Chapter 12- True Colors
The door clicked shut behind Sam, trapping her in the hotel room with Scarlett. Tension crackled in the air as Sam's trembling fingers fumbled with her luggage.
Scarlett's saccharine voice sliced through the silence. "Oh Sammi, don't look so scared. We're going to have so much fun together."
Sam's eyes darted to the door, calculating her chances of escape. "I-I think I forgot something downstairs. I should go—"
"Not so fast." Scarlett's hand shot out, gripping Sam's wrist. "You're not going anywhere."
Sam's breath hitched. "Please, Scarlett. Just let me go."
Scarlett's grip tightened, her nails digging into Sam's skin. "But we've only just started, St. Onge. Don't you want to see what I have planned for us?"
"N-no, I don't." Sam's voice quavered. "I just want to play in the championship and go home."
A cruel laugh escaped Scarlett's lips. "Oh, you naive little thing. You think you're here to play? You're here because I want you here."
Sam's eyes widened in horror. "What are you talking about?"
Scarlett's free hand caressed Sam's cheek, making her flinch. "You're mine, St.Onge. Everything you do, everything you are—it's all because of me."
"That's not true," Sam protested weakly.
"Isn't it?" Scarlett's eyes glinted dangerously. "Who do you think convinced Coach Willis to let you on the team? Who made sure you got playing time?"
Sam shook her head, refusing to believe it. "No, that was because of my skills. I earned my place."
Scarlett's laugh was sharp and mocking. "Oh, honey. You really believe that? You're nothing without me. I made you."
Tears welled up in Sam's eyes. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"Because I can," Scarlett hissed, her face inches from Sam's. "Because you're mine to do with as I please."
Sam tried to pull away, but Scarlett's grip was iron. "I'm not yours. I'm not anyone's."
"Wrong answer." Scarlett's hand moved from Sam's cheek to her throat, applying just enough pressure to make breathing difficult. "You belong to me, whether you like it or not."
Panic flooded Sam's system. "Scarlett, please. You're hurting me."
"Good," Scarlett purred. "I want you to remember this feeling. Remember who's in control."
Sam's vision blurred as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Someone will notice. Hannah—"
"Hannah?" Scarlett spat the name like a curse. "That little bitch won't save you. No one will."
"You're wrong," Sam choked out. "People care about me."
Scarlett's grip loosened slightly, but her eyes blazed with fury. "I'm the only one who truly cares about you, Sam. The others? They'll abandon you the moment things get tough."
Sam shook her head vehemently. "That's not true. Hannah would never—"
"Hannah this, Hannah that," Scarlett growled out. "She's not your friend, Sam. She's just using you."
"You're lying," Sam insisted, finding a shred of courage. "Hannah's been there for me when no one else was."
Scarlett's hand moved from Sam's throat to her hair, yanking hard. "And where is she now, huh? Where's your precious Hannah when you need her?"
Sam winced in pain but stood her ground. "She's probably looking for me right now."
A sinister smile spread across Scarlett's face. "Let her look. By the time she finds you, it'll be too late."
Fear coursed through Sam's veins. "What do you mean?"
Scarlett leaned in close, her breath hot against Sam's ear. "I mean, by the time this trip is over, you won't want anyone but me."
Sam shuddered, repulsed. "Never. I'll never want you."
"Oh, St.Onge," Scarlett cooed, her tone sickeningly sweet. "You don't have a choice."
Sam's eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape. "You can't keep me here forever."
Scarlett's laugh was cold and mirthless. "I don't need forever. Just long enough to break you."
"I won't let you," Sam declared, her voice stronger than she felt.
"That's cute," Scarlett sneered. "You think you have a say in this."
Sam's hand inched towards her pocket, where her phone lay. "I'll tell someone. Coach Willis, the hotel staff—"
Scarlett's hand shot out, snatching Sam's phone. "No, you won't. Because if you do, I'll make sure everyone knows what a pathetic, desperate little girl you are."
"You wouldn't," Sam gasped.
Scarlett's eyes glittered with malice. "Try me. I have enough dirt on you to bury your reputation six feet under."
Sam's shoulders slumped in defeat. "What do you want from me?"
"Everything," Scarlett breathed, her face inches from Sam's. "I want every part of you. Your fear, your pain, your submission."
"You're sick," Sam spat, a burst of defiance surging through her.
Scarlett's hand connected with Sam's cheek, the slap echoing in the quiet room. "Watch your mouth, St. Onge. Or I'll have to teach you some manners."
Sam's cheek stung, but she refused to back down. "You can't break me, Scarlett. I won't let you."
A slow, predatory smile spread across Scarlett's face. "Oh, Sammi. That's what makes this so much fun. You still think you have a choice."
Sam's heart raced as Scarlett advanced, backing her against the wall. "Someone will notice. They'll figure out what you're doing."
Scarlett's laugh was cold and cruel. "And who will believe you over me? The star pitcher, the golden girl? Face it, Sam. You're alone in this."
Tears streamed down Sam's face as the reality of her situation sank in. "Please, Scarlett. Just let me go."
"Never," Scarlett hissed, her hand cupping Sam's face in a mockery of tenderness. "You're mine now, St.Onge. And I'm going to enjoy every moment of breaking you."
As Scarlett's lips crashed against hers in a brutal, possessive kiss, Sam's world shattered. She was trapped, alone, with a monster wearing the face of a teammate. And as the darkness of despair threatened to consume her, Sam clung to one last hope—that somehow, someway, she would find the strength to survive this nightmare.
