Page 16 of Toxic Obsession

"Sit," he ordered, his long fingers curled around my wrist, pulling me towards the chair. Grabbing me by my shoulders, he shoved me down into the chair. I bit my lip to keep from telling him what I thought about him. If I was going to stand any chance against him, I needed him to see me as a person. I needed to find some level of connection, and this might be the only opportunity I got.

Sinking onto the coffee table directly in front of me, his eyes raked over me for several long minutes before he finally said, "Tell me something no one else knows about you."

"Why would I do that?" I huffed out a laugh. "So, you can use it against me later?" I rolled my eyes. "No, thank you."

"Because you have to," he said. "You have to do whatever I tell you, Rally Girl." I bit down on the inside of my cheek. "And I won't tell anyone." His tone was different with his last words. They almost sounded sincere.

"I already told you," I said. "I'm a virgin." That was something I didn't usually share with anyone.

"Something else."

"Like what?"

"Like something no one else knows," he said. "Something you wouldn't willingly tell anyone."

I knew the exact secret he was looking for, but it was the reason I respected other people's privacy because this was a secret that I didn't want to talk about. But maybe this was exactly what I needed; an opportunity for him to see me as a human being and not some reusable sex toy he could abuse and then discard when he was done.

I wasn't sure it would work, but it was worth a try.

Sucking in a deep breath, I said, "My dad is in prison," on an exhale. My chest tightened at the flood of memories immediately washing over me, none of them good.

"What did he do?"

Clearing my throat, my gaze blinked down to my fidgeting hands. "He murdered my brothers and sisters after he shot my mom in the head." Swallowing hard, I fought the tears I'd hoped wouldn't push through. I thought I was finally numb to the situation, but I was wrong. "He came after me last, but I managed to escape and call the police from the neighbor's house." My eyes flicked up, staring past Jayden as all the images flashed back through my head. "My mom lived, but she was never the same again. She doesn't remember anything, and he's convinced her that it wasn't him and he was wrongfully accused because I was lying. So, she wants nothing to do with me until I tell the truth."

"Damn," he said, his tone low with a hint of something that seemed like sorrow. "Why did he do it?"

"He had a new girlfriend who was pregnant, and she didn't know about us," I said. "I met her during the trial. I have a half-sister, but her mother asked that I not contact them after she testified against my father. I can't blame her."

Pushing away all the memories, my gaze flashed back to Jayden, hoping that pushing through the pain of that story would make me human to him, but his expression was unchanged. He showed no clues as to what he was thinking. He'd mastered the art of keeping a straight face.

His gaze flicked down the hall where the unconscious girl was sleeping and then back to me. "She's my sister." That made a lot of sense. "She's nineteen, and my parents disowned her because of her drug addiction before they were killed in a car accident." I had questions, but I wouldn't dare ask. He would tell me what he wanted me to know. "I'm all she has."

After several long minutes of silence, I assumed he was done sharing.

"So, do I get to ask you a question now?" I was trying to change the subject from all the heaviness weighing down the room.

"Ask me one question," he said. "Anything." I already knew the question I wanted the answer to.

"You've only ever had one Rally Girl your freshman year and only for a few weeks," I said. "Why now? Why me?"

"Rally Girls annoy me." He leaned forward. His lips curved into an arrogant smirk. "That question sounds like you think you're special."

I huffed out a laugh. "I must be," I said, matching his energy and mocking his movements. I leaned forward, close enough that he could feel my words. "You're putting a lot of effort into me when we both know my hate for you is real, so who are you trying to convince that I'm not special?" His gaze dropped, lingering on my mouth. "Yourself?" I whispered against his lips.

His eyes locked on mine, and his grip tightened on the edge of the table as his chest rose and fell with slow deep breaths.

"You're playing with fire, Sadie," he warned, his fingers curling behind my knees.

"Maybe," I teased. His hands tightened around the back of my knees; I yelped when he jerked me to the end of the chair, spreading my legs apart.

"Rumor has it you have a no-kissing rule," I said. He didn't respond, but I knew it was true. "So why did you kiss me?"

"I also have a no virgin's rule," he muttered. "But for some reason, right now, the only thing I can think about is being the first one to have you." His voice dropped to a husky whisper as his hands slid up my bare thighs, digging his fingers into my ass. "Do you want me to fuck you, Sadie?" His lips brushed against mine.

"And if I said I didn't want to lose my virginity?"

His mouth curved up as his fingertips glided around my thigh. My pulse drummed in my ears. His fingers brushed against the damp fabric of my panties, and I felt my cheeks burn.

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