“I’m sorry, that won’t be possible,” is all that Ravana says back to her.
Their footsteps echo down the hall and to the front of the house. I begin to struggle even more, now knowing that she’s going to leave and I might not ever be able to see her again. I punch and kick as the twins take me to the floor, and I scream out into the darkness that my mate is being ripped from me.
“Goodbye,” I hear Ravana say as the door of the cab closes, and the sound of a car driving away makes everything inside me go numb.
I give up fighting then and lie limp on the floor.
“What have you done?” I moan softly as pain like nothing I’ve ever felt before slices through me. It feels like I’m being ripped in half.
Five
Juliet
As the taxi pulls away, I look back at the big iron gate. A stone lodges deep in my stomach and I can’t explain why.
“Where to, miss?” the driver asks, and I turn to look at him.
I ramble off the address for the sorority house. I should probably go back there and let them know I’m okay. I sigh, dropping my head back and closing my eyes. They probably aren’t even wondering where I am, but better safe than sorry on the off chance they actually do call the cops or something. The heaviness in my stomach grows into an ache as the car speeds away. The image of Kane on his knees flashes before my eyes. His breath against my arm. I still don’t know what his face fully looks like, and I guess now I’ll never know.
It was clear his sister wanted me gone. I’d been surprised when he said it was his sister because the look on her face when she saw the two of us together was deadly. She wanted me out of there and made it happen fast. How have I gone from wanting to leave that place to being disappointed that I’m leaving? God, my head is a mess.
I groan when we pull up to the sorority house and I see the party is in full swing. I fish out some money and give it to the taxi driver. I don’t want to go inside right now, but I need to get this over with.
When I enter the house I have to push my way through bodies. I look around to see if I recognize anyone so I can tell them I’m back and get the heck out of here.
I gasp when beer is spilled down the front of my shirt. “Shit, sorry.” My eyes trail up a football jersey until they reach Brock Johnson’s face. Brock’s the quarterback for our school. I only know who he is because the girls around here talk about him as if he’s a god. Don’t get me wrong, he’s handsome and all, but he’s got asshole written all over him. I’d know. When you grow up like I did, you learn to pick them out in a crowd.
He goes to wipe at the spilled beer on my shirt, but I swat his hand away before it can make contract with my breast.
“Don’t touch me,” I say through clenched teeth, not wanting to draw attention.
“You’re Juliet, aren’t you?” he asks as he drops his hand away.
I try and take a step back from him, only to run into someone else. The house is so packed I can barely move. God, I hate crowds. It makes me anxious when I don’t have a clear path of where I’m going.
“Yeah,” I answer. I’m a little surprised he knows who I am.
“One of the pledges.” He leans closer to me. “I could put in a good word for you. Make sure you get in.” I can tell from his tone it won’t be a free favor.
“Thanks but no thanks.” I push past him, but he follows me into the kitchen where I see Gretchen, the head of the sorority, doing a Jell-O shot. When her eyes meet mine she smiles.
I think she’s going to ask me if I got something to prove I knocked on the door, but she doesn’t. “Hey, pledge. The upstairs bathroom needs cleaning. Someone vomited everywhere.” She scrunches her face in disgust before turning away from me to talk the guy on her left. He’s also wearing a football jersey.
“Gross,” Brock says from behind me. I look over my shoulder at him. “I’ll wait for you to clean up and then we can get a drink,” he adds with a wink. Jesus. I need out of this place.
“Sure. Wait right here for me,” I tell him, and he smiles like a drunken idiot.
“Brock,” Gretchen snaps as him. “Come here. I want to show you something.” She leans over the counter a little and gives everyone a view of her boobs. I’m guessing that’s what she wants to show him. “Go, pledge. You have your orders,” she snaps at me. It’s clear she wants Brock’s attention, and she can have it.