AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My head shakes in rapid movements. “No. You are mine. Always have been. Always will be. Don’t talk like that.”
“Can I please get my clothes?”
“You wanted this. You initiated it. You kissed me.” Words spill from my mouth like running water, rising in pitch. “You wanted me to be your first! You wanted me to fuck you!”
“I did. And now…it’s over.”
“Oh, Angel.” A devilish laugh vibrates in my throat. "It’s not over. It’s only just begun.”
I bend down and grab her clothes, then shove them to her chest.
We dress in silence, and once we’re decent, I take her hand and lead her back to the meeting room, where it all began.
She tries to pull her hand from mine, but I squeeze until all the blood drains from my knuckles. She looks down at our entwined fingers. “I have to go, Ridge.”
“Your words really hurt me tonight. But I know you didn’t mean them, and I forgive you.”
I let her go, and she moves so fast toward the exit, you’d think a psycho was following her.
Which I am.
CHAPTER25
RILEY
Tears don't stop fallingas I walk as fast I can back to my dorm. He’s six feet behind me, but he might as well be walking by my side.
I was caught up in the moment—let things go too far. I was vulnerable and desperate for someone’s attention.
Ridge speaks such beautiful words and makes me feel emotions I’ve longed for, but he’s not normal. There is something sickly wrong with his obsession for me and that was made clear when we finished. If he’d just kept his mouth shut afterward, then I wouldn’t be panicking and stealing glances over my shoulder.
It’s not too far-fetched. I wouldn’t put it past him to grab me and drag me down to a dark dungeon, so he can perform satanic rituals with my body.
Everything was going seamlessly. We connected in a way I’ve never connected with another person. He complimented me and made me feel adored and loved. Every time we kiss, I feel a plethora of fireworks going off inside me. My body tingled with such deep desire that I felt I couldn’t breathe any longer if he didn’t touch me. Then I gave it all up to him. I have no time for regrets. My virginity was not something sacred I was holding on to, and honestly, I don’t miss having it. The pain was barely noticeable, and I credit that to the foreplay in my past, and my many battery-operated boyfriends.
My only regret is that Ridge will forever be a part of my memory because of tonight. I will never forget him, and that thought hurts more than knowing him in the first place. I will always have a constant reminder of how close I was to finding the perfect man for me. One who cherishes the ground I walk on. Opens doors for me. Fights for me. Bleeds for me. Only, Ridge is so much more than that and I can’t handle the other parts of him. The other parts of him terrify me.
Once I reach Willamette House, I pull open the door and glance over my shoulder one last time. Ridge is standing under a lamppost, hands in his pockets, hood lifted on his head.
“Good night, Angel,” he says. “I’ll see you soon.”
I jerk open the door and quickly jog up the stairs. Not stopping until I reach my room. My trembling fingers toss the keys around as I try to find the right one, and once I’ve got it, I unlock the door and barrel into the room.
As soon as the door is closed and locked, my back hits the wall and I slide down, head between my knees, then I cry over everything I’ve lost in the last forty-eight hours.
My self-respect is gone. My dignity is crushed. The security of my room is lost, which I’m reminded of when I look at the boarded-up window. It’s also proof that someone took advantage of my body in my drunken state. Zeke is dead. Someone is out to hurt me. And Maddox…
I cry harder at the reminder of losing him. I liked Maddox so much. His friendship, his company, his heart. I can only hope he will remain in my life. His loyalty is with Ridge, so a relationship is out of the question, but I hope I can still keep his friendship.
Everything feels so broken. I feel so lost.
“Babe,” Scar springs from her bed, startling me. “What’s wrong?”
I clutch my chest as I try to steady my rapid heartbeat. “Shit. I didn’t know you were here.”
“Of course I’m here. I’m not leaving you alone at night again. I only stayed away last night because Maddox was here.”
I sniffle, sucking up the snot that’s threatening to drip from my nose. “Why are you in bed already?”
