29 - Just Her

"Yours is the light by which my spirit's born: - you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars."

― E.E. Cummings

. . .

OLIVIA WOODS

I walked out of the room after a few minutes. I was wearing my panties because they were not being good to me so I did not have to listen to them.

I was looking down at my phone. I had emailed the school to switch to online classes for a while. I knew I needed it because the darkness I saw when I closed my eyes was filled with fire. I didn't want to have a panic attack at school. That would be embarrassing.

I bumped into Ashton who was coming up the staircase.

He frowned at me. "I was coming to get you." He cupped my face. "What's wrong?"

I moved away from him. "Nothing."

"Little one," he warned, pulling me towards him with my hand. "What's wrong? Did someone say anything?"

"No one's even talking to me, what would they say?"

He frowned deeply. "You want to talk? I thought you promised Xerxes."

"I don't want to talk." I ripped myself away from him. Since I had woken up after what we did I was feeling vulnerable. "I-I'm tired. I need to sleep."

"Don't be like that, Olivia." He sighed. "It's a simple rule."

"Why are you being like this?" I sniffled. His eyes widened at the lone tear which left my eye. "Are you ashamed to care for me? Do you just want to own me?"

"Baby-"

My new phone rang. It was Georgia.

"I need to talk to her." I ran back to my room and closed the door, locking it. They must have the key but if they entered without permission I would cry. I could not yell at them but I knew I would sob.

I attended Georgia's call, kicking my heels off and snuggling under the blankets.

"Georgia." "'Sup, Livy?"

I closed my eyes and again, I could feel the burn on me. I kicked the blankets away. "Nothing much. Just had dinner. Did you eat?"

"I'm eating sushi." "I hate sushi."

"Precisely why I love it." I heard her talk to someone else. She was probably at a restaurant. "When do you plan on going back to school?"

"I applied for online classes. Because they probably know about the fire, they agreed." I sighed. "Classes start tomorrow. I could have easily taken a few days off. I'm an idiot."

She chuckled. "Do you know Professor Daniver left?" I gasped. "What?"

"Yeah, today."

"Wow," I muttered. "You don't go to classes for one day and something big happens. Do you know who is coming in his place?"

"Not yet." Georgia was majoring in journalism so she liked knowing stuff all over the campus. "I'll tell you tomorrow."

"Okay," I said. "I want to meet you." "Time and place."

I didn't want to go out in public, not till I was assured I wouldn't freak out looking at the first red or orange thing. The Creeds somehow kept my panic

at bay. "Tomorrow evening at your apartment?" Cassandra had given me a few days off so I had time.

"Sure. I have to go in a few minutes, I have a shift in half an hour. When are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Of course, she knew. "It's stupid. Something with the Creeds." "Are they being good to you?"

"Most of the time."

"You can come live with me. I'll give you my bed. I suppose it won't be as luxurious as living with them but we can probably play board games and drink."

I smiled. "Maybe. If they continue to act the way they are acting right now I'll come and take the couch."

"Nope."

"You have a shift. Bye!" "Don't you dare han-"

I hung up, grinning. I loved hanging up on people. It felt powerful and I knew it was rude but Georgia never got mad at me.

I closed my eyes and slept.

. . .

ASHTON CREED

"You guys are idiots." Dante laughed, his knife was in his bloodied hand. "Should have given a reason."

"Like you know shit about women," Zavier grumbled, drinking from his glass. I was leaning against the wall and Xerxes and Zavier were drinking. I liked drinking but everything tasted like ash right now.

Dante chuckled, digging his knife in the man's thigh. "Well, yes they are normally gagged. Try that."

"We are not keeping her gagged," I muttered. We needed to ease her into submission, earn it. Not dump our domination over her. She was vulnerable after almost fucking dying and would not hesitate to flee if given a reason to.

I watched as the blood dripped down the man's thigh. He had been here for about a day. The longest we had tortured was a week, probably, till Zavier threw the man in his maze.

The longest we had been tortured was...too long.

I shook my head to get the fucking memories out. I didn't have many probably because the whole time was nothing but a blur of pain and...fear.

Xerxes was watching me. "Go to the gym, blow off some steam." He always somehow knew when I was about to lose it.

I nodded.

I walked out of the basement and then up the stairs. The gym was on the ground floor.

I entered the gym and got out of my clothes in the changing room, putting on joggers.

I walked towards the punching bag hanging from the ceiling.

And then everything was nothing and all I could think about was rage, the burning rage inside of me which never dimmed. My fists were punching on the bag yet I could barely feel them. I could barely feel the sweat trailing down my half-naked body. All I could feel was that rage. That fucking rage fucked me up.

I didn't know how long I was there.

And then I heard it. A small soft voice invading the battlefield in my mind. "Ashton?"

It was like a bucket of freezing cold water had dropped on my fire. Like suddenly everything calmed down. The voices got silenced and then it was her, just her.

I turned around to look at her, Olivia. She did not know the effect she had on me.

She was looking at me with wide eyes. "I-I..." She bit her lip, eyes trailing over my abs. I felt myself warm up under her gaze and then her eyes fell on the bandage on my shoulder. I looked up at the clock. It was nine in the morning. I came here around four. Five-hour.

Fucking great.

"Your shoulder is bleeding?"

Was it? I felt the blood trail down.

She walked closed, eyes widened. She had a little makeup on. I knew her class was in an hour. She had probably come to get a laptop.

"Your stitches are probably ripped. You need to get them redone." Xerxes would do that. "Now!" She demanded.

I smiled. "I'll be alright. Let's get you a laptop, yes?" "Not before you get your stitches redone," she said. I sighed. "Go grab Xerxes. He must be in his office." She nodded and ran out of the room.

I sat down on a bench, removing my bandage.

Olivia entered the gym in a few minutes, dragging Xerxes behind her. It was clear she had made him run. She cared.

Any decent person would care if they see someone with a ripped shoulder.

She watched, covering her face with her hands and peeking through the gaps of the fingers, as Xerxes stitched my shoulder.

After we were done. Xerxes took Olivia away, who probably asked if I was alright a million times, and I went to the library.

. . .

Feels weird to write a chapter without a cliffhanger.