Page 8 of Ruin

Again, I sit at the back. Alone.

Ash is in most of my classes, but not this one. At lunch, I sat with his friends, I don’t really talk to them. They hate the world, for no reason. I hate it because I couldn’t fight back.

The second Declan walks into class, laughing with his friends, my body tenses.

How can someone so heartless be so good looking?

If I’d met him under different circumstances, I’d probably stare. Do a double take.

But he’s ready to make my life hell.

And I don’t even care.

Declan walks up to my desk, drags the chair next to me closer, and sits down, stretching his legs.

I tap my fingers against my pad, waiting.

Say something.

Anything.

His energy is suffocating.

He slowly licks his bottom lip, leans forward, and places a piece of paper on my desk.

And then he walks away.

I stare at it.

It’s not just folded in half, it’s folded into thirds.

What the fuck is this?

THE LIST

COME TO POOL PARTY - $100

WEAR A BIKINI - $10

BLOW JOB - $500

WEAR A SKIRT - $20

NO MAKE-UP - $10

Closing the paper, I turn to Declan, who’s watching me. He wants my body as fucking payment for his damn car. I know who he is. I know about his family. They have more money than they’ll ever need—enough to last them for many lifetimes.

So why the hell does he care so much about his fucking car?

I stick my middle finger up at him, and he blows me a kiss.

I don’t even want to know what else is on this list. Right now I don’t care, because I have a feeling none of it is something I’ll want to do.

No make-up. A skirt. Those are the two things I choose, but there is only one problem with that, he’ll see all the bruises covering me.

And, if he asks about them, I have no idea what I’ll say.

FOUR

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