Page 88 of The Scars of Us

“It means nothing. She meant nothing. Don’t do this, baby. I lo—”

She shut the door before I could finish. Tears burned my eyes as I thought about losing her, of not being with her ever again. Inhaling deeply, I pushed them back as I watched her drive away.What the fuck just happened? The night was perfect until a few minutes ago.

Stalking angrily back to my truck, my mind was all over the place.Do I go after her? Give her space? I didn’t even do anything wrong. What the fuck do I do?

Once I sat inside my Chevy, I furiously pounded the steering wheel with my fists and roared my frustration.She’s so fucking stubborn. Well, two can play that game.

Making my decision, I started the engine and peeled out of the parking garage.

“Kam, I’m home,” I announced as I kicked my shoes off by the front door, trying to sound like everything was okay, even though it really wasn’t. I was upset with Ryker, and I didn’t know where things were going to end up between us after our fight.I knew things were too good to be true.

Kamden didn’t answer—usually he replied back to me, even if it was just a grunt or single word. His door was closed, so he might have already been asleep, but I decided to check after changing out of my constricting dress.

After slipping into my sleep shorts and a comfy muscle shirt, I walked to Kamden’s bedroom. As I knocked, the door crept open, and I caught a glimpse of him unmoving on the floor. “Oh my God, Kamden!”

He was so still—no, no, no. What happened?Pushing open the door, I rushed to his side, laying my head on his chest, searching for a sign of life.Please don’t be dead.I heard nothing; just overwhelming silence so ironically loud that it deafened my ears.

My cheeks were soaked with moisture as I wrapped my arms around Kamden. Pressing my head against his chest, I sobbed into him. Then, I heard it—one of the most beautiful sounds I’d ever heard. It was faint, but it was there—his heartbeat.Thank God.

I noticed the small amount of blood pooling under his head as I was yanked away and trapped against a larger body.

“Miss me, love?” The words brushed against my ear, causing me to instinctively cringe. I hadn’t heard that voice in so long, but I’d never be able to forget it. It haunted my dreams and tainted my memories. Kaleb. Pure and utter fear seized my body, choking the air from my lungs and clenching my muscles.No.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything as Kaleb dragged his nose across my neck, inhaling my skin before repeating the path with his tongue. “God, I’ve missed you. You know how much I’ve thought about you over the years? About touching your skin? Tasting your sweetness? I haven’t been able to think about anything else.”

“How’d you get out?” My voice shook weakly as I spoke, my body petrified with fear.

A sinister chuckle vibrated against my neck. “Do you really think I could stay away from you?” He nipped my neck as he ran his hands along my arms. The familiar touch made bile build in the back of my throat. One hand traveled up my arm and wrapped around my neck, squeezing firmly before his fingers laced in my hair and tugged my head back. “You’re mine,” he growled.

He kept one hand in my hair as the other released my throat, venturing down my breasts and stomach to the juncture of my thighs. The violating action snapped me out of my fear-induced paralysis. Using what Ryker had taught me, I stomped on Kaleb’s instep before slamming my elbow directly into his stomach, freeing myself from his grasp.

As he stumbled back, I threw a side-kick to his groin before taking up a defensive stance. I didn’t fully connect, but I could tell the impact still hurt him because he hunched over and grunted in pain. “You’ve learned to fight back, huh? This is going to be fun.”

I should’ve run the second I was free, like Ryker always told us, but I couldn’t leave Kamden. I didn’t know what Kaleb would do to him without me there to focus on. Kaleb charged at me, but I ducked and threw a back-fist into his shoulder. Each time I connected with his body empowered me, making me feel less weak and helpless. I was not a frail, little girl anymore. I was a strong, powerful woman.

Kaleb angrily whirled around with a snarl before coming at me again. I landed a roundhouse to his ribs, but he caught my leg, caging it against him as he backed me toward Kamden’s bed.I can’t let him get me on the bed.My training flew out the window, suddenly forgotten as panic took hold. I swung my arms wildly, trying to hit Kaleb anywhere to get him to let me go.

I made the biggest mistake—I left my face open. Kaleb took advantage, backhanding me in the jaw. The hit stunned me, sending me falling onto the bed. Kaleb had me pinned instantly, crushing me with his weight as his legs opened my thighs. My sense of power began to fade as Kaleb turned the tables.Keep fighting. Don’t give up.

Struggling against him, I pounded against his arms as he tugged at my clothing. My shirt tore from the shoulder down across my chest, exposing my bra. I started to scream, hoping someone would hear me and call the cops, but Kaleb slapped me across the face, silencing me as the sound of the smack echoed in Kamden’s bedroom.

Bringing my arms up to cover my face, I blocked his next hit, but I didn’t expect the punch to my ribs. The air was sucked from my lungs as pain assaulted my body, the intensity of it making my eyes blur.

Kaleb pushed my arms out of the way, the movement causing more pain to slice up my side. He pulled down my bra, revealing my breasts before grabbing one in each hand and slowly kneading them with his fingers.

Don’t let him do this to you. You have to fight! Don’t be weak!Kaleb was focused on my breasts, the vacant look in his eyes telling me he was lost to his darker side. Shoving my arms forward, breaking his loose hold on me, I braced my hands against his shoulders as I readied to execute the rest of the first technique Ryker had ever taught me.

One foot pressed against his hip, then two, as I fluidly performed the move. My hands slid down to his wrists as he pulled back, just as Ryker said an attacker would. Immediately, I began kicking upwards, landing a few kicks to Kaleb’s face before he fell off of me, landing on the floor with a thud.

Springing off the bed, I headed for the door as a hand wrapped around my ankle. Losing my balance, I fell to the floor, breaking my fall with my forearms. I struggled to free myself, but Kaleb was much stronger than me, always had been.

Kaleb climbed up my body, grasping at my shorts and pulling at them.No!I repeatedly began kicking him in the face, causing more blood to surface from the wounds I was inflicting.Take that, asshole. I hope it hurts as much as you hurt me.

Instead of slowing him down, everything seemed to amp up his rage and power as he yanked my bottoms off with ease. I tried to crawl away, but Kaleb latched his hand around my ankle and dragged me back to him.

My body went into survival mode, ignoring the pain spiraling outward from my ribs through me as my arms and legs struck out, hoping to hit anything and stop him.

Then, he was on me again, in between my legs despite my efforts. My chest heaved raggedly for breath as exhaustion began to weigh me down. I forced my thighs shut, but he pried them apart, digging his nails into my flesh and drawing blood as he opened them again.

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