Chapter 51
The question shocks me so much that the self–control that has kept me on the dancefloor till now evaporates.
In a panic, I move, desperate to get out of Lucas‘ arms and far, far away from him. But his grip on my waist tightens, and he digs his fingers in the tender flesh of my wrist.
The earlier nausea returns with a vengeance, and I have to clamp my mouth shut so I don’t throw up in the middle of the Ashford
ballroom.
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Although the idea of vomiting on Lucas is enticing as fuck.
His lips spread into a savage smile as I struggle against his grip, my eyes wide. “How did you know I like a little struggle?” he asks darkly, moving closer. “Look at you, already being the perfect little plaything.”
Just as I’m about to look around frantically and scream at the crowd, ‘Can nobody fucking see what is happening?!‘ the music comes to a slow halt, signaling the first dance over.
Like someone flipped a switch, Lucas‘ face returns to its usual indifferent expression. He lets me go and bows slightly. “It was a pleasure dancing with you, April.”
Just before he walks past me, he leans in and says lowly, “I look forward to seeing what else your body can do.”
I stand there frozen on the dance floor, feeling like I’ll collapse to the floor if I move.
I can’t believe what just happened. The further away from the banquet night I got, the easier it was to tell myself it was just a fluke, a lucid dream. It was something I could put behind me and move on.
Wanna be my new plaything?
How did I end up in this position?
I distractedly note that a new song is playing, and Lucas and Peter are headed for the group of girls to dance with a new set.
“April.”
I look up, and my poor, stressed heart gives a weak shudder at the sight of Nathan.
He doesn’t have his hand stretched out to me, though. He’s frowning. “Are you okay?” he asks.
He glances over my shoulder–probably at Lucas behind me. I follow his gaze and see Lucas taking Lara to the dancefloor. He’s smiling at her politely as she says something, and he looks like the perfect gentleman. The perfect person.
Nathan moves in closer, and a small whimper escapes my lips.
Before I register what I’m doing, before I can stop myself, I turn on my heels and walk away from Nathan.
As fast as I can, without making it obvious that I’m desperately trying to escape, I head for the exit of the ballroom.
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13:03 Fri, Oct 3
Chapter 51
I hear June’s confused “Spring?” as I pass her, but I don’t turn to my sister.
Once I’m out of the ballroom, I hitch up the overlay of my dress and rush towards the bathroom.
I barely close the door behind me when my stomach clenches, and 1 lunge for the toilet bowl.
Sometime around three am, while we were working on the dress, Peter excused himself and returned with a mug of instant coffee and a pack of cookies. I throw it all up into the toilet bowl, and when that’s gone, I stay there, my stomach heaving painfully as I retch up nothing.
My eyes water, and I thank God for the waterproof mascara and indestructible primer the stylists used for my makeup. As I lean back on my knees, shuddering against the toilet, Lucas’s words replay in my mind like a horror movie.
His plaything. Not lover or consort–plaything. To be sullied, used, and then discarded like Sarah.
An unbidden image flashes in my mind–of me bent over a table while Lucas Ashford does the most depraved things to me with that wild, savage look in his eyes. My stomach heaves, and I retch all over again.
I want to spend the rest of the night hugging the toilet bowl, but I left June behind in the ballroom, and hiding out here solves none of my problems.
Feeling slightly calmer and with a raw stomach, I leave the bathroom stall.
I head to the mirror and try to put myself together as best as possible.
Despite sitting on the bare tile floor, my dress still looks good. My hair is still in its neat, intricate bun at the nape of my neck, and my makeup is intact. The only things I can’t manage to fix are my red eyes and the look of pure horror on my face.
I don’t want to go back. I really, really don’t want to go back. Not only because Lucas and his sinister proposition are back there but also because of how I left the ballroom.
Did anyone notice? Did it raise eyebrows?
I think of how I left Nathan there–of the look in his eyes, and I close my eyes, swallowing tightly.
I take deep breaths, forcing myself to calm the fuck down. If I make a mess of tonight, I can be sure I’ll be the first name called at the next elimination.
I open my eyes and stare at my reflection in the mirror. Wouldn’t elimination be better, though? Then I’ll be far away from Lucas.
I sigh, remembering Peter’s words last night. No matter how much I want to leave, there’s still so much I want to experience before that.
Besides, if I was going to get eliminated so easily, I might as well have just left this morning.
So I take another deep breath and steel myself. I’ve been out of Lucas‘ radar long before now. Tonight was just an unfortunate collision. I can remain under the radar for the remainder of my stay here.
With that resolve making me feel a teeny bit better, I head out of the bathroom.
I only take two steps out the door when a hand grabs my wrist and pulls me backward.
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13:03 Fri, Oct 3
Chapter 51
Fear explodes in my belly and rapidly spreads through my entire being. A scream builds in the back of my throat, but before it can erupt and draw the attention of everyone nearby to the fact that Lucas Ashford has no patience, and it seems he’s determined to make me hit ‘plaything‘ now—a hard body presses me against the wall, and a hand clamps over my mouth.
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