Chapter 17
The first thing I noticed was the weight of the sheets an
ts against my legs.
The second was Darren’s arm draped lazily across
cross my waist
I jerked upright so fast the room spun for a second. My heart hammered in my chest. I looked around, realizing I was still in one rooms from the hall, the soft golden lamps still flickering, the faint hum of distant music leaking through the walks.
“Morning.” Darren said with a lazy grin, stretching his arms over his head like nothing
g in the world was wrong-
I stared at him. My hands immediately clutched at the fabric on my body.
of the
I wasn’t wearing my dress anymore. Someone had changed me into a loose oversized shirt that didn’t belong to me. My skin prickled with cold realization. There was a blank space in my memory. A terrifying hole where the last few hours should have been.
“What what happened?” My voice cracked,
Darren chuckled, sitting up against the headboard. “We had a nice time.”
I shook my head. No. No, I would have remembered. My skin crawled. I scrambled off the bed, backing away until my back hit the wall.
“You’re lying.” I said hoarsely,
Before he could say another word, the door swung open.
Layla stood there, her face pale, her hand frozen on the doorknob.
a man’s s shirt, her
“Darren, I..” she started, but then her voice died in her throat as her eyes landed on me, standing there barefoot in nothing but a hance still in bed.
The silence was deafening.
“She came onto me, Darren said quickly, his voice louder, almost panicked. “I tried to stop her, but…”
Layla’s expression twisted. Rage flooded her features
“You slut!” she screamed, lunging at me.
She shoved me hard, her nails scratching at my arm. “You bitch! You just couldn’t stand it, could you? Had to take everything I had!”
I grabbed her wrists, shoving her back.
“Get off me,” I snapped, my voice cutting through the room.
She stumbled back, blinking.
I stood tall, my fists clenched at my sides.
“You think I want your leftovers!” I said, my voice steady. “You think I would ever lower myself to want him after what you two did to me?”
Layla opened her mouth, but I did not give her the chance.
“You deserve each other, I said coldly.
I turned, yanked my dress off the nearby chair, and slipped it back on in sharp, swill motions. My hands were steady, my breathing even. I would not give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.
Without sparing them another glance, I pulled the door open and walked out
The hall outside was colder and empty.
I kept walking, my heels clicking against the marble floors, my chin lifted.
But the second I stepped outside into the night air, the mask cracked
My hands started shaking and a tremor ran through my entire body.
1 wrapped my arms around myself, trying to breathe, trying to stay upright, but the fear clawed up my throat anyway-
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Chapter 17
I kept walking until I found a quiet corner behind one of the columns outside. My legs gave out and I slid down to the cold marble floor, my dress pooling around me.
My hands shook uncontrollably.
What the hell happened last night?
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to force the pieces together. I remembered the drink, the dizziness. Darren’s face too close to mine… bur everything after that was a blank, a black hole I could not climb out of
Tears blurred my vision.
Had he really taken advantage of me!
he really
A sob escaped before I could stop it. I pressed the back of my hand against my mouth, trying to stifle the sound, but the pain only clawed deepen
1 pulled my phone out with shaking fingers. I didn’t know what else to do. I scrolled to his name without thinking.
Karl
I hit call before I could change my mind, holding the phone to my ear like it was the only thing keeping me from falli It rang once, twice.
falling apart completely.
Please pick up.
Please.
My phone trembled in my hand as it rang. I had no plan, no words ready, no idea what I was going to say. I just needed to hear his voice, something that reminded me I hadn’t completely lost control.
When he picked up, his voice came through immediately,
“Ellen?”
It sounded sharper than usual. Alert. Like he already sensed something was wrong.
1 swallowed, but my throat felt raw. My voice barely came out. “Karl..”
There was a pause. Then his voice dropped low.
“What’s wrong?
www
I took a shaky breath, trying to hold it together. “Can you.” I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to slow the panic rising again. “Can you c
me?”
A beat of silence.
“Where are you?”
“Outside the hall behind the west wing entrance. Near the back lot, I whispered.
“I’m coming,” he said firmly, like it wasn’t even a question. “Stay where you are. I’ll be there soon.”
The line went dead.
come get
I lowered the phone to my lap, hugging my knees to my chest. My fingers clenched into the fabric of my dress as I stared out into the empty space. All the lights still glowed from the inside, but the party had ended. The cars were gone. Everyone had left.
How long had I been unconscious!
My stomach twisted. I wanted to throw up. My head leaned against the cold stone behind me, and I squeezed my eyes
Ididn’t move for what felt like hours
hours, though it couldn’t have been more than twenty minu
Then I heard it, tires crunching against the gravel, a car pulling up fast, brakes screeching just slightly.
The back door opened before the engine even turned off.
es shut again.
Karl stepped out, coat unbuttoned, eyes scanning wildly. His face was a mix of concern and something else I couldn’t name, something that made
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Chapter 17
my throat close tighter.
1 didn’t think and I didn’t speak.
1 just got to my feet and stumbled toward him, throwing myself into his chest before I could second–guess it
His arms wrapped around me immediately, strong and sure. No hesitation. One hand came up to cradle the back of my head as I broke down into his chest, sobbing into the fabric of his shirt.
His hold never wavered.
“It’s okay,” he whispered against my hair, his voice barely there. “You’re okay”
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. I just cried harder, my body pressed tightly to his
He held me like that for a long time, his hand sliding up and down my back slowly,
Then he pulled back just enough to tilt my face up to his, thumb brushing a tear from my check.
His voice dropped lower, so low it didn’t sound like him anymore.
“What happened?” he asked, every word laced in ice, “Who made you cry?”
The look in his eyes made my blood run cold. It wasn’t soft anymore.
It was lethal
