“Go to hell, Noah.”He didn’t say anything, just smirked as I climbed the stairs. I halted at the top, staring down the hallway. Four doors, two on each side. I recognized Noah’s room immediately. His room had the faint smell of cologne and the faint sound of music leaking through the cracks.I reached for the door next to mine and pushed it open.My breath caught.The room was… perfect. A queen-sized bed dressed in pink linen, deep purple walls, and a replica of my favorite Da Vinci painting hanging above the headboard. I clicked on the lights, my heart racing as I stepped inside.“Mom really knows how to tempt me,” I muttered, running my fingers over the painting.I threw my bag on the bed and turned around, only to see Noah leaning against his door frame, arms crossed, watching me with that infuriating smirk.Of course, my room had to be right across from his.He brushed the tip of his nose with his thumb, then mouthed, “Tick tock.”Before I could respond, he disappeared into his r
Reality hits me like a slap, and I start twisting my wrists, trying to break free. He took his shirt and began to tie my wrists together.“Stop. Get off me, or I’ll scream,” He laughed, a low, dark sound that sent a chill through me. “That’s all you do… all talk but no action.”WtfRage pulsed through my veins, and I kicked out, my knee connecting with his abdomen. He didn’t budge. I kicked out again, and my eyes widened as my knees came in contact with something semi-hard. He let out a hiss and his eyes darken, and I know I’ve made a mistake.“Here’s a secret,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “He likes the struggle. So if I were you, I'd stay still.”I froze. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I watched his abs flex over me as he tied my wrist. What did he mean by that? And why does that tiny bit inside me want to keep moving… to see what would happen next.He got off me then reached under my pillow and pulled out my phone, tucking it into his pocket. “No!” I strug
I woke up to sunlight burning my eyes, and my heart immediately dropped. Late. I was late. I shot up from the bed, my mind scrambling. My phone. Where was my phone? Oh, right. Noah had it. I groaned, kicking off the tangled sheets and stumbling to my feet.The floor was cold under my bare feet as I rushed downstairs, my breath coming in short, panicked bursts. The clock on the wall glared at me: 7:30. Thirty minutes. I had thirty minutes to get to school. My stomach twisted. Shower. Clothes. Bag. Go. I could do this.The shower was a blur of scalding water and hurried movements. I didn’t have time to care about how I looked, but my hands trembled as I scrubbed at my skin, trying to wash away the lingering unease from last night. I threw on the first dress I found. It was a simple black one that clung to my frame. I grabbed my bag and turned to leave. My eyes landed on Noah’s door. It was opened slightly. I paused, my hand hovering over the doorknob. He must have already left. But th
I turned around, giving him a quick glance before focusing back on my painting. His words echoed in my head. *Beautiful.* He called my painting beautiful. And… *cute.* He called me cute. I shook my head, trying to clear the thought. *Snap out of it, Rosalie.*“What are you talking about?” I asked, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me.“Oh, you know exactly what I’m talking about,” he said, his tone dripping with that infuriating confidence.He stepped closer, his presence looming like a shadow. I didn’t look up, but I could feel him there, just behind me. He sat on the desk, his movements casual, but there was something deliberate about the way he reached for the canvas on the easel.“Don’t touch it,” I snapped, pointing the paintbrush at him like a weapon.He raised an eyebrow, unfazed. “Relax. I just want to see it.”“It’s wet. You’ll mess it up.”“Relax,” he repeated, his voice low, almost soothing, as if he was trying to calm a wild animal.He lifted the canvas, hol
I looked away, my fingers twisting the hem of my dress. I didn’t know what to think. Deep down, I didn’t want to believe he was capable of something like that, but the evidence was right there, staring me in the face.“I thought as much,” he said, his voice heavy with something I couldn’t quite place. He stood up and walked toward the door without looking back.I watched him go with my heart pounding in my chest. Why was I even considering following him? Why did I care so much?“Shit,” I muttered under my breath. Before I could stop myself, I was on my feet, running after him.I caught up to him just as he was about to enter the boys’ changing room. Then he was halted by a hot blonde. He shoved her to the side and continued walking.“Babe! You’ve been avoiding me for weeks now! What’s wrong?” “What part of we’re done don’t you understand?” He says turning around sharply. His eyes were filled with rage and something else… pain. “You can’t just dump me babe… I know you’ll get over it
