Forbidden Ties

Chapter 7: "You Deserved It."

I didn’t see her at first—didn’t notice her until she was standing directly in front of me, blocking my path. Ava.

She had always been a constant thorn in my side, but today, there was something different in the air. She wasn’t just bitter; she was… burning with something else.

Ava’s glare never wavered as she stood in front of me, her posture stiff and accusing. “You really think I don’t see it? You think I can’t tell what’s going on between you and Jax?”

My heart skipped a beat, but I refused to show any sign of weakness. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Sam.” Her voice dropped lower, colder. “You’re fooling around with him, aren’t you? Your own brother. That’s disgusting.”

I took a step back, my pulse rising. I had no idea where this was coming from, but the way her eyes burned with fury, I knew she wasn’t playing around.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I spat, my voice growing louder, drawing a few curious glances from students nearby. I was past the point of trying to keep things quiet.

“I see you two,” Ava continued, her hands shaking with barely contained rage. “The way you look at him, the way he looks at you. It’s sickening. I should’ve known. Always so perfect in your little world, but I see it now.” She leaned in closer, her breath hot on my face. “You really think I’m just going to let you ruin everything?”

I shook my head, confused and angry. “You’re crazy. We’re not—”

The realization hit me like a punch to the stomach, and I froze.

Ava wasn’t just talking about some imagined affair. She knew.

“You did it, didn’t you?” I asked, my voice dropping. “You’ve been behind the messages. The threats. Everything.”

She didn’t flinch. She didn’t deny it.

“You got that right,” Ava sneered, her lips curling into a twisted smile. “You think I wouldn’t figure out what you two were hiding? I had to protect what’s mine. You wouldn’t understand.”

The words hung in the air, a sickening weight between us. I couldn’t believe it. This whole time, it was her.

Ava’s eyes burned with fury, her face twisted in disgust as she stalked toward me. The crowd around us had grown, murmurs filling the air. I could feel the tension rising, like static electricity just before a storm. I wanted to step back, to escape, but my feet were frozen to the floor. Jax’s ex was on the warpath, and she wasn’t letting up.

“What’s the matter, Sam? Can’t keep your hands off my ex-boyfriend? Isn’t that a little sick?” Ava spat, her voice shrill with anger. Her hand flew out, gripping my arm with force, like she wanted to tear me apart.

I yanked my arm away, my pulse pounding in my ears. “Ava, don’t touch me!” I snapped. “What the hell is your problem?”

Ava's expression twisted with pure malice. Before I could react, her hand flew through the air, connecting with my cheek in a sharp slap that echoed through the hallway. The sting was instant, a red-hot burst of pain and humiliation. My head snapped to the side, and I stumbled back, my hand instinctively coming up to my cheek.

The crowd gasped, some flinching in surprise, others too stunned to move.

“Ava!” Jax’s voice broke through the chaos, and I saw him move to step forward, but the teacher appeared just in time.

“Enough!” The voice was firm, cutting through the tension like a knife. Mrs. Green, our admin supervisor, had arrived, her expression a mix of confusion and stern authority. She took in the scene before her—Ava, standing with her hand still raised, Jax glaring at her, and me, stunned and clutching my cheek.

“What’s going on here?” she demanded, her gaze shifting from one to the other.

Ava opened her mouth to speak, but I was the first to recover. “She slapped me,” I said, my voice shaking with a mix of anger and disbelief.

“Did you?” Mrs. Green turned to Ava, her expression turning dark.

Ava’s face reddened with fury, but she didn’t back down.

“You deserved it." She muttered, barely louder than a whisper, but the venom in her tone was clear.

“Enough,” Mrs. Green interrupted, her voice sharp. She turned to Jax, then to me. “The three of you are coming with me to the principal’s office. Now.”

As we started to walk toward the office, I couldn’t help but feel the eyes of the students on us, the whispers swirling around like a storm I couldn’t escape. Ava had crossed a line, but I knew this wasn’t the end. There was something darker beneath her actions. Something she wasn’t showing.

I glanced at Jax. His jaw was clenched tight, his fists balled at his sides. I couldn’t tell if he was angry at Ava or just furious with the whole situation, but I was too stunned by everything that had just happened to focus on anything but the burning sting on my cheek.

When we reached the office, Mrs. Green wasted no time. She knocked firmly on the door, and we were ushered inside. The principal, Mr. Collins, looked up from his desk, his expression immediately tense when he saw us.

“Ava?” he asked, looking at the three of us. “What happened?"

I could feel my face heat up with anger. I opened my mouth to defend myself before Ava could embarrass me any further, but Jax spoke first, his voice steady but full of an edge I hadn't heard before. “She slapped Sam. That’s what happened.”

Mr. Collins raised an eyebrow, but I could see that he wasn’t taking Ava’s side. “I see. This will need to be handled with more than just words. We’ll get to the bottom of this. Ava, for now, you’re suspended. We’ll have a meeting with your parents later.”

Ava’s face twisted with fury, but she didn’t argue. She stormed out of the office without another word, and I could feel the tension finally beginning to lift—only to be replaced by a cold dread. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

Mr. Collins turned to Jax and me. “You two will need to fill out reports about the incident. We’ll take care of the rest. You’re dismissed for now.”

As we left the office, I could feel the weight of everything crashing down on me. Ava wasn’t done with us. She never would be. And with the way she was acting, I was beginning to think she was capable of far more than just petty jealousy.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were only at the beginning of something much worse. But boy, was it such a great relief that we now knew who our torturer was!

The house was quiet, too quiet. It was as though everything had finally settled after the chaos of the day. Jax stepped into my room, his usual confidence replaced by something softer.

"Can I come in?" he asked, his voice tentative.

I nodded, and he closed the door behind him. For a moment, we just stood there, the tension still lingering between us.

"I owe you an apology, Sam," Jax said quietly. "For the bet. For everything. I shouldn’t have put you in that position."

I swallowed, feeling the weight of his words. "It’s in the past," I replied. "I forgave you a long time ago. And you've been there for me when it counted."

Jax’s gaze softened. "I just didn’t want you to feel alone."

I stepped closer, my heart racing. "You didn’t just help me through the threats, Jax. You’ve been there for me. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you."

His hand reached for mine, the moment stretching between us. The air in the room felt thick, charged, like we were on the verge of something, and I couldn’t pull away even if I wanted to.

Just as his face inched closer, a noise outside the door snapped us both back to reality. The unmistakable sound of footsteps on the stairs.

"Jax?" His dad’s voice called from the hallway.

Jax jerked back, his heart rate spiking as his eyes darted toward the door. "Yeah?"

"Everything alright?" His dad’s voice carried the weight of suspicion.

"Yeah. Just talking," Jax answered quickly.

The footsteps faded, but the tension didn’t lift. Jax’s hand lingered in the air for a moment, as though he was still unsure if he should reach for me again. His eyes searched mine, and I felt the pull just as strongly as he did.

Then, without a word, Jax moved away, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to change.

Just as I thought the moment had passed, my phone buzzed on the bed. One new message.

I looked at the screen, the blood draining from my face.

A picture of Jax and I kissing briefly during the truth or dare game had just been dropped in the school internet group.