Inevitable (17 page)

“
Yes, sir.” I winced as the first strike tore through my flesh.
The blade was ice-cold from being stored in the garage but it did
nothing to numb the pain.

“
Two. You missed half of today’s classes for a doctor’s
appointment I know you didn’t have. Obtaining a scholarship
requires commitment in
all
areas of study, Blaine. Again, skipping school shows a lack
of commitment, a lack of desire and determination to succeed. Do
you understand?” I squeezed my eyes closed so tightly my eyeballs
felt like they might burst.

“
Yes, sir.”

The second
strike stung like fuck as the blade hit my now sensitised skin. He
raked it through with malicious slowness and I heard him sigh as if
he was enjoying it.

“
Three. You’ve been having an inappropriate relationship
with Madonna Davis. I’m sure you would agree that her mother is
what can only be described as cheap trash and whilst regretfully
she may be an old…
acquaintance
of Trudy’s, I will not tolerate my son bringing shame on
this family by willingly involving himself with people like that.
We are better than that, Blaine. Do you understand?”

Was he being
fucking serious! How much more involved can you get than bringing a
cheap hooker you’ve known for a few days home with you and then
marrying her?

That was definitely the hardest strike I was ever about to
take
. I
wanted to bolt upright and punch the sadistic fucker until his
skull caved for speaking so viciously, so untruthfully about Maddie
like that. But it turned out, I just didn’t have the
balls.

I was
pathetic.

Weak.

Afraid.

“
Yes, sir.”

I barely felt the third strike.
The pain was dull, bearable as I
imagined Maddie’s beautiful face, her flawless pale skin, her
button nose, the dark freckle behind her ear…

“
And four. You have
necessitated three strikes in one day, Blaine. It
would appear from the total amount of strikes I am looking at here,
that I do not remind you how I expect you to behave often enough,
or perhaps you lack incentive? Is that what it is, Blaine? Do you
need further…
encouragement?
”

“
No, sir,” I barked firmly, wincing as the fresh cuts felt like
they were setting alight.

“
Three strikes is not acceptable, Blaine. Do you
understand?”

“
Yes, sir.” My voice cracked and I almost felt like I deserved
the next strike for allowing myself to sound so weak.

The
raging heat spread throughout my back as he ripped into me for the
last time. It burned like hell and I could feel trickles of hot
blood seeping down my back and then pooling in the dip between my
hips. I sighed heavily when I heard the blade flip
closed.

It was
over.

For today…

“
Now, clean this place up. Trudy and I are taking Kara out for
dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Almost
immediately I heard the bolt protest as he yanked it open and then
the door squealed before being slammed behind him. I rose
cautiously off the bench press, perching on the edge for a moment
until the disorientating dizziness subsided. Then I used the towel
which was draped over the cross trainer to pat my back as far up as
I could reach, before wiping the trail of blood off the floor
behind me and slipping my black button-down shirt back
on.

When I got back to my room I lay down gingerly on my
bed,
grimacing as I rolled onto my side. Anger boiled in my
blood. I was disgusted with myself. As usual I just lay there and
took it. I didn’t fight back, again. I didn’t try and reason with
him or put up any kind of struggle. I took it because I was scared.
I was weak and pathetic. I hated myself.

I had
retaliated only once before when I had just turned fourteen. That
day would haunt me for the rest of my life…

I lay in bed
until the darkness closed in. I wanted to cry but I wouldn’t allow
myself. I was so scared. I was terrified because I was alone. I
felt like I needed somebody. I craved to be held. I wanted somebody
to tell me everything was okay. I needed to know somebody cared
about me. I had never needed anyone before in my life and it scared
and confused the shit out of me.

Maddie. I
needed Maddie.

Maddie

A light
tapping at the front door woke me. I glanced at the small travel
alarm by my bed and saw that it was almost midnight. I immediately
shot out of bed and went straight to my mum’s room to check if she
was there.

She was. Sound
asleep and snoring like a big hairy bloke.

Fear pounded in my chest as I followed the sound to the
front door. Apart from rapists and burglars who else hangs around
outside at this time of night? Oh yeah,
murderers.
I instinctively scanned the room for
something blunt and heavy and then I almost shit in my favourite
pair of silk knickers when a shadow formed behind the small glass
window in the front door.

“
Maddie?” Blaine’s voice was a hoarse whisper seeping
through the crack at the foot of the door. I sprinted the two steps
it took to get from one side of the living room to the other and
opened it
instantly.

“
Jesus, Blaine, what’s happened?” I urged the second my eyes
met his. Even in the moonlight I could see they were swollen and
red with unshed tears. His expression was pained, his body hunched.
He looked… broken.

Without
saying a word he collapsed into my chest and buried his head in my
shoulder. My arms automatically folded around him and I cradled his
head in my hands. He was shaking. It broke my heart and scared the
hell out of me at the same time.

I walked
backwards into the living room and kicked the door closed with my
foot. Blaine’s steps matched mine but he never let go of me. I
prized him off gently just long enough to take him to my bedroom
and when I sat on the bed he fell into me again.

“
Blaine?” I said carefully. “You’re scaring me. Please, tell me
what’s wrong?”

He sat up on the edge of my bed and swallowed forcefully
before exhaling a controlled breath through pursed lips. Then I
watched,
perplexed and slightly intrigued as he started un-popping
the buttons on his shirt. He winced as he rolled it from his
shoulders, exposing the most gloriously defined set of pasty white
abs I have ever seen in my life and sharp contrasting tan lines
around the top of his popping biceps. Then he tossed it on the
floor.

