The Bet (North Woods University 1)
After class, I gather my stuff and head outside. I should call Cally and ask her to grab some dinner with me. It’s been awhile since we talked and I want to catch up. I’m completely lost in thought as I walk outside and down the small path behind the building.
I don’t come back to the current reality until I crash into another body. I go to mutter a sorry but lift my gaze just in time to see who it is. My lungs cease to work as my heart kicks into overdrive. The fear that’s been simmering within me the last few days rises to the surface. I’m frozen, suspended in time like a deer seconds away from being hit by a car.
“Hey Jules,” Cole says casually, like he didn’t try and rape me the other night. Taking in his features, I see that Remington got him good. His face is covered in big purple bruises, one eye is swollen closed and his nose is crooked.
Taking a step back, I try to put some distance between us, but he just takes another step forward. My stomach churns. The next step I try to take, he stops me, his hand grabbing onto my wrist, his touch rough, searing into my skin like fire.
“Let go of me,” I order, my voice much weaker sounding than I want it to. I want to be strong, I want to be able to kick and hit him and get away, but his hands are wrapped around my wrists like iron shackles. I still try to escape though. I try to kick him, but he shoves me against the wall of the building, knocking the little bit of air that was left inside my lungs out of me.
“Don’t be like that, we both know you want this.” He grins through his busted lip.
No, I don’t! I don’t want any of this, I never wanted him.
“Let go, or I’ll scream and this time you won’t get away with hurting me,” I whimper, unsure if I would even be able to muster up a scream. I’m terrified. It feels like I’m reliving the nightmare that appears in my dreams each night.
“Scream… please scream, I like it when they scream. It makes my cock hard.”
He leans into me, and I’m seconds away from puking, bile rising in my throat. I glance around, praying for someone to walk around the corner. But there’s no one to save me, no Remington. It’s just me and the sick bastard in front of me and I know I have to do something.
His fingers dig into my skin with bruising force and a small cry passes my lips.
“You feel that, the pain? That’s how my face feels but a hundred times worse, and all because of stupid fucking Remington,” he seethes. “You’re a fucking cock tease, crying wolf, after you pawed at me all night, you practically begged me to fuck you, and then when it came time to follow through, you fucking tried to run…because of you, I had to move to the dorms…a fucking junior in the dorms.” His tone grows darker and darker, his hold on my wrists beyond painful now. My lungs burn as I forget to breathe.
“Please…I didn’t mean to…” Another cry of pain passes my lips when he twists my wrists, shoving them against my chest, making it hard for me to breathe, hard for me to do anything but feel paralyzing fear.
“You think I’m so bad? You should hear about the things your white knight has done? The girls he’s fucked, the people he’s hurt. He’s no better than me.” He curls his lips, rage burning in his eyes.
“Please, I don’t care about him….” Tears sting my eyes, and I feel so weak, so fucking weak, and I hate it. I don’t want to be helpless. I want to be strong. I want to save myself from the monster in front of me.
“I liked you, Jules. I really fucking did,” he sneers, leaning into my face, his lips graze mine, and I press them together refusing to kiss him.
“I’d rather die than kiss you,” I growl, somehow finding the courage to speak.
He smiles and it’s downright frightening, I feel light headed, sick to my stomach. I let out a sigh when he releases my wrists, but my relief is short-lived because he grabs me by the chin in the next instant, slamming my head back against the wall. Pain lances across the back of my head and I choke on a sob.
“You’re going to make this right. Tell him it was nothing more than a miscommunication. Do you understand me? Tell him that you wanted it.”
When I don’t say anything, he let’s go of my chin and grabs me by the shoulders, giving me a hard shake. My head bounces off the brick wall.