Page 8 of Neverland

“Why don’t you go fuck yourself.” He turned to me and for the first time in dealing with the eleventh grader, I saw a real fear. He didn’t care about himself. He cared what they might do to me. “We need to leave, now!” Romeo said with a quiet urgency. He led me in the direction of home, me having to run to keep pace. We were still set a ways back from the main street and out of view from passersby if we needed help, and something told me we’d need all the help we could get.

A hand wrapped around my wrist, wrenching me back. Romeo gripped tight, refusing to let me go. I was the rope in this tug-of-war game until the boy’s friends gathered around Romeo like a pack of wild animals. Hooking their arms through his, they managed to restrain him while the eleventh grader held me close to his chest, his ruthless grip on my shoulders keeping me in place. I squirmed under his touch and Romeo yelled a string of curses which fell on deaf ears.

“Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou?” the boy teased knowing full well it would aggravate Romeo. It wasn’t the first time he’d been mocked for his name, and it wouldn’t be the last, but knowing it was coming from someone who’d already pummeled his face made it a whole lot worse.

“Keep going, dickhead,” Romeo spat heatedly. “You can’t fight your own battles? You need your group of assholes with you?” The last comment earned him a knee to the gut by a boy I knew was on the football team. Despite being held, Romeo doubled over, coughing from the sudden winding.

“My battle isn’t with you, lover boy. I’m only interested in her.”

Willing all my strength, I shrugged out of his hold, his fingertips having left deep red marks on my arms. I turned and faced him head-on. “I’m not interested in you, nor will I ever be.”

Grinning, the boy leaned in close. “Perhaps I could persuade you.”

His confidence was repulsive. “Nothing you say could—”

A ruckus behind me stole my attention and I turned in time to see Romeo being punched repeatedly across his already-bruised face.

“Stop!” I shrieked, tears streaking down my cheeks. “Stop hurting him, please.” But they didn’t listen. They were under orders and weren’t going to stop unless he said so.

I turned back to the boy I hated with a passion. “Why are you doing this? Tell them to stop.”

Raising his hand to my cheek, he wiped away the tears. I flinched at his touch and he noticed. “I’ll let him go if you give me what I want. And if you don’t give me what I want…” his eyes flicked to his friends and mine reluctantly followed. The footballer took a swing, his fist smashing into Romeo’s nose, blood spraying like a fountain onto the concrete. Romeo’s eyes were barely open as he fought consciousness, his legs swaying underneath him.

I turned back to the older boy, sobbing as I gave in to whatever he wanted from me. “Please stop,” I begged. “I’ll do anything, just don’t hurt him anymore. Tell them to stop.”

He smiled, victorious. “Say it again.”

The boys cheered as another blow was dealt. “I’ll do anything,” I repeated, weakly.

His closeness consumed me, and I felt him before he even touched me. Cheek to cheek, mouth against skin. “And what exactly will you do for me, Lucy?”

My gut hurt. “Anything you want.”

I felt him smile. “This is going to be fun. I hope you’re ready for it ‘cause this doesn’t end today.”

Chest against chest, his hand snaked behind my neck and he held me in place. With hooded eyes consumed with lust, he tilted my face to meet his. From his Mustang came a change of song, one I’d heard many times.

“Just do what you have to do,” I said, willing this day to be over.

“I want a lot of things from you, but I’ll have those at a later date.” The threatening words left my stomach churning. “But for now, all I want is a kiss.”

Biting my bottom lip to stop the tremble, I glanced over my shoulder at Romeo. He was so bloodied and bruised, and all because of me. And now, he looked unresponsive.

The deep, melodic voice belonging to my own personal monster brought me back to my nightmare as he sung the tune.

“This is between you and me,” he murmured, inching closer until his chest touched my breasts. “An obsession, a hate, a jealousy. What you give, I so desire.” His mouth grazed mine, lips tingling as he finished, “Watch out for, I’ll set your soul on fire.”

His hands cupped my cheeks. There was no tenderness. It was to hold me exactly where he wanted. And he took what he wanted. Kissing me hard, all I could do was relent. He took charge of my mouth, parting my lips with his tongue and kissing me in a way I’d only seen in movies. He moaned a little and when he bit down on my bottom lip, I flinched, his grasp too strong for me to pull away. A pained voice sounded from behind. It was desperate. Sad. A voice that broke my heart.

“No, Lucy,” Romeo pleaded. “Don’t do it.”

Shoving the boy’s chest, I struggled out of his hold, our lips finally separating.

“Now you can leave us alone,” I said, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

The boy laughed, shaking his head. “Not even close.”

I wanted to hurt him so bad. I wanted to do to him what he’d done to Romeo and I wanted to humiliate him like he’d done to me. “I gave you what you wanted,” I spat, bitterly. “Now whoever you are, you can leave us both alone.”

“Whoever I am?” He raised his brows in indignation.

“Yeah.” I couldn’t hide the spite any longer. I could still taste him on my lips and it pissed me off. “Up until yesterday, I’d never even noticed you. And I’d like it to go back that way.”

I realized my mistake as soon as the words left my mouth. I’d handed him a challenge on a silver platter, one he was more than happy to accept.

“Lucy, Lucy, Lucy,” he said with a disarming smile. His finger grazed my chin catching a tear before it fell. “My name is Dominic Salvatore and I’ll make sure you never forget me.”

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