I’d been on a high from placing first in the competition, but as I’d heard the other girls at the event talk about their crazy competition schedule, I’d realized two competitions this season wouldn’t be enough. Some girls were doing as many as twelve, and here I was thinking I’d get noticed from two. I’d been a fool. I’d thought I could do it all on my own. But reality had slammed into me and nearly knocked me down.
And now this. I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t keep fighting against a system I was sure to lose. I didn’t have the energy. I didn’t have the guts.
“It was Aleste’s friend,” I finally managed to get out. It wasn’t really a lie. She’d obviously spoken to Asher before.
“Why the fuck did he touch you, then?”
“I…” I paused, groaning as he yanked my head again. “I don’t know, Knox! I don’t know.”
His breath fanned over my face as he moved his lips to my ear and then whispered, “Nobody touches what is mine. Got it?”
I nodded, not willing to let words come out of my mouth. I wasn’t his. I’d never truly be his. He just thought I was. And for now, I’d let him carry on thinking it, but as soon as school was over, I was done. I was done letting everyone dictate to me. Done letting people control how I felt. Done. I was done.
But right then I couldn’t be. I had to carry on. I had to put up with it. Because the idea of walking away before school was over terrified me. So, for now, I’d take it. I’d take it knowing it would all be over soon. I hoped.
He let go, pushing me back toward my seat, and my muscles screamed in pain. I’d used them so much this weekend with the amount I practiced before I went out on to the stage, and now this. He hadn’t even asked me how the competition had gone, not that I’d expected him to ask. I was surprised he’d messaged me telling me he was picking me up because I hadn’t even told him I was back. But then again, he always knew where I was. Always.
I righted myself in the seat and gripped my wrist harder, trying to imagine I was back with Asher and Aleste, and not in a car full of guys who didn’t think twice about hurting someone for no reason. In my head, I was anywhere but here. In my head, I was somewhere where I smiled and meant it. Where I laughed and felt it. Where I was safe. Somewhere where I was safe.
Knox continued to drive for another ten minutes, but even when he pulled up in front of a mansion in a gated community, my legs still felt shaky and my hands sweaty. I had no idea where we were, but more than that, I had no idea how Knox would act once we got out of the car.
He turned the engine off, pushed out of the driver’s side, and sauntered around to the passenger door and opened it for me. His smiling face appeared as he held his hand out for me. Gone was angry Knox, and in his place was nice Knox. They both took things from me I wasn’t willing to give.
Leave. Just leave. Get away from him, and don’t look back. Escape while you can, my brain was screaming at me, begging me to go, but I couldn’t get my body to adhere to the commands. I couldn’t control my movements as I placed my hand on Knox’s and walked into the mansion with him. The place was packed with people, and as we walked through the foyer and the living room, I even spotted a DJ in the corner. A real DJ. The kind they had in clubs.
Several people greeted Knox, and I didn’t recognize a single one of them. I didn’t even know where we were, and I felt like slapping myself for being so goddamn oblivious. I wasn’t sure what it was about being around Knox, but I lost all sense of self-worth. I forgot who I was. Forgot who I’d become. I’d revert right back to being that little girl who he made feel special and overlooked everything else.
“Here,” Knox said, placing a drink in my hand.
“Thanks,” I replied, already knowing I wouldn’t drink it, but there was no way I’d tell him that.
The kitchen was full of people talking and drinking out of Solo cups, so I pushed myself into a corner, not wanting to be the center of anyone’s attention. I was here because Knox had brought me, but it didn’t mean I wanted to be here. Aleste and I had gotten back early, and I could have easily picked up a shift at work. The money would have been nice, but my muscles denied me. They screamed at the amount they’d been used, and standing was making my legs ache. But what was I supposed to do? It wasn’t like I could go home and rest because I had no idea what was waiting for me back there.
So instead of doing anything, I people-watched. I blinked as the sun went down and the darkness descended, and the party seemed to turn up several notches as the stars blinked high in the sky. At some point I’d lost sight of Knox, and when I couldn’t hold going to the bathroom for another second, I decided to move out of my little corner and find one.
