This Rose Bleeds

Chapter ~Twenty~

.:~*NATHAN*~:.

"Don't tell me you forgot?" He gasped in mock surprise.

"Please, I haven't–!" He punched me again and I fell to the side. "Mr–" He kicked my stomach making me unable to speak, or breathe for that matter.

"No excuses Nathan." He smirked. "I hear you've been wasting your time with someone, Nate. Taking money from other's is cheating. Maybe I should meet this Ryder Kenneth and politely ask him to stay out of our little game."

I felt my heart ache. "No..." I whispered. "Don't...How do you...who–"

"I have my sources." He reached down and grabbed my neck. Just this touch caused my muscles to cramp and shake. "That was quite a show you put on out there. I guess you've grown a lot while I was away."

I gasped as he threw me against the couch. "I have money! There–"

He walked over to the box I kept all of my savings in. He grabbed the envelope as well and counted the money.

He took less than a minute to count it all. I closed my eyes and prayed for it to have reached the goal.

"You have enough for rent. But you're short on on the monthly loan payment."

In that moment, I knew I had lost, once again. I whimpered and shook my head. Not again, please not again–

"Not even with the help of your friend. Shame." He tossed the money to the side.

"Don't be sad. I'll give you two weeks. Have all the money by then."

Was...was he serious? I looked up at him almost in fear. The fear had good reason to be there, too. When I looked at his face I saw the smirk that I hated. There was a catch.

"But I still need a small compensation. Before we...begin, I have one more demand." He grabbed my head and brought it close to his face. "How would you like it if I made Ryder disappear, so you would be able to focus on repaying the debt?"

I shook my head frantically, "No, please don't, he has nothing to do with it, I–" He clenched my jaw tighter and I shut up.

"Fine. Then this is what you do. You disappear. Don't think about him, don't talk to him, don't ask for help. You will stop seeing him completely. Unless you want him to have an accident. Got that?"

I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I would never forgive myself. This is all my fault. Ryder, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I told you, you would be disappointed. He could easily ruin Ryder's life. I nodded slowly.

He smiled. "Good."

Then he grabbed my arm and yanked me off the couch. I could barely catch myself as he yanked me down the hall toward my room. Dread settled throughout my body. Not again...I whimpered. It's happening again.

All I could think about was Ryder.

Even as he tossed me on my bed and trapped me under him, I could only think of him. My boyfriend...that I was betraying...

"Just beat me up, please." I whimpered. "Not again..."

"It just doesn't seem to have the same effect." He smirked. "Or pleasure."

He lowered himself and I tried to thrash at him but he's done this before. He's used to pinning my arm above my head. The whole time I shook and tried to push him off of me.