Page 5 of Vulnerate

All of a sudden I like him and agree with his decision. Zoe isn’t just a bitch, she’s the queen of all the bitches in our school. Her goal for life will be to take that title global, plus she’s a bully. Valentin has a type – bullies. Every one of his girlfriends has done something to fuck with me, but Zoe is the worst, she’s made my life hell and her punishment will be whatever way he decides to humiliate her. He’s not a normal person and breaks up with them, Valentin takes the words literally and destroys them publicly when he’s done with them.

Dropping the ice, he turns to his brother with his jaw clenched and there’s hate in his voice as he spits, “But you’ll let Tali’s girlfriend sleep here?” He looks like a kid, not a seventeen year old as he throws a tantrum with his hands going in the air. “How the fuck is that fair?! He sneaks her in, and I have to listen to them fucking flirting, he was fucking her earlier too. They’re probably fucking each other all night, butIhave to stay here?!”

My cheeks burn at his accusation when there’s nothing other than innocent friendship between Tali and me.

Vlad hardens his voice and I flinch as he slams his hand on the counter. “Enough. I’ve told you before, only perverts think about who their family are fucking. Keep going and I’ll start thinkingyou’reone.” Straightening up, he fixes his cuffs then buttons his suit jacket speaking calmly, “Dima is on the door. I’ll be back in the morning.”

He rounds the island and tilts Val’s face up to check his injuries. His voice gets lower, and he sounds like he actually cares. “Leave the ice on it, it shouldn’t swell.”

I’m blocked from being able to see what they’re doing as his body blocks my path. Without saying another word, he leaves, and Val extends his voice when the door clicks.

“You can come out, khudozhnik moya2.”

He doesn’t sound angry, and his smile is dopey at me being caught.I should have just stayed in the furnace – dehydration isn’t as bad as confrontation. Pulling on my shorts like it will extend the fabric enough to cover my legs, I walk around the wall, and he follows me with his eyes. He always calls me khudozhnik moya, I don’t know what it means, and I can’t spell it to search online. Asking him a simple question wouldn’t help either when he refused to tell me the first time.

He pushes his chair back and comes closer as I tuck my chin to my chest so I can hide my red cheeks. Twice he’s made a comment about me being in his brothers bed, if he says it to me openly, I’ll never be able to show my face here again.

There’s blood on his t-shirt, dark red against the stark white but it’s his eyes that suck me in, they’re like crystal pools and the only light thing about him with his dark hair. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leans on the counter opposite me as I fill up a glass with water. He doesn’t say anything until I bring it to my lips and makes me choke.

“How long were you listening for?”

My brain is focused on surviving, drawing air into my lungs, and I give myself away.

“It’s not like that, I don’tsleepwith Tali.”

I snap my jaw closed to stop anything else spilling out even though it’s pointless, but I still do it. He pushes off the counter and I catch his smile in my periphery as he stalks closer to me. I quickly turn and face the wall as heat blankets my side.

If I get sucked into Valentin’s presence I’ll make an even bigger fool of myself. He’s a flirt with everyone, even teachers and the janitor. I know this, butterflies still take flight in my stomach despite that information when he stands at my back. They get worse following his hand ghosting around my ribs to my sternum.

I can see him in the window, his profile slowly getting closer as he lifts my hair off my neck. His breath touches my skin with every word he says. “So, he doesn’t touch you? You don’t touch him?”

He’s happy about it, not just curious and I nod, unable to trust my voice. His lips touch my skin without any pressure, a ghost of a kiss and then they’re gone with an order.

“Good. Make sure that never changes.”

He takes his heat away as he turns to leave, and I miss it so stupidly. Without turning around I ask,

“Or what?”

We have our backs to each other and I’m sure he can hear my heart racing as it echoes through my entire body. His voice is dark, twisted, and violent.

“You don’t want to know.”

I turn in time to see the reflection of his rage as he walks out of the kitchen. My stupid mouth opens again as he has one foot over the threshold.

“Maybe I do. I did ask.”

The only part of his body that moves is his head as he looks at me head on, his eyes darken matching the sinister smirk on his face.

“Be good Daniela, curiosity is never good for innocent little pussies.”

His eyes rake down my body and I manage a stiff nod before holding the glass with two hands and running away.

1 Uncle

2 My artist

TWO

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