Romance: The Campus Player: A College Romance

by Caroline Lake

  “Go fuck yourself, Richard!” The door slammed behind her.

  Chapter Five: If Loving You is Wrong

  Although Annika would never have admitted it to anyone, things were not going as well as she had hoped with Rhys. At the start, she had lounged around the suite all day, watching soap operas and snorting an endless supply of Oxy. Rhys had followed through with a generous bank account for her and she had almost depleted her allowance by the end of the first week, splurging on shoes and clothes. I’ll pay back every cent. Room service was constantly running up bottles of wine to the point that the hotel had designated her a personal delivery boy. As the days got boring, she began to ask the kid into the room to play gin rummy and Fish with her. One day he actually brought along a chess board to teach her but she had been much too stoned to understand the game. The next day he brought a joint and the smoked it on the terrace. That became their new pastime. Annika and the kid, whose name was Trevor (or maybe it was Travis – Annika really didn’t care enough to ask again) was barely out of high school and he acted like it. He swore too much, used slang even she had never heard and talked about skateboarding constantly but Annika was lonely and she welcomed the company. She missed Dickie constantly. It was a physical aching that was constant in her chest regardless of how much she drank or snorted.

  Rhys had initially been a fun companion but work had picked up and suddenly, during the day, he disappeared for hours. This was to be expected of a working man but one night he didn’t come home. And that one night became every other night. Annika was starting to get concerned. Her knight’s shining armor was beginning to kink.

  The party was in full swing but Annika was curled up on a pile of coats in the study. She had just vomited on someone’s four thousand dollar Dolce and Gabbana jacket and she made a half-witted attempt to cover it up with another piece of clothing, realizing too late that it was her own wrap. Fuck I’m high. Really, really, really high. Then she laughed. “High” was a funny word.

  “High. High. Hiiiiiiiiii,” she sang to no one. Despite the fact that she had just thrown up the little she had eaten in the past four days, she was still feeling on top of the world. She got up from the settee and teetered to the door, unceremoniously yanking it open. There must have been two hundred people in the mansion mingling and laughing. The din was giving her a headache. She had no idea who the place belonged to nor how she had gotten there. She began looking around for Rhys.

  “Do yea know Rice?” she slurred at a pin-up looking blonde who happened to be walking by the den. Annika was mortified to hear the garbled question as it left her lips. The stunning beauty paused, a small smile toyed with her lips. She slowly ran her clear grey eyes over the almost incomprehensible redhead from head to toe and back down again. Then she licked her lips and cleared her throat.

  “Did you say ‘Rhys’? As in Rhys Anders?” Annika nodded vigorously, a silly smile on her face. She had no way of knowing how wretched she looked, her waist length tresses in tangled knots, mascara smeared. Her firm breasts were almost completely out of her low cut tank top. She looked like she had stepped off the set of a high school horror flick.

  “Oh, sweetie,” the blonde cooed petting her arm lovingly. “Everyone knows Rhys.”

  Annika’s unfocussed eyes lit up and she grinned.

  “I know!” she screamed. “Heth gonna make me famith.”

  The busty woman burst into laughter and she strolled away calling,

  “Someone find Anders! One of his ‘projects’ needs her bottle and blanket.”

  It took Annika a moment to understand what the beauty had meant but by the time she felt indignation, Rhys was steering her upstairs and away from the hubbub. He found an empty bedroom in one of the wings and laid her gently on the bed. She closed her eyes for a second, happy to be near Rhys.

  “Here you go, baby,” Rhys said. Annika opened her eyes. There were four lines laid out on the nightstand. She leaned over and snorted one, handing Rhys the twenty he had rolled for her.

  “You can have all this,” he told her and leaned toward her.

  He helped free her small nipples from the shred of cloth barely covering them. He lowered his lips to bite them and slip his palm over her fantastic rear. As his hand skillfully slipped its way under her skirt and between her legs, she sat up and glared at him accusingly.

  “It’s been four months! When am I going to start recording my album?” she asked. “What is taking so long?”

  Rhys groaned and pushed her back down.

