Chapter 15 #2
Sasha takes her chance for instant payback from my teasing, “Oh no, I definitely need to hear this story. Don’t stop, Matt. What happened at the football game?”
I try to block the sound by covering his mouth with my hand, but he licks it! Yanking my hand back to wipe it clean, he dives into story mode.
“Ok, so it’s Homecoming Junior year, and we’re about to play against our rivals, Keaton High.
It’s tradition for the girls to wear one of the football players' away jerseys on home games—usually it was girlfriends, but Lee usually wore mine since I didn’t have a girlfriend.
Well, I had asked a girl, Katie, to the dance, and Lee insisted that I give Katie the jersey for the night instead.
I really didn’t see the point when it wasn’t like we were dating… ”
“That’s because you’re a guy…Everyone knows if you ask someone to the dance, that you’re asking them to wear your jersey for the night, too.” I interject.
“So you kept telling me,” he says with a smile. “So anyway, Lucas, being the douche that he is, decided he was going to try to embarrass Lee during the Homecoming parade before the game. He made some comments…”
I roll my eyes, “Say it, Matt. It’s not like it’s going to hurt my feelings after all these years.”
“Right, well, right after they announced her as Homecoming Princess, he yelled over to her from three cars over so everyone could hear, asking how shitty it felt to be…”
“Such a whore and still not able to get a date to Homecoming.” I finish for him, knowing he was trying to avoid repeating Lucas’s comment.
“And saying that even I didn’t want to go with her. Which, for the record, several guys had asked her, but she had turned them all down.
“Well, in true Lee fashion—she turned around and walked to the middle of the field where Keaton was warming up and straight up to their starting quarterback, Josh, Lucas’s nemesis since they were like ten.
Of course, everyone was watching and trying to figure out what the hell she was doing.
They talked for just a minute before we all watched Josh run off the field and come back with his spare jersey in hand… ”
“Uhm, I’m loving all of this, but what does this have to do with you throwing her over your shoulder?” Sasha asks, fully enthralled by the story but clearly trying to keep us on track.
Matt shakes his head and continues, “I’m getting there.
So—he comes running back with his jersey in hand, and as soon as he makes it to her, he grabs her and dips her down into a movie-worthy kiss.
Lucas absolutely lost his shit and came running at Josh, followed by most of the football team.
Obviously, Keaton’s team was watching this all go down too, so they blocked Lucas from getting to Josh.
It turned into a full-out brawl between teams.
“And do you know where Lee was during this epic battle?” He pauses for effect.
“Still making out with Josh in the center of the damn field. The absolute rage on Lucas’s face said there was no way he was going to be deterred from getting to her, so I pushed my way through all the fighting before he could get there, threw her ass over my shoulder, and started carrying her out to my pickup.
Little did I know, she was smiling and waving back at Lucas the entire time. ”
James’ and Antonio’s heads swivel back and forth between Matt and me, and Sasha’s mouth is gaping before they all break out in laughter.
“Gods, I’m pretty sure you have bigger balls than any guy I know, Lee.” James praises before everyone starts telling funny high school stories of their own.
Once we’re all ready to call it a night, I order a lemon and honey tea to go and head back to my room, ready to do a bit more studying before bed.
How did I get back here? Nothing has changed; the cherry wood floors that I was sure would have to be replaced from all the blood, have been refinished. It still reeks of whiskey, take-out, and cheap cigars. Heavy. Suffocating.
I see his silhouette from the light coming off the TV before I hear him. My dad is sprawled out in his recliner, half-empty bottle hanging loosely from his fingers.
I don’t want to go anywhere near him, but I have to know how I got here, and why. Taking slow steps around his chair, the floorboard creaks. Dammit, how did I forget about that spot already? I look up and meet his gaze, which is glazed over but fully focused on me.
I can feel his fury, but I’m frozen in place, my pulse racing so hard that I’m sure he can hear it.
“Annalise.” His voice cuts through the silence, low and rough, like sandpaper scraping against my skin. “Do you know how much you embarrassed me?”
I take a slow step back. Interacting with him in this state is the same as interacting with a wild animal; any quick movement could trigger him to attack.
I open my mouth to speak, but no sound comes out. My throat is tight, clogged with fear.
He laughs, a sharp, bitter sound that makes me tremble. “What’s wrong? Haven’t you missed your old man while you’ve been off at that fancy academy of yours?
“You try to kill me and get rewarded.
“What, you think you’re better than me now?
“Is that it?
“I gave you everything, and you think you can just run away with that stupid boy?”
His voice gets louder with each question.
I want to run now, but my feet are glued in place, my legs trembling beneath me. My hands are shaking, fingers curling into fists that I know won’t help me. Matt won’t be busting in to stop him from killing me this time.
I manage to take a step back, but the sound of his chair scraping across the floor makes my heart jump into my throat. His footsteps follow, slow and deliberate, each one booming like a countdown to my demise.
Slap.
Pain vibrates through my face, and I feel the warm trickle of blood as it falls from my nose.
“I asked you a fucking question, girl,” he growls, his breath hot against my ear as he leans in too close.
I can’t breathe. I can’t move.
His hand grips my arm so tightly, I know it’ll leave bruises. I try to take another step, but my back hits the wall.
“Answer me.”
He’s wrapping his fingers around my neck and squeezing.
And then everything goes black.
I wake up with a gasp, drenched in sweat, my heart racing.
I’m not there anymore.
I’m at Scion.
He can’t get me here.
I repeat those three things over and over.
But it feels so real. Too real. I still can’t get in a full breath, the smell of copper is stuck in my nose, and I can still feel the weight of his hand on my arm.
I press my palms into my eyes, trying to make it stop, trying to remind myself I’m safe, but I realize even that isn’t true as my vision is now blurred by the sweat pooled in my hands.
I freeze.
My hands are wet.
Not with sweat.
Thicker. Warmer.
My vision swims. Panic claws up my throat as I scramble for my phone on the nightstand, my thumb trembling too hard to unlock it, forcing me to type my password with shaking fingers.
My flashlight turns on.
And I scream.
Because my walls, my bed, my skin—are all smeared, splattered, and drenched in pigs' blood.
The same pig that’s lying right next to me, disemboweled, with a blood-soaked note pinned to its head with my dagger.
You locked the door. Cute.
But I’ll wait until we can have more time together.