Page 51 of Destroying Everleigh

“You know how fast I could get that belt off you?” he asked, taunting me. “Within seconds.” He reached down, hooking his fingers through the gap in my belt for emphasis and I immediately started pushing away from the car, trying to get him off.

I hated how familiar this felt. How his body always felt like home to me. He used to be my safe space, and now he was terrifying. He placed his palm to the back of my head before pushing the side of my face back against the metal of my vehicle.

“What do you want?” I demanded, my voice coming out much breathier than intended, and I hoped to God he didn’t notice it.

“To watch you break,” he whispered.

My jaw clenched. “Well, asshole. Can you watch me break from afar and get the fuck off of me?”

He snorted in amusement, the sound shooting straight to my core. I clamped my eyes shut tightly, trying to will myself to pretend his touch had no effect on me, that he held no power over me. “Don’t pretend you aren’t into this, Everleigh. I know you better than you know yourself. I know what gets you off, what makes you wet.” He ground into me, forcing a surprised gasp to flutter from my lips. “You like being owned. You’reprobably hoping I’ll make good on my threat, strip you bare, and fuck you right here for anyone to see.” I shook my head, unable to form coherent words.

Abruptly, he eased off me, and oxygen flooded my system as relief spiraled through my veins. But that was short-lived, because he was grabbing me again and spinning me, so my back hit the car instead. Against my better judgement, my eyes met his. There was so much turmoil and hate in his gaze, so much pain. And it was all because of me. He moved to stand between my legs before easing down, bracing his hands on either side of me. Slowly, he leaned in, our breaths mingling together. In the lightest way possible, his lip brushed against mine. When I made no move to push him away, he kissed me again but with more force.

My heart was pounding to a deadly tune, my fingers twitching to reach out and tug him against me. The way he kissed me was hungry, emotional, and demanding. His tongue slipped between my lips, tasting me, devouring me, before he pushed off me and stepped away. That hard look was back on his features, and he made a show of wiping me from his mouth.

“Just like I thought,” he muttered. “Once a cheater, always a cheater.”

That’s when reality slammed back into me, stealing my breath. What the fuck have I done? He must have seen the horrified expression on my face because he smirked in response, getting off on this bullshit. Anger coursed through my veins, but it wasn’t directed at him. I was mad at myself. Mad for getting lost in his touch when I knew damn well, he couldn’t be trusted. Mad that after all this time, he still had such a hold over me.

I missed how things used to be. How we’d sit in bed for hours upon hours. Talking, fucking, sleeping, holding each other. Back when he looked at me with so much love and adoration. Even after three years, he still had the power to make me comeundone with a mere touch. But I needed to start facing the facts. Ashton hated me. It was written all over his face. There was nothing in this world that would make him forgive me for what happened. If the roles were reversed, I probably wouldn’t forgive him either.

Pushing myself up from my vehicle, I leveled him with a hard glare of my own. “Stay the fuck away from me.”

“Hold onto that feeling,” he replied coldly. “And just know that this is only the goddamn beginning. I’ll be seeing you.” He made a show of looking me up and down before his lips curled in disgust like I was nothing but trash beneath his shoe. And then he stalked off, leaving me alone.

I played right into his fucking hand. He did that to prove something, and I let him. Anger flared inside of me, and I jerked open my car door, grabbing my textbook from the backseat before stuffing it into my bag. The sound of the car locking echoed around the quiet space moments later. My mind was on a warpath, scratching through every damn memory that involved Ashton Banks. I didn’t know what he had in store for me, but it was obvious that it was something. His gaze had promised vengeance, searing directly through me and into my soul. What we had was long gone. He’d changed completely, and there wasn’t a piece of him left that cared for me. That much was clear now. He’d looked at me with so much disgust and resentment, like he hated that he even had to touch me to get his point across.

Pain slashed through my chest, making me mourn our relationship all over again. My legs felt like lead as I walked, tears stinging my eyes from the utter humiliation of being used, even if it was in a small way. I’d gotten lost in the moment, thinking that for one second, he still felt something for me. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

The rest of the week was monotonous. It felt like everything was going by in slow motion. People continued to whisper behind my back, give me dirty looks, and the video was gradually becoming larger and larger. I’d managed to clean up some around the house, but not in any way that mattered. Mom had been taking to her bed more often, her rattling coughs waking us up throughout the night. Caffeine had become my new best friend. Briley finally secured a job at some fashion store, so that would help out some.

Amber was perched on my bed, already ready for the party we’d be attending tonight. I’d been excited about it, up until now. Lucas was still acting weird with me, and it made me wonder if he was contemplating breaking up with me. I should care. But I just felt numb to the prospect of it.

Amber had curled my hair down my back, giving me a more girly look than I was used to. I was wearing my favorite cherry lip-gloss and the red dress I’d chosen for the occasion last weekend.

“You need to keep your little boyfriend on a leash,” Amber groaned, tossing her phone beside her on the bed.

I quirked an eyebrow, smoothing the dress down around my thighs. “Lucas?”

“No. Ashton. He found my social media.”

My throat was tight with that declaration. “He’s not my boyfriend. He can do what he wants.” I shrugged, despite the pain tearing through me. Of course he’d choose to go after one of my friends. An eye for an eye and all that.

“Yeah, well, I’m not into my friend’s sloppy seconds. I’ll just cozy up with one of his friends instead.” She smirked.

That should have given me some relief, but the thought of her with Jameson, or even Kash, bothered me just as much. I walked over to the mirror, turning to get a decent view of the dress. It fit my body like a glove, pushing my boobs up, which I wasn’t entirely comfortable with. Especially with what Ashton had told me earlier this week about how I dressed.

But he didn’t get to dictate what I wore. If he thought I was a slut, then that was his problem. He could leave me the hell alone for all I cared. I slipped on a pair of black heels and grabbed one of the cross-body purses I owned, throwing it over one of my shoulders so it sat nicely against my hip.

Amber was wearing a short black dress with spaghetti straps, and she’d straightened her hair this time. She looked absolutely stunning, as always.

I gave Briley a list of rules to follow, which just pissed her off at me. And then I climbed into the passenger seat of Amber’s Benz. The seats were soft against my skin, and it still had that new car smell I always loved. My car hadn’t smelled like that in a while.

“So…what’s the deal with you and Lucas?” Amber questioned as we whipped out of my driveway and started down the road.

I knew she noticed his absence. He didn’t even come to the cafeteria this week for meals, and it was blatantly obvious that something was wrong. I was half tempted to go to his frat and demand answers but knew that would just make me look like a crazy person, so I refrained.

Ironically, Lucas’ frat was the one hosting the party tonight, So, I was almost certain that he’d be there, unless he chose to skip out and avoid me altogether.

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