirking in victory.
"Well in that case..." I threw the water at Connor, causing it to splash over his face and his clothes. I smirked as I placed the glass down, enjoying his shocked expression.
"You really shouldn't have done that." He hissed, taking a step towards me, causing me to shrink back in fear. I turned to make a break for it, only to be pulled back into his hard, toned chest. Bella! Stop thinking about his abs, I scolded myself. I let out a gasp of surprise as he whirled me around, keeping his arm wrapped around my waist.
"Karma's a bitch." He said with a smirk, some of the water droplets falling onto me. I let out a shriek as he lifted me up, flinging me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I pounded on his back with my fists, but it was useless. This guy is pretty much made of out muscle. I let out a gasp as cold air hit me, signaling to me that we were now outside. From what I could see, we were now in his back yard.
"Connor, let me go this instant!" I demanded, shivering slightly.
"You sure about that?" He asked. Something was off, I could tell.
"Yes!"
"Alrighty!"
I felt my body being thrown downwards into a pit of blue. I squeezed my eyes and prepared for the icy cold pool water to engulf me- only it didn't. I opened my eyes to find Connor holding me, bridal style.
"You're face!" He exclaimed, causing me to bounce a little as he laughed. I frowned and watched him, annoyance taking over.
"Bells, did you really think I was going to throw you into a pool?" He asked when he finished laughing. I didn't answer, just looked around awkwardly.
"Well, I wouldn't." Connor said, a small grin on his face.
"Really?" I asked, looking up at him.
"Of course not!"
I let out a horrified scream as I was thrown up in the air and into the freezing pool. When I surfaced, Connor was on the ground, laughing so hard.
"You bastard!" I screamed, shaking like no other while I wrapped my arms around my body, trying to keep myself warm as I looked for a way out.
"You look cold." Connor observed, his eyes twinkling. I scowled as swam to the edge that he was standing at.
"Here," he offered, holding out his hand. So yeah, that cliché idea popped into my head, and I took his hand, and pulled with all my strength so that he fell in the pool.
Only that didn't happen.
He didn't even budge, just watched in amusement as I struggled to try to pull him in. After at least a minute, I sighed and gave up, and climbed out of the pool. My clothes were stuck to me, and I was pretty sure that I was dying.
"C-can we g-g-go ins-side?" I stuttered, my teeth chattering.
"Whatever you say prince-" Connor was cut off short as his body was thrown into the water. I laughed when I saw he expression when he resurfaced- it was of pure shock. But then, then came the anger. His eyes darkened and he swam to edge.
"Uh-oh..." I whispered, backing away. With incredible speed, Connor shot out of the pool and cut off my exit.
"Uh-oh is right." Connor said, advancing upon me. I turned to make a break for it, with Connor right behind me. I wasn't going to be able to make it back into the house, so I went for the gate.
"Gotcha!" Connor said as he wrapped his arms around me, flinging me around so that I was facing him. I cried out as I slipped on a puddle of water, falling backwards. Connor reacted quickly, and held onto me so that I wouldn't fall- except I panicked and flailed my arms and ended up smacking him in the face, causing us both to fall back.
"AHHHH!" We both screamed as we fell back into the ice like water. I managed to keep my head above the water, while Connor sunk to the bottom before bringing himself to the surface. I couldn't help but laugh at his pissed expression. I continued to tread water as Connor stood at his full height of six-one. Thankfully, we hadn't fallen into the deep section, and were in the five and a half feet section- that was good for my five-five frame.
"You think it's funny to get you head dunked under all this water?" He hissed, standing in front of me.
"It already happened to me," I reminded him, backing away. He grabbed my arm, stopping me from backing away any further.
"You're treading water?" He asked, smirking at me. I frowned as I continued to stay afloat. Being awful at all things athletic, I started to struggle.
"Well sorry! Not everyone can be as tall as you!" I snapped, a little breathless as I kicked my legs lightly back and forth. Connor laughed and pulled me closer, wrapping his arm around my waist. Being so close, it made it hard for me to continue to tread the water.
"C-C-Connor." I stammered shivering. Connor's eyes twinkled as he pulled my body onto him. Before I could say another word, he crashed his lips onto mine. I raised my arms to push him away, when I made the sickening realization-
I didn't want to.
Despite all that I had said before, I couldn't stop myself as I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He lifted me slightly, one arm resting under my butt, causing me to wrap my legs around him. His free hand tangled itself in my hair, deepening the kiss. Although we were stuck in the freezing water, the kiss was so heated that I wasn't bothered at all.
After a couple moments, he pulled away, resting his forehead against mine. We were both breathing heavily, our bodies still intertwined. I rested my head against he shoulder as he somehow managed to pull himself out of the water while still carrying me. Now that we were out of the water, the chilly October air was much more noticeable.
Connor carried me inside of the house, turning the heat up as he did. I didn't bother protesting as he carried me upstairs, into the bathroom.