He used his finger to trace from my shoulder down to my breast. My breathing has become gasps, as I felt shivers run down my spine. Why am I letting him do this? And why is it affecting me so much?He placed his palm on it, grasping it softly. He raised my soaked top to allow his hand to come in contact with my flesh. With a finger, he pushed the bra, allowing his hand to come in contact with my breast. He squeezed softly and I bit my bottom lip to prevent a moan from coming out. I have never met any guy touch me here before… and I definitely shouldn’t be letting him touch me here. He moved to the next breast, then squeezed softly. “Or… it could be in her panties.”He trailed down to my thighs and I had to lean against the wall so my trembling legs wouldn’t give out. He raised my skirt, then trailed his fingers at the edge of my panties. “Lace…” I heard him say underneath his breath. And with that he ripped it off my body, my eyes widening in shock. “I think you like me keeping
I swallowed the lump that grew in my throat. She didn’t see me come out of the changing room, did she? Oh Rosalie, what mess have you gotten yourself into.“You think you can catch his attention. But let me break it to you, sweetie: he’s never going to notice you. You know why? Because he’s mine.”I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. Shit, that was close.She let out a sharp, mocking laugh as her fingers brushed against the collar of Noah’s jersey as if to emphasize her claim. “Though I have to admit, it’s kind of cute. I like the idea of my boyfriend having fangirls.”Her gaze flicked over my shoulder, and her smirk faltered for a split second. I turned to see Noah approaching. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were locked on me. The blonde recovered quickly, plastering on a sugary smile as she rushed toward him.“Baby, there you are! I was waiting in the parking lot, but you took forever. I thought I’d come find you.” She reached for his arm, but he sideste
It was already night when I started walking back to the house. The streets were empty. It was the kind of quiet that made my skin crawl, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care about the danger, the darkness, or how far I had to go. All I cared about was putting one foot in front of the other, trying to outrun the mess my life had become.The sound of an engine broke the silence, and my heart skipped a beat. A sleek sports car with tinted windows pulled up beside me, slowing to match my pace. My stomach dropped. What was I thinking, walking alone at night like this? I quickened my steps, my pulse racing as the car kept pace.The window rolled down, and I froze. It was Noah. His face was shadowed, but even in the dim light, I could see the scowl etched into his features.“Get in,” he said, his voice low and commanding.I hesitated. I wanted to ignore him, to keep walking and pretend he wasn’t there. But something about the way he looked. The tension in his jaw, the darkness in his eyes, made
Noah rubbed his forehead again, then glanced at the beer cans littered across the ground near his mother’s grave.“Leave them,” I said. “Someone else will pick them up.”“I …” he murmured.I placed a hand on his arm. “It’s okay. I’m not mad.”He looked at me with disdain in his eyes. “You should be. I’m not good for you.”“You aren’t,” I said, smiling. “But I don’t care.”“Why? I don’t understand,” he said.But I don’t know the answer to that question either. All I know is that I’m looking at a boy who’s not ready for the world he created, a boy who can’t face his own sins. A boy whose youth was taken from him too soon, whether by force or by choice. Even if the thing brewing between us is so wrong, I couldn’t help it. He’s just a boy in need of a girl to help him out.“You’re not the only one with secrets,” I muttered. “I guess we’re all bad guys in our own story. And… I’m sorry I talked about your mom.”“I get it.” He nodded a few times. “I’m sorry about everything. The pictures,
“Why are you doing this?” he murmured against my shoulder. “I’m a monster, a fucking bad guy.”“Even bad guys deserve a shoulder to cry on,” I replied , smiling gently.He leaned back. “I don’t want to. I want to scream.”“Then scream,” I said, shrugging.And he does. So loud that the birds fly out of the rustling trees. The sound was like that of a wounded lion roaring in pain. His chest deflated slowly, and I watched the energy dissipate.“Feels good, right?” I said.I do that sometimes.”“When?” he asked.“After my dad left.” I sucked in a breath and tucked my hair behind my ear. “When he met another woman. He never came back to us.”The silence following my words was deafening.“I’m sorry,” he said after a while.“Don’t be. I’ve made my peace,” I said.“Besides, he’s still living his life out there, somewhere, even though it’s without me and my mom.”Noah nodded. “Must be hard.”“It’s fine… It’s not as hard as what you must be going through right now,” I said, cocking my head.
