I wake up with a jolt; my head pounding wickedly, throbbing as I glance at the foot of the bed...my bed. I'm in my room? Kristy is snoring softly on her bed and I'm not wearing the same clothes I had last night. Oh hell! How did I go from perfect beginnings to sick endings in less than twenty four hours? I should've stayed back, should've known something's not meant for me. Wiping my tears, I decide to hit the community showers.

Kristy is on her phone when I pad into the room after what seemed a shower of a lifetime. "Hey...what happened last night?" she asks and I remain silent as I set my toiletry case down and sit on the bed. "Wish I knew." I mumble to myself, "When did you get back?" I'm still trying put in the missing pieces together. "As soon as I could, Ryan told me something happened---but when I got back you're passed out, changed in your pajamas and tucked in bed." So it was Ryan who came to my rescue last night? I have to thank him; he's a good person.

Holy Shit? Ryan changed me out of my clothes, but why? What could be more bizarre than this? Leave it to me to show up in some crazy ass club night and thrown into vomit amongst other shit. "Did Ryan tell you what happened?" I dig deeper and head to my closet. "Not really. I was told you needed me. That's all." Okay...that's good. "Wanna tag along for a shopping spree?" I ask as I pick a sweatshirt and a pair of denims. "Do you even have to ask?"

****

It's later in the evening after I finish doing my face when the door opens to reveal Mason. "How are you?" he asks as I fetch my phone from the table, "Better, are you guys leaving?" "Yes, do you want me to wait while Ryan shows up?" Kristy asks, "You don't have to." I smile sweetly and she beams. "Okay, see you in the party." "Bye." I sigh as the door shuts with a thud.

Frankly, I don't wish to be in a party but I was brazenly reminded by Kristy that Ryan asked me out and I owe him an evening out of decency and goodness of my heart. Sorting through my plans on my planner, I hear a knock on the door after a beat.

"You look amazing," Ryan's grins boyishly as I open the door and my cheeks heat up. How weird is the fact that he has seen me naked? What did he think? I wink the thoughts away, "Thanks." I manage to say as I grab my clutch. A shopping spree was just what I needed to clear my head. Although Kristy never approves my taste in clothing----I think it's elegant. Locking the door, we advance out of the building. I'm just glad it isn't as awkward as I anticipated it to be. Ryan is so handsome, with his glossy black hair and glowing skin and deep eyes. "So...how are you today?" And here I thought I buried the hatchet for good. "I'm good." I crack a smile at him as we slide into his car and he ignites the engine, "I'm sorry the neighborhood isn't very good near Hot mama." Okay. "So I figured." I sigh heavily and look past the windows towards the city. "Thank you for what you did," I break the comfortable silence after a few long moments as he begins to drive and he averts his gaze on me, confused and lost, "I couldn't have tackled that man alone." "I'd come a little sooner had I known something was going down there." He flushes and I smile, "It's all right, nobody saw it coming anyway." I say as matter of fact and he frowns for a short moment, "I won't let anyone hurt you Jessica," he says and my heart swells in my chest, "I'm glad we're friends, it means more than you know." I admit placidly and look out of the window, "Me too." He has a tattoo of dragon blazing fire on his arm and oddly, it's attractive.

The drive as expected is short since I'm in the right company, talking about random things. Clearly, I was over thinking things a while ago. Ryan draws the vehicle into the parking lot of an apartment building named Alliance Avenue, touching the ribbon of sky as I tip my head back and glance at the vast condo after sliding out of the car. "You'll love this party. It's wild but in a good way." Ryan dabs the button for the elevator car, "I sure hope so." I laugh nervously and he chuckles, "So whose party is it?" I ask as we step into the elevator car and it slides up, "You'll see. The guy happens to be close." Interesting. Perhaps it won't be bad at all. It took me a whole day to wrap my mind around the fall of events and the reason I'm still doing this is because I don't want an event to dictate my whole life, even if it scares me or breaks me further. "So no boyfriend?" Ryan asks as I stare at the antique needle on the top of the frame of the door, "No. I had things that rather occupied me." I answer evenly and the ding of the elevator car sliding open makes me miss his muttered words.

