Chapter 88 Trigger Warning: Sexual AssaultThis chapter includes a scene involving non–explicit, non–consensual sexual activities. I’ve done my best to handle it with care, but the subject matter is still difficult. Please prioritise your well–being and read only if you feel safe doing so.EMILIAStone reaches out, fingertips grazing the air between us, but I jerk away before he cantouch me.Something is wrong.I suddenly realise the bartender is gone. It’s just the two of us. The air feels thick, the silence pressing in.“What the fuck are you doing?!” My voice comes out sharper than I expect, slicing through the quiet between us. Outside, I can still hear the sounds of music and laughter, but it’s so loud I highly doubt anyone can hear a thing happening in here.I stumble off my stool, my legs wobbling beneath me. My head is fuzzy, but not enough to miss the way his smile lingers like he expected this.—Like he was waiting for this moment.Every single alarm bell in my head goes off and this time I don’t ignore it.I try to move past him, but my balance betrays me. He shifts forward, closing the distance.His smile doesn’t reach his eyes anymore.I’m your boyfriend,” he says, like it’s obvious. Like he expects me to believe it’s true. “What do you mean, ‘what am I doing?” My stomach twists. My pulse pounds in my ears.noveldramaI step back. He steps forward.Again.And again.1/3 Until my back nearly brushes the wall.“Oh,” he muses, tilting his head. “You’re not that drunk, after all. What a shame.”His smile fades, leaving something colder behind.“I was curious what pretty little lies you’d want to hear before falling into my bed.”My breath catches. My skin goes cold.Every instinct in me screams to run.“Don’t even think about it, princess,” he clicks his tongue softly, the predatory smile I saw in my drunken haze is back. “It only took a couple hundred dollars to pay off the bartender and no one can hear us from outside, don’t bother screaming for your boy toy.”I barely process the words and the sinister intention behind them. My legs feel like they’removing through water, so slow and unsteady that I pride myself for standing up straight. Theroom tilts, or maybe it’s just my head, but I grip the edge of the counter to keep from swaying.I need to think. I need to get out of here.Stone takes another step closer, and my stomach turns.“Why aren’t you saying anything, princess? You’re looking at me like I’m some kind of monster,” he murmurs, amusement flickering across his face. “But I know you, baby. You likeplaying hard to get.“1“Except I’m not playing,” I say through gritted teeth.“Really?” He hums, like he’s considering my words, but his eyes stay locked on mine. “Wellwe can’t have that, can we?“What the hell are you even doing?” I try and fail to calm my racing heart, then resort to pushing him away, but the moment my hands push against his chest, he holds my wrist in a vice grip. He exhales slowly and I nearly choke on the stench. “You’re too close,”‘I don’t think I’m close enough actually,” his smile is all yellowed teeth.He pulls me by the wrist and I let out a yelp before falling into his chest. I struggle against him, but it’s no use.“I should have done this a long time ago, but you just had to play hard to get, didn’t you? You’d fuck every guy that chases a puck on ice then reject me?” As if he rememberedsomething, his lips curl into a scowl. “That shit you pulled with Liam, you shouldn’t have done. that either. Already knew you were a whore, but I didn’t take you for a snitch too.”I twist my wrist, trying to break free, but his grip tightens. Pain shoots up my arm.“Let go of me,” I grit out, shoving at his chest with my free hand.“Why? Scared now that you don’t have prince charming hanging off your arm? You were more mouthy when Liam was around.”“Are you fucking serious right now?! I said let go.”The look in his eyes tells me he’s far gone. My stomach churns. “You know after you left with him I kept replaying every word. You see, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, not even while I fucked Toby’s girl.”Chapter Comments5