Confessions in the dark

Chapter 17- consequences

Ashley

The morning seemed to drag on forever. Maya and I had spent hours studying, surrounded by textbooks, laptops, half-finished notes, and enough coffee to keep us awake for another twenty-four hours. Eventually, Maya slammed her notebook shut and stretched her arms above her head.

“I need a break.”

I looked at the clock. “A break sounds dangerous coming from you.”

She laughed. “Come on. Let’s go into town for a little while.”

I hesitated, but honestly, I needed the break too. My mind had been consumed with Sebastian, my case study, Professor McCullough, and the ridiculous amount of information I was supposed to absorb before finals. For once, I wanted to forget about all of it.

We were barely out of the dorm when Gabriel showed up.

Of course he did.

Gabriel Ashby was the textbook definition of a college jock. He was the kind of guy who somehow managed to turn everything into a competition, from beer pong to basketball to who could eat the most wings in ten minutes. He was also the leader of his fraternity, which meant he had an inflated sense of confidence and a ridiculous number of people who apparently thought he was cool.

Maya adored him.

I tolerated him.

“Guess who’s coming to the party tonight?” he announced.

Maya’s eyes lit up immediately. “What party?”

“The house party.”

I groaned.

“No.”

Maya turned toward me. “You didn’t even let him finish.”

“I already know what he’s going to say.”

Gabriel grinned. “Party tonight. My frat. Everybody’s going.”

Maya looked at me with those pleading eyes.

“Please, Ash. You hardly ever go anywhere. What about the full college experience?”

“It’s Sunday night.”

“So?”

“Who parties on a Sunday night?”

“We do,” Gabriel said.

He threw an arm around Maya’s shoulder.

“College kids who have their whole lives ahead of them.”

Then he looked at me.

“Unlike you, Ash, who’s destined to become a boring trad wife.”

“Don’t start.”

“Yeah, Ash,” he mocked in an exaggerated girly voice.

I rolled my eyes.

“Fine.”

Maya squealed.

“But I need something to wear.”

“And I do have a little cash to splurge.”

I smiled.

Maya grabbed my arm.

“To the mall!”

Gabriel drove us because, unfortunately, Theresa had decided to betray me again.

My poor Honda was temporarily out of commission after another engine problem, and I was beginning to wonder whether repairing her was worth the trouble.

The mall was packed, but for once, I didn’t care.

I walked into the first store and did something I hadn’t done in years.

I bought something without looking at the price tag first.

I still had the two thousand dollars Sebastian had given me.

I had spent days telling myself I wouldn’t touch it.

But now, standing in front of racks of dresses, blouses, shorts, and shoes, I decided I could afford to enjoy a little of it.

I bought a few dresses, some cute shorts, a couple of blouses, perfume, and a few things I’d normally convince myself I didn’t need.

I even bought Maya something.

She nearly tackled me when I handed her the bag.

“Ash!”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. You never spend money on yourself.”

I smiled.

Maybe she was right.

For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t thinking about whether I could afford groceries next week or how much tuition I still owed.

Sebastian had paid my tuition.

The thought still felt strange.

That night, I picked an outfit that was definitely outside my usual comfort zone.

The skirt was short.

The top showed more skin than I normally allowed.

My heels were higher than anything I would have worn to class, and I left my hair loose, letting my curls fall around my shoulders.

I looked at myself in the mirror.

This wasn’t Sapphire.

There was no wig.

No contacts.

No stage makeup.

This was Ashley.

And for once, I wanted to let her have a little fun.

Maya came out of the bathroom and stopped.

“Oh my God.”

I laughed.

“What?”

“You’re actually going to kill people tonight.”

“Shut up.”

She grabbed her purse.

“I love this version of you.”

We spent the next hour getting ready, throwing clothes across the room, blasting music through the speakers, laughing until our stomachs hurt, and drinking cheap tequila that probably should have been classified as paint thinner.

By the time Gabriel arrived, I was already tipsy.

Actually, tipsy was probably an understatement.

I wasn’t much of a drinker, and I hadn’t eaten nearly enough.

Which, in hindsight, was a terrible combination.

We piled into Gabriel’s car and headed toward the fraternity house.

The music could already be heard from the street.

The moment we walked inside, someone handed me another drink.

I accepted it without thinking.

Maya disappeared almost immediately with Gabriel.

I laughed as I watched them disappear into the crowd.

“Typical.”

I moved toward the living room and started dancing.

For once, I wasn’t thinking about Sebastian.

I wasn’t thinking about my case study.

I wasn’t thinking about school.

I was just Ashley.

Free.

At least for a few hours.

