A Song For Another Time - A Hikaru Hitachiin Story

Chapter Sixteen - You Better Keep Your Head, Little Girl

Rose tried her best to keep the fear off her face and the shock out of her eyes. Despite his many attempts to get her attention throughout the night, she didn't think Lance would resort to something like this.

With her back to the wall and trapped between his arms, Rose wasn't sure quite what to do but she knew she had to think fast.

"I actually have to get going now," she said, trying to duck under his left arm. "I have some things to work on early tomorrow."

Rose wasn't fast enough to beat Lance. Despite the fact that he was clearly inebriated, he was incredibly strong and she felt the wind knocked out of her as he pushed her back against the wall. He closed the gap between their bodies completely, pinning her to the wall with his thighs as her eyes watered from the surprise impact.

He leaned down and tucked his head into the crevice between her neck and shoulder, breathing in her scent before sucking his way from her chin to her collarbone.

"You're such a naughty girl, Rose. You've been teasing me all night," he whined into her skin, causing goosebumps to rise. Rose tried to push against him, fighting for a way out with little success. She was going to have to change tactics.

She relaxed against his body, as if to indicate that she wouldn't struggle any longer, and brought a hand up to stroke the back of his head.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Damn right you're sorry," he growled, raising his head to look at her. "You shouldn't be dancing with all those boys, especially not in those jeans."

He released some of the pressure on her, but only enough for him to be able to trail his hand down her side and dance his fingers along her curves. His hands explored her hungrily before one rested on her hip. Lance grabbed at Rose's body hard, trying to pull her into him. He leaned his face toward her at the same time in an attempt to force her into a kiss. As his lips moved closer she turned her head away.

Lance's eyes flew open, his pupils dilated, and he threw her back into the wall.

"How dare you," he said, reaching up to slap her. "How dare you turn away from me."

Rose couldn't help flinching as his hand connected with her face, but she recovered quickly and set her eyes upon him in a heavy glare. She was unyielding.

"Do you think you could do better than me," he challenged her, grabbing at the collar of her shirt. "Don't make me laugh."

"You're nothing," he spat. "You are so useless and unappealing that not even your parents wanted you. Who do you think you're fooling by being here Rose? No matter how hard you try, you can't escape your nothingness."

Rose's eyes widened in a mix of shock and delusional realization. No matter how uncalled for, Lance's biting words had struck a chord. Stressed brains don't tend to be rational and the thoughts she constantly tried to push away broke free of their mental restraints.

She had always been nothing and not even Harvard could guarantee that she would ever be anything more.

She let her head begin to hang as tears threatened to leak from the corners of her eyes. The break in eye contact with Lance was short lived, however, as he grabbed at her chin with his right hand and pulled her face up.

"Come now, Rose, be a good girl and tell me that you're nothing," Lance said.

"I'm nothing," she whispered, not meeting his gaze.

Lance laughed as he moved her chin back and forth a little, satisfied with his work. He moved away from her, convinced his psychological tactics were successful. He put his hands on Rose's shoulders and smiled at her.