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I had met Jeremy at one of Cole’s fraternity parties at the beginning of the school year. He was alumni having graduated three years prior as vice president of the fraternity like his father before him and so on. His family was high profile, and they were generations upon generations of politicians. Jeremy worked for his father, running his office and handling the behind the scenes campaign needs.
He hated it.
He traveled all the time, and each time he came back he was worse than he was before he left.
“Aubrey, can I talk to you for a second? Alone.”
I nodded, glancing over at Jeremy. He wearingly eyed me before excusing himself to go into my bedroom.
Alex gripped my upper arm, tugging me into the kitchen, further away from my room.
“What are you doing with him, Aubrey? He’s a jerk.”
“So was Dylan,” I simply stated, regretting the words as soon as they left my mouth.
They were nothing alike.
Nothing.
Alex shook her head, disappointed that I was even comparing the two. I couldn’t hate myself more for it, there wasn’t any extra room left for me to feel that. I hadn’t seen or spoken to Dylan since the night I slept with his arm around me. The last time I had a good night’s sleep was over two years ago, so much had changed but yet not enough.
“Dylan wasn’t—”
“I know, Half-Pint, I don’t know why I said that.”
“Why are you doing this to yourself? It makes no sense that you’re with him when you know Dylan is—’
“Not everybody gets their happily ever after, Alex,” I harshly responded.
She stepped back. “What happened to you, Aubrey?”
“I grew up.”
“Let me—”
“Mind your own business, that’s what you need to do. You can’t save me anymore than you could save Lucas.”
She jerked back, hurt.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
“No, Aubrey, I think you did.” With that she turned and left.
I took a deep breath as remorse and shame washed over me. I spun around to walk back into my bedroom and before I could take my first step, Jeremy backhanded me across the face so fucking hard I fell to the ground.
“You, stupid bitch!” he roared, hovering above me as I clutched my cheek.
I wish I could tell you that Jeremy wined and dined me, that he made me fall in love with him and his charming personality. That I didn’t know he was a monster. That he tricked me, made me believe he was something that he wasn’t before he showed me his true colors.
He didn’t do any of those things.
I knew what I was getting myself into. I knew what kind of person he was, and what kind of demons were sitting on his shoulders. Waiting for me.
I knew it all.
From our first talk to our first date to the first time he ever laid his hands on me. I knew what he was capable of, and I wanted it. I looked for it.
Those moments when his fists did the talking or his mouth was spewing degrading and hateful words were the only times that the hurt I felt in my heart.
