Allie awoke alone and with the faint scent of bleach tickling her nostrils. The early morning hues of pink and orange colored the sky as her senses went into high alert. She strained to listen for any indication that he was still in the house. After several minutes of silence, she peeled the covers back and gasped at the sight. Her beautiful body was now covered in dark purple bruises; most of which were in the shapes of fingertips. If she had given in sooner, would they still be there? Fresh tears splattered against her naked flesh as the images from the night before assaulted her and she slapped the sides of her head as she screamed at them to get out.
He had made her feel so helpless and weak; then manipulated her body to a mind-blowing orgasm, a couple of them to be exact. Vincent had experience with the female body, there was no doubts there. But Allie wondered how many went before her, for him to sharpen that skill? She was far from being a girl, but his sheer size had her feeling small and vulnerable. He had fooled her into thinking he was harmless and even a little charming. She had let her guard down, and it had been her downfall.
Allie cursed as she stood, body sore and aching. The room was cold, and she shivered as she looked for her robe, only to recall it had been torn off in the living room. She grabbed the cover blanket from her bed, wrapping it tightly around herself. The stench of bleach became stronger as she stepped into the hallway, pausing only long enough to sweep the house for the sight of him. Was she truly alone? If it wasn't for the marks that covered her body, and the pain that accompanied it, she would have almost said it was some crazy nightmare. There was no evidence of their struggle, the furniture was straightened, and she was guessing all other evidence had been washed away. Even her torn clothes were nowhere to be found and she started to frantically search for her purse.
She found it sitting on the kitchen table, her cell phone beside it with a note folded neatly on top, addressed to her. Her hands trembled as she picked it up, recognizing the handwriting.
Allie~
I was sorry to leave such a beautiful sight, but work called. Thank you for a special evening, see you in class Monday morning! In the meantime, make good choices.
~V
She turned her cellphone on only to be quickly informed her SIM card was missing. It was a subtle warning.
Make good choices
, he had said. But the undertone was clear, he was telling her to keep her mouth shut. A missing SIM card wasn't enough to stop her, but it did make her hesitate. Why did he want it? What if they didn't believe her? She had bruises, but she was sure he did as well. She
had
invited him over for the night, what if they thought she wanted it? No, that was nonsense, she was covered in bruises. But what was her other option? Walk into class and pretend it never happened? How could she look at him after what he did? She set her phone down and searched for her car keys, even got so far as to hold them in her hands. But then she could suddenly feel his hands holding her down, his breath on her face, his threats being whispered in her ear. Maybe now that he had gotten it out of his system, he'd leave her alone. She could find a new hardware store and do her best to never be left alone with him. Convincing herself that was the truth, she threw her keys back into her purse and opted for a hot shower, scrubbing until her skin was a soft pink; but no amount of scrubbing made her feel any cleaner.
Monday quickly came but Allie had already called into work, pretending to be struck with a bad case of food poisoning. Instead of class, her day consisted of re-securing her house. She drove to Lowes in the next town over, making sure to replace all her locks, just in case. She also stopped and picked up a replacement SIM card. Allie didn't think that Jim was aware of the exact type of young man he had working for him, but she didn't want to take the chance that Vincent would have the heads up. When Tuesday came and went, she was even more sure he was done with her. The bruises were already fading to a lighter shade of greenish yellow. Thankfully, she'd always been a fast healer.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She put the chain into place and hefted the bag into the kitchen. She was allowing herself one more night before returning to work, she couldn't afford any more days off than that. The semester was almost over and soon Vincent would no longer be in her class, she just had to make it until then. She could do that. She had just finished putting the milk away when she spotted it. From the corner of her eye, she could see his outlined figure in the doorway. She felt her stomach drop and her heart skip a few beats as she turned to face him. His nose was healing nicely, but she noticed with pride it was just ever so slightly curved.
"Why weren't you in class today, Ms. S?" He took a step into the kitchen and she backed up so fast she rammed her back against the counter with a thump that left her winded.
"How-How did you get in here?" she demanded.
"If you intended to keep me out, you would have had better luck installing an electrical security system. Changing the locks does you no good if I can pick them."
"Get out of my house, you are no longer welcome here!"
"You are trying to sound brave; you straightened your back to appear as though you were standing taller, more confident. But there is still a small waver in your voice that tells me you are scared, I like that."
"Why are you doing this to me? I have been nothing but kind to you."
