Chapter 5
Tori POV
I weave through the crowd, blending in as I fake dance my way toward the front door. I'm only ten feet away from freedom when Ryder Hayes steps into view, having just arrived and blocking my exit. Iron Triad member number two. Of course.
His golden hair has darkened just a shade, but his charm is still in full force. He's schmoozing, dazzling the crowd with that perfectly white smile and pink lips. His blue eyes practically glow under the LED lights, reflecting every color they catch. Son of a bitch has grown two more inches since graduation. What does that make him now? 6'2? 6'3?
His gaze lands on me, and I see that familiar glint of mischief spark in his eyes. Just what I needed.
Ryder was always the most terrifying of the group- or at least I used to think so before that night. He's got everyone fooled with that golden-boy charm, making people believe he's sweet, with a heart of gold. But his heart's as rotten as a poisoned apple. He's a demon wrapped in an angel's body, and no one's the wiser. No one but me.
Now, I have Blaze cutting through the dance floor behind me, all menacing glares, while Ryder stands at the front, looking like he's ready to devour me. I freeze, torn between fight or flight, but before I can figure out my next move, a hand wraps around my wrist and yanks me deeper into the crowd. There are too many bodies to see who it is- just inked fingers parting people like the Red Sea.
It's not until we're sandwiched among a mass of sweating bodies that I recognize my rescuer. Of all the people I didn't want to see, Thorne is the last name on the list. His grip tightens, pulling me flush against his chest as he tilts his head down toward me. I want to fight, to tell him to back off, but all I can think about is the way his body used to make me feel.
He's the only one who's ever made me come undone, and no matter what he's done since, part of me wants him to do it all over again. You ruined me, Thorne. My first time was more than I could handle, and now nothing else compares. He didn't just ruin my search for pleasure- he left a hole in my chest, too.
"You shouldn't have come," he says, his voice flat, like my presence is nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
"I'm starting to figure that out." I take a step back, only to be shoved right back into him by the crowd.
"Why are you here, Vic?" His dark eyes narrow, suspicion simmering behind them as if he's trying to dig into my brain. You'll only find regrets.
"I don't know," I admit, unable to handle the weight of his stare, my eyes drifting toward the DJ booth instead.
"Go home, Vic. Nobody wants you here."
His shove sends me stumbling through the crowd and I take my chance, spotting the back entrance. Without looking back, I make a beeline for the door, sucking in a deep breath of night air the second I'm outside. I don't stop- I can't. Not until I've run a few blocks down the road.
What the hell were you thinking, Tori? I berate myself, mentally kicking myself in the ass for ever showing up. I didn't even know if the Iron Triad were still friends. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Once I'm far enough away, I slow my pace, leaning against a building to catch my breath. The reprieve is short-lived, though. A haunting whistle echoes down the street, sending a chill through me and dragging me right back to senior year.
Ryder isn't far.
I can practically feel him grinning, enjoying the chase like the psycho he is. I won't give him the satisfaction. I force myself to walk calmly to the bus stop, plopping down on the bench as if waiting for the last public transport of the night.
Totally normal behavior, sitting alone at a bus stop after midnight. As if that makes me any less of a target.
"Vicky, Vicky, Vicky. Were you really going to leave without saying hello?" His voice drips with mockery as he materializes behind me, almost like a ghost, whispering that stupid nickname.
"Yeah, actually." I nod without turning around, refusing to meet those infuriatingly blue eyes.
"Well, that's pretty rude, don't you think? I went out of my way to greet you." His tone is all fake hurt as he clutches his chest like I've shot him.
"Nobody asked you to, and my name isn't Vicky. It's Tori." Will my new name ever stick?
"Oh? Tori, huh? That's... new." Ryder hops over the back of the bench, landing beside me and pressing in far too close, his arm glued to mine. Personal space has never been his strong suit.
"If you say so." I shrug, my eyes fixed on the flickering streetlight ahead, praying it won't go out entirely.
For a moment, he's quiet. No biting remarks, no petty jabs- just silence. Long enough that I stupidly let my guard down.
That's when he strikes. In an instant, he's on his feet, standing directly in front of me. His blue Polo cologne- same scent from junior year- hits me like a punch to the gut. The same scent that clung to his jacket, the one he lent me the day Blaze made me run naked out of school.
Don't drop your guard again, Tori. Don't forget who you're dealing with.
That jacket was the reason my acceptance to my dream college was rejected. The reason I almost didn't graduate. It's amazing how quickly pockets full of drugs can ruin your future. Hard to prove they're not yours when they're found on you.
"What are you doing?" I snap, unable to hide the tremor in my voice as fear creeps in. My body's in full fight-or-flight mode, adrenaline pumping hard and fast.
"You're different," he murmurs, studying me like he's solving some sort of puzzle. "I don't like it."
His words cut deeper than I expect, and for once, I'm at a loss. No quick comebacks, no witty retort- just silence. His expression shifts, forehead creasing as if he's trying to make sense of it all.
Then he leans in, his piercing blue eyes locking onto mine, invading my space too much, too fast. I don't blink- I can't. If I close my eyes, I'm afraid he'll become the devil I know he is.
"Maybe I need to remind you who you really are." His threat hangs in the air like a thick fog, stealing the breath from my lungs.
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