The living room is spacious and loud rap music pours in the air. There are hordes of people lingering in the room that's warmly lit with glowing lights in the corners. It has pristine antique blue walls with two vintage paintings of grey and black deciduous trees, with pre-war antiques. There's a full grey sectional sofa with ottoman and console table with a flat screen across the wall with an ebonized coffee table. The flooring is dark wood, rugged and carpeted exquisitely, there's a floor to ceiling custom window framed with white curtains at the end of the room that overlooks the magnificent Seattle skyline; there are neutral fabrics all over the place. There's a center table of ebony? I can't tell. This place screams money, power and elegance. Who owns it? There's no way a regular student can afford this apartment.

Kristy prances to me with a glass of foam in her hands, "There you are, I thought you bailed on me." "I had that thought earlier..." Ryan hands me a glass of clear liquid, "but I wouldn't dare," I giggle and sip from the glass. "What's this?" "Vodka," Ryan replies and I push some more liquid down my throat. Jeez I need to slow down, even if I like it.

I excuse myself after a brief chat and push through the crowd to explore the vast yet urbane apartment. Stepping into the kitchen, I spot boxes of pizza on the vast kitchen island, some plates stacked near the dishwasher and bottles of various alcohols on the countertop. I finish my drink quickly and pour a fresh glass of vodka. Sipping my drink, I saunter into the master bedroom, so modern and luxurious. There's a king sized bed with bedspread neatly made, lamp on the nightstand. Several paintings are hung on the wall with antiques; it's warm and welcoming. The bookcase stacked with literary classics instantly catches my attention and I decide to peek into it, out of curiosity. There are works of Bronte, Hardy, Tolstoy, Hemmingway and it continues. The occupant definitely has an unmatched taste, several works on French, German and Spanish Literature, Latin too. I wonder who lives here.

I drink from my glass and gaze out of the floor to ceiling window, admiring the serene skyline. I take another look across the room, dark floor rugged and carpeted; an ebony bureau desk with papers neatly stacked. Abruptly, I hear heavy footsteps in the hallway and I pivot to spot nobody. I swear there was someone. Sighing, I make my way back to the living room and place my glass on the console table.

I freeze in my tracks not believing my senses for what's happening right in front of me. What did I walk myself into? Porn? Soft porn? I don't know and I don't care. I look around frantically but the people don't seem to care. I begin to feel nauseous as my head starts to reel. There's no way I've been drinking that much. I peer again, closely this time and gasp to find Kristy on some random dude I haven't met before, tearing her garment and sprinkling some powder on her collarbone while Kristy sits on his lap unconscious. Jesus. I watch him snort that shit off her and nobody seems to be affected by this debauchery. I scan the room in hopes of finding Mason or Ryan but they aren't here. I hear Kristy moan as he lowers his mouth to her breast but she isn't in her senses to stop him. Somebody needs to stop him before he....Oh God.

I want to say something but my voice just won't find its way out. I tap on his shoulders but he ignores me and continues to tear her dress. I can't let some junkie use women to snort drugs off her. Period. I tap his shoulder harder and he snaps, "What?" He is intimidating, almost making me want to run away but I won't, not after last night. This is ridiculous.

"You need to stop." I demand harshly, my voice rising in crescendos as rage twists my gut. "Why you wanna take a ride too?" His tone is vile and my stomach churns. Since I'm competing with the speakers, "No and you better let her go." "Or what?" he snaps roguishly, making me yelp in my spot. He reminds me of the man last night, well built and dirty. I glare at him, planning my next move and just then, I hear someone walking in and stand behind me. I can feel his presence like a shadow, lurching.

Pivoting, my vision fixes on a pair of black boots, immaculate. Ripped black denims, my eyes shift to further north to black leather jacket and black v-neck t-shirt. Oh. It's a body of Michelangelo inside. My gaze slides to the man's face and I feel my cheeks heat. His eyes are intensely blue, sapphire blue and his chocolate brown hair is pushed back. He has a sharp jaw line that would make women drool with bliss, a blade of a nose and breathtakingly etched mouth. He stands with an overpowering aura, a frown shadowing his features.

