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“I bet it doesn’t.” The smile he gives me is the same savage one from the night that started all of this as he backs away from me and into the classroom and I have no choice but to follow.
The entire class is a blur as I ignore Zaiden’s stare on me and the whispers of the students around me. By the end of class the rumor that I cheated on my paper is everywhere, the entire class is casting dirty looks my way and my notifications of people tagging me in shitty posts have been non-stop.
Tears strain the back of my eyes for the entire afternoon and I barely look at anyone as I dart from the room at the end, not stopping for even a second until I make it back to the dorms and I am on the other side of my room door.
This isn’t like the other stuff the guys pulled, this is serious, if these allegations keep going then it could not only ruin my reputation, but my future at BSU too. What the hell am I going to do?
Before that thought can even resonate, there is a bang on the other side of the door as someone knocks loudly. I force myself to take a deep breath to try and get my heart rate back to normal before I turn and open the door to greet whoever is on the other side.
The door is ripped from my hand as Carson pushes inside and before I can even make a sound he is slamming the door behind him and throwing me harshly against the wall. The slap is harder this time, even if not as unexpected as the last, it still fucking hurts. The burn of it stinging my skin as much as the shame of taking it does.
The force of it snaps my head to the side, but Carson is quick to grip my chin in his fist and force my stare back to his. “Seems you have been keeping more secrets than I thought, Darling.”
Words die in the back of my throat as I think about defending myself, but his fingers on my mouth keep them at bay as he stares at me in disgust waiting for me to deny him.
The words whispered about me from earlier come back with a vengeance but are replaced with new ones in my head.
Liar.
Coward.
Pathetic.
Alone.
His grip moves down to my throat and I couldn’t say if it was the pressure of his fingers against the delicate skin there, or my own fear that makes my breath lodge in my throat. “Do you have any idea of the mountain of shit I am going to have to pull to sort this out for you? To keep us on top.” With each word out of his mouth, he holds me tighter and tighter. Until tears stream down my face and the edges of my vision start to fade to black. His voice is laced in venom but there’s a sick gleam in his eye that gives away his excitement at having me pinned to the wall the way he does.
When I still don’t answer, he pushes away from me in exasperation, surveying my room with disdain. I bend in half, clutching my throat and forcing myself to take in deep breaths past the raw feeling that scrapes against my insides with each one. “And what the fuck are you doing living in this hovel?”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, letting my eyes fall to the floor as I furiously wipe away the tears, hating that I ever let him see them spill. “You don’t have to do anything though.” I force the words out. My voice doesn’t sound quite like my own. Hoarse. Scratchy. Strained.
He uses his body to push me back up against the wall, caging me in. Without laying a finger on me, my breath once again catches as fear threatens to consume me. Fear of what he might do next. “You think I can just leave this situation be? You should know better than that, Brielle. No one will respect you if you can’t even make it through your first semester here on your own two feet.” His words are filled with disgust and I realize he doesn’t realize it’s just another rumor the guys started. He really thinks I needed to cheat my way through my classes.
I’d laugh if my situation wasn’t already so dire. I place my hand on his chest in an attempt to push him away. To give myself just the tiniest amount of space to breathe and explain to him what happened. But all it serves to do is enrage him further.
“You cheat. You don’t answer my calls. Force me to have to hunt you down because you aren’t where you’re supposed to be. And now you really have the nerve to act like this isn’t a big deal?” Each word feels like a lash against my skin.
My phone.
It’s still in the bottom of my bag. I didn’t even think to check it after class. I might have been slightly more prepared if I had. Carson wouldn’t have had to hunt me down and find out about the dorm room. He would have kept believing that I was playing my role flawlessly. That I had already given up on fighting back.
I’m so lost in the chaos of my own mind, I never see it coming. I double over as pain radiates from my center out. I choke on the rush of air that is forcibly pushed out of my lungs and struggle to catch my breath. Carson hit me.
No, he fuckingpunchedme.
I pant, just trying to stay on my feet as I wrap my arms around my midsection.
Carson’s snort makes me flinch as he takes a step back towards me and grabs a fist full of my hair to pull my face back up to his. The sight of my tears doesn’t soften him, if anything, he seems to enjoy them as he smiles at me with fresh vigor. “I don’t need your fucking excuses, Brielle. I need you to act like the perfect princess you’re supposed to be. I’m sick of cleaning up your messes. Did you think it was a joke when I said complete submission?”
I shake my head. I just need to explain. He doesn’t need to clean this up. If I could just get enough air in my lungs to form the words. I strain against the grip he has in my hair. My scalp burns as he uses his grip to control my movements. “Misunderstanding,” I finally pant.
His hold on me loosens, not completely, but enough. I force myself to calm down. To take small, shallow breaths. Each one getting easier.
“What’s a misunderstanding?”
I lick my lips, trying to moisten them enough to cooperate so I can explain to him that I already took care of the assignment. That I didn’t cheat. He gets impatient waiting for my reply. He tightens his hold once more only to throw me against the wall.
A loud crack fills the silence of the room as the back of my head meets the wall. Pain reverberates through my skull, scattering my thoughts, and robbing me of the ability to stay on my feet. I sink to the floor in my pain and shock.
