Coyote (Hawks MC Next Generation #1) - Lila Rose Page 0,2

the girls around him had started to glare at me. Now I knew it was just jealousy because he’d asked me and not them.

Darla and I had become friends the first day of high school, and even though that was only months ago, I knew we’d be lifelong friends. She was a popular girl with a large group of friends, and yet she took me—a nobody—under her wing. I came from a family who didn’t have much, and in the last year, it had gotten worse since Dad lost his job. All he did now was drink and yell at Mum and me. But then the yelling changed to him using his fists on Mum. I tried to stop him each time it happened. Even when Mum begged me not to, I tried. And every time he turned his fists on me.

I never thought I would fear going home, but I did. Still, I always returned because Mum was there, and we supported each other. We had plans to leave him and would do it soon. Only we had to wait a little longer until we had enough money.

“Why? He wouldn’t lie, right? What reason does he have to lie?” I asked, shaking myself from those bad thoughts to better ones. Much better ones. However, Darla was now putting doubt in my head when all I wanted to feel was happy. I wanted to maybe kiss a boy before Mum and I left. But I didn’t tell Darla any of this. I didn’t bother her with my problems from home.

Darla shrugged. “I just don’t trust him. How about I come with you?”

Smiling, I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be fine. It might look weird if I show up there with a friend.”

She nibbled on her lip again, still concerned. I wrapped my arms around her, ignoring the pain in my back where Dad had punched me the night before.

“Thank you for worrying. You’re the best, you know that, but I want to do this, please.”

She sighed. “Fine.”

My stomach filled with dancing butterflies as I made my way down the hallway towards the gym. Other students moved quickly out of the school, wanting to get as far away as they could to start their weekend.

I really should have gone to the toilet before going, but I’d been too excited to see what Ron wanted. Wanted to know if he was going to kiss me or even ask me out. One could hope, and I did, because I was sure life would pick up if this one wish would come true. If the boy I’d been crushing on, after seeing him on my first day of school, would want me to be his girlfriend.

He wouldn’t have asked me to meet him otherwise, right?

He wouldn’t have stopped me in the hall in front of others and brushed my hair behind my ear while talking to me. God, my belly swirled at the thought of that moment. It had been the best moment I’d had in such a long time. Though, I was sure the one I was about to have would pass it by miles.

At the doors, I glanced back to see the hallway had cleared, which was good. I didn’t want anyone following me and interrupting us. Taking a breath, I dimmed my smile a little so I didn’t look like an idiot.

Slowly, I pushed the door open. I scrunched up my face in confusion because the gym was dark.

A hand grabbed my wrist. I let out a scream as I was dragged into the room, and the door closed behind me, engulfing me in blackness.

“Ron?” I called, since his hand had fallen away. No answer. “Ron?” I said louder, reaching my hands out to feel around. I didn’t know where I was in the room, but I had to find a wall and switch on a light. Turning the way I’d come, I searched the darkness and took small steps back towards the door—well, where I thought the door was. Had he covered the outline of the door where the light should have shone through?

“This isn’t funny, Ron. Turn on the light,” I demanded.

“Ron,” someone echoed—a girl’s voice. I stilled.

“Ron,” a different voice called, then laughed. His name sounded from every direction around me. My heart jumped up into my throat, my belly twisting in fear.

“Stop it,” I yelled, covering my ears, but I still heard their taunting.

Next, a hand landed on my back, exactly in the spot where Dad had hit