Chapter 2: You Cannot Walk Away From This
1532 Words
Chapter 2: You Cannot Walk Away From This
The morning sun glinted off his hair, golden strands of blonde hair catching the light as if each one were spun from the perfect rays of the sun.
He was tall, very tall, 6 feet of lean, perfect posture, his blue eyes struck me like shards of ice, sharp and clear.
Handsome couldn't even begin to cover it; he looked like someone carved from a dream, the kind you’d never forget.
Behind him, three other boys leaned against the rim of the basketball court, all drenched in sweat from obvious basketball practice, navy blue tank tops clinging to their toned bodies.
One of them held the basketball with a casual authority, his long black curls falling over his shoulders like ink spilled on silk.
His presence alone made the air feel heavier, like gravity had suddenly turned on him.
Quiet, menacing, he exhaled a lazy plume of cigarette smoke, and yet, without a word, he drew attention, commanding the space around him.
The blonde-haired boy was in front, subtly shielding the girl with his broad shoulders, while the other three lingered behind like shadows.
"Watch where you're going!"
I screamed, I had to hurry if I'm to escape the footsteps that chased the blonde girl out of the hallway.
This six foot mass of pure muscle is not helping me.
"You bumped into me"
He said and kept muttering a bunch of stupid words.
I didn't want to listen to what he had to say and yet everytime I tried to walk past him, he found new ways to block me.
I pushed at his chest with fragile strength and screamed for him to move, thumping at his chest repeatedly until something clicked in my brain.
I can no longer hear the footsteps.
It couldn't be...
Oh no!
I turned around and quickly realized I'm surrounded.
I wanted to flee but there's only two exit points and both were blocked.
One of the boys behind me stepped forward, inching dangerously close to me.
He tilted his head, smoke curling from his lips, and deliberately blew it toward her face.
I recoiled and slapped him without hesitation.
His reaction to it made me fear for my life.
A slow smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Now,"
He said, voice low and edged with something dangerous,
"You’re interesting."
Even standing still, he exuded an aura that made hearts skip and stomachs tighten.
Magnetic and untouchable, he didn’t need to move to dominate the scene.
Charlene’s hand still burned from the slap.
Dino’s smirk widened, sharp and dangerous.
“Talk about a lousy day,”
He said, voice low, a hint of amusement threading beneath the dark edge in his tone.
His friends exchanged glances.
Dino waved them off.
He wanted to be alone with her.
"Leave us."
Dino said, his voice was low but he was heard.
The four of them filed out, leaving just him and Charlene in the hallway.
The quiet tension between them was heavy and charged.
Dino stepped closer, tilting his head, eyes blazing.
"I get that you're new, but surely you must have known the rules, I mean, this is your second day at St. Meridian"
Charlene’s back hit the wall.
How did he know?
Was he stalking me?
The room smelled faintly of expensive male cologne and leather, a scent that now seemed to wrap itself around her skin.
She wanted to speak, to say something to this looming beast but when she opened her mouth, no words came out.
"You think this is a joke? Did nobody bother to fill you in?"
Dino asked, his voice low, dangerously calm.
"I....I don't know anything,"
She stammered, trying to step around him, but he blocked every path.
His brown eyes pierced her, searching for weakness or entertainment.
"You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into."
"I am not afraid of you!"
She shot back, but her voice was trembling despite her defiance.
He chuckled, the sound dark and intoxicating.
"Well, you should be. You don't think that blondie ran out like that for no reason at all, do you?"
Charlene’s heart thumped.
Her chest felt like it could explode, a mix of fear and something else she didn’t dare name.
How much more could her body possibly disappoint her?
"You can’t control me," she said, lifting her chin.
"I do not want to control you,"
he said, moving closer, his breath brushing her cheek.
"I want you to want me."
Her pulse jumped. “I don’t...”
"I've been keeping tabs on you since the very first day you strutted in here, your nearly-red skinned British step father who needs a revoke on his driver's license..."
