Page 33 of Shadowing Charlotte
The coastal air was chilly; goosebumps prickled across my skin as I walked blindly down the sidewalk, heading back the direction we'd driven. The road was long and empty, and I suddenly realized how far from the city we really were.
I stumbled when my heel caught on a crack, my ankle twisting painfully, but I didn't stop. Even when I heard the Camaro, I didn't stop.
"Charlotte, get in the fucking car!" he shouted from the window.
"Leave me alone!"
"Charlotte, I swear to God, do not make me get out of this car and get you," Lex threatened. I snorted derisively and kept walking. As if he would.
The car surged forward and, for a second, I thought he was going to drive off and leave me in peace. And then the Camaro screeched to a halt, and he threw the door open.
"I said leave me—" I shrieked as he gripped my thighs and threw me over his shoulder, hauling me back to the car in an undignified manner. "Put me down, Alexander!" I screamed, kicking and struggling.
Lex merely wrapped his arms around the back of my knees, holding me in place. He flopped me onto the passenger seat, slamming the door closed before I could protest. I reached for the handle, but he leaned against the outside, crossing his arms over his chest. As I tried to push the door open, he smirked at me, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pack of cigarettes.
You absolute fucking prick.
He lit the smoke, continuing to lean against the door as he took a long drag.
Fuck this!
He called me a spoiled brat when he was acting likethis?
Fury burned through me like liquid fire in my veins. Not only was he locking me in his car, but he was still fucking smoking. Well, if Lex wanted to play stupid games, he was about to learn I wasn't one to be outdone. I kicked off my heels, wrapping the strap of my purse over my neck and across my chest. Then, while he was looking up at the sky, taking a long drag, I climbed over the seat to the driver's side and flung the door open.
I was halfway down the block, the soles of my feet already stinging from running on the asphalt, before he'd managed to get back into the car. When I heard the engine rev, I stepped off the road, walking in the dirt.
"Are you fucking kidding me, Charlotte?" he yelled at me as he pulled the car up alongside me. Another car rolled past, the driver honking angrily as they swerved around Lex. "Get your little ass in the car!"
"Fuck. Off."
I heard his snarl as he pulled off the road and into the dirt shoulder. The car shut off, and a strange mix of fear and exhilaration coursed through me. My pulse roared in my ears, sweat prickling along the back of my neck. In some sick way, I enjoyed pissing him off; knowing I could get under his skin. Even if he did think being with me was a mistake.
When I heard the car door open, I broke into a sprint away from the road. Lex cursed as his foot caught on something and he stumbled. I couldn't help but grin.That's right, motherfucker. Run.
When my lungs began to burn and I could no longer hear him behind me, I slowed, walking with my hands on my hips. Everything hurt. My sides were aching, and I was sure my feet would be scratched and bloody when I got home.
There was a scuffle to my left, and then I was caught around the waist. Lex and I fell to the ground as the air was knocked out of me. I met the dirt with a pained huff, the rocks scraping against my skin. My dress tore and my knees began to burn. Crying out, I struck out at him, feeling my nail catch on his cheek, a pink scratch blooming across his skin. "You fuck—"
Lex pinned my wrists above my head, rolling me onto my back, his thighs encasing mine and rendering me immobile.
"Stop it, Charlie!" he snarled, his grip tightening until I whimpered and stopped struggling.
"You're an asshole!" I snapped at him.
"And you're a spoiled bitch! Tell me something I don't know!" he countered without hesitation. The words wounded me, filling me with white-hot anger. Without thinking, I spat up into his face, my saliva spattering his cheek as his eyes widened in shock. "Do that again and, I swear, you won't be able to sit for a fucking week…" he warned, his voice low and measured, despite the fact that his entire body was shaking with rage.
I don't know what made me do it. Maybe it was the fact that I loathed being told what to do. Maybe it was simply my need to do exactly what I shouldn't. Maybe I just wanted to anger him the same way he had me… Whatever the reason, I spat at him again.
I found myself face-down in the dirt before I could fully register what was happening, the scent of damp earth filling my nose. Lex wrenched both of my hands behind my back, the motion making my shoulders ache.
"I warned you, you fucking hellcat," he ground out. One hand remained firmly around my struggling wrists as the other yanked my dirty dress up around my hips and tore my thong down my thighs.
"Don't you fucking—" The first strike of his hand shocked me, wrenching a surprised yelp of pain from my lips. The sting was unexpected, spreading heat across my ass cheek that only made me fight harder.
"Stay fucking still, little brat," he hissed against my ear, before he spanked me again. I gasped as the pain radiated across my skin, morphing into a lingering warmth.
The feeling was both humiliating and strangely exhilarating. Tears sprang in my eyes, but I found myself stilling. My back arched in anticipation of the next blow. Lex spanked me over and over again, until I was a mess. A writhing, moaning, sobbing mess. My tears mixed with the dirt, smudging across my face along with my makeup.
