Seraphine

fifteen

Seraphine 

Seraphine had stopped trying to fight her professor--Luca--after the third time of him telling her to let him, let them, help. 

She still doesn't understand why, as Luca is avoiding answering her questions. She could only cling to him as he nods to Kyle, the guard standing in front of the VIP booth, who undos the velvet rope, letting Luca pass. 

He strides down the steps with ease and, instead of going to the entrance, heads to the back of the club towards a different door. Seraphine twists in his hold, trying to find her other professors, or Derek.

She sees a tall, built man with brown hair and instantly recognizes him as Dr. Michaels, and her eyes widen as she sees him holding her boyfriend by the collar of his shirt. 

Derek's eyes are glued to her, and she shudders in Luca's arms, dipping her head and burying her face in his neck. 

"They're--they're--" at her words, Luca glances down at her, unable to hear her over the pounding music. But he sees her start to quiver, and he looks over his shoulder to see his partners currently beating the shit out of her boyfriend.

Seraphine feels a deep rumble come from Luca's chest, and she wants to laugh at the vibrations, but her mind is too muddled to think clearly. 

"Fucking idiots," he swears, shaking his head before tightening his grip on Seraphine and continuing towards the back door. 

He pushes it open with his back, making Seraphine gasp at the cool September night air hitting her body. She starts shivering from the cold, and Luca quickens his pace. 

Seraphine doesn't lift her head up from his neck, not wanting anyone to see how messy she is, or who she's clinging to.

This is so wrong. 

She vaguely hears Luca snapping at someone, his voice hard and rough, nothing like how he'd spoken to her. Within seconds, tires squeal against the pavement and a car door is opened.

Seraphine tightens her hold on Luca as he bends down and climbs inside the car, his hands still locked behind her back and under her knees. He gets her in the car without bumping her head on the roof, and slides to the left side, keeping her in his lap. 

Once he's settled, she feels him nod, and then the car door shuts. 

And they're alone.

You're a fucking slut. 

Derek's words from earlier that same day cut through Seraphine's mind fog, and she bristles against Luca--Dr. Reeves. 

"Professor, I can't--this is--I need--" 

"If you say you need him, Seraphine, I swear--" she shakes her head, pushing away from him. She lifts her head and looks around the car, searching for an exit. She finds the handle next to her and reaches for it, yanking on it and trying to open the car door. When it doesn't even budge, she feels herself start to tremble. 

"The doors are all locked, Seraphine. You will not be getting out of this car, not unless I unlock it." 

"W-Why?" 

"I already told you, princess, we're taking you home." Dr. Reeves tilts his head, trying to look into her eyes, but she shakes her head again, pulling away from him and reaching over to try the other handle. 

He lets her, and even before she tugs on it she knows she's trapped. Her breathing starts to quicken, and her eyes widen. 

"No, no, my home is with Derek, I have to get back to him, I have to!" She almost yells at him, her panic and confusion propelling her body more than anything. 

"Sweetheart--" he tries, but she shakes her head and pushes on his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Stop, stop--confusing me, manipulating me--" at this, Dr. Reeves' gray eyes darken, and he pulls his hands away from underneath her. 

He raises them towards her face, and she flinches away from him. He frowns, but drops his hands. 

"Seraphine. Believe me when I say, I would never manipulate you. I don't know what you've been through, but I--we--would never hurt you. Not like him." Seraphine sobs and squeezes her eyes shut, trying to think of something, anything that would help calm her down. 

All she can picture is Derek--Derek's fist coming towards her face, Derek's snarl, Derek's foot sinking into her stomach. All she can hear is loud rock music and his hisses and you're a fucking slut. 

"Seraphine, talk to me, please," Dr. Reeves practically begs her, and she cracks open her eyes to see his face looking pained. She wonders why. 

She thinks back to what he said--how he'd never manipulate her, never hurt her the way Derek has. 

"I...I don't believe you," she whispers honestly, her eyes dropping down in shame. She pulls her hands away from his chest and wraps them around her middle, leaning back against the car door.

Dr. Reeves sighs and runs a hand down his face. He looks at Seraphine for a moment longer before turning his head to stare at the club. Seraphine can sense his anger rising. 

Finally, he grumbles under his breath and shifts, pulling out his phone. He clicks on the screen a few times, and then the small car is filled with a familiar ringing noise. 

The phone picks up, and Seraphine immediately recognizes Dr. Michaels' voice. 

"Yo," 

"Don't yo me, what the hell is taking so long?" Dr. Reeves' voice is practically a growl, and it makes Seraphine jump. He glances at her and places an inked hand on her thigh, making her unfocused gaze zone in on it. 

It's warm, and comforting, and she wants it there. 

God, I really am a slut. 

"Fuck, I forgot you had her. We got...carried away," Seraphine catches his hesitation, and pictures him standing over a bruised Derek. She holds back a whimper and brings her knuckles to her lips to keep them from trembling. 

Dr. Reeves follows this motion and presses his hand further into her thigh, grounding her. "Idiots," he hisses. "Don't you see this will make him twice as angry? I told you to distract him, not pummel him!" 

Dr. Reeves sounds absolutely pissed, but his hand on her thigh doesn't move, doesn't clench like he wants to hit her, not like how Derek would react. 

It confuses Seraphine even more. How does this man have such a good handle on his anger? 

"Right, well...he said some choice words about Seraphine, and Enzo threw the first punch to shut him up. We can talk more later. Damien's closing the club, and then we'll be out." 

"Good." With that, Dr. Reeves hangs up the phone and tosses it onto the leather seat beside him before letting his hand slide behind Seraphine's back. She shivers at the motion and pulls away from his touch. 

"I really should get back--" she tries, but she's not even finished before he starts to shake his head no. Seraphine sighs. "You don't understand," she whispers, not expecting him to hear her. 

His hand leaves her thigh and for a moment she misses the feeling of his warm skin on hers, but then he's gripping her chin gently and lifting her head to look at him. 

"I understand more than you think, Seraphine. I understand that you're terrified of going with us because he'll hurt you even more when you return to him, but I need you to understand this one thing." 

Seraphine searches his gray eyes, but nothing is revealed. His gaze is a stoic steel, and his lips are pursed in a thin line. 

"What?" She murmurs quietly, the air between them thick and warm. 

"You are never returning to him."