  “Just be patient, baby. I’ll let you know when we book the studio time. I told you, it’s just a really busy time right now.” He continued to suck and lick her perky breasts while rubbing on her clit between his finger and thumb.

  “But why is it taking so long?” Annika whined, trying to sit up.

  “Honey, I know this is new to you, but there is a process for these things. You have to trust me, okay?”

  “But – “

  In one swift motion, Rhys flipped her onto her stomach and spread her open. Slowly, he lowered a long finger into her, removed it and licked it. He slapped one cheek, leaving a perfectly shaped handprint on her milky white skin. Then he jammed his index and middle finger in without warning, with quick, hard jabs. Gasping, Annika struggled to maintain her balance but just as quickly, he dug his manicured hands into her tiny waist and buried his face into her quickly dampening snatch. She felt his tongue lap up her wetness with force. He was hurting her, nipping at her as he ran his chin and lips and tongue up and down the slit but it made her want to cum all over his face. She sat up so she was straddling him and began to grind herself over his mouth. She rode his face like it was his nine-inch cock and his grip around her waist got firmer, his fingers were bruising her delicate skin but it just brought her closer to the edge. Now there were three fingers pounding into her, hard and fast. Rhys was still licking her clit. She couldn’t hold out anymore. She was cumming, squirting all over his handsome face, covering the white duvet in juices and she couldn’t stop.

  “Fuck! Oh fuck yes! Baby! Fuck me, please fuck me!” she begged. She tried to dismount but while he slipped out from under her, he pushed her down onto her stomach, still fingering her with intensity.

  “You’re my little whore,” he whispered. “Aren’t you?”

  Annika could barely catch her breath as another finger was added. She howled in pain and pleasure but he did not stop. She knew she was about to lose control completely and she wanted Rhys inside her desperately.

  “Fuck me, please, fuck me!”

  “Are you my little nasty slut?”

  “Fuck yes! Yes, I am your little cunt. Please, baby, please – “Rhys was in front of her, his cock fully swollen. He slapped her in the face with it.

  “Suck my dick, little bitch. Suck it deep.” He pulled her face toward him and she eagerly took him in her mouth. For a moment she was confused. Someone was still pounding her hard and relentlessly. She struggled to look over her shoulder against Rhys’ grip, her throat filled with that incredible dick and as he savagely butted into her mouth, Annika saw the blonde from the hallway, naked and pounding a dildo into her. She had never been more turned on in her life. The blonde slide the dildo in and out of Annika’s tight pussy and the singer tried to cry out but Rhys was choking her with his cock. Her clit was throbbing and Annika was afraid she would never stop cumming. She was about to faint with ecstasy. Suddenly, Rhys pulled himself out of her mouth and streams poured all over Annika’s face and hair. She licked at him, whimpering. He slapped her across the face with his dick again and then turned to the blonde. Without saying a word, he spread her bronze legs apart and while she continued fucking all of Annika’s holes, Rhys’ stuck his still hard dick inside her pierced pussy. He grabbed a fistful of those golden strands and pulled her head back.

  “Fuck her harder,” he ordered. The blonde obeyed and Annika screamed like a feral animal. She continued to squirt endlessly but watched as Rhys gave it to the blonde hard and
deep. She was in some sort of sexual purgatory, filled with lust and jealousy, desire and confusion. Rhys paused to reposition and stuck his cock back into her pussy, spitting on the opening before thrusting. He was fully hard again.

  Rhys grunted and pinched her large pink nipples.

  “Cum, Kat, cum on me, you little bitch.”

  Annika could tell he wanted to blow his load but the blonde was goading him so he was holding out to spite her.

  “Yeah, give it to me. Fuck my pussy. Make me cum, you piece of shit,” the blonde hissed. Then she pulled her dildo out of Annika and slapped her ass with surprising force. Annika moaned weakly.

  “Turn over,” she ordered. Annika’s body was so shaky; she could barely oblige. Then she began to lick the Rhys’ juices off Annika’s face, rubbing those luscious breasts over her body as she trailed up and down, lapping up every last drop. Rhys couldn’t take it. He moaned and shuddered, again, pulling his member out and raining cum all over them both. He stopped to catch his breath and then smiled at the blonde.

