Page 82 of Beauty Beneath the Sorrow
I grimace. “Thank you.”
Then his eyes lock with mine. “You’re so beautiful, Lina. I’ve waited all year to ask you out.” He licks his lips, then leans in to kiss me. The kiss is bad. Not at all what I expected. The smell of Kirk’s breath mimics sour beer—almost identical to how it tastes. I fucking hate beer.
“You didn’t have to wait until prom to ask me out.” I play coy.
I’m a little drunk but still sassy. I’ve liked Kirk since the beginning of freshman year. He’s the only guy who doesn’t show me any attention and the only one I’ve wanted since that day in Algebra. His wavy blond hair is short on the sides and longer on top. He has this arrogant cockiness about him, which pulls me in like a magnet.
“Let’s go upstairs to lie down for a bit before I take you home?” he says, more like a demand than a question. Before I have a chance to respond, he’s leading me up the creaky hardwood stairs. My vision is a little foggy while I let him lead me away from the party—and away from my friends. Even after the amount of alcohol my petite frame drank, distant alarm bells were vibrating in my bones. I push them aside, telling myself he’s a great guy and there is nothing to worry about.
Kirk opens the door to a dark room at the end of a long hallway. “No one will find us in here.”
“Are we hiding from someone?” I giggle, wondering if we were playing some kind of a game.
Suddenly, the air is knocked out of me. I’m shoved onto a bed that appeared from the darkness. I gasp. My heart is racing. My eyelids flutter. I grip the sheets, trying to keep my balance, scanning the room to gain my bearings. Before I have time to react, Kirk is on top of me, sticking his tongue down my throat.
On instinct, I push him away.
“What are you doing?” I shout, but it’s no use because he comes right back.
“We are the two hottest people on campus. It makes sense for us to be together.” His words come out filled with spit, misting the skin on my neck. I shiver as his beer-soaked spit rolls down to my upper back.
I jerk my shoulder, moving away. “That’s fine. We can date. But I don’t want to do this here.”
His body weight is pressure on my chest. I can barely capture a full breath of air. I’m wriggling away, but Kirk crawls higher on top of me. From my peripheral, I watch in slow motion as his arms come around to grip my wrists and force them above my head. Now, starting to panic, my mind flips through several things I can say or do at this moment.
But this is his way of playing? Just because I’ve watched him from afar or because we’re in similar friend circles doesn’t mean I know him well.
Licking up and down my face and ear, he’s sloppy. It’s now grossing me out. Still trying to wiggle free, Kirk continues to rub his core up and down my body.
“You’re making me feel uncomfortable,” I grit through my teeth, flipping my head back and forth to avoid his mouth.
The minute I feel his cock grow between us, panic seizes hold of my insides. Like a light switch, I’m now fully aware this is not my choice. He’s strong, and with my hands pinned above my head, I can barely budge.
“Kirk! I don’t want to do this.” Now, I am more sober than I have been the entire night. I guess that happens when a person’s fight-or-flight instinct kicks into overdrive.
“Yes, you do,” he corrects in a tone that indicates he has no intention of listening to me.
“Okay, maybe we can meet at my house? I don’t want to do this here.” I try to negotiate, saying anything I can to get him off my back, but it comes out more like begging.
“No, Lina. This is happening.” His voice is dark—and not a sexy dark, more like threateningdarkness that shoots a chill down my spine and another lashing of panic at my back.
As we all were heading to the cabin, the light drizzle of rain and the impending storm caused a light concern among our group, but now the crashing sound of thunder rattling the windows was the only thing I’m not afraid of.
I kick my legs, slicing them through the area, garnering enough strength to free the bottom half of my body. Kirk responds but clenches his thighs tighter, locking my legs into place. I am not a match for this large seventeen-year-old football player who works out multiple times a week. “Kirk! I’m saying no. Please. I don’t want to do this!” I plead, tears spilling from my eyes.
“Is she putting up a fight?” I hear another male voice accompanying a sliver of light from the hallway.
“Yes. I need your help, Landon.”
Every muscle in my body stiffens, and my breath halts. Kirk is asking him for help. Oh my god, Landon is going to hold me down. I know it.
“Please, Landon,” I cry out, begging for help from another one of Kirk’s teammates. Landon was also my lab partner during the first semester last year. He’ll help.
“I don’t know about this man.” Landon’s voice shakes with uncertainty. “If this was for fun and she was down with fucking around, I’d be all for it. But Lina doesn’t seem into it.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Kirk screams behind him. “This is your one chance to fuck the prom queen. Are you going to take it or not?”
“No, man.” Landon shakes his head and then shuts the door behind him, leaving me alone with Kirk.
