Mine

Chapter 2

The shrill sound of my alarm pulled me from restless sleep. Stretching my arms and legs, I climbed out of bed and headed to the kitchen. My room was downstairs while my parents' bedroom—and the rest of the house—was upstairs. As usual, the house was quiet. They were gone, likely off to work before sunrise.

I sighed, wishing they were home more often. After making myself some oatmeal, I ate quickly before heading to the bathroom for a shower. Feeling more awake, I grabbed my bag and drove to school. Unlike yesterday, I took my time, enjoying the slow rhythm of my playlist as the rain from last night left a cool mist hanging in the air.

When I pulled into the parking lot, something caught my attention. A low, guttural grunt echoed nearby, sending a chill up my spine. I followed the sound, curiosity and dread battling within me. Rounding the corner of a row of cars, my stomach dropped.

A tall man, tattooed and intimidating, was beating one of the students I recognized from around school. Blood pooled on the concrete as the boy's body went limp. My breath hitched, panic taking over.

Do something, Isabella. Do something, I screamed internally. But running up to a man twice my size wasn't an option. I ducked behind a car and shakily pulled out my phone, dialing 911.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The keypad noise sounded deafening in the tense silence, and my heart nearly stopped.

Please don't hear that. Please don't hear that.

Before I could press the call button, my phone was snatched out of my hands. Gasping, I looked up, frozen in terror. The tattooed man loomed over me, his shadow swallowing my small frame.

"Looks like we've got a nosy little princess," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

Before I could scream, his arm snaked around my waist, pulling me against him. My cries for help were muffled as he clamped a large, veiny hand over my mouth.

"Shhh, princess," he whispered in my ear. His voice was calm, but the menace behind it sent my heart racing.

I thrashed in his grip, but he was too strong. Tears streamed down my face as he tightened his hold, his head lowering to my neck.

I froze when I felt him sniff me—long and deliberate, like a predator savoring its prey. His grip locked my arms in place, making it impossible to move.

"Why are you crying, angel?" he asked softly, his tone mocking.

When he turned me to face him, my knees buckled. It was him—the guy I had bumped into yesterday.

"I-I don't know what's going on," I stammered, trying to sound clueless. "P-Please let me go. I was just going to class. I don't even know you!"

He tilted his head, studying me like a hawk with its prey. Then, his hand gripped my jaw roughly, forcing me to meet his piercing blue-grey eyes.

"You don't know why you're here?" His lips curled into a chilling smirk. "Let me make something clear, princess: the last thing you want to do is call the cops on me. I don't fear them—they fear me."

My heart pounded as he released my jaw, and I seized my moment. Summoning all my strength, I stomped on his foot as hard as I could and bolted.

"Isabella!" His furious voice echoed behind me, but I didn't stop.

I ran toward the school building, my lungs burning and my legs trembling. As I passed the spot where the bleeding boy had been, my stomach twisted. The blood was gone. The boy was gone.

What the hell is going on?

By the time I reached the bathroom, I was a mess. My reflection in the mirror showed disheveled hair, wide eyes, and a face pale with fear.

Think, Isabella. Think.

Should I tell someone? The teachers? The police?

But then doubt crept in. What could I even say? There was no evidence—no blood, no boy, no proof. They'd think I was crazy.

Chewing on my nails, I tried to calm down. Maybe that guy deserved the beating. Maybe it was best to forget this ever happened.

Fixing my hair and forcing myself to breathe evenly, I stepped out of the bathroom.

The moment I did, a pair of strong hands shoved me back inside. My back hit the door with a thud, and my breath caught as the man's body pressed against mine.

"Run away from me again," he hissed, his voice low and dripping with menace.

I looked up at him, trembling uncontrollably. His blue-grey eyes bore into mine, cold and unrelenting.

"You won't like what I'll do to your pretty little self if you pull that stunt again," he murmured, his face inches from mine.

Tears threatened to spill again, but I bit them back. My chest heaved, and my knees felt weak beneath the weight of his threat.

This wasn't just some random encounter. He knew my name. He knew me.

And there was no way I could escape him now.

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