Hunted

Naomi

Chapter 11
Five years ago.

"These look pretty on you," Marcus says as he slides more flower buds all over my head. He then brings a flower close to my nose and tickles it, making me giggle.

He plops down next to me, his bright blue eyes locking onto mine, shining so beautifully. I love them so much—maybe I'll keep them forever. I want to keep him forever.

His fingers gently brush my hair away, tucking it behind my ear like he always does. "Stop crying now," he whispers softly, pulling me closer. "Your father can't do anything. Not now." His voice is warm, almost soothing, and I feel a strange calm settle in my chest. "It wasn't your fault."

I pout, frowning up at him. "But he said it was. He said I'm too careless and now he's going to send me away... to a boarding school." The words taste bitter, and I feel a knot tighten in my stomach.

Something flickers in his eyes—something sharp and quick. "I won't let him take you, Naomi," he says, his voice firmer now. "You're staying with me."

My lips curl into a small smile. I like that. I like him. I want him.

I'll keep him forever. He is my knight.

He changed.

I don't need to look up from my hands to feel Ariella's eyes on me. Judging. She's always judging. It's what she does best, and tonight's no different. I deserve it, though. After what I did today, I deserve every ounce of scorn she's silently hurling at me. The humiliation is eating me alive, and the worst part is I can't even find the words to explain it.

"I'm calling Tina," she says, already reaching for her phone.

"No, please." My hand shoots out, grabbing hers, my voice barely steady. "She doesn't need to know. No one else has to know."

Tina had bailed on us earlier, off to her family party, and for a brief moment, I was relieved when only Ariella showed up at the café. Tina would've bombarded me with questions, dissecting every mistake. "Why did you even do that?" or "I told you he wasn't worth it." I can't bear to hear it. I already hate myself more than she ever could.

I pull my hands back, hiding them in the sleeves of my shirt. The fabric feels rough against my skin, but it's a small comfort. "Let's just keep it between us," I whisper, desperate.

Ariella watches me for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, she leans in, her voice low and dangerous. "Look, honey," she says, her lips curling into something close to a smile, "you've already humiliated yourself enough. The only way to get back at him is to do exactly the opposite of what he expects."

I blink, confused. "What do you mean?"

Her smile widens, something dark flickering in her eyes. "Chase might not play soccer with them anymore, but he still has influence. He'll make sure everyone knows what you did today—making Tina also know what you did. But that's not the point."
A cold wave of nausea rises in my throat at the thought of Chase spreading what happened, of everyone knowing. My stomach twists violently.

"And they'll call you names," Ariella continues, her voice dripping with venom. "They'll call you a slut. Whore, whatever. So become one. Give them exactly what they want to see. It'll tear Marcus apart, seeing you own it."

I blink again, "I can't do that,"

"Oh, but you can be Marcus's little toy?" she scoffs, her voice dripping with venom. I bite the inside of my cheek, swallowing back the sharp retort that rises.