Noah steered me toward the girls' bathroom with his grip like iron around my wrist. The hallway buzzed with laughter and whispers that crawled under my skin. Then the principal's voice crackled through the speakers,"Noah Blackwood, please report to the office immediately. I repeat, Noah Blackwood to the office now."His head snapped up with confusion flashing across his face. Every eye in the hallway locked onto him."What do they want you for?" I whispered."No clue. Come with me."I obeyed.We rounded the corner—and froze.Two police officers stood outside the principal's office. My stomach dropped. Oh god. Did they finally catch him? Is this an arrest?One officer gestured Noah inside and followed him in. The door clicked shut.The warning bell screeched overhead. Fuck. I needed to get to class, but I had to know what was happening.Five minutes passed. Then ten. The door stayed closed.Shit. I have to get to class.I sprinted to class, sliding into my seat just as the teacher
I woke to pounding on my door."Rosalie! Mommy's back!"My eyes flew open. Shit. Mom had this habit of vanishing for days, then reappearing like some jet-setting ghost.The doorknob rattled. "Locked again? Rosalie?"I shot up from the bed. Next to me, Noah stirred with his bare chest glinting in the morning light.Fuck."Rosalie? You're late for school!" My mom screamed.Noah was on his feet in an instant, yanking his shirt over his head. He mouthed "Bathroom" and disappeared inside just as I swung the door open.My mom was dressed in a short skirt and a top with a bag in her hand.“Rosalie, why are you locking your doors?”“I dunno, security reasons?”I said try to be as calm as possible. I know my mom can definitely tell when a girl is hiding a man in her room. She has lots of experience in hiding and being hidden.“Really? Even when you were living in that crackhouse in a dangerous neighborhood… Even when you’re in the house alone, you never lock your room door. So why now? Thi
I stared at him, words clotting in my throat.The realization hit like a sucker punch—he’d been protecting me. It made no sense. This was the same boy who’d made my life hell, who’d smirked while I cried.“Why?”He swallowed hard, then dropped his hand.“I don’t know Rosalie, I can’t help it.”“But you bullied me…”“That was in the beginning…” He turned away, raking his fingers through his hair.“It’s fucked up, I’m fucked up.”Then my eyes squinted. I can’t believe him. The memory of how he deceived me to take those pictures flooded my mind.“I can’t believe you. Is this another of your plans? To make me vulnerable so you can take something else to manipulate me?”“Manipulate you? I’m not manipulating you.”“That’s what I thought till you took those pictures of me. Why did you take them then? Wasn’t it to bend me to your will?“His Adam apple bobbed down again.“I took them…” he swallows again.“I took them became I needed them”“To do what?”“What do guys use girls' naked pictures
“You can’t run Rosalie.”Shit he’s right. I can’t run away from him. Even if I do, it won't last. My mom would want to know why I’m away from the house. It’s bringing more problems than solving the current one. If you can’t run from your problems, you face them. “Is that what you told her before you killed her?” I shot. I know the last thing I should be doing right now is provoking him. But I can’t let him believe he has the upper hand.Noah kicked the door. “Open the fucking door and say it to my face.”“I can’t hide from you right? Break through it.”I heard him laugh. “You either open this door or I tear it down.”“Then you’ll have to explain to our parents what happened to the door.”“Our parents? Last time I recall, I only have a dad, and you only have a mom.”“Still doesn’t change the fact that you’ll have to explain.”He let out a dark chuckle.“You push me Rosalie, you push me.”I heard him go into his room, then he came out.“You forget that his house used to belong to
The first thing I noticed was the weight of Noah’s arm draped over my waist and his warm breath against the back of my neck. The second thing? The clock on his nightstand glowed 3:17 AM in blood-red digits.Perfect.I held my breath as I lifted his arm away from me slowly and slid out from under the sheets. The mattress creaked and Noah stirred. I froze, my pulse hammering in my throat until his breathing evened out again.Clothes first. My top was crumpled on the floor where I’d tossed it hours ago. I got dressed quickly.The bedside drawer yielded nothing but condoms and a switchblade. Classic Noah. His desk was next—neat, controlled, just like him. Laptop closed. Notes stacked with military precision. No phone.Then a glint of light caught my eye on glass atop his closet. There. I climbed onto his chair with my bare feet sinking into the leather, and stretched. My fingertips brushed cool metal. Got it. The phone was ice-cold in my palm, like it had been waiting for me.Now for th
I shook my head in negation. No, no more. That’s enough.“No please,”Before I could refuse some more, Noah's lips crashed against mine in a punishing kiss, all teeth and domination as he ran his fingers through my hair. "You'll take what I give you," he growled against my mouth. His free hand slid down to roughly palm my breast.My back arched involuntarily as he pinched my nipple through the thin fabric of her bra. "This belongs to me now," he murmured before tearing the material away with his teeth, exposing my pebbled flesh to the cool air. His hot mouth closed over the peak, sucking hard enough to make me gasp—first from the sting, then from the sinful swirl of his tongue that turned pain into throbbing pleasure.I whimpered as he trailed wet, open-mouthed kisses down my trembling stomach. He paused to bite the sensitive skin of my inner thigh. "You smell desperate," he taunted, inhaling my arousal as his fingers parted my folds. "Dripping for me like some cheap slut."The f
The car ride was silent. Heavy. The kind of quiet that presses against your eardrums until they ache. My fingers twisted in my lap with my nails biting into my palms.What kind of punishment was waiting for me at home?Noah pulled into the driveway then the engine cut with a finality that made my stomach drop.“Get out. And stand.”I obeyed without a word.He parked, then strode past me toward the house, his broad shoulders tense beneath his shirt.“Move.”I followed, climbing the stairs on numb legs. The house was empty, as usual. Just us. Just this. As I turned toward my room—“My room.”I froze. Swallowed. Then pivoted toward his door.The scent of his cologne wrapped around me as I stepped inside. His room was clean as usual. The bed was neatly made, as if he’d planned this. He shut the door behind us with a quiet click.“Drop your backpack.”It thudded to the floor.Noah crossed to his closet, and my breath hitched as he pulled out a sleek black case. When he opened it, cold met