Fuck that.
“You can dream, I guess. This isn’t happening again.” He takes advantage of my open lips and pushes his wet fingers into my gaping mouth.
I can taste myself and him all mixed together, and it does something to me. My tongue slips against his callous tips without thought, and I lose myself to him again. It stirs up things inside of me that shouldn't be there. I shouldn’t be feeling any of this. I don’t want it.
This has to stay as something he will never know I feel.
Ever.
“Screw you!” I cry out once I free myself of him and his spell, pushing everything rising up inside of me down, before ducking out from under his huge, sweaty arm. The cords of his triceps pull tight as he strains against the wall.
He grabs my arm, looking as menacing as he did in the cage earlier, and my body tenses. “Go home, V. And fucking stay there. Nobody wants you here.”
* * *
“He did what?” Indi screeches as we climb into my car. To say I hauled ass out of that warehouse after escaping Maverick’s clutches is an understatement. The guy is giving me severe whiplash.
“He, uhm… well… we fucked.” I shrug, glazing over the whole I just lost my virginity thing, because I don’t put much stock in the whole virginity thing.
I start the engine as she squeaks beside me, fully losing her shit. “How exactly did this happen?”
I pull the car out of the space and head out of the run-down, old industrial area of Echoes Cove, trying to find the words to explain this properly. “He, uhm, grabbed me, and well, shoved me against a wall.”
Indi slams her hand against the dash and curses. “He forced himself on you? Fuck me, I’ll kill him. Who gives a fuck about jail. I’ll saw his dick off.”
“He didn’t force himself… exactly. There were mixed wires, and while my brain was in two minds about it all, my body was definitely on board. I could have stopped it if I’d wanted to. Maverick might be a psychopath, but he isn’t a rapist.”
She grumbles incoherently under her breath as I cross the train tracks and the buildings begin gradually turning back into the picture of wealth that Echoes Cove likes to portray itself as. “Was it good at least?”
I bark out a laugh. Of course that’s her next question once she knows I’m okay. “It was possibly the best orgasm I’ve ever had.”
She whistles before grinning over at me with a shit-eating grin. “Hot damn. Why are the psychos always the best in bed?”
“I don’t know, but uh… How would you know?” I poke at her, and she blushes, shaking her head, so I leave it for now. I’m sure she’ll share when she’s ready. “Anyway, it won’t be happening again, no matter how good it was. This was a blip. A lapse in judgement. It absolutely can’t happen again.”
She scoffs and crosses her arms, moving in her seat so she’s facing out the windshield. “We’ll see. ‘Cause, girl, they might act like they hate you, but I’ve seen how all three… no wait, how all four of them look at you when they think no one’s watching. Now that’s a party I’d insert myself into. No offense.”
“None taken. But that plan’s not in the cards. I’m here to graduate—to get the grades I need to finalize the terms of my dad’s will—and get into college. There’s a whole world out there, and I have plans. The four of them don’t factor into them, no matter how pretty they are. They made that choice when I arrived.” I clutch the steering wheel, hating how the words taste like lies on my tongue, despite the fact that I absolutely intend on them being true.
“Girl,” she drags out the word, and I can’t help but laugh. “If you say so.”
We spend the rest of the short drive to her place in a comfortable silence, with just the sounds of Brynn Cartelli’s “Last Night’s Mascara” playing through the sound system. I pull to a stop in front of her house, the brakes squeaking a little as I do.
“Thank you for coming with me tonight,” she says, leaning over and hugging me. “Even if it ended up being more fun for you than it was for me.” She winks at me, and I flip her off as she climbs out of the car, laughing softly. Leaning down, she looks at me solemnly. “Drive safe, and please tell me once you’re home. Any news on when Smithy is coming back yet?”
“He’s due home on Monday,” I tell her, beaming. I'm so ready for him to be back now.
“Good. I don’t like you being there alone, not after everything that’s happened. Are you sure you don’t want to stay here tonight?”
I shake my head, my heart swelling at her obvious worry for me. “No, I’ll be fine, I swear. Go to bed already. You have a big weekend ahead of you.”
She rolls her eyes at me, but I know she’s excited really. “Fucking camping in the middle of nowhere and likely no cell service.”
“It’s romantic,” I tease, and she scoffs.
“If you say so. Right, I’m going. Night. Love you.”
“Love you too,” I call out as she closes the door, waving at me once she reaches her porch. Once she’s inside, I put the car in gear and start the drive home.