A satisfying sound akin to an orange being squashed by a bus fills the air, and the asshole topples forward, cupping his junk. “What the fuck is the matter with you?” he wheezes, turning a ghastly shade of white.
A crowd has formed, but I don’t need any help. I can hold my own. “What’s the matter with me? I’m not the one who tried to sell you drugs and then propositioned you for sex.”
“You’re fucking crazy! You never had a problem with it in the past.” He’s lying. There is no way I’d do the things he proposed I did.
But a small, irksome voice vibrates loudly. Why did he choose me? Why did he speak to me like he knew who I was? There is only one way to find out.
Uncaring that he’s in obvious pain, I grip his cheeks, forcing him to look at me. “Do you know who I am?” When he attempts to yank from my hold, I squeeze tighter, just as he did to me when he had me pinned against the wall. “Answer me! Have we met before?”
His wild exhalations sweep back my hair, and I’m suddenly hit with a memory of flesh upon flesh, writhing in utmost desire. But I refuse to believe it. There is no way. But I’m wrong. So. Fucking. Wrong.
“You’re one messed-up bitch, Snow. I used to love that about you, but screw this. No woman is worth this bullshit.” Pushing past his pain, he stands, eyeballing me. “Especially when everyone has had a taste of her pussy.” He hobbles off, junk in hand, while I’m unsure if I’m still breathing.
It takes my mind a moment to catch up, but even when it does, I still don’t understand what just happened. “Are you okay? Do you want me to call the police?” someone asks, but it’s all background noise.
I’m on a merry-go-round with no sign of it slowing down. Round and round I go, images flashing before me, but now, I have a new piece of the puzzle to add. Bile rises, and I cover my mouth. The blackness threatens to drag me under, just like it always does, but I won’t be stuck in this hallway when it does.
Pushing my way through concerned onlookers, I sag against the wall, attempting to regain my balance as I stumble toward the light.
You’re one messed-up bitch, Snow.
No, this can’t be happening. How does he know who I am?
You never seemed to have a problem in the past.
Past…
How that word has changed my life in ways unimaginable. It’s been said that one shouldn’t allow their past to define their future, but what kind of past did I lead?
Especially when everyone has had a taste of her pussy.
The further I dig, the more I understand why I’m in no hurry to remember. What kind of person was I?
I stumble out of the bar, hailing a cab and ignoring Justin when he asks if I’m okay. I know he will tell Lacey I’ve left. This is a total shitty move, but she’ll be all right. Gunn is with her. When the cab driver asks me where I’m headed, I’m tempted to rattle off my parents’ address, but I don’t. I ask him to take me home. The only place I feel safe. The only place I can hide from the demons no longer silenced.