Sick bastard
1502 Words
Chapter Two
Sophia’s POV
I woke up to sunlight spilling through the curtains. For a second, I thought I was dreaming. Dante was standing by the fireplace, towel in hand, shirtless and hair messy.
He was humming softly to himself while making coffee.
My brain stopped working.
“Morning, sunshine,” he said, not even looking at me.
“Do you always wake up looking like a magazine cover?” I muttered, hiding under the blanket.
He laughed. “You say that like it’s bad.”
I peeked out. “Put on a shirt before Grandma walks in and gets ideas.”
“Relax,” he said, finally pulling on a t-shirt. “You drool in your sleep by the way.”
I shot up “What? I do not!”
He smirked. “Sure. That pillow puddle says otherwise.”
I grabbed the pillow and threw it at him. He caught it easily, laughing. “Still dramatic, I see.”
“And you’re still annoying,” I said, smiling despite myself.
He stepped closer, eyes soft now. “I’ve missed this,” he said quietly.
“Missed what?” I asked.
“This… arguing with you like idiots.”
I didn’t answer. My chest felt tight. I turned to the window. “You should go downstairs. Everyone’s waiting for you, Santa.”
“You always run when things get real, Soph,” he said, half-smile on his face.
Before I could answer, he was already out the door, leaving behind that stupid scent of honey and cedar that refused to leave my head.
***
I stepped down the stairs, still rubbing sleep from my eyes, only to immediately feel like I was being crushed.
Today was the day.
Caroline’s wedding.
Caroline was in the middle of the main hall, hands on her hips, eyes wild, barking orders like a general at war.
“Move faster! The flowers are all wrong!” she yelled at a frazzled florist.
“And you! Stop standing there like a statue!” she pointed at a waiter who was frozen, carrying a tray of champagne.
I tried to step around her, but Caroline spotted me immediately. “Sophia! You’re just standing there again, aren’t you?”
“I… I was just…” I started, but she cut me off.
“Just what? Go help with the centerpieces. Oh, and fix that ribbon!” Her finger jabbed at a half-decorated table.
I sighed and went over, bending down to straighten a small garland.
“Finally,” she muttered under her breath.
I was just finishing when she spun around. “No, no, no! That ribbon is all wrong. I told you to do it like this!” She grabbed it from me and started retying it herself.
I opened my mouth to explain that I had followed the instructions, but she had already turned back to the next person. I felt my chest tighten.
She wasn’t angry at me. Not really.
Caroline just… wanted everyone under her thumb, and somehow I was always in her way.
Soon all the preparations were set, and Caroline stepped out in her wedding dress, looking beautiful even with how her brows pulled together, observing the hall for any mishaps.
“Mommy do I look pretty?” Mona twirled in a circle, showing me her dress.
I chuckled at her expense, tapping her nose with my finger. “I don’t think I’ve seen a flower girl prettier than you,”
“Really?” She beamed, bouncing on her feet.
“Yes, my dear.” I mirrored her expression.
“Yay!” She scurried away after that, jumping into my grandmother's arms.
I smiled fondly, my gaze filtering through the hall. I definitely wasn’t looking for Dante, but I couldn’t help but wonder where he was.
Maybe his job here was done.
And why do I feel disappointed he left without saying goodbye?
I scoffed at the thought, “I’m such a hypocrite,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head.
Just then, Caroline gasped dramatically, hands flying to her mouth. “We still haven’t done the aisle rehearsal!”
Oh boy.
As expected, she turned to me, flicking her manicured fingers.
“Sophia go get Ethan.”
“Me?” I blurted out. Why should I be the one to fetch her groom?
“Yes. You!” Sophia snapped back. “Hurry!”
Swallowing a groan, I turned on my heels and climbed the stairs. Once I reached his room, I took a deep breath, reminding myself that I just had to survive for a few more hours.
Just a few hours. The wedding will be over. And there won’t be a reason for me to come back to this town.
After mentally preparing myself, I knocked once, then twice. But there was no response.
“Ethan?” I called.
Still nothing.
“Oh for the love of…..”
I wanted to walk away, but I knew Caroline would chew me out again. So instead I turned the doorknob, realizing the room was unlocked.
As I stepped inside, I was welcomed with an almost laughable sight. Almost because I knew my dear sister would absolutely flip if she saw it herself.
Ethan lounged on the couch, tie undone, cheeks flushed, eyes hazy. A dozen empty beer bottles littered the floor, and one would think he was a grieving man rather than a groom.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I face-palmed.
Noticing my presence, he shifted in his seat, blinking up at me with a loop-sided smile. “Sophia?”
Yeah, he was drunk. Not enough to pass out, but enough to be stupid.
Who drinks themselves to a stupor on their wedding day?
“Caroline needs to be present for the final rehearsal. Everyone’s waiting downstairs.” I told him, hitting the nail on the head. Let Caroline scold him for all I care.
Giving him one last look, I turned to leave, but he shot up and grabbed my wrist.
I whirled. “What are you—”
Ethan pulled me down, pinning me to the couch.
“Hey!” I struggled against him, but his grip on my wrists tightened, pushing them high above my head.
“Oh come on…” he slurred, spreading my thighs with his knee.
A chill ran up my spine, my blood turning cold.
“You’re a movie star aren’t you? Don’t you do this kind of thing with your co-stars?” Ethan snickered, his other hand moving against my hip.
“Let me go!” I squirmed against him, but this bastard’s grip was strong.
He wet his lips, eyeing my cleavage. “I love your sister, but I won’t deny that you got the better end of the deal.”
“You sick bastard…” My gaze sharpened into a glare. “Get off me before I make you regret it.”
“Relax…” he leaned close, his breath warm and alcoholic. “It’s my big day, just see it as a wedding gift…”
“Are you insane?!”
It doesn’t matter what I say. This man was bent on having his way with me. And I would be damned if I made it easy for him.
I thrashed violently, but then his hand left my hips and clamped against my neck.
“Stay still.” He warned, his gaze darkening.
My body trembled as a scream caught in my throat. Due to his grip, it was hard to breathe, and my vision blurred out, splitting into.
I felt him press against my core, panic settling in my bones.
“I wonder if you’re still tight down there, since you pushed a baby. But in a few years have passed, how’s my future niece?”
The moment he mentioned Mona….
Something in me snapped.
I pushed back against him with every ounce of strength, driving my knee into his groin.
He doubled over in pain, letting go of me for a split second. But it was more than enough.
My hand closed against the neck of an empty bottle on the floor, and I smashed it against the side of his head.
The sound of glass shattered and cracked through the room.
I scurried to my feet, my chest heaving.
Ethan crumbled to the ground, eyes blazing with sudden clarity as he held his bleeding temple.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” he sputtered.
A gasp cut through the scene, and we both turned to the doorway.
There stood Caroline, her fingers trembling at her sides.
Of course.
Perfect timing, as always.
Her wide-eyed gaze flickered from me to her fiancé, and I could literally see the gears turning in her head.
My grip on the broken bottle tightened as I wondered just how much she had seen, but my question was answered the moment she ran to Ethan’s side.
“What…” she whispered, her voice trembling. “What did you just do?”
- Writer
