Page 51 of Wicked Surrender

She might’ve asked me why her, why I targeted her, but now, in the stark let-down from adrenaline, I wondered whyme? Why did I have to be the one to be so affected by her?

“What the hell?” Kevin asked as he approached me.

Dennis wasn’t far behind him, just as confused. “Dude, what?—”

I backed up, jarred out of my anger as I vaguely moved in the direction of where Laura stood stock still.

“Shut the fuck up,” I warned of my friends. Scowling at the crowd, I flung my hand up. “That’s it! Show’s over. Move the fuck on. Now!”

As people raised their brows and turned toward their friends, I spun and sought out Laura.

The second she made eye contact, she swallowed hard. With a slight shake of her head, she blinked and lowered her gaze. Backing up one step, then another, she tried to leave. Now, more than ever before, she really did look like a terrified deer caught in the headlights. She was gearing up to bolt.

“No,” I bit out, finally reaching her and taking hold of her wrist. I locked my fingers tight as she tried to tug out of my grasp.

“No,” I snarled at her, dragging her out of the room with me.

“Jason—”

I tugged on her wrist again, forcing her to follow me faster as I roughly guided her up the stairs, toward my bedroom. I wasn’t hearing her out. Not yet. Not this time. I didn’t even give a damn what protest she wanted to try on me. It’d fall on deaf ears.

“I’m not done with you yet,” I warned her, loud and clear.

This streak of anger and possessiveness over her controlled me. I wasn’t thinking. I wasn’t planning. I just moved, needing to get her out of this crowd and somewhere else where I could figure out how to handle this. How to handle her.

She wasn’t going anywhere, not until I said so.

17

LAURA

Jason’s fingers stayed locked around my wrist. His ironclad grip wasn’t something I could overcome, but I flailed to keep up with him as he hauled me up the stairs after him.

I just wanted to go.

To escape and run.

Seeing myself projected on the wall was too much. I’d come here just to see what it was like. My curiosity had been winning out ever since Jason taunted me about not having a life or knowing what it was like to live and have fun.

He was right about my not living. Just like Kristin was right, too.

I wasn’t living. I was passing through an existence of meeting others’ expectations, knowing I’d never measure up no matter how hard I tried.

When I first walked in, feeling like a trespasser who’d never belong, I felt exposed. Then, weaving through the crowds, seeking out Jason just for a chance to see him because he haunted my thoughts and dreams, I felt the stares on me and heard the laughter.

Coming into that other room where I was the star of the second-rate beauty contest, I couldn’t do anything but lock down into myself. That shell of numbness sheltered me as everyone laughed and cracked up.

Jason startled me, breaking the projector and shouting. He was supposed to laugh and join the others, pointing at me to further rub in the pain of humiliation.

But he didn’t.

Now, as he all but dragged me upstairs to what looked like his bedroom, he drew evenmoreattention on me that I didn’t want.

Confused and desperate to keep up with this rapid turn of events, I tried again to pull my hand from his rough grasp.

“You were right, okay? Jason, you were right. I can admit it.”

He pushed me into the room, shaking his head and not even looking at me.

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