"You can take the first shower," Connor said, placing me on the counter. He pulled out two towels, handing them to me. He then left the room, returning with a large t-shirt and sweatpants.
"They're probably not going to fit, but you an adjust it." Connor said, folding the clothes and leaving them on the counter. I shivered and nodded my head, giving him a grateful smile.
"You know, we could take a shower together. Save some water..." He said, his hot breath fanning across my face.
"Are you sure you don't want to shower first?" I asked. Connor shrugged, giving me a small smile.
"I'm fine. But you know, the offer still stands if you want to-" I playfully slapped his chest, pushing myself off the counter.
"Out." I said, smiling at him. He bowed mockingly, and skipped out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. I shook my head, still smiling.
25 minutes later
I had finished my shower ten minutes ago, but the hot water seduced me into staying longer! I kept on spinning around as the jets showered me down. This is the-
"AHHHHHH!" I screamed. I felt myself slipping, so I grabbed onto the glass door. Right as I was standing up, the glass door flung open, causing me to tumble out of the shower. I slipped and let out a strangled scream as slid across the bathroom and into the door, falling to the ground in a heap. I groaned and stood up slowly, aching all over. I looked at the trail of water I left. All I needed to do was avoid the water and I'll be-
"Noooo!" I wailed, finding myself to be slipping backwards again. I braced myself for the impact, only to find that there were arms wrapped around my midsection. Wait, what? I let out a shriek as I was pulled up to a standing position. I immediately whirled around, trying to cover myself as much as I could. I looked up at Connor in horror as his eyes trailed over my body.
"Stop that!" I snapped, shifting awkwardly as I tried to adjust my hands. Connor looked into my eyes, full on smirking.
"Don't be ashamed," he whispered, taking a step forward. I scowled and moved away.
"You need to leave!" I ordered, my face flushed. To my surprised, Connor turned and left without another remark. He shut the door behind him, causing me to let out a sigh of relief.
"Peek a boo!" Connor yelled out, flinging open the door.
"Connor!" I shrieked, slamming the door closed. I heard him laugh as he ran down the stairs.
Asshole.
I dried myself off and changed, grateful that my bra and underwear had dried off. I glanced into the mirror, wincing at the sight of the hickey on my neck. Ever since the pool incident, the makeup had washed off, the rest by the shower. I cleaned off the floor, dumping everything into the basket in the corner.
The t-shirt drowned me out and the sweatpants were the most comfortable thing in the world.
"You're a douche." I snapped as soon as I saw Connor lounging on the couch. I noticed that his hair was still damp, and he was wearing a set of new, dry clothes.
"Did you shower?" I asked, plopping down next to him.
"Yeah, I realized that waiting for you to finish would take too much time, so I just used the one downstairs." He said, turning to face me. I nodded my head and turned towards the television. He was watching some basketball game, so I pretended to be distracted. I could feel his eyes on the side of my head, and I couldn't help it anymore.
"Please just forget what happened." I said, remaining to stare forward.
"Forget those tits and shaved pussy? I think not." Connor said, amusement in his tone. My jaw dropped and I turned to him in shock.
"I saw everything." He whispered, moving closer to me. I flushed and turned away, hoping to distract myself. I heart began to pick up pace as Connor moved in, placing his hand on my leg. I ignored that act and continued to stare blankly at the television. But then his hand began trailing up, slipping underneath my shirt.
"Stop it!" I snapped, standing up to glare at him. He laughed and let his eyes trail over me.
"You look really good right now." He said, his eyes meeting mine once again. I rolled my eyes a snorted.
"What time is it now?" I asked, sitting back down next to him. He checked his phone, which reminded me, mines in my car.
"It's almost ten o'clock." I yawned and nodded my head, leaning back. I only lasted about five minutes before my eyes slowly started closing. Right before I completely fell asleep, I noticed Connor wrapping his arms around me, resting his chin on my head. I smiled as I shut my eyes, enjoying the warm embrace.
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Connor's POV
I gently lifted her up, putting her back onto the couch with a fuzzy blanket. I sighed and quietly went out the back of the house. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, dialing a number I never thought I'd need to use again. After a couple rings, she finally answered.
"What happened to not wanting me anymore?"
"Hello to you too." I said, rolling my eyes at her greeting.
"Connor, last time I saw you, you said that you didn't want or need me." She said, sounding pissed off.
"I don't need you in that way," I said, sighing. "Can you just come over?" There was a pause before she answered.
"I'm on my way."
I peeked back inside the house to check on Bella- who was sound asleep. I walked out onto the porch, waiting for her to come.
10 minutes later
"Thanks for coming Sam," I said, standing up awkwardly. She gave me a playful glare and plopped herself down on the porch swing.
"So what do ya wanna talk about?" She asked, her green eyes glinting.
"There's this girl, her name is Bella and-" I started.
"Let me guess, you're trying to sleep with her?" She asked.