  “You always were a great fuck,” he told her affectionately as she slipped back into her clothes. In spite of Annika’s stoned and semi-injured state, she noticed the blonde was using her shirt to wipe the mess off her body and face.

  “I know,” the blonde retorted before tossing the clothing at Annika and leaving the two alone in the bedroom without a backward glance. Annika tried to sit up but she was still trembling from the amount she had expelled. She had never climaxed that many times in her life combined. Then, to her dismay, she began to cry. The combination of sexual emotion, drugs, alcohol and hurt she was feeling about the sexy blonde’s participation in the most exciting sexual encounter she had ever had washed over her like a tidal wave. Rhys’ content expression faded and he glowered at her.

  “What are you sobbing about?” he snapped, slipping his pants back on. Annika shook her head, not trusting her voice not to crack.

  “Stop crying, Annika. It makes you look ugly.” She struggled to control herself. Sniffling she turned her cat-like eyes on him.

  “Who was that?” she mewled. Rhys glanced at the door as if he had already forgotten the surreal episode that had just occurred. “You mean Katrine? I thought you guys had met.” Annika shook her head, wiping the tears from her gaunt cheeks.

  “Who is she?” she demanded again. Rhys sighed, buttoning up his shirt. “She’s an old friend. What? You didn’t enjoy that?” He grinned at her knowingly. Annika lowered her eyes in shame. She had enjoyed it too much. She felt herself getting wet again just thinking about Katrine’s perfect tits rubbing against own erect nipples. Rhys laughed and gestured at the nightstand.

  “Have another hit, baby and relax. I’ll come get you later.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead and Annika suddenly realized Rhys never kissed her on the mouth outside of sex. A warning rang out in her mind but before she allowed it to escalate, she reached across and put another line of powder in her nose. The burn of the substance was different and instantly, Annika was rendered almost paralyzed by the drug. Rhys’ grin widened as she sat back against the pillows.

  “What do you think of that?” he asked as she began to float away. Her expression must have answered his question.

  “What…is…it?” Annika heard her voice ask. Rhys turned for the door but flashed her one of his incredible smiles before exiting.

  “Heroin. But don’t worry – only the highest grade for my baby.”

  Chapter Six: It’s My Own Fault

  Rhys had not been home in five days. He had not called, texted or emailed. The small stash of drugs was gone, flushed down the toilet since the day he had walked out the door. Trevor (or was it Travis?) had knocked on the door but his arrival had been unreceived despite the fact that Annika had been there, shivering, sweating, vomiting and scratching imaginary cockroaches off her face. She forced herself to drink water, glass after glass, all day and all endless night. She had not eaten a morsel but that would come later. First she needed to get the junk out of her system. She dared not call room service because she did not want to see anyone, especially the designated delivery kid who might have been bearing a joint. I need to do this alone. As the symptoms escalated, Annika had reached for the phone more than once to call Dickie but she, by some miracle force of will, stopped herself. His last words rang in her ears and it was enough to sober her up. By the third day, when it became clear that Rhys was gone for good, Annika made an impulsive decision and hurled the cell phone off the balcony. I need to do this alone. I have to get to get used to doing things alone.

  It was now the fifth day and Annika was able to stand and walk around. She was weak and desperately needed food but the sweats and shaking had minimized considerably. She forced herself into the shower for the first time in over a week and sat in the tub as the water washed over her. She scrubbed every inch of her frail body and inspected the bruises and cuts she had acquired while in her haze. How the hell did this happen? How could you let this happen? No man is every good enough to reduce you to this. But here you are, you stupid, stupid girl. Annika was also self-aware enough to know that this was her own doing. It was not Rhys. She had put herself out there out of desperation and she had attracted the worst kind of predator. Dickie had been right all along. The day Rhys had left, she had tried to call ABC Music Studios to hunt him down but no one had ever heard of him.

