Claimed by the Devils

Chapter 17

Aria POV

My ankle was killing me. It wasn’t broken. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to finish the course if it had been, but it wasn’t great.

I winced as Coach Bilson applied pressure to it. He’d removed my trainers and socks and he’d placed my foot on the inside of his thigh.

“Just a little swollen. Nothing a little rest won’t do to heal,” he said.

“Okay. Thank you. I didn’t mean to slow everyone down.”

Chloe, the b***h, had pushed me off. I hated her just because of the pain she was causing me.

“You’ve got to learn to watch your back. Some of the nastiest women I know come from this high school.”

I chuckled.

“Thanks, Coach.”

He still massaged my ankle.

“I better get going.”

“You know, Aria, if you’re in trouble or if you ever need to talk to anyone, my door is always open.”

“I appreciate that.”

This was getting awkward.

“I better go. Thanks again for helping me.”

I pulled my foot from his touch and quickly put the socks and trainers on. As I got to my feet, Coach Bilson stood also. I was sure he skimmed the tips of his fingers against my thigh, but as I looked at him, there was no touch, and he seemed completely oblivious.

“Have a good weekend.”

Ignoring it, I put it down to my weird imagination and hobbled to the changing room.

This time, I had no choice but to change as I was meeting my parents. Class had already run over because of the gym incident, and so I quickly changed into one of my mother’s favorite dresses she loved to see me in and a pair of flat pumps. There was no way I’d even attempt the heels.

Heather helped me to dress, zipping up the back and then getting to her knees to help with the pumps.

“I can’t believe Coach made you do that,” she said.

“It’s fine. It’s over with, and I didn’t have to make you do it three times. We’re saved.”

I tried to laugh it off. The truth was I felt like I was dying after he told me to finish it. My ankle still throbs even now.

I couldn’t help but wince with each step I took.

“Let me help you,” Heather said.

“You are a good friend. I don’t suppose you’ll drop my bag off, will you?” I asked.

The idea of carrying it around with me and my ankle didn’t appeal, not that I wouldn’t.

“Will do. I’ve still got a spare key.”

“Thank you. You’re a real lifesaver.”

We left the changing rooms, heading to the quad, and from there, to the entrance where my parents were already waiting. Joan and Alexander Vales climbed out of the back of the limousine. It was strange to see them in such a luxury car.

They never took me out midway through a semester, or at least the first couple of weeks.

“Hello, Heather,” my mother said.

“Hi, Mrs. Vales,” Heather said.

“What’s the problem?” my dad asked.

“Just a little fall in the gym. Don’t worry about it.”

The last thing I wanted to do was let go of my best friend. She felt like an anchor right about now. My parents were the ones who frightened me.

I promised to talk to Heather later, and with my mother’s help, climbed into the back of the car.

“Those shoes are not exactly fitting for the restaurant,” my mother said.

I explained the pain in my ankle, but she shook her head as if that wasn’t a good enough excuse. This reminded me of the mom from my past.

The one who wasn’t trying. The one who didn’t care that her daughter was being raised by a nanny.

Conversation was nonexistent. I stared out the window to pass the time.

Spending time on campus was a better idea than being stuck with my parents. Neither of them understood me.

I bounced my leg.

“I thought your ankle hurt,” my dad said.

“It does. It’s the other leg.”

“I don’t think you should be bouncing it.”

I stopped.

Not allowed to bounce the leg.

Putting my hand over my mouth, I tried to stifle my yawn.

“Sweetheart, please act like a lady.”

No longer allowed to yawn or be human.

This night was already longer than I wanted it to be. Why did my parents have to come here?

I didn’t understand why I needed this visit.

Two weeks into school and they had come to see me. This never happened. It was how I got through several years of public school before they realized their error.

We arrived at a small Italian restaurant. I’d never been to it, but the moment we entered, they were treated like celebrities. We were shown to a private booth, and we had our own personal waiter.

I sat, feeling hungry while my parents ordered for me. Before the waiter left, I let him know I didn’t have any meat, fish, or dairy. I got one of those looks and sat back, waiting for the food.

“Well, this is nice,” Joan said.

Alexander looked down at his cell phone.

“So, honey, tell us everything that is going on,” Joan said.

“School is great. I’m doing well in all of my classes. Heather is still on top of everything.”

“No, honey, we know,” Joan said.

“We don’t have time to sugarcoat this,” my dad said. “We know about the selection and we also know that you’ve been a pain in the ass over it.”

I looked between my parents, a little shocked.

“You know about that?”

“Yes, we know, and you need to stop playing hard to get.”

I held my hand up, trying to ward off their words.

“You know about the selection, four guys to one girl, and you want me to accept this?”

“Honey, it is a great honor.”

