Page 160 of Heart of Stone

“I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough for tonight. I’ll be right back. I’m just going to hit the restroom and then we’re leaving,” Alexander announced.

I couldn’t agree more as I watched him walk away. The atmosphere had become strained, and I grappled with trying to absorb the completely obscure turn of events. I was beginning to question why I ever wanted to come here in the first place.

I looked around at the people in the club. Some were dancing, mingling, and talking, while others groped and fondled. Most were scantily dressed. Whether they were in costume or normal attire, there was no modesty whatsoever amongst the crowd.

I noticed a man seated with two women at a table that was not more than ten feet away from me. One of the women wore a masquerade mask and corset that left her breasts completely exposed, showing off nipples that were pinched tight by jeweled metal clamps. The other woman wore devil horns and sat with her legs apart. The table hid very little, and I was able to see that the man had his hand shoved up her tiny excuse for a skirt. Having noticed that I was watching them, the horned woman’s eyes locked on mine and she smiled suggestively.

I quickly turned away and began to feel sick to my stomach.

Why am I here? This is not who I am.

“Well, well. This is the last place that I thought I would see you,” said a familiar male voice from behind me. I froze at the sound.

It can’t be. No…please no.

I turned around, praying that I was mistaking the cocky, assured voice. But I wasn’t mistaken.

It was Trevor.

CHAPTER 44

I felt my insides twist and the sickening in my stomach intensified. I swallowed the bile that welled in my throat. It was all I could do to stop myself from vomiting all over the floor. My heart was racing and my breathing became irregular. I hadn’t seen or heard from Trevor since that terrible day nearly two years prior, but never did I think that I would feel this way if our paths crossed again.

It was as if the floor had come out from under me, and I was falling into an endless pit of nothing but blackness. I could feel the panic rising to meet me, so I quickly turned my back to him in an effort to pretend that he didn’t exist.

Deep breaths. In and out. You’re fine.

“Oh come on, Krys. Can’t you even say hi? Or even better, how about we head upstairs for a quick fuck. You know, for old times sake.”

You son of a bitch!

Angry heat instantly flooded my cheeks from his audacity. I spun on my heel to face him, all of my anxiety replaced by pure and unadulterated rage.

“YOU! You arenotallowed to talk to me. Ever,” I spat out through clenched teeth. I wanted nothing more than to claw the smug look off of his face.

“Don’t be like that,” he said in a placating way. “It’s been a long time. You look good, Krys.”

I ignored his poor attempt at flattery and narrowed my eyes. Staring him down, I tried to appear unaffected by him and come off as arrogant as he was.

“I can’t say the same for you. You still look like the same old filthy swine to me. It shouldn’t surprise me that you’re into a scene like this now. At least here, you get permission to abuse women,” I said. My voice threatened to waver, but I was controlled enough to laden my tone with sarcasm as I motioned to the club around us.

“I always was into this,” he said knowingly. He eyed me up and down, as if seeing me in a whole new light. “I must say though, if I had any idea that we shared similar interests, I might have thought twice about banging Lisa.”

Images of a college dorm room flashed before me. The long legged blond that I caught him with had been tied up to the cheap metal bedframe.

How come I didn’t remember that before now?

I shook my head to clear it.

“Go away, Trevor,” I seethed.

“You’re still mad at me. But that’s okay, I like mad. It means I’ll get more of a fight from you the next time.”

The trembling that I had managed to keep at bay up until that point came on full force. The fog that was my memory started to shift, and details that were long suppressed hit me square in the chest. I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me, a pain so familiar that it forced me to remember what happened. My muddled memories suddenly became clear as day.

I did fight back. I always knew that I must have, as I had bruises and broken bones to show for it. But I never fully recalled all of the details.

I remember now.

---