Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 54496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
I gasped at the mention of my name, a name I had all but forgotten, buried in the past underneath every secret, every shameful whisper of Thorn’s name as he fucked me into the mess he liked me to be.
“I’m not,” I resisted uselessly, but he walked up to me as I stumbled back until I hit a wall. His palms came to rest on either side of my head, and he stared down at me as if he hated me. I hated the look in his eyes, the contempt, the anger, but most of all, the fucking disappointment that was so plainly visible in the way he regarded me.
“Prove it,” he said softly, and his hand found its way between my legs as I gasped for him. “Prove you aren’t a liar, Rose. Prove to me you don’t want this. Walk away from me. Walk away from us.”
I mewled as he touched his fingertips to the wet spot on my panties. It took me months to figure it out, but in that moment, I finally understood I was fucking nothing without Thorn. He’d made me into his plaything, but more so, he’d made me fall in love with him completely; there was no going back. I was doomed.
“Walk away,” he taunted me again. “Come on, Rose. Door’s open.”
I gave a half-hearted attempt to push him away, and he let me, taking a step back from me. I must’ve looked like a mess, mascara running as the first few tears slid down my cheeks, my expensive dress, shoes and hair not hiding that I was just a scared little girl with nowhere to go in the world and not a single place where I belonged.
“Let me go,” I told him, my voice shaking as I stared into his eyes, desperate for him to give me my freedom. “Let me go right now.”
“But that’s not the game we’re playing,” he said coldly. “You have to be the one to walk the fuck out. This is the last chance I’m giving you, Rose. You can even take your friend with you. Just go to that door. You’ll never see me again. But you’ll be free.”
My heart threatened to break in half at his words, and I struggled to move. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t take a single step away from him, towards a brighter and better future. I was stuck. Stuck with the man I hated, stuck with the monster I loved. I hung my head in shame, and Thorn was there to catch my body as it slid to the floor.
As he made love to me that night, he told me over and over again I’d made my choice. That I belonged to him now. That he’d never let go. That he knew I wouldn’t disappoint him.
And once he fell asleep, his breaths low and steady, I dreamed of getting away, knowing the whole time I’d come crawling back for him, begging him to take me back.
Yes, I was in love… and my love was going to eat me whole.
Chapter 9
Carina
It was another boring night with the same people, the same conversations and a different dress. I wore my hair up in a chic style I’d seen in a magazine earlier, dressed to the nines in a dress just a little too short, just enough to make my parents raise their eyebrows when I walked into the room.
My father held these gatherings weekly, and though I’d moved into my own apartment a while ago, I was still forced to come at least twice per month. My parents had always loved showing me off, the beautiful daughter who danced like a star and looked like a model. I despised them for only seeing that part of me and for not even bothering to peek beneath the layers to my personality. However, I was happy to come nonetheless, because it meant there would be a hefty sum deposited in my bank account the next day, courtesy of Daddy dearest. I could always count on him to be grateful for his only daughter’s company.
Truth be told, life had gotten boring in London. It was the same things over and over again. Training with Madame, working so fucking hard to be her new favorite and still coming up short. Our production of The Nutcracker was long over, and I was still struggling to find a different role. I went to auditions, danced and trained every spare hour, yet it still didn’t seem to be enough.
At my last audition, I’d been told to come back, only to find out they wanted me for a role in a film, not a ballet. It upset me. Dancing was what I lived for, what I wanted to do, but no one recognized my talent. No one gave a shit about my passion. That made me upset so much that