“Since when?”

“Since it has opened doors to every single girl who has been chosen. This isn’t something you want to mess with, Aria. Believe me. You will stop embarrassing us, and you will go back to school, and you will accept them.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“You’re kidding.”

“Aria, do you really think you’re going to do anything better?” my dad asked. “No offense, but you’re not exactly the prettiest girl in the bunch.”

Pressing my lips together, I glanced down at my hands. With my parents trying to squash Drew’s memory, I had forgotten about how vile they could be. Their nastiness seeped through my pores.

These were the parents I remembered when Drew was around. They would always say the cruelest of things. They were a contradiction. One moment they were shouting about saving people and the unfairness of the justice system, the next they were acting like the founding members.

“I don’t want to,” I said.

I tensed up as my dad moved from his seat to the one closest to me. I gasped as he suddenly gripped my neck, holding me tightly. A vague memory of him doing this to me when I was a little girl, my head near a pile of mud, rings in my mind. It was the strangest feeling that washed over me. I didn’t feel like myself.

“Alexander,” my mother said.

“Shut up.”

He squeezed my neck even tighter and I knew there would be bruises. I’d have to keep my hair down or people would see them.

“You’re a strong person, Aria. Don’t you ever forget it. No one can take that away from you.”

Tears filled my eyes at the memory of Drew. Her comforting words. I needed her right now. I hated to be alone.

“Now, Aria, listen closely. You are going to go back to school. You will accept the selection, and you will keep those boys happy. We will know if you break the rules, and if you do so, I promise you I will make sure your friend pays the consequences.”

“You can’t do anything to Heather.”

It was the wrong thing to say as his other hand slid beneath the table.

His nails dug into the flesh of my thigh.

“I can end her miserable excuse of a life. She is only there because we all allow it. There are ways to tarnish her reputation. If you think to try and rebel against this, then you should remember we’re the ones in charge here, not you, and you no longer have your nanny to run to.”

The waiter returned, and my dad let me go. He stayed by my side and as he stroked my head as if he was petting a dog, I couldn’t help but flinch. The waiter ignored it.

I picked up my fork, heart pounding, feeling sick to my stomach.

“You will stop causing so much trouble, Aria, and learn to get in line, or else you’re not going to like the consequences.”

I didn’t eat a single bite of food. My dad stayed close to my side throughout the whole meal. He didn’t seem to mind that I ate very little.

After dinner came dessert, which I declined. I still felt sick.

On the ride back to the school, my mom tried to say something cheery as if they hadn’t just pushed me into a corner. Even if I took away Heather’s chance of a good future, they would find some way to make me do what they wanted.

Once back at the school, I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of the car. My father grabbed my arm.

“Learn to conform, Aria. Life will be a lot easier for you.”

I nodded and climbed out of the car.

Without looking back, I took off, going straight to my dorm.

No one was around, and I slammed the door closed, folding my arms across my stomach as I sank to the floor.

What the hell had just happened? Why were they so … mean?

Old memories bombarded my head. A particularly vivid one of me dressed in dungarees, my hair pulled back. I was playing with a doll in the center of the hallway. My father was on his cell phone and he walked down the hall. I didn’t see him, but he must have seen me as he stood on my hand as he passed.

I screamed, and he shoved me out of the way with a boot to the side.

Drew came scrambling into the hallway, picking me up with my toys, then carried me to my bedroom.

She stroked my hair back and took care of my hand. I had a bruise on it for weeks, and Drew took the pain away by drawing a silly face on my hand.

I grazed the spot where he’d touched now, coming out of the memory. How had I forgotten this?

Pressing my face to my hands, I tried to breathe deeply, but my chest felt tight. The dress was too tight. I quickly tore at it, not caring as some of the seams gave way under my onslaught of panic. There was no way I wanted to wear this dress. I threw it in a pile and quickly pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a large shirt.

Staring down at the dress, I felt the pain in my thigh and the back of my neck. My hair was still pulled back into a ponytail. I went to the mirror to check out the damage and nibbled on my lip.

Finger marks dotted my skin. With the pressure he’d used, he’d marked me.

Tears filled my eyes at the memory. Now I grabbed the waistband of my sweatpants and pushed them down to my knee. There were finger bruises there as well. I would need to make sure my skirt didn’t ride up. I didn’t want anyone to see this damage.

After picking up the dress, I threw it into the trash can, then went to my bed. Curling up in a ball, I tried to ignore the white noise that seemed to surround my head.

So much noise. I wanted it to stop.

“Breathe in and out, Aria. No one can harm you here. You’re safe.”

Drew’s words. Was that why she took me away, to live safely? I missed her so much, and right now, I wanted nothing more than for her to wrap her arms around me and tell me it was all going to be okay.