The Ritual

I take another bite of the yogurt as I hear a key in the front door of her apartment. Then it opens seconds later. I expect it to be Sarah and Gunner, but a bleach-blond enters instead. Her green eyes find me instantly. They drop to the towel that sits low on my hips, not leaving much to the imagination. They slowly run up over my V, pausing on my abs and then rising to my chest. When they meet mine, hers narrow like I’m the one in the wrong here. “Who the fuck are you?” she demands.

I take another bite of the yogurt. “Who the fuck are you?” I ask, although I already know.

“What should I wear …?” Blakely trails off, exiting her bedroom. Her wide eyes go to the woman. “Mom?” she shrieks. “What are you doing here?”

“Blakely,” she hisses when her eyes go to her daughter. They pause on the bite marks and hickeys that dot her neck and run down over her arms. Then drop to her legs. I’ve left marks all over my girl. “What in the fuck is going on here?”

Blakley looks at me, mouth hanging open and eyes still the size of quarters. I finish off my yogurt, then throw it in the trash. Walking past her mother, I go over to Blake. Cupping her face, I lean down and gently kiss her forehead. “Don’t take long.” Then I walk into the bedroom, shutting the door behind me.

BLAKELY

“MOM,” I GASP. “What are you doing here?” I ask, blinking. The fact that Ryat kissed me on the forehead brought me out of my trance.

“Looks like I got here just in time!” she snaps, placing her hands on her hips. “Who the fuck was that, and what have you been doing with him?”

I roll my eyes. “That’s none of your business—”

Her rough laugh interrupts me. “I pay for this apartment and this college, young lady. Everything you do is my business. And I’ve been calling you. Is this why you haven’t been answering? Because you’ve been with him?”

I frown. “I haven’t had any calls from you.”

“Like I believe that.” She snorts. “Where the fuck is Matt?” Her dark green eyes search the apartment as if I have him hidden somewhere. That I’ve been shacked up in this apartment having a fuck fest with both him and Ryat.

I fist my hands. “We’re not together anymore. I told you I dumped him. He was cheating on me.” My voice rises.

“And I told you that you will still marry him!” she snaps.

I throw my hands up. “You know what, I’m not doing this.” After Ryat disappearing and then showing back up nearly beaten to death and acting like nothing happened. To him waking me up and fucking me all morning, I’m still pissed. At him, at her, and at myself for allowing all of this to go on. “You can’t force me to be with him. I won’t do it.” I just need to make it to his graduation. Then I’ll run. I can save enough money by then to get away without them knowing. I’ll just pull out a little cash every day, so I won’t be forced to use my card and leave a trail.

“What? You think that guy in there is better than Matt?” she demands, pointing at my closed bedroom door. “He doesn’t love you.”

I flinch at her words. Even though I know they’re true, I hate that she acts like no one ever could. She makes it sound like Matt is my best option, and I should just settle for that. “Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t be bringing him home for the holidays. It’s just sex.”

She slaps me across the face, making me gasp in shock.

“You little ungrateful bitch …”

I hear the bedroom door open behind me, and my mother takes a step back when Ryat storms out of it. He wraps his hand around her throat, slamming her back into the wall. “Never touch her again!” Yanking her from the wall, he shoves her back into it once again, making a picture of Sarah and me fall off the wall beside her, and the glass shatters on the floor next to them. Stepping into her, he asks, “Do you understand?”

She nods the best she can, her hands gripping his forearm with wide eyes. He’s cutting off her air.

“Blake isn’t going to answer your calls or return your texts. So quit fucking trying.” He lets go of her. “Now get the fuck out,” he commands as she rubs her neck.

“I don’t take orders …”

He grabs her hair, and she screams out as he drags her across the room to the front door. Opening it, he shoves her out into the hall. “You son of a …”

“Don’t fucking come back!” Then he slams the door in her face and proceeds to lock it. “I’ll have the locks changed today.”