Page 51 of Brutal Game

Knowing they couldn’t see Aviva in her naked pain anymore slightly relaxed me. Raising up off her, I slid off the table, pulled my shorts up over my softening cock, and scooped her into my arms like a bride before carrying her out of the dining room and up the stairs.

The whole way to my bedroom, she continued to sob, beating at me with her tiny fists. I let her. When I reached my room, I readjusted her slightly so I could type in my key code. 1113. November 13, the day I signed my letter of intent from Reina. The day I knew for certain that I was getting away from the nightmare that was my childhood home.

With a beep, the door unlocked, and I kicked it open, entering with Aviva still in my arms.

“I don’t know what you think is going to happen now, so I’ll tell you. I’m going home,” Aviva informed me. The way her voice shook broke something in my chest, the heart I thought was long dead. She was so strong, so brave—and so, so vulnerable.

I’d hurt her. I’d been hurting her this whole time, but not like I had now. I’d taken something from her, more than her virginity. I’d taken her secret and aired it out in front of all those assholes. Would she ever forgive me?

“I’m going home!” This time, her voice cracked. Tears wet my shirt and I imagined they scalded my skin with shame: hers, and mine.

“Shhhh,” I crooned to her gently as I shut the door with my foot and approached the king bed. I’d made it this morning, the fire red cover and ash gray sheets—Reina’s school colors—still smooth and straight like I’d left them. I’d never had a girl in here. I usually fucked downstairs somewhere, or in Isaac’s room. To have a girl I wanted so badly in my private space messed with my head. I ignored the urge to straighten up the room more for her, and placed Aviva gently on my bed.

She stood up to leave, and I stopped her by climbing onto the bed with her and pulling her into my arms.

“At least let me put clothes on.”

“No.”

Her apples and honey scent soaked my senses, and I buried my face in her wild, tangled hair, breathing her in. Her body was thick and soft, pliant in my arms. My cock stirred.

“That’s why I’m here, then. So you can fuck me again. Humiliate me more.” Her voice sounded dead tired. “Fine. Do it. Fuck me. Humiliate me. What choice do I have? You’ve made that clear, haven’t you, Jack?You. Win.”

But I hadn’t won. I didn’t know what winning meant anymore. Aviva had a scar, which she’d been hiding from me, but I didn’t know what it was from or why she hid it. There was so much I didn’t know, and I usually kneweverything.

“Princess,” I began, before trailing off. What the hell was I going to say?

Sorry would be a good start.

The word got stuck in my throat.

She buried her head in the pillow, ignoring me.

Uneasy and unsure what to do with myself, I got up from the bed and bent over to retrieve a few water bottles out of the mini fridge.

Dropping them next to Aviva on the bed, I rejoined her, pulling her against me and stroking her hair.

“What can I do to make it better?” I asked, hating the urgency in my voice.

“Leave me alone.”

The three words stabbed me in the gut. But the last thing I was doing was leaving her alone right now, not when she was this shaken up, this distraught.

This destroyed.

“Not that,” I told her. “Tell me what to do that includes me being here with you.”

“Nothing,” she murmured into the pillow. Her voice sounded as broken as my heart. “There’s nothing you can do to make it better.”

With that, she fell silent. I rubbed her back as she sobbed, feeling desperate and lost, hating myself as much as she hated me, maybe more.

Finally, her sobs quieted as her breathing evened out. I held her in my arms for longer, until I was sure she was asleep.

I desperately needed air. Needed a drink. I wanted to rip my own hair out. I hated leaving her, but I couldn’t lie here anymore. Kissing her on the forehead, my chest tight, I gruffly, quietly, finally said, “I’m sorry, princess.” I shut the door behind me and hit the lock button.

When the beep announced the lock had engaged, I sank to the floor, burying my head in my hands. Humiliating her that way and getting to the bottom of what was under her shirt were supposed to make me feel amazing. Prove I hadwon, prove I was still in control. I hadn’t won, I’d lost every vestige of control, and Jesus Fucking Christ, I’d barely even taken a look at the breasts I’d been obsessed with seeing since I’d met Aviva.

“Jack.”

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