“
I need to show you something, Maddie. I can’t hide from you
anymore,” he said desolately, squeezing his eyes shut as if he
couldn’t bear to see my reaction. I nodded slowly, even though I
knew he couldn’t see me.

Then he slowly shifted to face the door, and my heart sank
into the
pit
of my stomach.

His back was covered in meticulously carved
scars
. There
were rows upon rows of tallied welts – sets of four neat vertical
lines with a fifth slashed diagonally through them, like little
raised fences. Unwittingly the tip of my index finger began tracing
the contours of the scars at the base of his spine but his body
stiffened and I pulled away. Some were white and barely noticeable.
Others were red, angry and raised.

Then I gasped
when I saw four fresh, gaping lines carved methodically into his
left shoulder blade. The dried, coagulated blood surrounding them
made it look like they were merging into one big wound.

“
Did your father do this to you?” I pressed vigilantly. It
seemed like the most logical explanation. I knew he felt hostility
towards his dad and if it wasn’t
him
, then why the hell didn’t his father stop
it?

Blaine nodded
once and then turned back to face me slowly. His
eyes seemed guarded, afraid as he assessed my
expression.

“
Do you want me to leave?” he asked, his haunted eyes were
bulging with what looked like guilt, or maybe even
shame.

“
God no! Blaine, how the hell can you even ask me that?” I
leaned forward and cupped his face in my hands, tracing the firm
flesh which hugged his cheekbones with my thumbs. “Does anyone else
know about this?”

He shook his
head firmly.

“
And they’re not going to.”

I parted
my lips to speak, to tell him he needed to tell someone – someone
who could help him. But he placed a quivering finger over my lips,
silencing me. Then he brought my hands down from his face and
clutched them tightly to his chest. I could feel his erratic
heartbeat thumping anxiously against the walls of his chest. His
chest rose and fell heavily as his breathing became
ragged.

“
Make love to me, Maddie,” he whispered, leaning across to
trail feat
hery soft kisses along my neck and pushing me backwards
with the weight of his body.

I tipped
my head back and sighed wistfully as he slid the strap of my cami
top down my shoulder and started brushing his lips across the
sensitive skin. I dragged my fingers through his hair, gripping the
tousled brown strands and guiding his head towards my breasts. He
pinched the hem of my top and instinctively my arms rose above my
head, allowing him to slide it off my body.

Then he
cupped my breasts with both hands, kneading them, licking them and
then taking a nipple in his moist, warm mouth he sucked gently
until I felt it harden beneath his tongue. A hungry groan erupted
from his throat and his kisses grew more fervent, more intense. My
hips arched unconsciously as he grabbed the waistband of my pyjama
pants and tugged them slowly down my legs before tossing them to
the floor.

I reached out to touch his bare chest, skimming the
contours of his rigid muscles with the pads of my fingers. A soft
sheen of sweat misted his skin
and I massaged it into the ruthless hardness of
his chest. I gasped loudly at the unexpected, unfamiliar sensation
of fingers slipping inside me and my body involuntarily
stiffened.

“
What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” Blaine asked, his
voice
dripping with concern.

“
No,” I replied honestly, shaking my head. “It’s just… well,
I haven’t actually done…
this
… before.” My cheeks couldn’t have blazed any hotter as I
flopped my head to the side, too embarrassed to look at
him.

He slid his
open palm under my cheek and slowly turned me to face him. When I
looked at him he pressed his forehead against mine and tucked a
lock of hair behind my ear.

“
I’ll be gentle, lish. I’ll take care of you I promise.” I
nodded weakly, a heady mix of fear, apprehension and excitement
coursing through my veins. Blaine’s lips brushed mine and his
desirous tongue teased for entry into my mouth. I let him in,
circling his tongue with mine and savouring the familiar taste of
mint and tobacco.

“
I want to make love
with you, Maddie,” he breathed as he nibbled on my
earlobe. “Let me make love to you.”

My breathing
had become too ragged to form words so I nodded eagerly. The slight
twinge of nerves bubbling deep inside my belly wasn’t nearly as
potent as the throbbing ache between my legs, the desire I felt to
be close to him – closer than I’d ever been to anyone.

Blaine’s
fingers wandered down my body until they settled in the moist
groove between my thighs. He stroked me gently before picking up
momentum and working his fingers into fast, relentless
circles.

“
Do you like that, lish?” he breathed. If sex could be defined
as a sound, it would be Blaine’s voice in that very
moment.

“
Yes,” I whimpered so loudly I should’ve been embarrassed
but I was too consumed by the intoxicating pleasure radiating
throughout my body.

His fingers continued
their unyielding assault as he hovered his body
above me and thrust his tongue deep into my mouth before exorcising
an animalistic growl and whispering in my ear.

“
You are so fucking beautiful.” The words danced into my
ears like sweet music and his warm, rasping breath caressed the
skin of my neck.

Desire and need pooled in my belly and my hips bucked to
meet the
insistent strumming of his skilled fingers as they worked
harder and faster to bring me to my peak. The pleasure grew so
intense it was almost unbearable and then he plunged his greedy
tongue into my mouth as I cried his name, my body shuddering
violently as my entire body melted underneath him.

Smiling proudly at me, Blaine managed to work his jeans
over his hips and slide them down his legs without his face ever
leaving mine. My curious fingers reached down to trace the length
of him and I’d be lying if I didn’t panic for a moment as I
wondered how the hell he was going to fit
that
inside me. He moaned hungrily, filling me
with pride and confidence that he enjoyed my touch so
much.

Then he
kneeled up, falling back on his heels before tearing open a condom
that seemed to appear out of nowhere. I watched inquisitively as he
squeezed the tip and rolled it down over his impressive erection,
his blazing blue eyes never leaving my body.