My breathe quickened seeing him walk out of the elevator. He wasn't holding back his anger and pulled me out of the Connor's grasp. I could hear Connor's sudden gasp along with mine.

I was hitting his hands on me, to loosen the grip. Boy, he was strong. I definitely knew it was gonna leave a mark.

Finally, he let go of me in the parking lot, pushing me against his car and trapping me between his arms. I mean his groin was accessible to me. Not that I am indefensible now.

He gritted his teeth, eyes intensely glaring intensely. Everytime I manage to look into his, the emerald green eyes were crumbling my soul.

"I told you to stay the fuck away from Connor", he seethed. He was very intimidating and I felt uneasy standing infront of him. 

I tried to push him away but he was strong enough to withhold me. "I said get away from me", I grunted pushing him away. 

The next second I know he was gripping my hands behind , turning me and push me to his chest. " I warned you before"

"I told you I don't care about it. You can't control who I talk to", which might had been a bad idea because he was digging his nails into my skin tightening his grip. I was in the verge of crying. "Let. Me. Go", I grumbled through the pain.

"Oh honey why so early? I am not done with you yet", I could feel his breathe in my ears. "I am getting started with you"

"Okay. Just tell me what you want? Not talk to Connor. Okay fine. Just let go", I was ashamed of myself yet getting away from him was my first thoughts.

"Honey, you know you can't stay away from him. Now I will help you stay away from him". For anything I wished that Connor actually came after me. Nothing he said made sense. 

"What do you mean?", I whimpered when he pressed his nails deeper when I didn't answer. "You are going out with me", my head started spinning in his words. I became frantic. He was a maniac smiling like a vile psychopath. I started throwing my hands and legs. He finally let go of me and I landed on the ground.

One minute Ryder was standing before me and next Connor was kneeling infront of me and Ryder adjacent on the floor. Connor lifted me up, inspecting the dig marks on my wrists. He didn't say anything but I could feel his anger emitting out of him. He really wanted to punch The Devil but was holding on that emotion.

I made a mistake by turning to look at Ryder. He was dusting his pants and the way his lips morphed into an evil grin was unnerving. I couldn't understand what Ryder meant 'going out with him'. I knew that going out was the same thing I was thinking then go to hell I would rather eat whatever Luke cooks.

Connor was worried at the most. He flinched every time I did and made sure he didn't touch anywhere that was hurting.

"It was my mistake. I should've continued keeping my distance. I am really sorry that happened", he said in a soft voice. As much I want to tell him that it wasn't his mistake and it was totally Ryder hitting the wall and acting insane, I kept my mouth shut.

I didn't reply as he dropped me home and only shook my head when he offered to drop me off at my room. I wanted to hurl myself and thankful that no one was in the living room.

I stripped off my clothes and stepping into warm shower. Soaping was difficult and water hitting straight at my hands whenever I tried to move made me frustrated. I inspected my wrists. They were red and a two nail marks shallow enough to not to bleed to death.

I called Papi and he was furious was an understatement. He advised me to go to the police, which I wasn't planning to or even tell my friends about the situation. Second one was plausible and there was a chance that they could talk it out. 

I wore a long sleeve to cover my marks. I slept waiting for all of them to arrive last night. I wanted it to be done smoothly and telling about it individually was pulling off the grenades one by one. It was better be done in our living room at the night.

We all settled in the exam halls as Chadd was already seated next to me. The moment his expression changed I knew he found. Before he could utter a damn word, I shook my head to leave it alone. He was persistent on knowing about the marks on my hand. I somehow managed by telling him I scratched myself during the sleep. Not the best one but that was all I could come up with in those two hours.

It was second day Ralph didn't show up. He declined me visiting him and said he was just enjoying the few days alone. Which lead to Ryder in the front desk smirking at me. Unconsciously my hand went to the marks over my wrists. His face went blank the moment he dropped his eyes to my wrists.

I went on my normal routine of checking the order and clearing the stock room. My heart stopped when a hand grasped my wrist. My eyes popped out of my socket when I turned to look at Ryder holding my hand and the door was closed. 

My flight instinct took place as I started to wiggle out of his gasp. "Leave me", I grunted shaking my hand off. "You should've left Connor when I told you to. Now he cares and fucking end up hurting", his voice coarse.

"That's not  my fucking problem"

"That's your mistake and you are going to pay for it"

"I am not paying for shit. Leave me now". I was so going to get a restraining order against him. He left my hand and I ran to the door. 

As soon as I stepped out of the door I heard a familiar voice. The things I'd seen had me gutted. I couldn't take off the phone screen as Ryder stepped around me. My tears were flowing without my consent and my heart was constricting with pain.

He bent in the line of my blurry vision. He was smirking again. I was quiet with shock. "Why?"

"That was just a preview, should I say. You do what I say and I'll make sure no one knows about it. You know when the whole college knows about it isn't going to be very pleasant and not to mention your friends. They will be devastated"

That's it. I had enough. The sound of my hand connecting with his cheeks rang through the library. I didn't regret it even when his demeanor changed into a dark one. 

"You are a shit"

"Oh come on. You can do better than that", he scoffed wiping his cheeks. "What do you want?"

He leaned towards me. My chest was puffing with the extra oxygen I was taking to calm me down and come with the terms that things I saw were actually true. 

"Ten Dates".