His face is nothing like the one I was looking at a minute ago. Still as beautiful, of course, but there's an evil shadowing hisfeatures, and I don't want to know exactly what it means. I just want to get out of here.
The tie isn’t tight around my neck at all. He's loosened it so much, I can barely feel it, but it'sknowingit's here that stops me from breathing.
"P-Please," I gasp. "Take it off."
My eyes fill up with tears, and I scrunch them tightly to stop them from spilling.
The hand that's not holding the material comes to my face, and his thumb presses softly at the corner of my eye.
"Open your eyes, pretty girl. Show me those tears."
When I don't, I feel the knot moving higher.
They snap open.
"There you go."
"Achilles—"
"I won't hurt you." That smirk of his becomes terrifying. "I just want to see the fear in your eyes."
I try to rear my head back, but that makes the tie more noticeable at the back of my neck.
He must feel me shift to move my hands because he shakes his head. "Listen to me. Keep your hands where there are, do exactly what you're told, and I'll let you go quicker than you think."
The calmness in his voice makes me panic harder. A sob bursts out of my mouth as he tightens the tie some more.
"Just let me go now…" My nails scratch whatever’s underneath my hand, and I accidentally grab onto the sheets on the desk and end up fisting them tightly enough to hear the crumpling.
He wanted fear? He has all the fear I can give. He presses even harder against me.
Until now, I'd refused to look up, but I finally do, tears rolling down my cheeks as I meet his gray eyes. They're shining with a sadism I can't translate into real thoughts. It's terrifying.
"Why are you doing this?" My words are barely audible, crushed by the distress.
His thumb keeps painting my cheek with my tears, and his attention stays fixed on them as he answers.
"Didn't you want to be here? Didn't you want that scholarship from my family? To be closer to me? In this room?" His lips graze my wet cheek. "Didn't you want to meet your idol, baby? Well, here I fucking am. Happy to oblige."
The noose around my neck tightens again.
"No!" I scream. "Please, I-I…" God, I can't stop stuttering.
"You're what?"
"I'm scared," I whisper.
His eyes snap back to mine.
"Good."
He's already between my legs, and he can probably feel them trembling against his, but he still says, "Spread a little wider."
"Achilles, please don't do this." I still do as he says.
Peach's warning from earlier rings out in my head like a punishing melody.Never, ever tell him any of your fears.
He was on the other side of the fire pit talking to that girl. I thought we were far enough that he wouldn't hear…or at least wouldn't care. He wasn't supposed to care about me.
