Slowly, his lips moved up and he smirked at me. I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat and dug my fingernails into both my palms. The sudden pain helped keep every other emotion at bay. I did not want to be afraid. Not of Chucky, not of anyone. Never again.
He glanced around the entryway nervously. “Nice place.”
Something in his voice had me cocking my head to the side, examining him closer. He’d sounded resentful and a little snide. Since the first time I’d met him, I wondered about Chucky’s life. What made him act like a dick? What did his home look like? Did he live with both of his parents? Were they nice? I didn’t want to know but I kinda did. I made no damn sense to myself sometimes.
“It’s not my place,” I murmured softly. “It’s Mr. Cole’s.”
And it wouldn’t be my home for much longer, nor would it be Mr. Cole’s. I pulled in a shuddering breath, that thought broke my heart. The only father figure I’d ever had and he wanted to take me away from the only people who would likely ever really understand me. And I was too big of a pussy to go over and explain the situation to them to see if they could help me get out of it.
“Heard your mom skipped town,” Chucky said quietly, cutting into my thoughts.
My head lowered, and I closed my eyes, searching for strength. Yeah, I just bet he heard all about my mother supposedly skipping out on us. I was willing to bet that the whole damn town was whispering about the harlot who fucked Marcus Cole over and the bastard she’d left him with. Leaving the house at this point would be a brand-new horror simply waiting to befall me.
I could see it in my head. Me, parking my sweet Rover at the grocery store. Getting out, beeping the locks and heading towards the entrance. I wouldn’t notice them until it was too late for me to do anything about it. They’d hold in their hands rocks, glass bottles, one brave sucker would probably have ahold of a brick. They’d snarl ugly names at me while lobbing their heavy objects at my body. And I’d stand there like a fool and do nothing about it. I’d be too shocked to use my magic in defense.
The image faded away before the first object could crash into my face. I blinked, slowly coming back to the room I stood in. My thoughts were heavy, slow, like I was treading water and not moving. I had to stop doing this to myself. I’d probably get another headache. Seemed I couldn’t go a day without getting one of the stupid things.
“Hey,” he murmured as a cold hand brushed against my warm cheek.
I jerked back, the touch of his skin against my own making me feel funny, and not in a “ha ha I’m gonna laugh my ass off” kind of way.
I slapped his clammy hand away from my face and stepped back.
He laughed at me, causing the skin on my arms and the back of my neck to prickle as my hair rose.
My back straightened as I lifted my chin. I squared my shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. He would not intimidate or frighten me. Not in my own home, not anywhere. Not ever again. I wasn’t alone or a weak little girl anymore, my magic would never let me down or abandon me. I was stronger than this A-hole. Not physically, but I could kick his ass with my magic any day of the week. I’d been practicing.
I stared him down and whispered vehemently, “Do not touch me again. Not unless you’re invited to do so. And just so we’re clear, Chuck, I wouldn’t hold my breath while waiting for that particular invitation because you’re never gonna get one. I can promise you that.”
His nostrils flared like a wild beast and he snapped at me, “I knew it. Nobody believed me when I told them, but I knew I was right. You’re fucking Tyson. What I want to know is why. What’s so fucking great about Tyson Alexander? Why does everyone want to ride that? Because he’s got money? It can’t be because he’s so damn nice. He’s a dick, Ariel. I saw the way he treated you on the first day of school. What’s so different with the way he treated you from the way that I did? I already said I was sorry. What more do you want from me? I already got on my knees and begged. What more do you want from me?” He finished speaking in a tortured whisper.
My eyes were as wide as they could get as I took a step back and away from him. He’d started out practically snarling at me and ended sounding as if I had done something to personally torment him.
I’d never done anything to him that would make sense for him to be speaking to me in such a way. And I’d done absolutely nothing to garner his devotion. No, crazy Uncle Quinton had gone and done that.
Quinton’s name and the offenses stacked against him were quickly filling up the empty slots on my shit list. Soon, I’d be forced to re
taliate in some way. I couldn’t let him get away with doing this shit to me, even if it was involuntary.
“I’m not-” I started to tell him I wasn’t sleeping with Tyson but snapped my mouth shut. What business was it of his who I was sleeping with? Not that I was sleeping with anybody, but…
He grabbed my chin forcefully and jerked my face towards him.
“Don’t even try to lie to me,” he snapped as he put pressure on my chin, likely bruising me.
I’d had enough of people trying to push me around or abuse me. More than enough.
I closed my eyes and concentrated as he kept snapping words at me. I ignored him and his brutish behavior. All the books the boys had given me had stressed the importance of concentration and control. If I let my emotions rule me, there was no telling how this would go. I needed control or I might fry him, and I didn’t want to run to the neighbors and ask them to dig another hole. I shuddered at the thought of Chucky’s body being buried beside my mothers.
I took a deep breath, let it out and focused on his fingers on my face, trying to crush my jaw. I could see the flame in my mind, burning bright, waiting for me to play with it. It was at my disposal. Completely and utterly mine.
I licked my lips and focused on the rough feel of his fingers on my face. I pushed my flame out and into Chucky’s fingers.
He screamed, dropped his hand and backed away from me. His eyes were huge in his head as he held his injured hand cradled to his chest protectively.
“What… what did you just do to me?” He whispered in horror and, I was surprised to see, awe.
I couldn’t stop my lips from curling up in a small smile. Finally, I had a means to take care of myself, to fight back.