He trailed off, his hand grazed hers, not for long, just enough to make her feel more heat running straight to her core.
"For the next thirty days, you belong to me"
He whispered, almost tenderly, yet the threat was established.
"And trust me, Charlene, I don’t share well."
Her stomach churned, heat rising to her face. "Yours?"
"Yes. Mine."
He took another slow step closer.
"I will teach you what it's like to be owned by a man like me"
"What does that even mean?"
she whispered, both terrified and frustrated.
"It means,"
He murmured, leaning just a hair closer, "that for the next thirty days, you’re mine… in ways you can’t even imagine."
Charlene’s chest tightened.
"You’re insane." She pushed him back
"you have no idea,"
he concurred, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.
His thumb lingered against her cheek.
Just then, a familiar voice cut through the tension.
"Dino, that's enough! You’re scaring her."
Both of them turned.
Tori stood at the doorway, arms crossed, expression calm but firm.
"If you really want her, follow the rules. All of them."
Dino tilted his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"She already broke the rules,"
he said, voice low and amused.
"She’s just… a few more circumstances away from being mine for the next thirty days."
Charlene felt the heat rise again.
She hated and loved the way he spoke.
Tori stepped closer, glancing between the two of them.
"Are you going to the after-party?"
"The after-party?" He was fiddling with her hair
Dino’s voice was smooth, teasing.
"What? For sophomores?"
"Yes, that one. You going?"
Tori asked, brow raised.
Dino smiled, dark and slow.
"Yes…I've got a new ambition"
Charlene’s heart skipped.
Dino’s gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, as if committing every detail of her face to memory.
Then, slowly, he stepped back.
"See you around, Charlene Woodstock."
Her name rolled off his tongue like a promise.
Before she could react, his hand lifted, fingers brushing lightly through a strand of her hair on her forehead.
The touch was brief, almost gentle, but it sent a shiver down her spine.
And then he was gone.
Just like that.
Leaving her standing there, breath uneven, heart racing, and thoughts completely tangled.
TWO NIGHTS AGO
Dino Lucas stood alone in a dimly lit room, the glow from his phone was casting sharp shadows across his face.
His expression was colder than usual.
Calculated. Focused.
The call connected.
"Are you alone right now?"
His voice came out low, controlled.
"Good."
He walked slowly toward the window, eyes fixed on the dark skyline beyond.
"I don’t care how you do it," he continued.
"Just make sure she’s there."
He paused as he listened to the receiver.
"Charlene Woodstock."
Her name sounded different now, the more he said it the more he wanted to claim her.
"Do you want him or not?" he asked flatly.
Silence stretched on the other end.
Dino’s jaw tightened.
"She comes to the sophomore after-party.
You stay close to her. You don’t let her out of your sight."
His tone hardened.
"And when the time is right, you drug her.”
A beat
"A mild ruffy, nothing extreme.
I promise I won't touch her, I got plenty of girls tonight anyway"
He exhaled slowly, eyes darkening.
"I want pictures too"
Another silence. Longer this time.
Hesitant.
Dino’s voice dropped even lower.
"It has to be done tonight."
He paused and took a deep breath.
"I cannot wait any longer."
His grip on the phone tightened.
He turned away from the window, his reflection briefly catching in the glass, cold and determined.
THE PARTY
Charlene stepped into the glow of the sophomore after-party with her heart hammering in her chest.
The room pulsed with music, laughter, and chatter, glittering dresses, crisp suits, the kind of elite chaos that made every step a careful consideration.
Her pulse spiked the moment she felt a familiar gaze.
Dino.
He was leaning against the far wall, hands tucked casually in his pockets, observing her like a predator stalking prey.
The way his eyes lingered on her made her stomach twist with heat and fear.
She shivered.
"Keep it together, Charlene,"
She whispered to herself, clutching her drink a little too tightly.
Before Dino could make a move, a tall, blonde figure appeared at her side, stepping into her personal space with effortless confidence.
"Are you okay?"
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