Hacking The Heart [Immortal Hearts #1] (#Wattys2016)

[10] - Imitation (A Replacement)

Kaylee looked at Landon, who had been sitting a few tables down, and thought about what Toni had said to her the day before during third period. Toni had asked Kaylee to come with her because she wanted to talk to her about something. That's exactly where Kaylee found out Toni's true motive for talking to her, as well as how evil she was.

Toni always got what she wanted, and in this particular case, she wanted Landon.

As Kaylee and Toni found themselves behind the school, Toni lit a cigarette and stuffed the lighter back into her rear pocket. She turned towards Kaylee, giving a friendly smile. Toni originally approached Kaylee to make her think that she genuinely wanted help, but even so, Kaylee only wondered why Toni would come to her, a girl she barely knew existed, for help.

"Say, why don't you give Landon to me?" Toni cracked a grin. "I'll pay you, or give you whatever you want. You know, a car, drugs, or anything else you want."

"What?" Kaylee asked with an arched brow. "Why would I hand over my boyfriend to you for no reason?"

"You know, you're really pretty. And I don't think you'll have much trouble getting another guy to go out with, either." Toni replied. "But I'm taking Landon from you, and you will break up with him. Today."

Kaylee shoved Toni into the wall. However, Toni kept a fearsome smile on her face as she stepped up to Kaylee again. Toni knew Kaylee's secret; the one thing Kaylee didn't want people to know about her. She wanted to leave that secret where it needed to stay, in the past. Kaylee called her bluff, thinking there was no way she could know it.

The only people who knew were Landon, and the rest of Rory's family. Kaylee hadn't talked about it since it happened, so there was no way anyone else would know, and she definitely wouldn't have said a word about it at school. So, assuming Toni really did know, how could she have possibly found out?

"Yeah, I know that you were raped." Toni grinned and came closer to Kaylee. "Don't get me wrong, it must have been terrifying for you to have a man force his rod into you. I bet it made you feel like a cheap whore, didn't it?"

"And?" Kaylee lowered her head. "What're you getting at?"

"Break up with Landon, or the whole school will know that you had a big black anaconda in that rotten little snatch of yours." Toni whispered. "I know it, and you know it. Landon is only with you out of guilt, he feels like he needs to protect you."

Kaylee roughly bit her lip and took a deep breath. "You don't have any proof." Kaylee, who was already on the verge of tears, said with a velvety rasp in her voice. "Nobody is going to believe you."

"You really don't get it, do you?" Toni laughed. "My dad owns the hospital you were taken to. I can get proof any time I need it, though I doubt you'd want that. Besides, who do you think those sheep inside of the school would believe, you or me? If you want to take your chances, then go right ahead."

The nails of Kaylee's left hand dug into the forearm of her right arm as she held back the fear, as well as her tears. Toni had her pinned down and was ready to metaphorically rip her throat out. They both knew she couldn't fight back. If she didn't want that secret getting out, then she didn't have a choice. She had to break up with Landon.

"Landon is going to find out." Kaylee spoke softly. "And you probably won't like the outcome when he does."

"He won't. As long as you don't say anything stupid, that is." Toni replied. "I hear the quarterback, Scott, has a thing for you. Why don't you try asking him out?"

It was later that same day Scott Cohen, the quarterback of the football team approached her and offered to walk her home. Kaylee, afraid that he may have known as well, accepted. She was afraid that if she had rejected Scott, her secret may have gotten out anyway. Again, she felt as if she was pinned and had no other option but to follow along.