"Well- yes." I mumbled, sitting down next to her. She nodded her head thoughtfully.
"What's the problem? She's playing hard to get?"
"No... I think she just really doesn't want to sleep with me." I said, shaking my head in disbelief. Sam's eyes widened and she was silent for a couple moments.
"What do you mean?"
"I may have not left her with a great first impression. In all truth, I never acted like I wanted her. It's complicated." I sighed. "But now that I do want her, she seems to like this other guy."
Sam raised her eyebrow. "What, this guy is still alive?"
I laughed and nodded. "Yeah. The thing is, I've never seen him with her and I guess I just keep hoping that it's not true- the rumors I've heard." I watched as Sam stared at me, a shocked expression over her face.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"You like her." She said as if it was obvious.
I scoffed, "I like her body."
"No, you like her." She said, shaking her head and giving me this look.
30 minutes later
"This was nice," Sam said, standing at the bottom of the stairs. I nodded and gave her a small hug. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around me, kissing me full on the lips.
"Just for old times sake." She whispered, pulling away. I watched her in amusement as she walked to her car, giving me a small wave before driving off. I smiled and walked back into the house.
"I have to go." My head snapped up into her direction. Bella looked mad as hell as she stood with crossed arms in front of me.
"What? Why?" I asked, surprised by her sudden mood change. She scoffed and pushed past me, and onto the porch.
"Bella what's going on?" I asked, grabbing her arm to stop her. She whirled around, giving me a look that made my blood run cold. Immediately I dropped her arm, staring at her in confusion.
"Give me my keys." She said, anger lining every word.
"One second." I said turning around. "Guess someone's PMSing."
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Bella's POV
"Guess someone's PMSing." He muttered, walking away. I felt another wave of anger and annoyance surge through me. How dare he! He has no right to even pretend like nothing happened.
I saw him trying to suffocate that blonde chick with his tongue. I'm not even going to pretend that I didn't feel jealous.
Oh, and used. Don't forget that.
"I have your keys," he announced, leaning against the doorway.
"Give them back." I hissed, holding out my hand in expectancy. He laughed took my hand in his own.
"Not till you go out with me."
"No!" I snapped, yanking my hand away. He frowned and took a step closer.
"Why not?"
"You are an unbelievable son of a bitch! You honestly think you can get whatever you want, but you know what? You can't! Did you really expect me to run into your arms after you were making out with some girl on the porch?" I snarled, getting right up into his face.
"Why do you care?" He snapped, causing me to flinch back. "You've been treating me like shit all this time and you really expect me to wait around for you to maybe even consider me?" I winced and stared past him.
"This is why it won't work." I said, backing away with a frown on my face. Connor was still breathing heavily, and he watched me.
"We believe in two different things. You think that it is okay to be with other girls while chasing after one, and I think that if you really want to be with someone, you should not give up and just whore around till they come around." I said, shaking my head and holding out my hand.
"You haven't even given me a chance." Connor said sadly, taking my hand once more, cupping it in between his.
"Do you even deserve one?" I asked numbly. A look of hurt flashed though Connor's face and he dropped my hand while backing away.
"I'm sorry." I said immediately.
"You gave Liam a chance." He said, his expression now hard and emotionless.
"Yeah, but-"
"He just wants to use you." Connor stated dully.
"Excuse me?"
"I've never once not gotten the girl I went for, so the fact you started to talk to Liam made a little plan fill in his head. He thinks that he can sleep with you before me, using you to take my title." I froze as his words started to sink in.
"So I'm just some prize for this little competition of who can get my virginity first?" I asked, not even trying to hide the hurt and anger I felt.
"Bella, please, give me a chance." Connor pleaded taking a step forward.
"This is crazy! Everything is moving way too fast. I barely even know you!" I snapped, looking away.
"This isn't a date." Connor said, letting out a sigh of annoyance.
"Fine." I said, staring at him blankly. Connor froze, almost as if he hadn't expected me to go along with it.
"Well do you want your clothes or-"
"No, I'll wear this. It's not a date." I said, crossing my arms defiantly. Expecting Connor to be annoyed, I guess you could say I was surprised when he leaned back and laughed.
"Let's go then." He said, walking towards his car.
"What about my-"
"Car? No, we're taking mine. It's not a date, so that means you can't storm out like those girls do in those dramatic movies." Now it was my turn to laugh as I got into his car.
"Whatever you say." I said, buckling as he started the car, pulling out of the driveway.
"This is going to be worth it." Connor said, giving me a grin as we pulled out onto the street.
"Only if it was a date." I countered, laughing as I turned on the radio.
Little did I know that this simple act of "getting to know each other" would cause him to grow interested in my life- uncovering my hidden past. Little did I know that he would soon decide that I was so interesting, that he just had to get closer to me.
Little did I know that by me agreeing to this, I had given the chance for Connor to attach himself to me, holding on so that he could get what he wanted.
And let me tell you one thing, that boy just won't let go.
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