CHAPTER 2
Five Years Earlier
I picked at my food at the table in the all-you-can eat buffet restaurant. Tonight, we were celebrating my sixteenth birthday. I had dreamed of this day for as long as I could remember. But truth be told, I wasn’t really feeling up to celebrating anything.
For some reason, since running into Spencer earlier, I hadn’t felt like eating. The way he kissed the young woman was all I could think about. The way his eyes claimed me was all I felt. I hated how he kept lingering in my thoughts no matter how hard I tried to forget about him.
“One year older and one year closer to taking over the family practice,” my dad said as he patted me on the back.
I gave him the best smile I could muster. Ever since I could remember, my dad had wanted me to take over his medical practice. He’d worked his entire life building it, and I was the chosen one who would carry on the family legacy.
“You’ll make an excellent doctor, Ellie,” my mom said. “You’re so patient and caring.”
Normally, talking about this topic excited me. It made me feel like I had a great future and was destined for something important. But not tonight. My smile faded. I did not feel like discussing my future right now.
“Eat your food,” my dad said, pointing to the full plate.
I looked up at the kind man who had raised me. His dark hair was pretty much gone, and he had started to get some wrinkles on his face. He’d always say that on a good day, he was five-foot nine, and on a bad day, he was five-foot nine. Dad jokes were his specialty, and whenever we’d moan instead of laugh at his jokes, he would remind us that one day, when he was gone, we’d miss them.
I was lucky to have a man who was always there for me, who treated me like a princess, who was the perfect father. He had no faults that I could tell, and everyone kept telling my mom that she was the luckiest woman alive to be married to him. I once heard Dr. Fox, my dad’s partner at their medical practice, say that my dad was guilty of one thing only, and that was that he was too kind. I didn’t realize that one could be guilty of such a thing.
“I’m not really hungry.” I picked at my food.
“You’re still not completely well, huh?” he asked.
I shook my head, feeling horrible about lying, but also unable to tell him what was really going on. There was no way I’d let him know what had transpired between the asshole and me. I’m sure if I did, my dad start chaperoning Rose and me around everywhere and I rather like having the freedom to roam around. Besides, Spencer’s dad and my dad were friends. They shouldn’t have to deal with the pointless drama between Spencer and me.
“Perhaps you should go lie down for a bit,” he said.
I was about to open my mouth to say no, but then the clock struck six o’clock. In that moment, Spencer’s gorgeous face flashed before my eyes. Then I remembered that he wanted me to come visit him. In his room.
Crap.
I wasn’t afraid of what he’d do if I didn’t show up. However, I knew what would happen if I went to the asshole’s room. I knew he’d take advantage of me and worse, that I’d let him. Or even ask him to. That’s how strong his pull was on me.
Even so, I couldn’t for the life of me make myself stop.
“I think I might like that,” I said to my dad.
“Before you go, Mom and I would like to give you your birthday present.” He smiled warmly at me and my mom smiled also.
Oh, my God! Here comes my car!
He handed me a small black jewelry box and just knew there would be a set of car keys inside. I opened it, but instead of car keys, I found a gold necklace with a diamond. I couldn’t help but feel cheated.
“I know you were hoping for a car,” my mom said. “But your grandmother wanted you to have her wedding diamond on your sweet sixteen. It’s one and a half carats, marquise cut. So make sure you take care of it.””
“And this year has just been a struggle financially,” my dad said. “I promise we’ll get you a car some other time.”
“I understand,” I said, hating that he could see how disappointed I was. “Thank you. It’s lovely.”
My dad stood and latched the necklace around my neck, and I lightly graced the pendent with my fingertips. Grandmother Jane had passed away suddenly of a stroke a couple years back, and being her favorite grandchild as she told me, I had never gotten over it. Now, with her necklace around my neck, I felt I could have her close to me always, and that she would protect me somehow. I swallowed my disappointment and decided to have a good attitude about this. My car would come soon enough.
“It looks beautiful on you.” My mom beamed at me and her eyes glazed with tears.
“I miss Grandma,” Rose said. Her face crumbled and she buried it in her hands, then sobbed quietly. My heart squeezed and I wrapped my arms around her dainty frame.
“I miss her, too,” I said.
“Now, now,” Mom said. “Let’s not get too carried away.” She wiped a tear and composed herself.
My dad stroked my shoulder. “Want me to walk you upstairs?” he asked.
“Nah. It’s ok,” I said. “I know the way. Just up the elevator and three doors down.”
He smiled. “That’s my girl.”
Too bad I was lying to him. Too bad I found myself taking the elevator to the thirteenth floor. Too bad that I’d become a prisoner to my Dark Knight this early.
* * *
Standing in front of room 1312, I pulled down my hair and let it cascade down my back in silky waves. Loud music boomed through the door and my heart was beating in a disjolted rhythm. I knocked three times, but no one came to answer. I knocked again, louder this time, but still no answer. Maybe this was my sign. A sign that I shouldn’t be here, that I shouldn’t be making myself available to the asshole.
I started to walk away, but just then, the door opened, and Spencer stepped into the hallway, a girl in each arm, a beer bottle in his hand. Music and loud laughter came from the room. Was this a party? Somehow, I had imagined that Spencer and I would be alone.
Perhaps this was better.
It was better, I reasoned.