  After that reality hit home, the street smart, worldly Annika slowly began to resurface from whatever place it had been hibernating and she knew that she would come out of this alive and it would make her tougher and wiser. So she fought day by painful day and her perseverance paid off.

  As she finished in the shower, there was a knock on the suite door. Prepared to ignore it, Annika let the towel drop and she examined her figure in the full length mirror in the bedroom and made a list. She was sickly thin, her complexion almost transparent and there was no life in her once gutsy irises. Food, exercise, water. That’s what I need. I need two weeks and I will be okay. Not great. But better than I am at this moment. She tried to smile but it was too soon for that. Suddenly, the door to the suite opened. In spite of herself, Annika’s heart skipped a beat.

  “Rhys?” she called out. An older woman wearing a shirt emblazoned with the Four Seasons insignia walked into the room with a feather duster and froze as she saw Annika standing naked before her. She gasped and retreated, apologizing profusely.

  “The Do Not Disturb sign is on the door!” Annika yelled after her retreating frame, her nerves as taut as her concaved stomach. She threw a robe on and ran to confront the housekeeper. The woman was scrolling through a clipboard frantically, looking pale.

  “I am so sorry, miss! It shows on my schedule that this suite had checked out!” the woman babbled, still flipping through the papers. Then she tossed it under Annika’s chin so the irate redhead could read the paper.

  “That must be a mistake,” Annika said slowly. In her heart, however, she knew what had happened. Rhys had checked out of the room so she would vacate and he would never have to deal with her again. That heartless asshole! She smiled weakly at the red faced cleaner.

  “Can you just give me a few minutes to gather my things?” Annika asked politely. She nodded vigorously, appearing relieved that there would be no argument.

  “I will come back later, miss. I am so sorry to have walked in on you!” Annika closed the door and leaned back heavily, struggling not to cry. Collecting herself, she slowly dropped the robe and headed toward the bedroom. She emptied out one of Rhys’ abandoned suitcases and started to throw her own items into it, gathering only the most sensible clothing and toiletries. She stared wistfully at some of the pairs of shoes she was leaving behind but she turned and continued on her mission. No need for stilettos now. She entered the bathroom and picked up her toothbrush and deodorant, pausing to look at the items on the counter. She picked up the piece of plastic on the edge of the sink. It wasn’t clear anymore, the liquid had bled through, skewing the initial
reading but she knew what the outcome had been; two lines on the test meant she was pregnant. Pregnant with the child of a man she never knew in the most basic way. The impact of the situation suddenly seized her, knocking the wind out of her abruptly and she doubled over. She had spent all of her energy on getting clean and not thinking of anything else. Now she was homeless, pregnant and completely broke. She caught her breath and began tearing through Rhys’ belongings, looking for money. She found three hundred and seven dollars, a pair of two carat diamond cuff links and a platinum wedding band. Annika felt her jaw lock. Like a heavy, soaking wet blanket had suddenly been yanked off her shoulders, the old Annika materialized in its entirety, reclaiming her skin. She remembered the night she had moved into Dickie’s, just after Kevin had left him. Before she could exercise any self-control, her hand was swiping lamps onto the floor with a smash. She whipped those new heels against the mirrors, causing them to shatter explosively. Seven years of bad luck a piece? I guess that’s another lifetime then. She ripped pillows to shreds. When she felt as if she had expelled all of her fury, she dusted herself off and stepped over the chaos she had created and into the hallway. The housekeeper, who had clearly heard the commotion, was standing by the elevator nonchalantly but Annika could feel her watchful stare and she rolled the large suitcase across the hall. Annika paused in front of the lady and held out her hand. Warily, the woman extended her hand to accept whatever Annika was handing her.

  “This is for you,” Annika told her, dropping the diamond cuff links into the woman’s extended palm. “I’m sorry about the mess but I hope you will find this to be enough for your time. Let the hotel’s insurance figure out the damage. Sell these and keep the money for yourself.” Before the woman could respond, Annika boarded the elevator and was gone.

  Chapter Seven: Midnight Train to Georgia