More people had arrived, and the mansion was packed to the brim, so it took me entirely too long to get to the stairs. Then it was a mission to find a door which led to a bathroom, and finally, I found it. Once I’d finished doing my business, I tipped my full drink down the sink, and left the room, intent on finding Knox and telling him I wanted to leave. I was sure he wouldn’t be happy about it, but it was nearly midnight, and we both had school tomorrow.
I searched every room, seeing more naked asses than I’d ever seen, and I worked in a strip club. I’d made two loops by the time I decided to look outside, and as soon as I stepped out into the backyard, I spotted him, but it was what he was doing that had me pausing. I should have been angry. I should have been upset. But I wasn’t. I was relieved.
He pressed a girl up against the side of the house and pushed his face into her neck, and I wondered why he’d never touched me like that. He was gentle, almost loving, but then he pulled back and gripped her around the throat. She moaned at the move, and I watched his nostrils flare. He didn’t like it. He didn’t want her to enjoy it. And I was glad it wasn’t me standing there. He may have been touching and kissing her, but it wasn’t directed at me.
This was my opportunity to leave. This was how I could walk out of the house, knowing he wouldn’t be mad because I had this in my back pocket. This—this was my way out.
ELODIE
I’d walked for hours once I’d left the mansion. My feet burned, my muscles screamed, but nothing could wipe the smile off my face as I made my way to the trailer park. My car was in the opposite direction back at Aleste’s studio, and I didn’t have the energy to go and get it, so I planned to pick it up after school tomorrow.
The trailer was quiet as I entered, and I took a relieved breath. Mom was sprawled out on the sofa, and her boyfriend was nowhere to be seen. For once, things felt like they were going the way I wanted them to go. I had a way out with Knox after what I’d witnessed, and I’d be able to get at least four hours of undisturbed sleep.
As soon as I closed my eyes, I was dead to the world, and before I knew it, my alarm was going off and it was time to start another day. But today wasn’t just any day. Today was the day everything would change, and I’d take back the control I’d lost somewhere along the way. There was no way for Knox to get out of what I’d seen.
ELODIE
I walked inside the school with a grin on my face. I didn’t care about the gazes focused on me or the whispers as I walked down the hallway. None of it mattered because inside, I was jumping for joy. Leo spotted me and waved, so I darted toward him. I hadn’t seen him since Knox had pushed him into the lockers a week ago, but we’d messaged on and off. I was relieved to see him back in school, even though he had bruising around his eyes and a swollen nose.
“I’m so glad to see you,” I murmured, hugging him, then pulling back to stare at his face. I winced at the green and purple bruises. “How are you feeling?”
His gaze flicked to something behind me, and he swallowed. “I’m okay.” He shuffled from foot to foot, and I didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to know he was nervous. “The 'rents weren’t happy.” He paused and stepped closer. “Knox is giving me an ‘I’m going to kill you' vibe.”
I raised my brow and turned around, and sure enough, Knox was leaning against t
he lockers opposite us, his attention focused solely on Leo and me. “Ignore him,” I said, my confidence in full force. I knew Knox made out what I’d said because he pushed off the locker and stepped toward us, but I wasn’t going to stick around to see what he was going to say or do. Today was a fresh start. A new me. One who wasn’t afraid to say exactly what she thought.
I gripped on to Leo’s arm and pulled him down the hallway, away from Knox. “What did your mom and dad say?” I asked, trying not to think about the goose bumps spreading along my skin and the hair rising on the back of my neck. They were clear warning signs, but I had to ignore them if I wasn’t going to fail at my mission.
“Dad said I should have hit him back.” I nodded, figuring as much. I hadn’t met Leo’s dad, but from what his mom had told me, he seemed like a badass.
The thought of Leo’s mom, Belle, had my mind turning to Asher. I hated admitting I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him. I looked down at my wrist, swearing I could still feel the burn of his touch on me. Had that only been yesterday? It felt like a lifetime ago.
