I walk to the table on legs that barely hold me, every step is a negotiation with my body. I pull out my chair and sit, the fabric sticking to the mess between my thighs, and I want to crawl out of my own skin.
"Eat your dinner, Summer," he says calmly, insinuating obedience is the only option left.
I pick up my fork, and my hand trembles, so the fork rattles against the plate. I take a bite, and I can't taste anything. I chew and swallow and stare at the black water, wondering how I can escape. Next time I will not fail.
9
SUMMER
The yacht docks, and Kairo helps me off. His hand is on my lower back again, and I let him guide me up the stone path because my legs still aren't working properly. The night air is warm and heavy, and the jungle sounds press in from every side. I can feel his cum drying on my inner thighs with Nico's saliva, and I want to scrub myself raw.
We walk in silence. The villa glows through the trees ahead of us, all that glass lit up against the dark jungle. The path curves along the cliff edge, and I can hear the ocean below, crashing against the rocks, steady and indifferent.
I stop walking.
I can’t do this.
Kairo takes two more steps before he realizes and turns back. "Summer."
I walk toward the edge. The wind whips the sheer black dress around my legs, the drop is straight down.
One step.
One decision that finally belongs to me.
“Summer.” His voice changes instantly. “Stop.”
I put my hands on the railing and lean forward, the rocks below look sharp, and the water looks hungry.
“I can’t do this anymore,” I whisper.
“Summer … step back, right now.” There’s real panic in his voice.
“What’s the point?” My voice cracks. “You own me. My father sold me. My own body betrays me every time you touch me. I can’t run. I can’t fight. I can’t even hate you properly anymore. So, what’s the fucking point?”
I swing one leg over the railing.
He lunges with a raw, broken sound I’ve never heard from him. His arms slam around my waist like iron, yanking me backward so violently we both lose balance. I fight like a wild animal, thrashing, clawing, screaming, kicking.
“Let me go!” I scream, elbowing him in the ribs. “Let me fucking go!”
“No!” he roars, dragging me away from the edge. We crash to the ground as dirt and rocks scrape my skin. I’m on top of him for half a second before he rolls us, pinning me beneath his full weight. His hands shake as they grab my wrists, slamming them into the dirt above my head.
“Don’t!” His voice cracks completely. “Don’t you ever fucking do that again!”
I’m sobbing so hard I can barely breathe, still fighting underneath him, legs kicking wildly. “You don’t get to do this! You don’t get to break me and then act like you care when I want it to end!”
“Summer,” he says my name softly.
I shake my head. “Don’t,” I warn him. “You humiliated me, you fucked me in front of another man, you treat me like property. Why the fuck do you care if I jump?! It would be less hassle if I were dead.”
His hands are shaking as they cup my face, and his forehead presses against mine. I can feel his heart slamming against my chest like it’s trying to break free.
“Because if you go over that edge,” he says, voice raw and shattered, “I’m going right behind you.”
I go still beneath him.
He’s breathing hard, almost panting, and emotion wells in his eyes.
