Page 113 of Dark, Forbidden, & Taboo

It was my prize when I finally graduated because I reasoned she could never use it on another student again, though no one else ever told me if she had.

She had it in for me and I never knew why.

And now, she’s going to tell me what it was about me that she hated so much once and for fucking all.

Stalking back to where I left the bitch, her favorite instrument of punishment firmly in hand, I do everything I can to maintain my temper when I see her again.

She’s standing in the open space that I use as a living room, arms crossed over her chest, and watching the cars drive by on the highway in the distance.

Maybe if I paddle her hard enough with this fucking thing, she’ll end up in the middle of those racing vehicles, and all of the problems she caused me—all of the fucking mental scars I still carry, will end with her.

“Look familiar?” I snarl at her, slapping the ruler swiftly against my leg to get her undivided attention.

Her Holiness glances at me with a stoic look on her face, and I feel my anger falter slightly.

“Is that what all of this is about, Finley?” she asks me tiredly.

“Do you have any idea what kind of impact this fucking had on me as a child?” I all but shout at her.

“And as an adult as well, I see,” she responds softly as she lets out a sigh and shakes her head.Aunt Celesteturns her eyes back toward the window again. “You were an unruly child. The only one in my classroom that would always give me grief. I was young at the time too, you know. Not as young as you were, but I was in the middle of losing everything I wanted in life to help Ava.”

“I’m sorry, but when did this become about you?” I snap at her. “You raised welts on my body. You made it so that I hated going to school, hated seeing my friends every day, hated myfuckingselfbecause I felt like I wasn’t good enough to be in your precious classroom.”

She turns around to face me and shakes her head as she raises her hands in the air, then drops them to her sides.

“I’m sorry. Is that what you want, Finley? Because I am. Had I known what this was going to do to you in the long run, I wouldn’t have done it.”

I give her a level stare.

This is all bullshit.

I can smell it in the air like low-hanging clouds of smog on the Los Angeles freeway.

“Great, so you’re sorry, but you know what? I’m not. Not for what I had Ava do, and not for what I’m going to do to you.”

Aunt Celestescoffs as she tucks her hair behind her ears.

“Then get it over with already.”

Chapter 13

Celeste

With the slightest idea gently floating in my mind of what he’s planning on doing, I cross the room and stand a few feet away from him.

“Well?” I ask him softly. “What is it that needs to be done to get you out of our lives once and for all?”

A malicious twinkle shines in those eyes that I once found to be so unique and beautiful, and I have to fight the urge to take a step away from him.

“Go to the couch and bend over, obviously,” he instructs with a nod and a grin.

I grind my teeth together as I remind myself that this is for Ava, then do as I’m told.

Dutifully, I lay my body across the arm of the couch and brace myself for the impact that doesn’t come right away.

“No, I’m pretty sure that my ass was bare,Aunty. Drop ‘em; this will bring back fond memories if we do it the right way.”

A flush of red goes through my body as I realize that he wants to embarrass me as well as punish me for what he’s held onto for all of these years.

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