“What about your uncle?” My voice was higher than normal, but if Leo noticed, he didn’t say anything.
Leo shrugged, and we turned a corner. I wasn’t even sure what class he had first, but we were kind of wandering aimlessly. “He said he’d teach me some MMA moves.”
I halted at his words, my eyes widening. “What?”
“Yeah.” Leo adjusted his backpack, his hazel-eyed gaze meeting mine. “He was a champion MMA fighter when he was my age.” He paused and looked around, on edge, and I understood why, but I refused to let the feeling consume me any longer. “He gave it up when he joined the Marines, though.”
“Right.”
It made sense, then, how Asher knew Jax. Had they been in the Marines together? Had they known each other for long? I had so many questions, but I was sure none of them would be answered. My mind was swirling with thoughts, but not one of them was on anything but Asher. Was he thinking about me too? No. I shook my head. Of course he wouldn’t be thinking about me. And what kind of person did that make me? I was over here trying to get information about Asher when I could still feel Knox lurking in the background. I was being foolish, but I couldn’t help where my mind was taking me. I was walking a dangerous path.
The bell rang for the first class of the day, and I pasted a smile on my face, trying to push all my thoughts to the side. “Want to eat lunch together today?”
“I…” Leo’s eyes widened, and he winced at the move. “Are you…sure?”
“Yep.” I grasped the straps of my backpack and held on to them, needing something to keep me grounded. I was taking risks I had no right to take. “You’re my friend, Leo.” I shrugged. “Probably my only real friend.”
Leo looked down at the tiled floor, but it was only for a second. Then a confident version was standing in front of me, his stare connected to mine. “Okay then. I’ll meet you in the cafeteria?”
I shook my head, knowing there was no way we could sit in there without being watched by everyone. I wasn’t doing this for attention, I was doing this because Leo really was my only real friend, and I was sick of doing things for an easy life to keep the peace. I knew who I was inside, I just kept it buried so deep no one ever saw—unless I was dancing. When my bare feet were connected to the dance floor, and the first beats of a song came on, I let myself go. I let everyone see the real me. But it was time I did the same thing in my real life. It was time to be me, no matter what hardship it brought.
“Meet me by the gym. We can eat outside.”
Leo nodded several times, almost as if he was solidifying it in his mind. “Okay.”
I turned around, leaving Leo standing there as I made my way to my first class. Knox was lingering near the classroom, but I didn’t stop to talk to him. I didn’t ever want to talk to him again. My walls were firmly up, and I wasn’t willing to let him get past them.
It was what I kept telling myself throughout the day—a mantra of sorts. My classes flew by, and so did lunch. Leo and I laughed and talked about nothing in particular, and the whole time, I was relaxed, just like I had been when we’d hung out the other week. I was drawn to Leo in that older-sister kind of way. He told me about the diner he worked at and about the new dog no one had named, so they were calling it “dog” for now. And for the first time ever, I had a genuine smile on my face as the last bell of the day rang. I had a long walk ahead of me to get my car from outside Aleste’s studio, but I wasn’t bothered one bit because I’d had the best school day in years.
The sun beat down on me as I headed toward the studio, a bead of sweat dripping down the side of my face, but I didn’t care. I didn’t give a crap about anything around me because I felt free. Freer than I had in…well, ever.
I turned the corner to the street Aleste’s studio was on, and sighed as I saw my car up ahead. I was close, so close.
And then the shadow of a large car covered me.
I didn’t need to look to know it was Knox. I had no intention of stopping and talking to him, so I kept on walking, determined to get to where I needed to be.
“El, come on, babe.” His deep voice did nothing for me apart from sound whiney. He wasn’t used to having to beg for attention, and although it was a welcome change, it wasn’t his attention I wanted. I wanted him to leave me alone. I wanted to live a day where he wasn’t hanging over my head.
A door closed, then footsteps pounded behind me, and my stomach dropped. It took every ounce of strength not to speed up to make it to my car faster. “Please, babe. Can we just talk?”