I wasn’t ready to be alone with someone like him, a someone who twisted my insides into knots and made me feel all crazy hot in places I had never known existed.
“There you are, bitch.” He took a swig of his beer bottle without taking his eyes off me. “Welcome to the party.”
I didn’t know why I was still standing there. I should have screamed at him for calling me bitch and for leading me on to believe he wanted to spend some time with me. Instead, here he was with Miss Perfect 1 and Miss Perfect 2, eyeing me as if he couldn’t stand the thought of me being here.
One of the girls by his side looked me up and down and scowled as if my presence somehow offended her.
“You’re wearing that to the party?” she asked, and the other girl giggled. Both girls were wearing a dress that looked more like a nighty with sequin and crystals. Both had perfect cleavages that were hard to miss, and their long thin legs looked to be shaved to perfection.
Me? I was wearing jeans and a plain white V-neck T-shirt. My sneakers did little to make my outfit more interesting. Even before I had entered the room, I felt out of place.
“I…I didn’t know it was a party,” I said.
Miss Perfect 2 blew a bubble with her gum and Spencer popped it by biting it. She laughed as she flipped her shiny blonde hair and looked up at him with big doe eyes.
“Go inside and I’ll be right there,” Spencer said to them. They giggled and sashayed back into the room, closing the door behind them.
We stood and stared at each other, for how long, I don’t know. All I knew was that his presence was all I could feel, every cell in my body aware of this silent, yet oh, so powerful interaction between us.
“Pretty little necklace you got there,” he said.
“Why did you invite me?” I asked.
“I need you to do me a favor.”
“A favor?” I asked.
“Mike, my friend. Could you just please not be a bitch and be nice to him tonight.”
“Nice to him?” I asked.
“He kind of has a crush on you. But I’m sure you knew that already.”
“I’ve never even met him,” I said.
“Don’t be a lam-o,” he said. “It’ll be fun.”
“Fun?” It didn’t sound like fun.
“Come inside and I promise you’ll have a good time.” He grabbed my hand and the skin-on-skin contact was electric. He paused, as if noticing, too, but I quickly pulled away.
“There’s alcohol here,” I said in an accusatory tone, eyeing his beer.
“And is that a problem?” He took another swig of his beer. He leaned against the wall and I took him in silently, my gaze drinking in every part of his perfect physique. My heart jolted to a start in my chest and I had to suck in a breath just to maintain some shred of calmness.
“I’m sixteen,” I squeaked. “If my dad finds out—”
“You’re not one of those girls who runs to her daddy and tatter tales, are you?” he asked.
I knew he was playing me. Knew he was trying to make me look pathetic for questioning him, the man, the authority. He knew he was in the wrong. I knew he was in the wrong. But that didn’t matter at all right now. He was the one calling the shots, and this was his kingdom to do as he pleased.
Even so, I couldn’t get myself to stand up to him completely. Had I done so, I would have walked away. He seemed to have some sort of invisible power over me. I knew what the right thing to do was: to leave. But being here made me feel like I was important, somehow. He had invited me, and so I must be someone special.
“I won’t tell,” I said. “But I’m not drinking.”
“Did anyone offer you a drink?” he asked deadpan.
I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “This is so juvenile.”
“Is it now? Did you want something more… adult?” He took a step toward me, then another, invading my personal space more than any boy, any man had done before. I felt as if my entire body lit up on the inside and I started to realize all my reasonableness had vanished, nowhere to be found.
“I don’t have a problem,” I said. I started to feel my blood boil now, partly because he was so close to me, and partly because I was so angry with him for trying to intimidate me. What had I ever done to him? Why did he seem to take pleasure in taunting me? In getting under my skin?
“You’re too young to be worth my time,” he said.
“No, I’m not.” That’s not what I wanted to say at all, but the words were out of my mouth before I could sensor them.
“Tell me, bitch. Have you been kissed before?” He took another step in my direction and he was just an inch away. I could feel the heat of his body against mine, his breath fluttering on my face. He gripped my wrists and pinned me to the wall by placing the backs of my hands against it. “Have you?”
I looked into his impossibly black eyes and became intoxicated by his closeness, drunk on his face. He hadn’t done anything to me yet, but oh, how I wanted him to.
“Have you?” he asked again.
I shook my head, thinking I was about to be kissed for the first time. I was appalled that I was ok with it. My lips parted and I lifted my chin.
“Now go back to your daddy so you can tell him about me and how you begged for me to kiss you, and I told you no,” he said.
“I didn’t beg you to kiss me,” I snapped. “And you’re delusional to believe I want you to.”
“I can see it all over your goddamn face how you want me to kiss you, taste you, fuck you even. But you’re too young for me, bitch. Underaged.” He released my wrists and I felt as if my knees had suddenly become so weak that my legs were about to buckle beneath me.
“Maybe next year you’ll be ready,” he said.
“I don’t want you,” I said. But my voice sounded feeble even to my own ears, the hot ache deep inside me betraying my words.
His upper lip curled back a tad, a smile. A growl.
“I’ve never seen anyone as turned on as you. As horny as you. Your pretty little face is begging for it. Begging for me.” He licked his bottom lip, then took a step back. He turned on his heal, and before slipping back into the room, he said over his shoulder, “And you better let me be the one to pop that cherry of yours. I don’t settle for seconds.”