Page 24 of Pedal to the Metal

Suddenly, the car slowed dramatically, and he pulled over on the side of the curb. Tears were streaming down my face, but I didn’t know where they had come from. Ryce had never been violent, he had a temper and there were a few times he’d grabbedmy arm to hard, but he’d never hit me before. I was scared of him though in this moment. There was an unfamiliar look in his eye. I could almost feel his anger coming off him. He got out of the car, slamming the door with so much force the window rattled.

He appeared, yanking my door open. He reached down and yanked my arm which caused me to yelp in pain. I was still fastened into the seat by the seatbelt. “Shut up you spoiled bitch!” He yelled in my face as he reached in and unbuckled the seatbelt.

Once we were outside the car, he pushed me backwards from him which caused me to stumble in my heels. “Ryce please calm down. I didn’t mean to upset you,” I pleaded with him.

“Oh, sure you didn’t! You’re always just so perfect! Girls would kill to be with me but no not you! You have to go around and be seen with Jagger. Leaving me to look like a fool in front of all my friends. Make me look like an idiot in front of my parents with that whole allergic reaction bit! Then once you realized your pathetic dreams wouldn’t be coming true you ran back to me. Where’s Jagger now Londynn? Where is he to rescue you? What did I ever do to you to make you embarrass me the way you do?” Ryce asked stalking towards me.

I knew I shouldn’t say anything, but I couldn’t stop myself. “What did you do? You want the list? How about all those times you ignored me for weeks? How about the three months I was in rehab, and you never bothered to write, call or visit?” I ask him while pushing his chest. “How about the night I came looking for you after Vivienne died and you were too busy hooking up with Alivia to even notice? How about any of those times? I can’t stand you Ryce. You are everything I hate about that part of the world. You think everyone is beneath you and that everyone wants you. But in reality, they tolerate you because you can bank roll every adventure and party. I’m pathetic, what the hell doyou think you are?” I ask pointing at him, “At least I wanted to try and make something of my life unlike you. You’re just one of their mindless robots, playing their game.”

I turned around to leave. I wasn’t too far from Farrah’s maybe I could just walk there then call a cab or something, but I didn’t get too far. I felt Ryce’s hand clamp around my wrist and yank me back to him. My wrist was throbbing from his grip by the time he spun me around to face him. He did say a word, but I could tell by the look in his eyes that whatever was about to happen was the worst. He had managed to pin both my hands behind my back, even with me struggling against him I couldn’t get his grip to loosen. His free hand stroked my cheek and he whispered, “You were supposed to be my trophy…just mine.” Then before I knew it, he had backhanded me across my cheek so hard I fell to the ground. My eye felt like it was going to pop out of its socket and there was a pounding in my ear. Tears roll down my face. He didn’t stop there though. He pulled me back up to my feet only to hit me again.

By the time he got in his car and drove away I could barely see out of my left eye, my lip was bleeding, and my legs and arms were stinging from where the dirt and gravel had scrapped them. I finally managed to sit up only to realize that my purse with my cellphone was in Ryce’s car. I doubt I could even walk to Farrah’s now. I was stranded on the side of the road in a fancy dress and heels with my face swollen and bruised in the not-so-great part of town. All I could do now was pray. I saw a gleam of silver and when I looked over, I saw the cross with Harlyn’s name on it. This was the same spot Jagger had lost her. I get why he left, I’m too scary for him. He’s afraid I’m not stable enough and who could blame him. I lay my head on my knees and cry.

****

I don’t know how long I sat there before a pair of headlights washed over me. I didn’t look but I heard the gravel crunch as the car came to a stop on the side of the road. I heard the car door open and shut and someone walking towards me. “Miss, do you need some help?”

That voice. I know that voice. I look up and see Ace’s electric blue eyes rimmed with thick black eyeliner staring back at me. Ace James, who would have thought he’d be my knight in shining armor tonight?

“Londynn? What the hell happened to you?” He asks, and he runs to the spot that I seemed to be rooted in. He gently takes my head in his hands and examines my face. “We need to get you to a hospital.” I shake my head no. “Londynn come on. I don’t know what happened, but I have a pretty good idea. You need to see a doctor.” I just shake my head no, again. I can’t seem to find my voice. “Londynn, I think you may be in shock.”

I swallow, and my throat feels like sandpaper. “I probably am but no hospital.”

