Making my way to the front of the classroom, I drop my backpack at my feet and place my diary on the podium. Opening it, I start reading.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
SIN
I TAKE HER seat at the front of the class and place my elbow on the desk, my chin resting in my hand. She pushes her bleach-blond hair behind her ear, and I don’t miss the fact that she took the time to cover up every bruise I gave her last night on my father’s boat. But I guarantee the ones under her clothes are still visible if I were to strip her naked in front of everyone.
“I first met him at a bar,” she starts. “He approached me and offered me a drink. One turned into more than I could remember.”
I watch David shift in his seat.
“He told me I was pretty. That I was what all men wanted. I believed him. But then like the man before him, he put his hands on me.”
I sit up straighter, my eyes going to David once again. He fixes his tie, his eyes on his desk.
“Told me that I was a worthless whore.”
David clears his throat. “Elli, this isn’t the assignment.”
“Why? Why is it that the woman is always the whore?” she goes on, ignoring him. “Shouldn’t he be accountable for making me wet? For turning me on.”
“Elli?” he snaps, jumping to his feet.
“He had no problem fucking me, but when he found out I’d fucked another man, I was worthless. Used-up trash.”
“For fuck’s sake, Elli.” He steps out from behind his desk and heads toward her, but I stand from her chair, causing him to stop.
“I was no longer his whore, but someone else’s.” Her eyes are on her paper, not caring that he’s trying to stop her from spilling their secrets. “I think it’s funny that because I have a pussy and he has a dick, I’m the one who should be ashamed. I’m not. He drugged me the first time he got between my legs.”
He what?I take a step toward him, and he takes two back, almost tripping over his chair. “Ellington!”
“He had recorded it,” she continues, still ignoring him. “Showed it to me when I woke up. How much my body enjoyed it. Got off on it. He promised me it’d be our little secret. But I shouldn’t have to keep my mouth shut about him being a piece of shit.”
“ELLINGTON!” His face turns red with anger. Silence follows and he lets out a long breath realizing she’s done.
Looking over at her, I watch her close the notebook and walk out of class.
ELLINGTON
I EXIT THEclass and feel a hand on my arm, stopping me. I’m spun around and look up into a set of hard blue eyes. “He raped you?” he demands to know.
My lips thin and I look away from him.
Letting out a growl at my refusal to answer, he asks another question, “He’s hit you?”
Not sure why he cares all of a sudden.
“The night you called the masked me to come coddle you. I asked who hit you, and you said it didn’t matter.”
Again, I say nothing. I didn’t go into David’s class for Sin’s sympathy or jealousy. It was to cleanse my soul of anything left remaining of David. I wasn’t going to let him be the one who ended it. I was. My choice, my way.
And that’s exactly what I just did.
“Elli?” Sin snaps my name, causing kids in the hall to stare.
“How fucking dare you.” I shove his chest with my free hand.
He’s silent for a second before he lowers his voice to a deadly growl. “Be very careful how you speak to me, Elli…”