Chapter 34: Horrors of the Past

KIANA

My voice cracked with every word I spoke. “I won’t tell anyone about that night. Like you said, who would believe me?” I admitted, defeated.

“Oh, Kiana. It’s not that simple.”

“Yes, it is,” I countered, trying to sound confident.

“No, it’s not,” he retorted, his voice hard, his eyes narrowed, his teeth gritted. “You don’t understand, Kiana. I can’t let you go. You and I, we’re supposed to be together. Once we’re married, I can take over the family business,” he explained in a frenzied manner.

“What?” I stammered.

Fear began to creep back in. Did he mean my father’s business? Did Cooper tell my father where I was?

“Oh, how exciting. You haven’t gotten down to the nitty-gritty just yet.” A familiar haughty voice echoed through the warehouse.

“Joanna! What the fuck are you doing here?” Cooper’s jaw tensed.

“I thought this was part of the deal. I want to watch her break.” She pouted, trying to look cute, only she came out looking rather pathetic.

He growled in frustration. “Stay out of my way.”

“No problem,” she squeaked, taking a seat at the opposite end of the table and crossing her long, exposed legs.

“You’re working together?” I’d suspected they were in contact, but not like this.

“Not as dumb as you think,” Joanna mumbled, but a sharp glare from Cooper shut her up.

“She was useful.” He shrugged.

“What exactly do you think is going to happen here, Cooper? That I’ll forgive you for what you did, and we’ll run off into the sunset together?” I said, disgusted.

Before Cooper could answer, Chase burst into the warehouse. My heart pounded at the sight of him, his presence bringing an equal dose of concern and relief.

“Don’t come any closer,” Cooper warned, positioning himself behind me, one hand tangled in my hair, the other around my neck. It all happened so quickly that I had no time to react.

“I could snap your pretty little neck,” he whispered into my collar, making me shudder.

“Don’t fucking touch her,” Chase growled. His fists were clenched, his muscles taut. I had never seen him so livid.

Joanna rose from her seat, shaken by the sight of Chase.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He glanced her way, his eyes the darkest blue I had ever seen. “You and him?” Chase looked repulsed.

“You must be the new boyfriend,” Cooper taunted, grabbing his attention. He tightened his grip on my hair and forced my head back against his shoulder. “Does he know?” he asked me, sounding almost proud.

“Know what?” Chase shot back, his voice growing darker, more aggressive.

“About us. We used to date. I was her first,” he gloated, making my stomach churn.

“I already know everything. And you make me sick.” Chase’s eyes darkened as he gave me a once-over to make sure I was physically okay.

I couldn’t move my head. Cooper’s grip was too tight. I couldn’t speak either. Overwhelmed with fear of Cooper and embarrassment at Chase seeing me in this state, I closed my eyes, feeling a tear slide down my cheek.

I inhaled deeply, forcing my eyes to flutter open. When I glanced at Chase, his face was etched with worry, which quickly morphed into fury as he locked eyes with Cooper.

“Haven’t you done enough damage?!” Chase’s voice thundered, the sound reverberating off the warehouse walls.

“Damage? She was into it.”

Cooper’s lies made my stomach twist and churn.

Cooper leaned in, his grip on me tightened, and he hummed in my ear. “Do you remember that night? Does it still haunt your dreams?” His words sent shivers down my spine, and the memory of that night flooded back as if it were happening all over again.

~No! I don’t want to relive it again!~

“That scar is a constant reminder of our ~special~ night together. You remember, don’t you, ~Rose~?”

A solitary tear rolled down my cheek.

All at once, memories of that night flooded my mind, overwhelming me like a tidal wave. His words resonated in my mind.

