The Sinner

05

*TW ahead - mentions of abuse*

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I couldn't find Sarah anywhere.

After I heard her and Topper had apparently jumped off the roof, they seemed to disappear into the night. I also hadn't seen Kelce or Rafe for the rest of the hours I had been here.

It was getting close to two in the morning, people were starting to clear out. There were now gaps in portions of the rooms where people used to be shoulder to shoulder. Whoever was clearly drunk could be seen.

I was one of those people.

After playing beer pong with a girl from school named Scarlett, I was pretty much checked out. The boys we had played against decided to use small amounts of vodka instead of beer.

I've had way too much to drink.

I knew how bad I looked, everyone I passed gave me surprised looks as I stumbled by them. But yet no one decided to help, which was no surprise either. I roll my lips into a thin line as I find my way to some stairs that must've led to the basement.

Just as I'm about to go down, I hear someone chuckle from behind me. I quickly whip my head around, to see a blurry version of Tanner. I wasn't even sick and I could feel the vomit coming up already.

"Long time no see stranger," He smirks down at me. He gives the strings that dangle down from Sarah's top a good pull. "You look nice."

"I know," I tell him, my old confidence was back now that he was gone from my life. "Now if you'll excuse me-"

He caught my arm before I could leave, "Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast Corrine."

"Please just let me go," I say quietly. "I haven't told anyone what happened between us."

He rolls his eyes, "I saw the look Sarah gave me earlier, that's bullshit and you know it." He squeezes onto my arm tightly, his finger nails digging into my forearm.

"Let go of me," I say sternly. He chuckles in response, keeping his large hand in the same position. "Tanner-"

"Shut the fuck up," He hisses and yanks me closer to him. His breath reeked of hard alcohol, which is usually the reason for his cruel behavior.

I feel my confidence slowly start to ravel back in, it's like my body knew that I was back under his dominant touch again.

"I saw you talking with Cameron," He says, a dark look in his eye. "Are you fucking him now?"

"No," I say quickly. "He's just Sarah's brother."

"Stop fucking lying to me Corrine!" He shouts so loud I'm surprised no one heard.

He had me backed into a corner right now, just by the stairs to the basement. I feel myself starting to shake as memories of him hitting me repeatedly come into mind. He would never do it in front of people, so I knew I was okay right now.

But what worries me is that the stairs are so close by. He could shove me down them and make it look like I had fallen.

"Come back to me," a switch seems to flip inside of him, because this came out a lot quieter. This was the soft side of Tanner, his eyes weren't dark - they were the soft brown ones I fell for. "I've missed you so much baby."

I shake my head immediately, "No, let go of me." I knew his games all too well, he's hooked me back in with them many times.

"No?" His eyes had returned back to their dark color. I watch his jaw clench as he regrasps my arm again. "You're a fucking slut, Corrine. You give it up to everyone but your own boyfriend, right?"