My phone buzzes again. I don’t even have to look to know it’s Judas.
I ignore it.
I slid into the passenger seat and shut the door. “Are you driving or not?”
Knox laughs and pulls away from the curb.
The party is in a house outside of town, barely ten minutes from Del Mar, but the moment we step inside, I see familiar faces. Heat and noise crash over me. The music thumps through the floorboards and through my ribs.
Knox’s hand is locked around mine as he pulls me through the crowd. We reach the edge of the room near the sofa, where the same people are sprawled across it like on a night when Judas took me out. Mina. Axel. Dahlia. When I turn my head, I spot Nico and Harper tangled together on the dance floor, moving under the flashing lights.
“What the fuck is she doing here?” Mina says to Knox.
“Cut it, Mina. She’s with me,” he says, tugging me down onto his lap as he sits.
Dahlia coughs the word “Slut” through her breath.
They both laugh.
My eyes scan the room, expecting to see Judas step out of a doorway. But instead, Nico’s gaze meets mine for a second, then he looks away.
“What did you just call me?” I snap, trying to stand, but Knox’s arm tightens around my waist.
“Here. For the nerves.” Axel presses a drink into my hand, laughing.
I take a sip. The burn slides down my throat. Knox’s hand is already creeping under my dress. I push it away and stand, but he drags me back down. When my head dips close to his, he murmurs, “Look how hard you’re making me.”
I feel him against my thigh as I shift, every movement pinned by his grip. Each time I try to rise, he forces me back, this time pressing me down onto him. His hand holds me there, and the room starts spinning just a little.
“Damn, Knox,” Axel says. “Wanna share?” He laughs.
The lights smear. Voices stretch and blur, drifting in and out like they are underwater. My head drops against Knox’s shoulder.
“I’m pretty sure she’s down for it,” Knox laughs, lifting my skirt. “Damn.”
Axel steps closer and hooks an arm under mine, hauling me up. “Come on, baby girl. Let me take you to sleep.”
Dahlia slides toward Knox, unbuttoning his pants, her hand disappearing. He groans. “You go have fun. I’ll join later.”
“No,” I whisper, but my legs fold under me.
Axel scoops me up and carries me toward the stairs. He carries me to the second floor. No one stops him. They just watch, like nothing is happening. Like, this is all my fault.
Something was in the drink. Something that made my whole body go numb.
Axel opens the bedroom door and drops me onto a bed. The mattress sinks under me as he climbs over. I can feel his breath hot against my skin.
“I’m going to fuck your brains out, you little slut,” he whispers.
I push at his chest, but my hands barely move.
He shrugs off his shirt and leans down, mouth brushing my neck. He laughs above me. His grin makes my stomach knotbecause I know what comes next. I know I shouldn’t have come here. I can’t reach my phone. I can’t call anyone.
He yanks my thong down, forces my legs apart. I shake my head, my voice breaking.
“No.”
He doesn’t stop.
