Cigarettes & Coca-Cola✔️

Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Dangerously wicked

The bell above the door chimes as I open it. The smell of coffee and chocolate fills my nose as I enter the small bistro.

I scan the shop in search of Quin. I stop when I spot her sitting in a booth. I move towards her and sit down with a sigh.

She looks up at me and gives me a sweet smile. 'Hey.'

'Hi?' I say unsure.

'How have you been?' She asks twirling her spoon in her cappuccino.

'Fine?' I say again, unsure.

'Look I'm just gonna cut to the chase.' She says and drops the small spoon in the mug. I sit up straighter and fold my arms together over the table.

She continues, 'Are you seeing Corbin?'

My heart stutters in my chest as I hear his name, 'Excuse me?' I didn't think I heard her correctly. Corbin and I were roommates for two days.

'Are you dating Corbin? My rapist?' My heart drops to my ankles as she says the word.

I believed Quin when she told me. But something in my gut told me that something didn't seem quite right.

'Of course not. Who told you that?' I swallow the bile that has risen my throat.

'Are you living with him?' She asks evading my question.

'Yes. Corbin and I are roommates.' I say regretfully.

A few slow seconds pass and then she says, 'Move out.'

I shake my head right and left. 'No.'

'Excuse me?' She says with a hand to her chest.

'I said no, Quin. You know moving out isn't an option for me.' I say with a frown. Quinlan came from a family of gold miners. She never had to worry about money as I did.

She often grew mad at me, if I couldn't come on trips with her. Or if I couldn't go to the movies, because I was working.

'Why would you do this, Aviana? You know what he did to me.' She says with a look of disgust.

She again threw it in my face, but that didn't mean that the guilt didn't swallow me whole.

'I'm sorry, Quin.' I whispered to her softly and lowered my gaze to the table.

'But I can't move. You know what my mom and dad would say.' I continued.

She sighs and shakes her head, 'It's fine. It's fine.'

A small sense of relief fills me, 'Have you told Arthur?'

'I told him that I had sex with someone else, but I left out the rape part.' She says with a shrug.

'Why?' I ask with a frown.

She shrugs again, 'I didn't want him to go to the police.'

'Quin. You have to tell the police, or tell your boyfriend.' I say. I hated to admit it, but a part of me didn't want Corbin in trouble.

'No, I can't.' She says sticking up her nose.

'Wh- What if he does it again? What if he does it to me?' I didn't lock my door when I went to sleep, but maybe I should.

'He wouldn't do that to you.' She responds with a shake of her head.

'Why? I'm in a very vulnerable position.' I respond. I slept in the same house as him. If what Quin said was true, I was an easy target.

'You're not his type.' She says with a shrug and starts playing with the spoon again. What the fuck did that mean?

'Not in a bad way, Annie. Just he has certain standards.' She says quickly after she saw the look on my face.

Standards. I'm not up to standards.

I shake my head and say, 'Look Quin, I really need to go. I have tons of math homework to do. Text me if you need anything okay?'

I'm out of the booth before I could hear her response. The bell chimes again as I head out the door.

☠

I unlock the door of my dorm...house and come to an abrupt halt when I see a strange guy on the couch.

'Uh, excuse me?' I say confused.

'Oh, hey. You must be Ana.' He says sticking out a hand as he rises from the couch.

'Yeah?' I say hesitantly.

'Cool, I'm Jared. Corbin asked me to tell you that he will be at that frat party down the street. And that you are not allowed to come.'

I frown. I wasn't planning on going, but now that he said I couldn't...

'Why does he care? He barely knows me.' I say with a frown.

'Look, girly, don't shoot the messenger. I'm only following orders.' He says with a smirk and heads out the door.

'Orders?' I mumble to myself. What the fuck?

☠

I looked dark. I looked dangerously wicked. I looked hot.

My black jeans highlighted my curves, the red lacy top revealed a tiny bit of cleavage and the hint of my black lace bra.

My feet wore a pair of fishnets and black boots. My hair was wrapped in a silk bandana and small whisps hang in front of my eyes.

My makeup was simple. My lips were painted with a reddish gloss and only mascara on my lashes.

I stared at myself in the mirror and quickly grew unconfident. My thighs looked huge in the mirror and my stomach looked less than flat.

Should I go?