Chapter 34 – Her Bully

(From Luca's perspective)

When I spotted Quinn hobbling down the hall in that damn boot, surrounded by a sea of judgmental eyes, something inside me twisted. I should've just kept walking, ignored her, but no. I had to be an idiot and engage. When our eyes met, I saw that flicker of recognition—and, yeah, maybe a little fear—and that only fueled the need to push her away.

"Watch where you're going, Wayne," I said, my voice coming out colder than I intended. She looked up, all wide eyes and nerves, stammering an apology, but I wasn't having it. Every word felt like another wall between us. If she hated me, then maybe I could convince myself to hate her too.

"What happened? Trip over your own ego?" The smirk on my face felt fake, but I plastered it on anyway.

Her cheeks turned red, and I could see the sting in her eyes, but she didn't fight back. She just turned and limped away, trying to pretend I didn't get to her. It hurt more than I wanted to admit. I wanted her to lash out, hit me again like she had at that lake party, but instead, she just walked away.

Good. That's what I wanted, right?

But damn it, it didn't feel right.

Later in math, when I walked in and saw her sitting there trying to make herself invisible, it made my blood boil. Why did she think she could just sit there, untouched by me? Like I hadn't already decided to make her life hell.

"Nice seat, Wayne," I said, dropping into the chair behind her. "Mind if I ruin it for you?"

I started with little things—kicking the back of her chair, knocking her stuff off her desk. Nothing major, but just enough to mess with her. She stayed quiet, though. Too quiet. I needed her to react, to snap, to scream at me or something. But by the time the bell rang, she hadn't said a word, and I walked out of there more pissed than when I started.

Why the hell wasn't this working?

At lunch, I was done playing games. I had to up my strategy. So when she walked by with her tray, I stuck my foot out, just enough to trip her. Food went flying everywhere, and for a second, I felt a sick satisfaction. She looked humiliated—exactly what I was aiming for.

"Oops. Didn't see you there, Wayne," I said with a grin, waiting for the anger to come. And it did.

Without warning, she grabbed her juice and dumped it right on my head. Cold, sticky liquid ran down my face, and the entire cafeteria exploded with laughter. I froze, shocked. Not because she did it, but because part of me respected her for it. She fought back. She wasn't some helpless victim, and it pissed me off how much I liked that about her.

But I couldn't let her know that. I couldn't let myself know that.

So, I did the only thing that made sense in my messed-up brain. I grabbed her and threw her over my shoulder. I didn't care about the eyes on us or the whispers. I just needed to get her alone, somewhere where I could regain control. My friends blocked the doors while I carried her down the hall to a janitor's closet.

Shoving her inside, I slammed the door behind us. The tiny space was suffocating, and the scent of her—wild and defiant—only made things worse.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I growled, stepping closer. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, and I knew she was scared, but she didn't back down.

"Maybe if you weren't such a jerk, I wouldn't have to," she fired back.

The anger in her voice hit me like a punch, and for a second, I saw something in her eyes. Something that matched what I was feeling. The air between us shifted, and suddenly, it wasn't just about the fight anymore. I wanted to kiss her. Hell, I wanted to do a lot more than that, but I pulled back before I did something I'd regret.

"This isn't over," I muttered, storming out before I could let her see how much she affected me.

I was in deep, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop it.

The next few days, I tried harder. I knew this teenage crap was beneath me—Alpha blood running through my veins, and here I was, playing the part of a petty, arrogant high school bully. It wasn't me. Not really. But I had to make her hate me. I had to make myself hate her, and this was the only way I could think of to do it. More insults, more little digs, but every time I hurt her, I felt it too. It was like I was tearing myself apart, piece by piece. I hated myself for it, but I couldn't stop.

When I saw her sitting at lunch again, I couldn't resist one last shot. I walked up, all confidence, and told her to move. Of course, she didn't.

"I'm not scared of you," she said, her voice strong.

I should've let it go, but instead, I grabbed her tray and dumped it on the floor. The cafeteria went wild, but Quinn? She didn't back down. She picked up an apple and hurled it at my head. It hit me square on, and I could hear the gasps around us, but all I could think about was how much I didn't hate her.

"You're gonna regret that," I whispered, storming off before I could do something stupid.

I spent the rest of the day trying to convince myself I was doing the right thing. That hurting her was for the best. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was only hurting myself.

Because the truth was, I didn't hate Quinn Wayne.

I think I was starting to fall for her.

For the last two weeks, I'd been pushing her, making sure she hated me. I thought if I kept my distance through cruelty, it'd work. But the truth? I couldn't stop thinking about her. So, yeah, I planned something for her birthday. Those plush animals in her locker? That was supposed to make her smile, even if she didn't know it was from me. The rose, the note—they were my messed-up way of giving her something without admitting how I felt. But of course, I ruined it like I always do.

I watched her open the locker, the stuffed animals spilling out as people laughed. She looked confused, embarrassed. That wasn't how I wanted it to go, but it was too late. I saw her eyes searching, and when she found me leaning against the lockers, my mouth went dry. Instead of softening the blow, I leaned into it.

"I hope you liked your gifts, princess," I said, walking over. My heart was racing, but I kept my face cold, detached. "We went to such lengths to get them ready."

Her glare pierced through me. "How did you know?" she asked, suspicion in her voice.

I shrugged, forcing indifference. "You're dating my brother. I don't know what he sees in you, but whatever. He'll get bored." My chest tightened as I said it, but I had to keep her at arm's length.

Her face reddened, and guilt gnawed at me. I wanted to stop, to take it back, but I didn't. "How can you be so mean?" she asked, and for a second, I saw the hurt I'd caused.

But I doubled down. I had to. "It's the truth. Besides, who do you think helped him get that cheap necklace around your neck?" My voice felt foreign to me. "He buys that for every girl he dates on her birthday."

I watched the words hit her, the way her expression crumbled. And God, I hated myself for it. Her jaw dropped, and I almost—almost—reached out to comfort her. But I couldn't. I wouldn't. Instead, I just smiled, my heart breaking in the process.

Then it happened. A tear. Just one, but enough to tear me apart inside. For a moment, everything I'd done felt wrong. She wasn't supposed to cry. But I shoved down the regret, plastered on a cold expression, and muttered, "Later, Princess," before walking away.

I had to, or else I'd lose it right there.

And yet, she didn't stay down. She never does. Lunch came, and she stormed into the cafeteria like a force of nature. My stomach flipped when I saw the cake in her hands. She wasn't backing down, not today.

"This ends now!" she shouted, marching straight up to me. The whole cafeteria went silent.

I stood up slowly, my heart pounding, and met her gaze. Damn it, she was beautiful even when she was mad. "Excuse me?" I asked, though I knew exactly what she meant.

"I'm done with your crap," she snapped. "You can scare everyone else, but not me. Not anymore."

I should've seen it coming. Her defiance, her strength—I'd been pushing her to this point. And for what? To make her hate me, so I wouldn't have to admit how much I cared?

I couldn't stop the smirk from creeping onto my face. "That's cute. Did you bring me some cake?" I asked, my voice steady but my insides a mess.

"Yeah, I did." And just like that, she smashed the entire cake in my face.

The cafeteria erupted in laughter, but I didn't move. I stood there, cake dripping off me, and all I could feel was anger, regret and humiliation. She walked off, and I just stared after her like a complete idiot.

Because I knew, in that moment, I'd gone too far. And maybe... maybe I was losing her for good.

Unfortunately, people were going to start thinking I was weak, that I was outsmarted by a girl – a human girl, and this made my blood boil so now, I really had to do something about it.