The Pain Of The Pleasure

THIRTEEN - RYTH

I STRODE along the hallway and lifted my gaze to the towering guywaiting outside the door of AP class."Took your time." Gio gave me a wink. "Didn't think you were comingfor a while there."I looked away as heat rushed to my cheeks. "Sorry, got held up." 

"Oh, yeah?" he followed me in, taking the seat behind me. "Anythinginteresting?""Okay, settle down everyone," the teacher called out, and motioned forthe voices to settle.For once, I didn't hear them. I didn't notice anything. Not the laughteror the chatter, or the way that heavy feeling grew on the back of my neckunder Gio's stare. 

I was still back in that car, with excitement and shamemoving through me. I couldn't believe I'd just done that...Oh, fuck...what have I done?"Hey."I snapped back to reality and turned my head."You okay?" Gio scowled, his gaze serious. "You seem k-kinda out ofit."I forced a smile and nodded. "Sure."But that was a lie...just like my entire life, it seemed. I tried to focus onthe class, but I was still back there, my body quaking as I came underNick's stare. I hadn't wanted to do that. I shouldn't have done that. Thatwasn't me...the good girl everyone saw. I lifted my gaze to the class, felt theweight of Gio's stare, and tugged my hair down to cover my face. 

In thewake of desire, fear pushed in.I needed to stop it, whatever this was with Creed's sons. My pulse spedat the thought. It was wrong.My mind was heavy, weighed down by the desperate need to figure thisout.Gio met my stare, giving me a confused smile before I turned away. Mymom had divorced my dad without me even knowing...and now wasmarrying a man I barely knew, a man whose sons wanted nothing more thanto torment and play with me. I needed to get out, needed to stop this beforewhatever this game they were playing was got further out of hand.The bell rang before I knew it. 

Chairs scraped against the floor as theother students rushed out. I followed, my heart thundering...until the crash.I wanted them. That's why I was so conflicted. I wanted them and I likedwhat they did to me...a little too much."You want to walk to History?" Gio asked, his tone low and careful.I pulled my thoughts away from them and glanced at him. "Sure.""You're not pissed at me or anything, are y-you?"I met his gaze as we walked out of the classroom and along the hall,following the herd. "No, of course not. Sorry, my...my mom told me shewas divorcing my dad last night."One brow lifted in surprise. "Whoa, that's heavy."I nodded. "Yeah.""No wonder you're distracted. I thought it was me for a moment,thought those Banks assholes had said something about us standing togetheryesterday.""No." My mind was trapped by the D word. "They don't even know.""Oh?" He flinched and glanced my way. "I just figured—""Figured what?""That you'd do whatever those assholes told you." 

Open your legs, show me...Nick's demands rose in my head. I need tomake sure my little sister is satisfied. "No," I answered. "Not everything.""Good. 'Cause I was hoping you'd still want to go to Hanna's party thisweekend."I stepped around a group of others and thought about it. It'd be a way tobreak away from this hold they had over me. A way to make some friends. 

Iglanced toward Gio. Maybe even more than friends.Gio caught me looking, and a spark brightened in his gaze as hemotioned to the class-room up ahead. "What?""Nothing," I muttered."You checking me out, Ryth?"I flinched. "No."His green eyes grew wider. "Yeah, you w-were. It's o-okay."His stutter grew worse when he was embarrassed. Maybe I waschecking him out, maybe I was a little desperate, desperate to get awayfrom Creed and his sons. I stepped into the classroom, only this time Giosat beside me. 

I barely heard the chatter in the class, capturing just enough of theteacher's lecture to take notes on the laptop Creed had bought me. I guess Ihad to expect that now...him being my stepfather and all."So I want a three-thousand word paper on my desk by Monday onthis." The teacher's words wrenched me from my thoughts. I jerked mygaze to the gray-haired professor wannabe with his glasses perched on theend of his nose."What?" I muttered."What?" Gio snapped, then the entire class groaned.