Then someone approached me.

“Hi.”

I turned.

The guy looked familiar.

I knew him from one of my classes, although I couldn’t remember which one.

He’d never really spoken to me before.

Tonight, apparently, was different.

“I’m James.”

“Ashley.”

I smiled and shook his hand.

“What are you doing by yourself over here?”

“I’m not by myself.”

I giggled.

“I’m with a friend.”

He smiled.

“Want something to drink?”

I held up my cup.

“I’m good.”

Then the room seemed to tilt slightly.

I blinked.

“Actually…”

My head was spinning.

“I think I need to sit down.”

James helped me toward the pool area, where we found one of those inflatable couches.

I dropped onto it.

My phone vibrated.

I pulled it from my purse.

My vision was blurry.

I squinted at the screen.

Get the f**k home now.

My stomach dropped.

Sebastian.

I looked around.

How the hell did he know where I was?

Then another message appeared.

Ashley, so help me God. You are going to feel my wrath if you do not leave now.

I stared at the words.

He had eyes on me.

Again.

I should have been terrified.

Instead, I was angry.

I shoved my phone back into my purse.

James sat beside me.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.”

He leaned closer.

I turned my face away.

He tried to kiss me.

I pushed him back.

“Please. No.”

He lifted his hands.

“Okay.”

I closed my eyes.

The room was spinning faster now.

Then my stomach turned.

I barely had time to lean forward before I started throwing up.

James immediately moved away.

The embarrassment hit me almost as hard as the nausea.

Where the hell was Maya?

I looked around the crowd, but I couldn’t find her.

Then two men dressed completely in black appeared.

They moved toward me with purpose.

I blinked at them.

“Courtesy of Mr. Voss, I suppose.”

One of them crouched beside me.

“Miss Simmons.”

I tried to stand.

The room spun.

One of the men caught me before I fell.

“Easy.”

“I can walk.”

I absolutely could not walk.

He picked me up.

I barely registered the movement.

The last thing I remember was resting my head against someone’s shoulder as the lights blurred above me.

Then everything went black.

The next thing I remember was a pounding headache.

I groaned and opened my eyes.

For several seconds, I had no idea where I was.

Then I recognized the room.

The penthouse.

I was in the bedroom Sebastian had told me would be mine on weekends.

I looked down.

I was wearing an oversized T-shirt.

My clothes were folded neatly on a chair.

I slowly sat up and rubbed my eyes.

Then I froze.

Sebastian was sitting in the armchair across from the bed.

He looked completely calm.

Which somehow made him more intimidating.

Even in the low lighting, I could see the anger in his expression.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

His voice was quiet.

I swallowed.

He stood and walked toward me.

“You scared me.”

The words surprised me.

Before I could respond, he sat on the edge of the bed.

“The next time I have to leave important business to attend to your carelessness, Miss Simmons, it will be a situation you will live to regret.”

I lowered my eyes.

“I didn’t mean to…”

“Drink.”

He handed me a glass of water.

I took it.

Then he handed me two pills.

“Take these.”

I did.

The water helped, although my head still felt like it was being squeezed from the inside.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

He sighed.

“You were almost taken advantage of.”

I looked at him.

“What?”

“You were drunk, alone, and barely conscious.”

His jaw tightened.

“That could have ended very differently.”

I looked down at my hands.

“I didn’t realize how drunk I was.”

“No. You didn’t.”

His voice wasn’t loud.

That somehow made it worse.

He stood.

“You have an exam today at two.”

My eyes widened.

“What time is it?”

“Late enough that you should be sleeping.”

I groaned and rubbed my temples.

“My driver will take you to campus when it’s time.”

He turned toward the door.

“Where are you going?”

He stopped.

“I still have business to take care of, Miss Simmons.”

He looked back at me.

“Best you take care of yourself.”

There was something colder in his expression now.

“Your true job starts very soon.”

Then he walked out and closed the door behind him.

I stared at the door.

For several seconds, I didn’t move.

Then I reached for my phone.

It was already plugged into the charger beside the bed.

The screen lit up.

Missed calls.

Messages.

More messages.

All from Maya.

My heart sank.

She must have been worried sick.

I would answer her soon.

But right now, my head was pounding, my stomach was still unsettled, and I had an exam in a few hours.

I fell back against the pillows and closed my eyes.

I had wanted to experience college.

I had wanted one night where I wasn’t worrying about money, school, my mother, or my future.

Instead, I’d ended up waking up in Sebastian Voss’s penthouse with a splitting headache and a growing realization that being part of his world came with rules I hadn’t fully understood.

And I had a feeling I was about to learn every single one of them.