Page 19 of CurVy 13

I gasp but hold the scream inside. To pull off a kind of Stockholm syndrome, I need to keep my cool.

Donnie squeezes my arse cheek to the point of pain and groans when I whimper. “You take your meds and have a damn nap. I’m putting the puppy to bed. Don’t come in. You’re not invited, Tyler. Do you understand?”

“But—”

“No buts!” He barks, the sound slicing through the air, not allowing further debate.

He carries me down the hallway to my bedroom, calling, “She’s not yours!”

Heat hits the backs of my eyes.

I hope he turns the lights off so I can cry again. I’m not sure I can pretend to fall in love with Donnie.

Not now.

I’m too tired.

It’s easy to fool Tyler. His reality is so warped already, but Donnie seems grounded and sceptical.

I want to sleep.

Wake up tomorrow.

It might all be over.

You’ll be alone, again…

My heart aches in my chest, under pressure to pump steady when it wants to break free.

CHAPTER 7

VALLIE

Switching the tap on, I just let it run, let it groan.

I stare at my reflection in the mirror, gripping the vanity for balance, finding the view ahead unsettling.

Buried in my eyes are painful emotions. The script I’ve been playing is only on the surface, and leaking from deep within me is the truth.

The fear…

Uncertainty.

And another thing. One far more concerning—it’s nice to be asked about my life, and it’s nice to be wanted, lusted after, even. So, while I’m literally defiled, I also feel desired.

Which is sick.

And Tyler.

Fuck him for being so vulnerable; that’s my weakness. If there is a damn underdog, I’m on my knees in the dirt, fleas landing on me, so that I can feed it.

I could save him…

I could save him from Donnie.

I cup the water flowing from the tap and splash my face, washing the evidence of that thought down the drain, where I hope it gets stuck and blows up the old, rusty pipes.

Throwing my matted blonde hair over my shoulder, I shake it to an almost bearable state. I look like shit. I look like I’ve been kidnapped and raped…

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