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My heart drops a little when I remember the malice in his eyes when he called me a whore. As if I didn’t feel terrible enough when I realized they were the ones buying my virginity, he had to go and throw it in my face. I want to think that he was just saying things out of anger, but someone once told me that people are more likely to tell you how they really feel when they’re upset.
I rub my temples and release a deep sigh. Tristan is so hot and cold. He’s a grade A asshole, but we always connect when we have sex. Things always feel so different with him in thosemoments, even when he’s rough, but I know passion when I feel it. I want to believe he’s just acting this way to protect himself, but then he reverts back to the cold, unapproachable douchebag he was before. I just don’t get him.
When he comes out of the bathroom, his cold, hard eyes fall on me. Even after what we just did, he still looks at me with so much disgust and hate. It makes me feel dirty, worthless even.
“I guess since you got what you wanted, you can leave now,” I mutter.
“Trust me, I plan to.” He grabs his boxers from the floor. “How much do I owe you?”
I blink, confused at his question. “What are you talking about?”
“Exactly what I said. How much do I owe you for that roll in the sack? Or was that a freebie?” The smirk on his lips aggravates me. He steps out into the living room and, when he returns to the bedroom, he has his jeans on. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wad of cash, throwing two hundred-dollar bills at me. “Thanks for your service.” He chuckles and leaves me in my bedroom alone.
I wait until I hear the front door close behind him before I dare let my tears fall. Now I see the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Tristan grew up to be just as disgusting as his father, which only solidifies the fact that I need to get far away from the both of them. For him to throw money at me and treat me as if I’m some common whore is definitely below the belt. I need to create a plan and just leave while I can. The longer I’m around them, the more likely I’m going to run into their father, and he’s the last person I want to see.
Just the thought of him makes me feel physically sick. The fact that Tristan managed to make me feel as low and worthless as his father did only makes it easier to make up my mind to leave them behind.
At first, I felt bad for leaving them even though it was for my own good, but now I don’t care how they feel anymore. I have my money, so I’ll find my own place that those idiots won’t have access to and disappear from their lives for good.
With that in mind, I wipe my tears and get out of bed. I take a quick shower and get dressed before heading out, wanting to get some fresh air. The apartment is situated close to downtown, with many shops and restaurants in walking distance. If the guys didn’t fucking suck, this place would be a dream to live in. But I don’t trust them, and I don’t want them to think they’re entitled to my body just because I took the help that they offered. I stroll down the sidewalk and stop at a small coffee shop, ordering a caramel iced coffee and a Danish.
I sit at a table outside and think over my options while I eat my pastry. If I leave the apartment the guys put me in, I may have a hard time getting into another one, which may force me to have to buy a place or find a place for rent that’s privately owned. Pulling out my phone, I jot down a few notes in my Notes app of things I’ll need to work on. I don’t need them. I’ve managed to get this far in life without them, so I’m sure I can continue on just as well.
Once I’m done with my coffee and pastry, I toss the trash into a nearby trashcan and start the trek back to my home. Just as I round the corner, I bump into a solid chest that seems to have come out of nowhere.
“I’m so…” My eyes widen in horror as I look up at Garrett. Though he’s smiling at me, all I can see is the malice in eyes as he looks down at me. “Garrett?”
“Cleo! Babe, I’ve been looking all over for you!” he exclaims, grabbing me. I try to pull away from him, but his grip is too strong.
“What are you?—”
“I’ve been calling you for the last five minutes. Where’d you run off to?” His eyes dart around at the people passing around us.
“Get off of?—”
He quickly presses his mouth against mine and lifts me off my feet, pulling me into a nearby alley. To people who don’t know what’s going on, they’d simply think my boyfriend is kissing me and pulling me away for a private moment, away from prying eyes. But this is far from that. My heart hammers in my chest as we move further away from the sidewalk, further away from freedom, and closer to a waiting car. I open my mouth to scream, but he grabs my throat and squeezes.
“Make a sound, and I’ll hurt you,” he growls, his voice low. “Do you understand?”
I nod as best as I can, tears prickling my eyes. He opens the passenger door and points to the seat. “Get in.”
“Garrett, please don’t do this,” I beg.
“I’m not going to ask you again, Cleo,” he warns.
I swallow the knot of fear in my throat. I try to see how far the sidewalk is to try to make a run for it, but Garrett blocks my path, leveling a hard glare at me. I reluctantly get in the car, flinching when he closes the door behind me. He pulls out into traffic without raising any red flags with someone and speeds away. My heart races so fast I think I’m going to eventually pass out. I’d spent all this time trying to avoid him, only to end up in his clutches for him to do God knows what.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask after a while. I grow even more nervous when I notice we’re leaving the city limits. Garrett doesn’t respond, only keeping his eyes straight ahead. I wrap my arms around myself and look out the window, trying to remember my surroundings in case I get an opportunity to make a run for it.
It’s not long before he pulls down a gravel driveway, rolling to a stop in front of a small house. When he gets out of the car, I quickly pull my phone out and take a quick photo of the house and nearby street sign and open a text thread to Talon. I attach the photo and only send one word with it.
Cleo: HELP!
“Oh no you don’t,” Garrett taunts, snatching my phone from me. He grabs me by the hair and pulls me out of the car as I cry out. “You’re being a bad girl, Cleo. Now I have to punish you.”
“I’ll do anything you want!” I plead, but it falls on deaf ears. He pulls me up the couple of stairs and onto the porch, not letting go of my hair as he unlocks the front door.
“You’re going to do what I want regardless,” he says with a chilling smile. His grip tightens in my hair as he forces me to follow him through the house. Pain spreads across my scalp when I try to resist him. The house is dark, and we’re moving through it too quickly for me to see much around me. He opens a door and pushes me into the room, closing the door behind him once he’s inside. I stumble away from him, frantically looking around for an exit. The windows are covered in iron bars and planks of wood cover the outside of it to where I can’t see outside, and no one can see in.
