Page 95 of Heartless Monster

CHAPTER 31

ELODIE

Where am I?

My eyes flutter open and panic settles in. I can tell I’m in a chair, and when I wiggle my arms, I notice they are trapped behind me, bound tightly. Part of my body feels numb, like everything isn’t online.

It’s so dark—pitch black, and I can’t see a thing.

How did I get here?

The last thing I remember is Gage. We were talking and then…fuck, those eyes. My legs start to regain feeling just as I remember himpulling me out of my car. He must have knocked me out and brought me here.

I frantically tug and pull, trying to break free, but this rope is tied so damn tight, it’s cutting into my wrists.

“Help!” I shout at the top of my lungs. My throat feels dry as the words scratch their way out. “Someone, help me!”

A door opens and I expect to see Gage, but when the light comes on, I quickly realize it’s not. I jolt, pinning my back to the chair as Winton takes slow strides toward me in what appears to be an old jail cell.

“So, we meet again, Elodie.” His smirk sends shivers down my spine.

I open my mouth to speak, but everything gets caught in my throat as he gets closer and closer.

“Ya know, when I learned your name, it made me smile. You look like an Elodie. All innocent and pure.” He crouches down in front of me and I notice the scar that runs from the middle of his forehead into his hairline. “But you’re not innocent, are you?”

“Get away from me!” I hiss as I try to stretch my legs out to kick him, but those are also tied to the chair.

“That’s what you said that night.” He chuckles, as if this is all some game. “You told me to get away from you. But what did I say in response?”

The way he cocks his head to the side, searching for a response from me is unnerving. I swear my insides tremble from just that one look.

I don’t answer him because I’m not wasting my breath on this deranged asshole.

“I told you, you weren’t going anywhere until I got an apology. An apology you never gave. So now you owe me two.” He holds up a finger. “One for being a nosey little bitch and coming into my park.” He adds another finger. “Another for what your pussy-ass stepbrother did to me.”

He stands, his posture rigid as he balls his hands into fists. “Did you know I was in the hospital for two weeks and I can never play ball again because of that fucker?”

“I…I didn't sic Rome on you.” My chest heaves as I struggle to breathe. “I didn’t even know who he was then.”

“I don’t fucking care!” Winton screams, rattling my bones. “It was all your fault! Everything that happened this past year was because of you!” He jabs a finger into my chest. “And now you’re gonna pay for your sins.”

I wish I had a dime for every time I heard that all of this was my fault. I’d be able to pay for Stanford all on my own. It was not my fault Winton had the urge to sexually assault me. It was not my fault Rome came to save me. And everything from then on out was sure as fuck not my fault, and I am done letting anyone make me feel like it is.

“It was you this whole time, wasn’t it?” I cry out. “You drugged me. You left the notes, put the pipe in my car, and killed that poor rabbit?” I jerk on my hands. “But you couldn’t have been at the library, could you?”

“Of course it was me, with help from a couple friends, of course.” He looks over his shoulder as if someone else is here too. “One person can’t be in two places at once.”

Gage. Gage is the one who was at the library while Winton was at Big John’s Pizza. He said friends, so that must mean there is someone else, but I can’t even begin to guess who. It has to be either Damon or Miles, the two guys from my first night in Willow Creek last year.

How did I not see any of this? How could I be so naive? To think I went on a date with Gage. I trusted him. I even defended him to Rome.

“I never wanted anyone to get hurt that night. If you would have just let me go, none of this would have happened.” I refuse to be weak in front of this man, even if I know it will cost me something great. I have no doubt Winton wants to kill me, so I might as well go down swinging.

“It doesn’t matter if you meant it or not, it happened. You hurt a lot of fucking people that night, and you’re still hurting them now.” He ignores the part he played completely, making my nerves burn in anger.

“But you’re healed…”

“I can’t play football anymore!” His voice rises so loud, it echoes in my ears even after the words have been said. “Now you went and gave a statement and your bitch of a mom is getting the case overturned so Rome gets off scot-free!” Spit flies out of his mouth and I turn my head, pinching my eyes shut. “He still gets to play after what he did to me!”

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