Stay(16)

He looked into her eyes and slowly licked his lips. “Can you walk?”

Her head bobbed up and down. “Mh-hm,” she quipped in high-pitched agreement. She took a step and faltered. Zane caught her, bringing her body close to his. He smiled when she thanked him but quickly cast his eyes away, the smile instantly fading.

“Come with me,” he ordered.

“She shouldn’t put weight on it,” I said softly, scared of Zane.

“Nate needs to see this,” he said in a condescending tone.

“Then have him come here,” I spat back, surprised at the venom in my voice.

Zane snaked his arm around Rochelle and sneered at me. “Don’t tell me what to do, cunt.”

“Don’t call me that, asshole,” I retorted and was again surprised at how easily the insult rolled off my tongue.

“Addie, stop,” Rochelle whispered. “I’m fine.” She clung onto Zane. “Come on, let’s go.” I unclenched my fists and watch them disappear up the stairs.

“You shouldn’t make him mad,” Lily warned. “He is an asshole. A really. Big. Asshole,” she said slowly. “One who doesn’t like to get insulted.”

I swallowed my fear. “I don’t care.”

“You should care,” Phoebe spoke. “I used to not care. I tired of getting hurt.”

Lily folded her blanket down. “He’s leaves you alone if you leave him alone and do what you’re told,” she said. “Most of the time, at least.”

I ran my hands over my face, and that weird feeling of not really being in my body began to take over. I stared at a brown stain on the faded yellow quilt on my bed until my vision went blurry. I knew Lily and Phoebe had gotten up and were moving around, but I didn’t know what they were doing. I couldn’t bring myself to move to look at them. I didn’t want to acknowledge anything around me. If I didn’t see it, then maybe it wasn’t real.

“Adeline,” Zane’s called in a deep voice, startling me. I tipped my head up and looked into his beautiful blue eyes and was immediately sucked out of my unrealistic reverie. “You’re filling in for Rochelle tonight.”

My mouth opened but no sound came out. Suddenly I wasn’t able to breathe. My chest tightened and the peanut butter sandwich I recently ate rose in my throat. Zane laughed and walked away, leaving Rochelle to hobble to the bed unassisted.

“I only got one tonight,” Rochelle said as if to comfort me.

“Sometimes you have more than one?” I somehow managed to squeak out.

“Most of the time,” she replied casually.

“I won’t do it,” I said definitely and shook my head. “I won’t. I won’t.”

“You have to,” Rochelle said.

“No, I don’t. They can’t make me. I refuse.”

“Just do it, Addie.” Lily’s voice came from across the room. “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“They won’t hurt me that much. I heard Nate say that they prefer us to look pretty.”

Lily frowned and looked at Phoebe. “Addie,” she said slowly. “He will hurt you. He tie you down and make you work.”

“No,” I cried and ran my hands through my hair, stopping to dig my nails into my scalp. “No. No, no, no!”

“She’s freaking out.” Rochelle sighed. “Get me a Xanax.”

“No have,” Phoebe replied. She pulled her shirt over her head and traded the pink bra she was wearing for one made of see-through black lace. Then she opened up the dresser drawer and rooted around until she found a pill bottle. “But have this.” She tossed the little orange bottle to Rochelle. Without looking at the label, Rochelle pressed and twisted off the cap. She stuck one pill in her mouth and held out another.#p#分页标题#e#

“Take this,” she told me. I clamped my mouth shut and shook my head. I had never seen, let alone done drugs before in my life. “Addie, it will help.” She held out her hand, and I shook my head again. For good measure, I crossed my arms and looked away. “Fine,” she sighed. “Suit yourself. I won’t force you.”

“Thank you,” I said and let my body relax just a little.

“You’re welcome,” she replied and leaned closer to me. Suddenly, she pitched forward, pinched my arm, and popped the pill into my mouth when I cried out in pain. She pressed her hand over my lips and held me close to her. The pill dissolved almost immediately.

“Now you’ll really thank me,” she said and tightened her grip. She was surprisingly strong, and I wasn’t able to fight her off until the pill was nearly gone.