Christian (The Mitchell/Healy Family #3)(38)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“Get your things. We’re goin’ home.” My dad ordered.

“I don’t have much, dad. My roommates destroyed it the other day when this all came out. Nobody believes me.” I watched my dad clenching his jaw. It was obvious that he was pissed at this new information. He picked up his phone and was immediately connected to the nine-one-one operator. “Yeah, I need an officer to come to a residence so that my daughter can retrieve some personal items.”

He waited for a moment and then gave the address to the house I’d been living at for a short time. My mother hugged me, probably seeing that I was ready to jump out of a window and call it the end.

Five minutes later we were heading to the house, and with the little amount of talking my dad did in the car I knew he was about to go off the deep end.

Once we pulled up at the residence I was ordered to stay in the vehicle. My parents walked up to the arriving officer and they all went inside together. A few minutes later I spotted Becca walking outside on the front porch. I tried to duck down on the backseat to prevent her from spotting me, but it was too late. I saw her heading in my direction and she looked pissed.

She knocked on the window. “You had to get your parents involved? Bitch, you barked up the wrong tree. You’re lucky I don’t bust in there and beat your ass. Why don’t you get out and face me?”

“I’m not afraid of you, Becca.”

She opened her arms wide. “Come on, slut.”

“I’m not a slut!” I yelled from the other side of the glass.

“You’re just a liar. We’ve all seen the video. He showed everyone. You blew him in the movie theater, in public. There’s no way he raped you. He said he rejected you, and you got pissed.”

“He’s lyin’! I swear it. He took me to that abandoned house and forced himself on me. I begged him to stop.”

She shooed my comment away. “Just get your shit and leave us all alone. I should have known you were nothin’ but trouble.”

Before I could say anything another officer pulled up. He walked inside of the house, coming back out with my parents, who had their hands full of my belongings. I sat quietly in the car, stewing on Becca’s threats. She didn’t have to threaten me to leave campus, because it was the last place I ever wanted to visit again. Without the support from Ethan I was left to go through this alone. My parents would do as much as they could, but they’d never understand what it felt like to be lost.

Right before they climbed into the vehicle I heard Becca getting loud. She was up in my mother’s face, pointing at me. “She’s trouble. You ought to lock her up and throw away the key. That girl tried to take down my friend.” She pulled out her phone, and before I could react I saw my mom’s eyes widening. She covered her mouth with her hand and froze. “You still think she’s the victim?” Becca asked.

I jumped from my seat, running over toward them, but my dad stopped me. “I don’t know what this is about, but we’re leavin’ right now!”

I didn’t fight as he led me back to the car. There was no use. The damage was irrefutable. My mother couldn’t look at me as she joined us, and I knew why. She’d just seen my lips around my rapist’s cock.

I buried my head between my knees and cried the whole way home, feeling like there was no way they’d ever believe my version of the story again. I knew they’d protect me, but seeing their disappointment would literally kill me. Death had to feel better than this fate. As I considered that option I knew I’d given up hope.

The time of me wanting to fit in; to be popular and loved, was over. I didn’t deserve this result however it was exactly what I’d been left with. I was nothing, a loner who’d lost her faith in everything positive. Though I knew I didn’t deserve it, I’d been labeled as an outcast; who’d live out the rest of my days in solitude, because I’d rather be alone than face what else the world had in store for me.

Chapter 24

Ethan

Star knew what I wanted from the moment I hung up from my call. She’d unlocked her door anticipating my visit, and as I approached it, I knew she’d be able to settle me down, at least for the time being.

There was just one problem with that plan.

I wasn’t hoping to stop stressing about an exam, or something mundane in life that annoyed me. I was trying to forget about Christian; the woman I’d purposely pushed away because our timing was off. I’d been a fool to think that statistics should factor into my feelings for her. What kind of idiot prolongs being with someone because there’s a chance that it might last longer?

I did.

Yes, it was true that I was angry with her. A part of me wanted to ream her out for what she’d done. There was another part of me that remembered the events of the past week. Knowing her like I did, it was impossible to assume she’d been lying. Christian may have been highly intelligent, but she was a terrible actor, and horrible at lying, especially to me. I didn’t know every single detail of what led to her attack, but it had happened. I’d witnessed her break down right in front of me. I’d seen her react to being back at that abandoned house. I watched her fall apart during the group session. It wasn’t something she could fake. Her actions were heartfelt, painful to watch in fact. There was no way in hell she could make that up.

Star pulled me inside of her apartment and I immediately regretted being there. Her naked body pressed against me while her lips found mine. I closed my eyes and tried to respond to her initiation, but it was impossible. I’d abandoned my best friend, and it was crucial that I go back there and console her.

My mind went into a whirl as Star reached down my pants, gently caressing my limp dick. Within seconds I’d become hard, needing a release I knew I wasn’t going to get if I went home.

She tugged down my jeans, eagerly taking my cock between her lips. My head fell back while I persuaded myself to go along with it. The pact had been broken. Her doing this was now allowed, and I wasn’t about to stop her, besides, it felt better than I could have imagined. She hungrily lapped up my cock, savoring it in her mouth while sucking vigorously. In no time at all I was ready to explode down her throat. She’d satisfy me like she always did, which in turn made me come back for more.

Just as I was about to finish I heard my phone ringing. I ignored it, hoping to find closure with my current predicament, but it just kept blowing up. Finally I pushed Star off of me and answered, annoyed. “What?”