“Go get him,” I say, shoving him forward. “Flash him your fangs, maybe he’ll let you bite him.”
He winks and struts off, hips swaying as his cape trails behind him. Menace.
I spothim before he sees me. Ethan, standing in the doorway, flanked by three of his teammates and riding the high of an obvious victory from the game he just crushed. His letterman jacket hangs open, red solo cup in one hand, half his shirt untucked. He’s grinning like the party was thrown just for him.
He wasn’t supposed to be here. He said that he would be too tired after the game, that he would need to rest. But here he is, loud, drunk, scanning the crowd. I don’t know why, but some small part of me prays he doesn’t see me. But of course, his eyes land on mine.
“Daisy!” He shouts over the music, grinning from ear to ear as he walks over.
I force a smile as he pulls me into a one-armed hug. “You won?”
“Crushed ‘em, babe. You look—” his gaze sweeps over me hungrily, lingering just a little too long. “Jesus, you look hot.”
I step out of his arm, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “Thanks.”
“Here,” he says, thrusting a drink into my hand. “Catch up.”
“I’m good, really?—”
“Come on, it’s a party. Don’t be a bore.” He demands, cutting me off.
He stares down at me until I take a sip, pushing the cup back to my lips when I go to pull it away. He holds it there until I finish it, and he smirks before handing me another.
He pulls my back to his chest, gripping my hips as he grinds himself against me to the music. His friends all surround us, cheering and laughing, and I just let myself fall into it, trying to enjoy the party. When the second song finishes, it feels as though the room is spinning. My legs feel unsteady, and my thoughts feel like they’re sticking to the sides of my brain like honey. Everything’s loud, then quiet, then loud again. The colours blur, and voices seem to distort around me. But Ethan stays close, his arm wrapped tightly around me. I feel him lowering his fingers, and I try to brush them off, but I feel horrific.
“I don’t feel good,” I manage to slur out.
I didn’t drink that much, did I? Not enough to feel this drunk. Gods, I feel wasted, and not in a nice way.
Ethan leans close, his breath hot at my ear. “Let me take care of you, baby.”
He pulls me towards the stairs, keeping a tight grip on me as I stumble forward. I slowly blink as the bass fades, and he opens a door and pulls me into a darkened, quiet room. I don’t recall even climbing the stairs, yet somehow, now I’m up them and entering a bedroom. I’m so tired. I just want to lie down. Just for a second.
The bed dips under my weight, the cold sheets welcoming against my too-warm skin. My body feels heavy, wrong, like it doesn’t belong to me anymore. My eyes fall on Ethan, and I see him pull a condom from his jeans, ripping the wrapper open with his teeth.
“Ethan,” I whisper. “Wait…”
But he doesn’t. My thoughts fragment, and I try to move, to sit up. But I can’t. My body is not cooperating with me at all.
“Just relax, you’ll like it.” He whispers as his blurred form slips off his jacket.
His hands are on my thighs, pushing the skirt of my costume up as I try to protest. He’s not listening to me. His weight pins me to the mattress. I try to push him back, but my arms feel full of cement.
“Stop,” I murmur. “Please stop?—”
His mouth crashes into mine. He tastes like vodka and sweat and cigarette smoke. I turn my head to evade the kiss, but he grabs my face in his hands to turn me back to him.
“I promise, it’ll be fun,” he mumbles between sloppy kisses that I try to avoid.
I try to push away again, but he doesn’t notice, or he just doesn’t care. My eyes sting as tears begin to fill them. Everything feels too loud and too far away all at once. This isn’t happening. It can’t be happening.
I hear his belt buckle clatter as he forces my thighs apart, and I give one last attempt at stopping him from doing this to me.
“Please, Ethan,” I slur, begging him to stop what he’s doing.
He forces himself inside of me, my body so unprepared I hiss in pain at the brutal contact.
“See, doesn’t that feel good?” He grunts as he buries his face in my neck.