“Nothing to talk to you about,” I responded, keeping my walls high and my shoulders back. He couldn’t get through to me, no matter what he did. I was on a mission to not give in. The decision had been made in my mind, and there was no going back. I wouldn’t let him control me any longer.
The sign for Asher’s tattoo shop got closer, and I knew I’d have to walk past it to get to my car. Asher was within touching distance, and if I really wanted to, I could have walked inside the shop and got rid of Knox, but I didn’t. I kept on walking with Knox behind me, begging me to hear him out.
As soon as I got to my car in the corner spot, I spun around and whipped out, “I don’t want to talk to you, Knox. Leave me alone.”
He halted a few feet in front of me, blinking several times, looking dazed and confused. His hair was sticking up in different directions as if he’d been running his fingers through it. “What?”
“I said I don’t want to talk to you, Knox.” I pulled my keys out and unlocked my door, then flung it open. I was so close to being away from him—inches. “I saw you kissing that girl. We’re over. Done.”
I turned to get into my car, and his laughed echoed around us—a laugh I knew well. My breath stalled in my chest, and my hands started to shake. My body knew what that laugh meant. It knew what was about to happen. But I couldn’t move fast enough. I couldn’t get my muscles to race against the seconds I had. Knox’s front slammed into my back, and he pushed me into the car with so much force it felt like I was flying for a second. My cheek smacked off the plug-in for my seat belt, and I winced as pain exploded in my face. I didn’t have time to move or get up because his entire body was on top of mine, pushing me down and not letting me move a single inch.
“You think you get to decide that?” His breath fanned over my neck and ear as his hand wormed its way to the back of my neck. He held me there, his fingers gripping me so hard I had no doubt I would bruise. “You think because you saw me touching another bitch that you aren’t mine anymore?”
“Knox—”
“Did I say you could fuckin’ talk?” he roared, and a sob bubbled its way up my throat. I’d been so confident. I’d strutted around the hallways today, knowing it was the end for Knox and me, but I’d been a goddamn fool. A stupid, naive fool. Did I really think I would be able to get away from him? Did I really think it would have been that easy?
“
You’re hurting me, Knox,” I managed to get out, but he ignored me and my pleas.
“You’re mine. You’ll always be mine. You got that, bitch?” he growled in my ear, but I refused to take his words. I refused to let him dictate what we were going to be. And he took my silence as surrender, but it wasn’t that. I knew Knox better than anybody, and I knew giving in to him—or at least making it seem that way—was what worked. He may have thought he knew me, but I knew him way better.
He gripped me one more time around my neck and then slowly lifted off of me. My head spun as the pressure evaporated, and when I knew he was fully off me, I slowly pushed out of my car and stood. My heart raced in my chest, the world spun, but as soon as I looked at him, everything was crystal clear.
I couldn’t keep doing this. I couldn’t keep letting him do what he wanted to me whenever he felt like it. I refused to be his punching bag any longer.
“No,” I ground out, widening my stance. This was it. This was me sticking up for myself. This was me putting my foot down. This was me being me and fighting my way out.
“What?” He was two feet away from me, a threat I couldn’t get away from, but I knew if I didn’t do it now, I’d never have the guts to say what I felt. I’d let him control what happened for too long. I’d let him dictate how my life was going to be.
But no longer.
I was in control now.
“I said no, Knox.” I pulled in a stuttering breath and gripped my shaking hands together. Inside I was terrified of what he would do, but part of me knew he wouldn’t be his true self here, not out in the open. Not like this. “I’m not yours. I’ve never been yours. I never will be yours.”
“Yes, you fuckin’ are!” he shouted so loudly it made my ears ring. “You think I’m gonna let a piece of trailer trash like you tell me what the fuck will and won’t happen?” He took one step forward, but I stood my ground, not backing down for even a second.
“You can call me all the names you want. It won’t make a difference, Knox.”
Burned Duet: Asher & Elodie: Fast Burn & Deep Burn (Easton Family Duet Boxsets Book 4) Page 11