The Secret (North Woods University 3)

“Yeah, I was just wondering if you were going to give me a chance to fuck your girlfriend like you did mine?”

I can’t hide the gasp, it slips past my mouth before I can stop it. He slept with this guy’s girlfriend? I don’t know why I’m surprised by that admission and I’m in no way judging Clark, but I had assumed he wouldn’t have done something so crappy.

Clark’s body tenses at the sound, the muscles of his back rippling underneath the cotton t-shirt. With his fists clenched down at his sides I’m sure he looks every bit as menacing as he’s attempting to be, but I don’t want another fight, so I sneak around him, placing a gentle hand against his bicep.

His eyes whip down to where my hand is resting the hard contours of his face soften, but only briefly.

“It hurts, doesn’t it?” The guy laughs, sadly, his hardened gaze swinging to me. I can feel his eyes raking over my face, chest, and down, and I shiver, hating how insecure it makes me feel.

Even with the way he’s acting, I still feel sorry for him. He sways on his feet unsteadily. “Let me give you a taste of your own medicine, Clark.” The sneer passes his lips and he twists toward me faster than a drunk person should be able to. I don’t even get a chance to react to his movements before he’s grabbing me his fingers digging into the tender flesh of my forearm as he leans down his lips descend on mine. Alcohol and sweat fill my nostrils.

No. No. This can’t be happening.

Squeezing my eyes shut I prepare myself for what’s to come…a loud, angry roar forces my eyelids to flutter open.

“What the fuck!” Clark seethes, wedging his body between us, forcing me to take a step back or be stepped on. My mouth goes dry, and my stomach twists painfully. This isn’t going to end well.

“You stole my girlfriend, fair is fair…” The guy smirks, and before I can even blink Clark’s got his fist in his face. I gasp in horror at the violence that’s rippling out of him.

One punch.

Two punch.

I squeeze my eyes shut and cover my ears with my hands. There’s some type of commotion taking place. People yelling. Bodies hitting the ground.

You’re okay, everything is okay.

I start to count back from one hundred, ninety-nine, ninety-eight, ninety-seven…my pulse thundering in my ears drowning out the sounds around me. Tension coils in my gut, twisting and turning, tightening until there is nothing but pain radiating out of my abdomen. I double over, my hands falling from my ears and to my stomach.

“Emerson…” Someone calls my name, but I ignore them. I never should’ve come here tonight. I don’t know why I thought I could be normal, why I thought there was a chance I would overcome the pain. Stupid. I’m so stupid. The nightmares that plague me at night sneak into my mind and suddenly I’m back in my room, back at home, and he’s there…

“Do you think they’ll believe you if you tell them I raped you?” He laughs. I already know the answer, no one will believe me. A man as powerful as him, with as much money as him. He’ll be able to twist my words.

“I’ll just tell them that you’re a whore…that you begged me for it.” Like a snake moving through thick grass, he stalks toward me. Bile burns up my throat, and I have to swallow down the vomit. He reaches out his hand landing on my shoulder, his fingers sinking into my flesh…

“Emerson.” A soft voice caresses my ear and then I feel it, a hand on my shoulder, burning into my flesh. Marking me. He’s here. He’s got me. My eyes pop open and a scream rips from my throat before I can stop it. I pull away, my gaze colliding with Ava’s concerned one as I stagger backward, tripping over my own feet, and landing hard on the grass.

“Please don’t…” I whisper, my lips trembling my entire body shaking. People are whispering their words surrounding me. Wrapping my arms around myself, I try and forget where I am. Physically I cannot escape this situation, but mentally, I can. Mentally I can disappear. Holding myself tighter, my teeth sinking into my bottom lip hard enough to draw blood I wish for Clark’s arms to be around me.

I want him. I need him. He’ll never hurt me. But he is. He has. My subconscious reminds. Burrowing deep inside my head, I try and find a place I can hide.

“Em baby… I’m sorry, so sorry…” Clark’s voice penetrates the haze, gripping onto me and pulling me from the shadows of my mind. I cannot escape this man, nor would I want to. A second after his words are spoken, he’s picking me up off the ground, and pulling me into his chest. Unwinding my arms, I grab onto the fabric of his chest and inhale his scent.