Chapter 13
Y ulianna
Eddie was a man obsessed.
He had been consumed since he snuck out for a meeting in the early morning hours, leaving me alone in bed. I understood that Eddie felt he needed to be more powerful to marry me but this was extreme. He went to classes, but then he spent the rest of his time sitting in his SUV on the phone or doing paperwork. He left the property to take meetings and wouldn’t tell me who any of them were, which scared me.
I trusted him with every fiber of my being. But I worried that by pushing so hard, he would make a deal he regretted later, or he would sell his soul, and I never wanted that, not for him or us.
We hardly saw one another anymore, and it felt like we were wasting this opportunity. No matter how much he acquired, my father could still say no, and meanwhile, this little window of time was closing. My mind and heart were in constant turmoil as the flurry of emotions collided inside of me.
Glancing up at the clock on the wall, I sighed. It was getting late, and Eddie was supposed to be back by now. I hadn’t even realized the time, and the library was empty. It was cozy enough, but the dark shadows in the corners caused shivers to race all over my body.
Gathering my things and trying not to look like a panicky idiot for no reason, I hooked my leather bag on my shoulder and walked to the exit.
The frigid air outside reminded me of home. I wrapped my arms around my torso and took a deep breath. It was a cold that I didn’t want to return to despite my family being there.
I hadn’t taken three steps when a hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed my arm, dragging me around the side of the building.
“Let go of me,” I yelled and pulled against my assailant. A grunt escaped me as my back was slammed up against the library wall.
It was so dark that I couldn’t see who had a hold of me. All I knew was that it wasn’t Eddie. Even joking, he would never treat me this way. I knew his touch as intimately as if it were my own, and the hands roughly handling me were not his.
“I said let go,” I growled, pushing against the much stronger person.
“Relax, Yuli. It’s just me,” Lawrence said.
An icy terror raced down my spine, but I stopped fighting...for now.
“What do you want, Lawrence?”
“I just wanted to talk privately,” he said.
Instead of letting me go, he stepped in closer. In the dim light, I could see his blue eyes. I’d never felt comfortable around him and made a point of steering clear unless he was with Eddie.
“Privately? And you couldn’t come into the library for this conversation? Instead you chose to wait until I come outside, yank me into the shadows and scare me?”
“I knew Edmundo would be pissed if he saw me talking to you alone. He’s possessive and jealous like that. Don’t fool yourself he wants to control you.”
I narrowed my gaze at Lawrence. Eddie trusted me, and had never once tried to control me. Was he just trying to put seeds of doubt in my mind? There was no telling what his plan was, but I played along.
“Okay, fine. What is this about?”
Despite the fear, my voice was calm like I was staring down a dangerous animal. There was something off about him. What it was exactly, I couldn’t say, but my instincts screamed to get away.
“About us.”
“Us? I don’t understand.”
The alarm bells in my head rang loud and clear. I needed to get away from him.
He pressed closer, and I wished I could meld into the cold stone of the wall.
“Don’t be like that, Yuli. I’ve seen the way you look at me.”
He released one of my arms only to put his disgusting hand on my hip. I wanted to recoil, but if I fought back too soon, the likelihood of getting out of this without him forcing himself on me was slim. Part of me didn’t really believe this was happening.
Lawrence’s friendship with Eddie had been strained since he quit the soccer team, but he still sat with us at lunch and most dinners. How could Lawrence see us together and think that I had any interest in anyone but Eddie?
“Is that so,” I said, adding a touch of flirtatiousness to my tone. He groaned, picking up on it right away. “I wondered when you would,” I said, and wanted to vomit as my stomach churned.
“I can see why he wants you and why you think you want him. But Edmundo isn’t going anywhere. He’ll never amount to anything.”
“But you will?”
“I’m already there, but I need someone who can solidify my position.”
“You mean I would marry you and give you a child, preferably a boy?”
“See, this is how I know you’re perfect. You are primed, ready, and understand the way of things.”
It took everything in me not to flinch when he let go of my other arm and ran his fingers down my face like he was inspecting me. My rage was on the edge of an eruption, but I kept it caged and showed nothing on my face. At least I could thank my father for that skill.
This moment proved my fears. I wasn’t seen as a person with a mind of my own, who had hopes, dreams and skills.
“I’ve always known what is expected of me,” I said.
“Maybe, but I meant primed to get pregnant.”
As well-schooled as I was at keeping my composure, I couldn’t keep the shock off my face. He’d actually said the dirty part out loud. I was nothing more than a prized broodmare and a way to climb the ladder to a more substantial level of wealth.
“What?”
“Your cycle...I’ve been following it.”
He wasn’t just a pig—he was psychotic, and I didn’t even want to know how he knew. The possibility of him searching through my garbage was absolutely revolting. Here I was begging Eddie to get me pregnant and he refused, respecting me too much. That was the difference between Eddie and scum like Lawrence…Eddie knew my worth, saw me as more, and loved me for me not what I could do for him.
“We will be a power couple to crush all others,” he said, looking down as one hand went to my chest and the other between my legs.
It was now or never because my suspicions were quickly becoming a reality. I raked my nails across Lawrence’s face, catching him off guard and drawing blood. He yelled and stepped to the side, but it was all the room I needed. Wrapping the leather strap of my bag around my hand, I swung at his head with all my might and caught him across the jaw. The momentum of the textbooks slammed him into the wall, but he wouldn’t be stunned for long.