^FOUR YEARS AGO^

~I was staying the night at Jackson’s because my father was busy with work. He was always focused on his business, especially since my mother died.~

~My father and Jackson hadn’t seen eye-to-eye in a while, but the housekeeper was sick, and my father wasn’t much of a trusting man, so staying here was the only option.~

~I was used to having sleepovers here anyway. I even had my own room that they kept ready for me.~

~Cooper and I were on his sofa, engrossed in a horror movie. He was a big fan of those.~

~He was sitting behind me, his hand slowly trailing up and down my leg, his lips pressing softly against my neck.~

~Uncle Jack and Aunt Lilian were out for the night, and I felt more than comfortable being alone with Cooper. We’d grown up together, and then we’d started dating when I turned fourteen. Thus far, we’d only kissed. He hadn’t tried for anything more.~

~Cooper convinced me to keep our relationship a secret. He said if anyone knew, then we would never get any alone time, and our parents might make a fuss since he was four years older than me.~

~“What time are you leaving tomorrow morning?” I asked. He was going abroad to begin university. Another reason why I wanted to spend the night with him.~

~“At the crack of dawn,” he replied happily.~

~His lips started to get a little more sensual, his hands finding their way between my legs.~

~“Cooper, I—” I started to protest, but he cut me off, suddenly pushing me down and falling on top of me.~

~His kisses were hungry, sloppy, lustful, but devoid of any real affection.~

~“You know you want this, Rose. I’ll make you feel good.”~

~“Cooper—” I gasped between kisses. “I’m not ready.”~

~Ignoring my pleas, his hands slipped under my shirt, then my bra, caressing my skin.~

~Cooper had been acting slightly different from usual the past few weeks. I put it down to him preparing to leave for university. He had been snappier, his temper wafer-thin. He’d apologized, as usual, attributing it to his and his mother’s illness.~

~Tonight, there was a different change in him. One I feared would overstep boundaries that he couldn’t take back.~

~“Cooper,” I said louder, trying to push him off, but he was too strong.~

~He pinned me down with his body, making me gasp for breath as he crushed my lungs with his weight. I did the only thing I could think of…~

~I kneed him right where it would hurt the most.~

~I scrambled off the sofa and stood up. He was doubled over in pain, clutching his groin.~

~“I…I’m sorry. I panicked. I—”~

~“I have been so patient with you, Rose. I have waited and waited, but you just won’t give in. A man can only wait for so long. And now I’m leaving. I should at least be able to lay claim to you before I leave.”~

~There was a darkness in him I hadn’t seen before.~

~He straightened up and started moving toward me, a predatory look in his eyes. “Do you want me to fight back? Is that what it is? You want me to dominate you like some fetish fantasy?”~

~“N-no, Cooper—” Everything happened so fast that I didn’t have time to react until it was too late.~

~He violently pushed me face-first against the cabinet. Glass shattered on impact, scattering beneath me as I fell to the floor. My hands and knees scraped against the shards as I tried to crawl away.~

~He grabbed my ankles and yanked me back. The glass shards ripped through my clothes and cut my skin. He grabbed my hair and lifted my head as he towered over me.~

~“You brought this on yourself,” he said before slamming my head against the wooden floor so hard I almost blacked out.~

~A sharp pain spread across my collarbone where a shard of glass had pierced me. Despite the physical pain, my mind was elsewhere. All I wanted was to get away.~

~I felt my pants being ripped off. My underwear was stripped away.~

~I tried to fight back, but it was futile.~

~I felt dizzy, as if I might faint at any moment from the blow to my head.~

~He straddled me, pressing his weight against me from behind.~

~How could he do this to me? I thought he loved me. He told me he did. But this wasn’t love. This was something else entirely—something dark and unforgivable.~

~I screamed, yelled, and cried as I heard the sound of his zipper. But we were alone. No one was coming to save me.~

~“Cooper!” I screamed one last time, hoping to get through to the boy I grew up with, the boy I loved…~

~His hand covered my mouth, silencing me. I felt something poking me from behind as he spread my legs, and I squirmed beneath him.~

~But it was all for nothing.~

~He tore into me without a shred of remorse, taking away the one thing I should have had control over. He shattered me, just like the glass cabinet he had thrown me against.~

~It felt like it lasted forever. I couldn’t remember when I stopped fighting, but at some point, I did.~

~The physical torment was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. The pain of this ultimate betrayal opened wounds that felt like they’d never mend, leaving behind scars that seemed destined to stay forever.~