My courage diffuses to thin air. To say that he's intimidating would be an understatement. I step back to balance myself, trying really hard to not land on my butt and embarrass myself. My mouth dries when his gaze meets mine, something about those eyes though...Who is he? With that little strength dangling somewhere in me, I turn to face Kristy and the sick feeling in my gut is back. "Didn't I ask you to stop?" I yank his hand from Kristy's hip and the intimidating stranger steps forward, "What on earth is your damned problem?" his tone is terse, cold as ice and I avert my gaze on him. "I'm sure you aren't blind." Grr...I swear people lost decency a long time ago.

I'm trying really hard not to falter but my fury is recoiling. "She has a boyfriend." He may look like some Sex God but that doesn't give him a right to behave so rudely to anyone. "I don't see how that's any of your business." His voice sets chills on my spine. "She is my fucking roommate, that's how." I snap harshly, "Plus, who the hell are you to barge in and speak like that? Didn't someone teach you manners?" I cross my arms and watch fury sift behind his eyes as his jaw sets. His anger visibly enhancing and I'm petrified. He doesn't look like someone I should mess with. Damn, he doesn't even look he belongs here. But the alcohol in my system doesn't care and I successfully manage to gather my courage, every last bit of it. "This is my party." His tone is clipped as he glowers and I don't ignore how smooth his accent is nor his eyes transforming arctic, making my skin shiver. "Perfect. You're in every right to stop this shit. So do it." How do people like him pass grade school without manners? My hand flies in air towards Kristy's direction where the man is burying his face in her breasts. Jesus...I can't take this anymore. "Stop it."

"Okay. Now listen...why don't you go to the other side of the room and find your traffic, drink some more and soak your head with the rest of them?" So diabolical and cold; how are people so magnificent on the outside be so deplorable on the inside? "So you approve all this? Drug abuse and objectifying women like that?" My fingers curl into a tight fist. This dude is a fucking animal. "Shut. The. Fuck. Up." he bites out and I step back. "Or what? You're gonna do the same to me? Spike my drink and snort cocaine off me?" My heart can't stop hammering in my chest and my stomach flips multiple times. I have an urge to kick him in his nuts.

"If you knew me then you'd know that I wouldn't think twice before taking you up on that." He smirks, totally amused to the idea. Lord! This asshole isn't helping me calm my raging nerve. "What makes you so entitled to do that?" I don't even know why I'm having this ridiculous conversation. "Because to me, women are simple tools to pleasure and I wish to do anything to them-they can see themselves out later." His lips twitch but I fail to find it remotely funny, in fact, I lose every last bit of my grace as my rage starts to control me.

The sound of faint murmurs and loud gasps knocks me down to the evidence of my breakdown as an aftermath. I didn't realize that I slapped him until I saw his face turned to the other side while my palm stings and if I'm being honest, I don't regret my actions. He had it coming after his shitty remark about women. "How dare you..." His jaw sets as his voice grows deeper, somewhere in between a whisper and a shout, barbarian and his eyes sift with volatile fury, disbelief and the alcohol in my system fades instantly as I'm smacked by hindsight. I shouldn't have...Oh dear God- I shouldn't have done this. I scan the room to derive an escape plan. "I need to leave. Now."

****

It's taken me nearly thirty minutes with Kristy unconscious in my arms as I made my way back. I never found Mason and Ryan and I left an indisposed man at his own party. After laying her on her bed carefully, I sit on my bed and rub my temples exasperatedly. I knew it, didn't I? This whole thing isn't meant for me. I should've stayed back and video-called Mother instead. What have I done? College was supposed to be my saving grace not some pit hell. I'm shaking, petrified and furious, and his words don't seem to stop echoing in my head.
Not knowing what else to do, I decide for a shower instead, fighting against my not so cohesive thoughts. 

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