Unlawfully His

Why.

I found myself relentlessly targeted by Liam Steele’s bullying, left to wonder what sin I had committed to continually feel his wrath.

Imagine going out of his way to spread a rumor throughout the entire school that I supposedly had “cooties,” resulting in me being shunned and treated like a plague by everyone, all because of his nasty actions.

One would expect high school students to know that the concept of “cooties” is a lie. However, it appears that the influence these “rich bastards” holds are far more important, overshadowing rationality.

It’s disheartening to contemplate that if he were to command them to jump off a cliff, they might indeed blindly comply without a second thought.

My eyes widened in disbelief as I spotted my best friend attempting to hide behind another student, her book covering her face as she pretended not to see me. I scowled at her stupid antics, sighing in disappointment. Not her too.

Marching over to her, I reached out and took the book from her hands, unable to hide my frustration. “Don’t tell me you’re going to believe that bastard too?!” I glared at her.

“Shh, I’ll continue being your best friend once this drama blows over. That’s all. Seriously, I’m in eleventh grade and I haven’t even had my first kiss yet. The fact that such a drop-dead handsome guy hates you is making my life miserable. I just don’t want to get caught up in your cootie scandal,” she mumbled, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes

Grabbing at her arm and I pulled her along with me.

“Where are you dragging me off to?” Khloe asked, her curiosity evident in her voice.

“I’m going to sort this out once and for all,” I told at her. “And, you know exactly where that brute hangs out at this hour, heck, you practically know his schedule for every hour of the day, don’t you?” I pressed her, backing her into a corner.

“What are you planning to do to Liam? I don’t trust you not to try and rearrange his handsome face,” she swooned, making me scoff at her.

“Whose side are you on, anyway? Are you his friend or mine?” I glared at her.

“Okay, okay, fine. But just remember, he’s going to be my future husband one day, so you have to promise me not to harm his handsome face. Plus, he’s wealthy, so you need to consider the consequences of getting on his bad side,” Khloe whispered.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at Khloe’s delusional thinking. It was clear that rich boy had a knack for bullying poor girls; liking him only highlighted her poor taste in men.

“Where is he?!” I demanded once again, my impatience growing.

“He’s in the parking lot,” she whispered in my ear, her voice barely audible.

Of course he would be there. I still couldn’t wrap my head around how he managed to be such a high-achieving student. I poured my heart and soul into my studies, only to receive measly grades, while he seemed to effortlessly slack off in class and still come out on top with the highest marks. He was the epitome of an A+ student, while I was left struggling to maintain a C- average.

He must be buying those grades.... then again that wouldn’t explain how he knows so much.

Standing in the parking lot, I spotted Liam and his entourage, surrounded by adoring females who hung on their every word. I scoffed at the sight.

I won’t deny it, Liam possessed a considerable amount of physical attractiveness. His mesmerizing ocean blue eyes, chiseled face, long and thick lashes, lean physique, and charming boyish demeanor could easily be mistaken for that of a man.

But despite his intelligence, wealth, and undeniable appeal, he had made it his mission to bully me, singling me out from all the girls in school to be the target of his disdain. While I resentfully acknowledge his merits, I would never openly admit it.

As I marched over to him, Liam’s eyes met mine, and I gritted my teeth, summoning all my courage. Despite my resolve, I could feel my feet falter slightly under his gaze. I despised how easily his eyes could make a girl swoon; it was no wonder Khloe was so fond of him.

A small smirk played on his very delectable and infuriating lips, which made me even more angry.

I tried my best to maintain a façade of indifference, refusing to let him see how much he affected me but to hell with that.

“How dare you?!” I pointed accusingly at the jerk standing a few feet away from me, my anger boiling over.

“Took her long enough,” I could’ve sworn I heard one of Liam’s other handsome friends, Noah, say next to him, their smug expressions only fueling my rage.

“How dare you point at my boyfriend, you low-life, poor bitch?!” Lia shouted; her voice filled with venom as her nose flared with anger.

Alia, otherwise known as Lia, was another rich student at our elite school, known as the cheerleader and the school’s blonde princess. She firmly believed that Liam was meant to be with her, even though he hadn’t said so based on Khloe’s arguments. She hovered around him like a lost poppy, surrounded by her goons, aiming to intimidate any potential romantic rivals.

Khloe hated her.

I took a step back in horror as Lia made angry strides towards me as if she was about to exact revenge on me for daring to yell at her precious boy toy.

Gosh!

In my anger towards Liam, I hadn’t considered how this confrontation would play out in the end. Surely, they wouldn’t let me live in peace after this.

Closing my eyes just before Lia’s hand was about to connect with my face, I braced myself for the stinging sensation. But to my surprise, there was no impact. Opening my eyes, I saw Liam holding onto Lia’s hand, preventing her from slapping me into next year.

“I already told you; no one touches or bully’s her,” Liam says making me shocked, but then his next words had me glaring at him. “Except me.” He finished.

This bastard!

How could I have forgotten the reason why I was here in the first place?

I gritted my teeth at his words, realizing all too well that I was merely his personal punching bag, nothing more than a source of amusement for him.

The girls around him laughed at his remarks, and I bit my lip feeling sadness wash over me. I was exhausted from his nonstop bullying. Why couldn’t I just be left alone in peace? The tears threatened to spill from my eyes as frustration and despair washed over me.