Turning, I sprinted away, screaming hysterically. I looked over my shoulder and saw Lawrence just as he reached the pathway lamplight. It seemed to repel him like the demon he was.
“Help,” I bellowed again, and guards came running up the driveway and from the direction of the dorms.
“What’s wrong,” one of them asked.
I pointed and glanced back the way I’d come, but Lawrence was nowhere to be seen.
“Someone tried to grab me and drag me off the path,” I said, shaking.
“Do you know who it was,” a second guard asked as the first arranged for men to search the property.
“I…I didn’t get a good look at their face.”
Rage filled me, and I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs that it was Lawrence, but what the hell would Eddie do? What would my father do? He would certainly force me home and not let me return. I couldn’t let that happen. This was my only piece of freedom and there was no way that I was letting Lawrence take that from me. I’d just have to figure out another way to deal with him.
“I’ll walk you to the dorm.”
Nodding, I followed along beside him, scanning every single bush and possible hiding spot we passed. Lawrence wasn’t crazy enough to jump out and run at us, but a part of me wished that he would give the guards a reason to take him out.
We stepped inside, and I spotted Paul sitting in the foyer reading.
“I’ve got it from here, thank you.”
“Are you sure? I can escort you right to your room,” he said, but I shook my head.
“No, that’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
I pointed to Paul, who looked up like he knew I was about to talk about him. Paul immediately stood up and walked over.
“That’s my friend. He’s waiting for me.”
The guard nodded.
“Very well, but you should report the incident in the morning,” he said.
“I will.”
The front door closed just as Paul reached me, and the chills took over. Holding out my hand, I could see it quivering like a leaf.
“Yuli, what happened? You look as white as a ghost.”
He touched my shoulder, and it helped ease some of the dread.
“Not here,” I whispered. “Have you eaten?”
“Yes, but I’m always hungry,” Paul said, and I gave him a small smile.
Acting as normally as I could, I loaded my tray with food, and we found a seat in the far corner, away from everyone. It was noisy for only fifty or so students, providing the perfect cover.
With my back to the corner, I kept an eye on the door while Paul sat at the end of the table.
“What’s going on, Yuli?”
“I need you to promise you won’t say anything to anyone,” I muttered under my breath as I picked at the pasta on my plate.
“Do you mean from Eddie as well?”
I nodded.
“That’s putting me in a really hard spot, Yuli.”
Grabbing his hand, I squeezed it hard, hoping he understood how serious I was.
“Please, at least not until I figure out what to do.”
“This sounds serious.” His expression was free of all emotion as his eyes searched my face.
“It is. Please, I’m begging you. I have to tell someone and…I trust you.”
Paul took off his glasses, laid them on the table, and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Okay, I will keep whatever it is to myself for now.”
Eating a little bit of food to keep my stomach from heaving, I glanced around to make sure no one was listening before I started in on what had happened with Lawrence. Paul’s passive expression quickly morphed into something far more sinister. His nose flared, and his eyes filled with anger. Up until this moment I hadn’t thought Paul capable of such strong emotions.
“Please, Paul. If Eddie finds out...I’m scared of what he’ll do, and if my father finds out, he’ll lock me up for sure. I can’t have either of those things happen,” I said.
“Yuli, I understand your fears, but this is serious. He broke so many rules with that one act. You could have him expelled if you tell Dean Martin.”
“And what if he doesn’t expel him? Can you picture Eddie letting it go?”
Paul sat back and ran a hand through his hair.
“No, I can’t. But this is a powder keg, Yuli. Lawrence is a mouthy asshole. Do you think he’ll keep his mouth shut? He’ll want to rub this in Eddie’s face.”
“I don’t think he will,” I said, shaking my head. “He wants my father’s power, which means he needs me. More specifically, he wants to get me pregnant. I can’t believe this.”
The reality of what had, and had almost happened, settled in my chest.
Paul removed his hoodie when he noticed me shivering and handed it to me.
“Here, put this on.”
“Thanks,” I said, running my hand over the golden Trojan helmet logo.
I didn’t want to leave Wayward, and there was no way that someone like Lawrence was scaring me off.
“Fine, I’ll keep this to myself, but I really wish you’d reconsider and tell Dean Martin.”
When I shook my head, he sighed and stared up at the fluorescent bulbs.
“Alright, then, you don’t go anywhere or do anything alone.”
Nodding, I pulled out my binder. My schedule was stuck to the inside, and I placed it down on the table.
“I have Eddie, Ella, you, or Marcus in all my classes. The only class I have with Lawrence is biology, and I sit with Ella.”
“Okay, never leave them. Have someone escort you everywhere, even to go to the bathroom. Yuli, this is not a permanent solution. If Lawrence was bold enough to do that, then….”
Paul stopped talking when I sucked in a deep breath. He followed my line of sight to see Lawrence standing just outside of the cafetorium doors, looking livid. He didn’t linger long and quickly disappeared.
Paul’s face was a mask of rage when I turned back to him.
“If you’re this angry, Paul, what will Eddie be like?”
“I know you’re right, but I don’t like it, Yuli. I have a bad feeling about this.”
I patted his hand to reassure him just as Eddie walked in, looking exhausted. He smiled when he saw us.
“I promise it will be okay,” I said. But I wasn’t sure I believed it.