We Were Once Wallflowers Part: One - An Extreme Dark Bully Romance

Part 2 - The Choice - Scene 2 - Monday

Originally written and posted on 2/27/2024 

Please Note: This first draft is subject to change upon official publication, including the addition of never-before-read scenes. If you enjoyed this chapter, please show your support by liking and following me for more smutty dark romance featuring all the controversial elements readers love—or love to hate.

Part 2 - The Choice - Scene 2

Tyler's retaliation was swift. He yanked Jane down the stairs by the front of her hoodie to the landing and slammed her back against the wall, his body pressing against hers with a suffocating closeness. "I'm going to make you regret that, Mutt," his threat hung in the air, heavy with promise.

She pushed against his chest, trying to free herself, but it was futile. Tyler's hands came to rest on the wall on either side of her head, trapping her, his gaze predatory.

Fear flickered through her as Tyler's tongue grazed his lips hungrily, his eyes fixed on Jane's trembling mouth, sending shivers rushing through her.

"Are you afraid of me?" His voice was a low growl, his breath hot against her face, smelling like stale cigarettes. She wanted to vomit.

With a reluctant nod, Jane admitted her fear, despising herself for it.

"I'll let Brittany handle it for me, and no one will intervene this time to save you. No one will even care. Do you know why, Mutt?" Tyler's words dripped with venom; his hatred palpable as he leaned in closer, his lips almost touching hers.

Jane could barely shake her head in response without touching his lips. Her breath caught in her throat as she struggled not to cry.

"You're nothing, Mutt. You matter to absolutely no one." Tyler reared back and spat in Jane's face, the glob hitting her nose and upper lip, some splattering against her upper front teeth. "Your life is meaningless. A waste. But I don't blame you, Mutt. I blame your parents for not aborting you."

As tears welled in Jane's eyes, Tyler's face loomed inches from hers, his cruelty cutting deep.

"Cry for me, Jane, so I can finally see you," his whispered command hung between them, suffocating her. His tongue darted out and licked his spit from her upper lip, and she turned her face away, rubbing the sleeve of her hoodie across her mouth.

Jane's gaze shifted to something over Tyler's shoulder, her breath catching in her throat as she uttered the name, "Cooper."

"Cooper?" Tyler's frown deepened with confusion; an air of possessiveness settled over him. "Does the Mutt have a crush?" His voice dripped with scorn, yet there was a glimmer of something else in his eyes–a flicker of surprise tinged with jealousy.

"Holy shit," he drawled, pulling further away from her. Jane sucked in a full breath and wiped her mouth again, her hands moving to his chest to keep him at bay.

"Brittany's gonna love to hear about this."

"Brittany isn't going to hear about shit." Cooper's voice sliced through the tension.

Tyler turned, his eyes narrowing in surprise. Cooper leaned against the opposite wall, a black eye stark against his light features, arms crossed in a stance of nonchalant observation.

"Where the hell have you been hiding?" Tyler demanded with a laugh.

"In-house suspension for a week," Cooper replied casually, pushing off the wall and stepping toward Tyler and Jane, his movements deliberate, his eyes fixed on Jane with an intensity that chilled her.

"Shit, Coop. What did your old man do to ya?" Tyler's tone held a note of concern.

"You're looking at it," Cooper replied, his eyes flickering to Tyler before returning to Jane.

"Did you hear about Scott?" Tyler pressed on, his impatience evident. "The dude got arrested, man. Apparently stabbed the football coach or something. Wild shit man ... bet he's getting ass-raped in juvie right about now," he finished with a callous laugh that echoed through the deserted stairwell.

"Good." Cooper's response was cold, detached; his attention still fixed on Jane as she moved to sling her backpack over her shoulder to leave.

"Where do you think you're going, Janey?" Cooper's tone carried a dangerous edge to it as he took another step towards her, his eyes dark with power.

Jane glanced up the stairs, her heart pounding with fear and desperation as she searched for a different escape route. Could she make it if she ran, or would Tyler yank her back down before she reached the fourth step?

But before she could move, Tyler's hand seized the loop at the top of her backpack and jerked her back with brutal force. Jane's fingers tightened around the strap, a feeble attempt to hold on, to cling to some semblance of control in the situation.

With a single, vicious tug, Tyler ripped the backpack from Jane's grasp, sending it hurtling over the stairwell where it fell three floors to the ground below.

Cornered and defenseless, Jane found herself backed into a corner away from both staircases, Tyler's threatening presence looming over her. His voice rang off the walls as he barked his command. "Go fetch, bitch."

A sickening blend of fear and fury surged through Jane as Tyler's laugher rebounded in the empty stairwell, mocking her. And then, without warning, his hand lashed out, delivering a sharp slap that sent her head snapping back against the unforgiving wall, stars exploding behind her closed eyelids.

"Better hurry before I dump it all into the trash." Tyler taunted as he jogged down the stairs, another howl of laughter trailing behind him.

Jane's hand instinctively went to her cheek, her eyes glossing over with fresh tears. She moved towards the stairway, ready to chase after Tyler.

"Stop." Cooper's voice halted Jane in her tracks. He closed the distance, backing her into the corner, and gently reached for Jane's hand, pulling it away from her cheek. The skin was rosy pink, but nothing too harsh. Cooper slapped her again, the harder impact sending her head knocking back against the wall, this time making her ears ring.

Tears fell from Jane's eyes as she clutched her cheek, the sting intensifying under her trembling fingers.

"Drop your hand, Janey." Cooper ordered, and though Jane hesitated at first, she obeyed, tears continuing down her cheeks in silent protest. His hand moved with lighting speed, gripping Jane's jaw and pushing her head to the side to admire his handiwork. "Much better." His gaze met hers. "Does it hurt?" His voice carried a tinge of satisfaction.

Jane nodded weakly. Her cheek burned. Her pride obliterated.

The pads of Cooper's thumbs brushed away Jane's tears, the touch sending a rush of heat through her core. He licked them off his thumbs. "Did you like it?"

Jane shook her head, but it was a lie.

Cooper closed in, tilting Jane's chin upward to meet his gaze. "Say my name again for me, Janey."

"Cooper." Jane's voice trembled as she whispered, the sound barely audible.

The door a floor above them slammed open, crashing against the concrete wall, causing Jane to jump and clutch Cooper's forearm. Voices echoed through the stairwell as footsteps approached.

Cooper stepped back, releasing Jane. "Go get your things. They're probably in the trash by now," he instructed, before darting up the stairs in a blur of black clothes.

A group of guys rushed past, engrossed in conversation, oblivious to Jane's presence in the corner. Her fingers brushed over her burning cheek, still tingling with pins and needles. A faint smile played on her lips.