Seeing my teary eyes amidst the laughter, I could sense Liam growing tense, as if he were on the verge of lashing out at me at any moment just for crying.

“I think it’s time to-” Cole, Liam’s friend, began, but Liam cut him off with a firm order.

“Leave,” he commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“We were just about to,” Noah spoke, his eyes sparkling as he glanced at me before walking away.

“You sure do have a sick way of playing with your victims. Try not to get your hands too dirty,” Lia smirked as she walked away, leaving me to ponder her parting words with a mixture of unease and resentment.

The moment everyone was out of sight, I found myself locking eyes with Liam, his piercing blue gaze studying me intently. However, his expression was hard to read, leaving me unable to tell whether he took pleasure in my distress or if he was genuinely disturbed by my tears.

At one point, a flicker of anger crossed his features, instilling a sense of dread inside me at the thought of angering him.

“W... why did you tell everyone that I have cooties? W... why do you keep bullying me? What did I ever do to you to deserve this?” I whispered, my voice trembling as I wiped away my tears, desperately seeking answers from the source of my torment.

I felt foolish for shedding tears in front of him, knowing full well that he didn’t care about my emotional turmoil. Yet, I couldn’t suppress the overwhelming exhaustion I felt from everything.

“It’s simple, bonbon,” he began. “I prefer my possessions to be exclusively mine. If I catch anyone meddling with what’s mine, I’ll do whatever it takes to rid myself of them, even if it means painting you as a plague. You should know better than to prance around seeking attention from others. It stirs up feelings in me that I don’t like,” he asserted firmly, his words making me gasp in disbelief at his lack of empathy.

I took a hesitant step back as Liam advanced towards me, and soon I found myself backed up against his car, my eyes widening in confusion and fear at his sudden closeness. He then trapped me between his hands, which he had placed firmly on his expensive car to prevent any escape.

My eyes widened as his face moved closer to mine, his lips hovered just above mine, his intense gaze locking onto mine as if searching for something within them and my poor heart fluttered about to faint.

The scent of his cologne enveloped me, clouding my thoughts and I felt heat rush to my cheeks. I also, felt hypnotized, unable to think clearly as his minty breath fanned across my lips.

“For some unexplainable reason, others seem to suck onto you like peasants, and it infuriates me, bonbon, I may not know how to explain or express those feelings, but I do know anger and it’s not a good feeling.” Says Liam.

“I-I don’t understand,” I whispered, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment and confusion. I was too far gone to understand any damn thing.

Not to mention, I had never been this close to any boy before. Whenever I found someone attractive, they’d suddenly run away the next time they saw me.

I hadn’t even had my first kiss yet. Secondly, this was the first time Liam was behaving this way with me, and it was strange, nerve-wracking and confusing.

I watched as Liam’s eyes gleamed with a mischievous hint of something sinister, “I will tell everyone that whatever I said about you was a lie,” he declared.

“You will?” I murmured, feeling my knees weaken under the intensity of his blue eyes.

“Yes, but it’ll cost you,” he whispered, his nose brushing against my cheek, sending an oddly exhilarating feeling down my body and making me gasp, overwhelmed by the unexpected rush of pleasure, something I had never felt before.

“W... what will it cost me?” I whispered, my heart racing with fear.

“Are you sure you’d like to know?” Liam questioned, a smirk playing on his lips.

I bit my lip, nervously shaking my head. “Yes.” I wanted to get this over with.

“It’ll cost you a kiss,” Liam responds, causing my eyes to widen.

“A... a what?” I stared at him wide-eyed, shocked by his request. The idea of kissing Liam, making him my first kiss, was...... overwhelming.

On one hand, it could put an end to the torment and rumors, but on the other hand, it felt like a betrayal to my best friend who harbored feelings for him.

Also, why would he bully me and then kiss me? It made no sense to me.

As if sensing my turmoil, Liam backed away, disappointment evident in his eyes. My heart dropped as I realized I hadn’t answered sooner, and I felt a pang of regret for letting the opportunity slip away. He might actually stop his torment.

“Wait,” I called out to him.

“You promise to leave me alone after this?” I asked, watching him nervously.

“I have to go.” he says, his tone firm as he begins to step away, leaving me feeling a rush of panic.

“No, stop,” I pleaded with him, as I reached out, wanting desperately to stop and get some form of commitment that he would stop. I wanted him to stop this rumor.

Liam turned around to stare at me intently, I felt a rush of warmth flood my cheeks, trying to steady my beating heart as I mustered up the courage to act. Tipping onto my tiptoes, I inched closer to his lips, my eyes fluttering shut as I leaned in and rested my hand on his chest.

Our lips met, and in that moment, sparks seemed to fly as they molded together perfectly. His lips felt soft against mine, a sweet exhilarating sensation I had never once felt before as the world around us seemed to fade away, I was consumed by the sensation of his kiss.

Suddenly, the reality of where I was snapped me back to my senses, and I pulled away in shock, realizing that the handsome, rich boy had just taken my first kiss.

Feeling overwhelmed with nervousness and embarrassment, I turned and ran away, not daring to look back at Liam. I could feel his gaze on me as I fled, my cheeks burning with the memory of our secret kiss.