Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 156392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 782(@200wpm)___ 626(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 782(@200wpm)___ 626(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
“You don’t look fine, Ava. You know what? Forget about the party. Let me take you home.”
“I can drive on my own. I’m fine.”
This time, I apply more strength to push him away, but he towers over me and grabs my chin, a menacing smile stretching his thin lips. “I said I’ll drive you.”
“And I said I can do it on my own.” I frown. “Let go of me, Ollie.”
“You know, that’s exactly your problem, Ava. You believe all men to be playthings that you flirt with a little and suck their money dry a lot and then expect them to leave when you ask them to.”
“I never asked for your money. I have my own.” My voice trembles at the end.
Even though I chose to go on the defensive, a nagging feeling dictates that I remove myself from this situation as soon as possible.
My mum taught me to always follow my gut and right now it’s demanding I disentangle myself from Ollie.
He barges into my space, his expression vicious. I’ve never found him intimidating before, but more of a pushy person who always tried his luck to get into my knickers.
However, the events are drastically different now.
I’m hyperaware of his height and width, and I faintly remember that he’s one of those gym bros who makes growing muscles their personality type.
His thighs brush mine, and I gulp, the sound getting trapped in my closing throat before echoing in the air.
Oliver’s smirk widens like a hyena that’s starting to enjoy the hunt.
“You still gave me mixed signals, and you know that. You enjoy it, right? Being an attention whore is your personality, after all.”
“I never asked for your attention.” I lift my chin. “Back the hell off, Ollie, and I’ll pretend this never happened.”
I’m totally cutting him from my life after this. All this time, I was blindsided and never noticed the nefarious edges tucked beneath his easygoing façade. I remember Cecy once telling me there were rumors he abused his ex-girlfriend. She said that so I’d keep my distance from him. Did I listen? No. Mostly because I thought it didn’t apply to me since I never saw him as more than a friend of the night.
Clearly, I was wrong and I honest to God need to listen to Cecy more.
“Pretend it never happened?” He barks out vicious laughter that tightens my stomach and disturbs the night. “Should I curtsy, Your Highness?”
“If you don’t release me this instant, I’ll destroy you until nothing is left. You’re messing with the wrong person, but I’ll allow you to back off.” I glare up at him, feigning nonchalance I don’t feel. “You do know I have an influential family, right?”
He lifts his hand and slaps me so hard, my head rolls back and a buzz ricochets in my ears. A metallic taste explodes in my mouth and I realize my lip is split open and I bit my tongue.
Before I can recover, Oliver turns me around and shoves me harshly against the car, then he pulls up on my skimpy dress. “Where’s your influential family now? Maybe they’ll be here to clean my cum off your dirty cunt. Let’s see if it’s worth all this hassle.”
Reality sinks in like a load of bricks and I blindly scratch at him. “Stop! Let me go, stop!”
“Shut your trap, bitch!” He lifts my head and slams it against the car.
The world swings and sways beneath my feet as my heels scratch on the concrete. The buzzing in my ears, the howling of the wind, and the blurriness of my surroundings feel as if they’re happening to someone else.
I can feel him harshly grabbing onto my breasts, but I can’t move. My breathing gets stuck in a stuttered choke, and I hear myself whisper, “Help…please…help…”
“I said.” He bangs my head against the car again. “Shut the fuck up, you damn cunt!”
Stars dance in my vision and my arms fall to either side of me. I can feel the fight being sucked out of me as the howling wind matches my barren insides.
Maybe if I stay still, it’ll be over soon.
Maybe I won’t remember it.
Maybe like I entirely forgot Bach’s Cello Suite No. 4 during the competition and even forgot why the hell I was there, who the people staring at me were, and my damn identity, I’ll forget this, too.
Forever.
It’ll be buried in the darkness like my consciousness and part of my degenerative brain.
If there’s a god out there, send a lightning strike to kill the bastard before he hurts me.
Please.
“That’s right, stay still and I won’t have to hurt you for long, cunt—” Oliver’s voice is cut off and I think the universe has pitied me and shoved me down into a state of numbness.
His weight disappears from behind me and I hear a loud thwack.