Page 86 of Heathens

“I talked to him twice, and the only thing he seemed to know about me is that you and I had fucked.”

“He has eyeseverywhere.”

“And you don’t? You play the underdog, but you both have more power than any of us could get in our lifetimes, and you choose to waste it on all of this Montague and Capuletbullshit?”

Dominic glowers at me, the harsh light making his features stand out that much more.

“You don’t know how deep this goes.” He climbs off of me, opening the nightstand and producing a small bottle. “I’ll let you calm down for a bit, but you’ll need painkillers.”

“How do I know those are actually painkillers?” I snipe. “I thought you were feeding me a regular meal last night, but it turns out I can’t trust anything you say.”

“I’d like you to,” he says softly, taking out two white tablets and handing them to me. “I hope you’ll be able to again.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I am. This wasn’t what I wanted. Rene forced my hand.”

“You hold me hostage like I’m fucking Rapunzel and you still have the balls to look me in the eye and say you want me totrust you?”

“Look, Sofie. We’re doing this either way, hard or easy. It’s your choice.”

I stay silent, glaring straight ahead.

“I’m not going to drug you.”

“Again.” I can’t help but spit venom at him. “You’re not going to drug meagain.”

He sighs.

“I didn’t want to, but there was no other way to make you say yes.”

“I said I wanted to think about it,” I whisper. “You couldn’t even give me that.”

“And I would have loved to give you the time you needed, I even thought I might be able to, but that’s not a luxury we can afford anymore.”

I can practically feel the lines forming on my face as I scowl at him.

“Now, be a good girl. Open.”

The phrasing rings against my brain white hot, and I remember those sweet words in my ear. He was just buttering me up, but I enjoyed hearing them all the same.

Slowly, my lips part and he places the pills inside of my mouth, grabbing a glass of water and lifting it to my lips. I guzzle it, my eyes closing as the cool rush of liquid spreads through every part of my body.

I’d say I’ve never felt so helpless, but that would be a lie. For some reason, my last memory of Charlie comes rushing back to me, of watching him through the clear plastic curtain as he took his final breaths. His eyes were locked with mine, and all I wanted to do was hold him. He didn’t even have the strength to call out to me. There were so many tubes inside of him, pumping things in and out of his little body, but nothing helped. I felt as helpless then as I do now.

My throat clenches, and I choke on the water. Dominic removes the glass as I weep, staring at me with a helpless expression. He seems uncomfortable with emotion. I sensed it last night, too. My eyes squeeze shut, and I cry harder. All the grief and anguish that I’ve buried for the past five years is coming out now that I’m tied to this fucking bed and a prisoner to some sociopath with a vendetta.

“I’ll be back with your dinner,” he whispers.

Through my sobs I can hear him suck in another breath, as though he’s going to make an addendum, but instead I only hear his shoes click against the floor as the door creaks shut.

At least he’s left the light on for me. That’ll make things easier.

I sit up straight, immediately stifling my tears.

I’m getting the fuck out of here.

SOFIE

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