"Kind? Do you honestly think I believe you are completely clueless about the way you've been flirting with me?"
"I-If I gave you the impression that I was interested in anything other than a platonic friendship I am sorry..."
"Enough, stop your
lying
!" he shouted, taking another step closer.
"Vincent, please, listen to me, it is not too late to turn around and go home. I-I didn't go to the police, I kept it a secret like-like I said I would. But I am not about to let you come back in here and order me around. I am also not going to allow you anything
else
if that was your intention." Her voice was firmer, she sounded as though she might believe the words herself.
"You do not need to
allow
me anything, Allie. I will
take
whatever I want. You cannot stand there and deny that you enjoyed it." She shook her head violently, shutting those thoughts down.
"Get out of my house, Mr. Dethridge! I am not going to tell you again!" If she thought using his surname would get his attention, they were dismissed when he took another step closer, the smile growing wider.
"I bet your pussy is wet right now, just thinking about it." She was terrified, she wanted to run, get somewhere safe so that she could call for help. She couldn't just sit back and let him use her this way. If she let him get away with it again, where would it end? From the corner of her eye, she could see the butcher knife in the sink, and she debated whether that was too far. She wanted him to stop and get help, not kill the poor boy; but there was no way she could let him rape her again, she just couldn't.
She grabbed it from the sink and held it between the two of them as she slid down the length of the counter. Vincent approached her, slowly and deliberate with every step he took. He kept himself just far enough away that the tip of the blade didn't even graze his belt buckle.
"Still, you fight me. I am impressed with your determination to stay in denial of your true feelings."
"You are my student, a
child
; I could never feel anything beyond general care for your wellbeing. If you touch me, I
will
turn you in this time." He shook his head and chuckled in disbelief.
"Have you forgotten your lesson so soon? I am going to show just how serious I am about keeping that mouth shut." He took a few steps backward, pulling open the junk drawer, lifting the stapler. He turned it over in his hands and smiled mischievously. Allie felt faint; the blade began to waver.
"Please, I-I didn't mean it, I-I won't tell if you just leave." she bargained.
"You seem to have this silly notion that what we have is a one-time fling. Quite the opposite, I'm quite fond of you, Ms. S. I think we are going to have a lot of fun together, that is if you can learn to follow my rules." He took a few steps closer and panic engulfed her, she lashed out with the kitchen knife, thrusting it up, aiming for his ribcage.
He hissed as the tip of the blade grazed his torso, cutting his shirt and his flesh. He dropped the stapler and grabbed her wrist, pressing his thumb into the middle, causing her to instantly drop the knife. The blade missed her by only a few inches, and he used his free hand to slap her hard enough it left her ears ringing and had her feeling a little disoriented. The look in his eyes was dark enough she would have soiled herself had she not already gone at the grocery store.
"You. Cut. Me." He spoke each word slowly and she felt the color drain from her face. She didn't let herself think, she acted on instinct and swung with her free hand, catching him in the face with her fist, rewarding her with a grunt and another slap to the face. He sank to his knees and pulled closer until her back was against his chest, his legs quickly wrapped around her waist, pinning her down as he wrapped another arm around her chest. He picked up the knife, holding the blade mere centimeters in front of her face, causing her struggles to die down or risk being sliced open as well.
He caressed the side of her face with the cool metal, forcing her to be still as he slowly released her arms and wrapped his hand around her throat instead, instantly squeezing. It took only seconds for her limbs to go limp and as her eyes began rolling into the back of her head, he sliced open her shirt, then her bra, exposing her breasts to the chill kitchen air.
"Shhh, I wouldn't squirm so much if I were you," he warned as the very tip of the blade gently graze her nipple before lightly dancing across her breasts. He released his grip a little at a time, the blood came rushing back into her brain with a force so strong it left her limbs twitching. He used the opportunity to force her sweats down her legs, leaving her in nothing but a torn top. She hadn't felt much like putting on any of her panties after Vincent's brief stay. They were too lacy, too sexy and even though she knew she had done nothing to ask for this, part of her couldn't help but run through every detail of every interaction, desperately searching for where she went wrong.
"No panties, how naughty!" he whispered in her ear, his hand slid lower as he moved the knife away. She slapped his hand, sending the knife skittering across the kitchen floor, beyond their reach. He sighed as he returned to his previous hold and reached to their side to pick up the stapler.
"I was very serious when I told you this has to stay our little secret. If you go around blabbing, then our time together ends. And only
I