I notice some relief floods into his eyes when he hears my voice, “At least you can talk. Do you want me to take you to Farrah’s?”

I shake my head no, “She’s out of town.”

“Shit! I forgot her, and Connor took a mini vacation. Where do you want me to take you?” He asks.

I go through everyone I know in my mind. I don’t want to see Alivia. Creed wouldn’t know what to do with any of this and if I go home my parents won’t care anyways. Then a name comes to mind. “Sadie.”

“You want me to call Sadie?” I just nod my head yes to answer his question. “Okay let me help you up and get you in the car. I’ll take you to my apartment because it’s closer. Kynlee’s there and we can at least start getting you cleaned up. I’ll callSadie and have her meet us over there.” When we get to the car, he opens my door and reaches in to grab something. He holds out an electric blue zipper hoodie for me to step into. I let him help me get it on, I’m not sure I’m cold but the hoodie looked welcoming.

On our way to his apartment, he calls Sadie. I hear him explain how he found me and that I asked for her. When he hangs up, he tells me she’ll be there then dials another number. It must be Kynlee because he tells her the same story. Once we’re at his complex he helps me out of the car and wraps an arm around my waist. “I live upstairs, think you can make it?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry about it," he says with an apologetic smile.

I shrug or at least I try to. “It’s okay.”

When we reach his door, Kynlee is standing there in a pair of really short denim shorts and black tank top. All of her hair is pulled up into a ponytail and she has on a pair of glasses. Her hand moves to cover her mouth. “Oh my gosh! Londynn," she says as she steps forward and extends her hand out to me. It’s such a simple gesture but at the moment it makes tears form in my eyes. I take her hand and she pulls me into the apartment. “Ace, why don’t you grab the first aid kit?”

“I have one of those?” he asks.

Kynlee laughs, “Never mind I’ll go get it. Why don’t you fix her something to drink?” She turns to face me, “I’ll find you something to change into as well.”

Ace shows me to the couch and sits me down then disappears into his kitchen while Kynlee went off down the hallway. I take the time to take in his living room. It’s everything I’d imagine for Ace. There’s one red wall with a bare black tree painted on it as well as some lonely ravens. He also has a black sectional with a mixture of red throw pillows and black throw pillows that have skulls on them. A black gothic looking coffee table sits in frontof me. At the end of the sectional is black bookcase full of horror DVD’s. He comes back and hands me a cup of hot tea. “This is some shit that Kynlee likes, it’s supposed to help calm you.”

Kynlee reappears just as there is a knock on the door. “That should be Sadie," he says going to get the door. Kynlee comes over and tells me, “Why don’t we go to the bathroom? Sadie and I will help you change.” I take her extended hand but as soon as I see Sadie come through the door, I feel the flood of emotions come back and I nearly collapse from it. Ace grabs me before I hit the floor. He helps the girls get me to the restroom which is decorated in black and white skulls. Kynlee starts a shower, once I’m showered and dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top, similar to Kynlee’s, her and Sadie go to work cleaning me up. I’m sure the cuts and scrap burn but I’m so numb I don’t feel anything.

When they’re done, they help me back to the living room where Ace hands me another cup of tea and Axell tries to give me a granola bar. Sadie sits in front of me on the coffee table. “What happened Londynn?” She asks but I shake my head no. I notice Kynlee standing next to Ace and the way he’s pulled her close to him, as if he can protect her from the world. Sometimes Ace James seems like your typical jackass bad boy, but Kynlee brings something else out in him. She looks up and whispers something, he drops a kiss on top her head and she comes to sit beside me. She takes my hand in hers. “Londynn, you need to talk to us," Sadie tells me.

“I had this stupid charity benefit to go to at my parent’s country club. I caught Ryce hooking up with some girl in the hallway and he chased me down. He forced me in the car and then drove like a maniac I was sure we’d wreck, and it’d all be over but finally he slowed down. He pulled over on the curve and he was yelling about me making a fool of him or choosing Jagger and some other stuff. He yanked me out of the car, andhe kept yelling at me about stuff. I tried to keep my mouth shut but eventually I started yelling back and it made him angrier and then...well you can guess the rest," I tell them gesturing at my face.

Axell steps forward, “Has he done this before?”

I shake my head, “No, he’s grabbed me a little too roughly before when he’s upset or drinking but he’s never hit me before.”

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