CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR TABATHA

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

TABATHA

I slam my front door and lean back against it as I hear his bike speeding out of the neighborhood. I place my head in my hands and slide down the door until I sit on the floor. My head pounds. My body is sluggish. What hurts the most is that he was right. After I had a few shots, I loosened up. Jackie and I danced with random men. And it felt good. I allowed them to place their hands on my ass and spin me around the dance floor. I hated the fact that Dash was with Valerie doing God knows what, and I was feeling sorry for myself. I had made a decision, and I needed to grow up and move on. Then he shows up here. He loves me? I didn't even let the words sink in before I went off on him. How could he love me? How could he just have been with her if he truly loved me?

I cry harder. I love him, too, but couldn't say it. What would he have done if I had said that I loved him? He would walk all over me. I don't want that type of relationship. I deserve better. I don't care what he says about me; his racing career will always come first. By throwing that party, he proved that. My father will tell him to jump and he will always ask ‘how high'?

But another part of me feels like I should have told him that I loved him. That I hated knowing that he was with her. I was scared and jealous. I'm only trying to protect myself.

I jump when a knock sounds on my door. Spinning around, I open the door, ready and willing to do the apologizing this time.

My heart pounds in my chest when I come face to face with Rodger. "What are you doing here?" My words slur from the alcohol and the anxiety I feel that he's at my front door. His lips lift at the corners in an attempt not to smile. He then walks right past me; he ignores my question and enters the house. My house.

I close the door and turn to face him. His eyes look over my reddened skin from all the drinking and the smeared makeup from crying over Dash. I see his eyes harden. Reaching out, he wraps his hand around my throat. I try to scream, but nothing is coming out as he slams my back into the door. "Stop being a little bitch," he says calmly as I frantically try to pull his hand away from my throat.

I silently plead with him to let go before I lose consciousness. My vision is starting to fade and my legs are getting weak.

He sighs heavily and releases me. My already buckled legs can't hold me up and I drop to the floor. Gasping for breath, I rub my sore neck.

He stands quietly and calmly in front of me as if he wasn't just trying to kill me.

"Are you done?" he asks keeping his voice calm. I look up at him with tears running down my face, and I realize just how pathetic I must look. This is how he prefers his women. Kneeling before him.

He places his hands in the front pocket of his pants, and he stares down at me, waiting for an answer.

I swallow and it causes me to flinch from the pain. "Why are you here?" I ask quietly. My voice is scratchy and unfamiliar.

He frowns. But doesn't offer me an answer. "Come on," he says bending down and taking my hand. "Let's get you cleaned up." He jerks me to stand, and I fumble to get my balance.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." I try to shout, but it sounds more like a squeal.

"You're coming home with me," he says with a smile. Have I lost my mind? Did I trip and fall, causing a head injury of some sort?

"I will not!" I pull my hand out of his.

"Yes, you are." He pauses for a second as he reaches out and gently touches my face. I flinch away, and he just smiles. "It would be a shame if something happened to him."

My heart stops and what little breath I have catches in my throat at the words. "What?" I choke.

"It would be awful for Dash to have another accident. Because you don't want that precious Dash to have another accident, do you?"

I grit my teeth to the point my jaw hurts. Son of a bitch. "What did you say?" I ask, taking a step toward him.

"What would you do for him? To keep him safe?" His words make a chill run up my spine.

"If you hurt him…" I growl.

"I already have," he states simply.

I rush him and land my fist on his jaw. I wanna cry out from the pain it causes to run up my hand, but I hide it. Damn, they make it look easier on TV.

"Fuck," he sneers as he grabs my sore hand and spins me around. He wraps his arms around my shaking body. I'm so mad that I see red. He pins my arms to my chest as he holds onto me tightly.

"That's going to cost you, Tabby." He gives a dark chuckle into my ear. "I look forward to your payment."

"You son of a bitch," I hiss, trying to break free from him, but he's too strong. My throat still burns and my chest heaves. "What did you do to him?" I scream frantically.

"His bike, his brakes," he quips and then pauses. "That was just a warning."

I stop trying to fight him in total shock. "What…? But…That was…"

"Me."

I shake my head quickly and the notion makes me lightheaded. That can't be. Dash told me that Valerie confessed.

"So…" He continues to hold on to me tightly as he whispers into my ear, "What would you give up for him?"

I swallow the lump in my throat. After the way I just treated Dash, he deserves everything from me. I was a total bitch and regret not telling him that I loved him as well.

I close my eyes and a sob wracks my body. "I almost feel sorry for you," he whispers into my ear. "But I have a hard problem feeling sorry for others who put themselves in the situation at hand."

"Stop," I beg as I try to wrap my mind around what is happening. I shouldn't have drank so much. I shake my head as I try to clear it, but it causes my body to sway. I'm actually thankful that he's holding me up. Falling flat on my face would just make me look even more pathetic than he already thinks I am.

"One more time. What would you give up for him?"

I know exactly what he wants, and I hate that he's going to win. I won't allow Rodger to hurt Dash. It's not Dash's fault that Rodger and I have a past. And it's not Dash's fault that he wrecked his bike and could have been severely injured. It's all mine. If I hadn't broken up with Rodger, I would have never gone to Dash's party. It all starts with me.

I hang my head as Rodger continues to hold on to me, and I whisper as I feel my heart break, "Me." I give myself to Rodger because that's what he wants. If I'm with him, he won't hurt Dash.

He continues to hold my back to his front, but he reaches one hand up and runs his knuckles down my face. I close my eyes tightly to try to stop the tears, but another sob wracks my body when he speaks.

"Good girl."

Good girl. I never knew how much two simple words could terrify me. "Please," I beg as my body shakes. I lick my lips and taste the salt from my tears. My body sways from the alcohol that I consumed tonight and my legs feel sluggish.

"Please what, darling?" he asks as he buries his head into my neck. His knuckles run down the side of my face, wiping off the tears. Then I feel it slide down my right thigh. My entire body tenses.

"No. No. No," I say quickly when I feel him lift the hem of my dress.

His lips softly touch my neck. "I just wanna feel how wet you are for me," he declares, and I shake my head.

"I'm not," I say shaking my head quickly.

I try to take in a calming breath. I can't panic with Rodger. That's what he feeds off of. You know this, Tabatha. I need to be strong. I need to fight him. I jump when I feel his hand cup me between my legs. Thank God, I wore panties. "Stop," I demand, and he chuckles into my ear. The sound makes my anger grow over my fear. He only has one hand holding on to me, so I take my hands and lift that arm up to my face. I open up and bite down into this flesh.

"FUCK….!" he screams out, before he yanks his arm out of my hold. I spit out his blood when he places his hands on my back and shoves me forward, causing me to hit my front door face-first.

My body stumbles, and my already drunk self falls to the floor. I look up at him as he bends over holding his arm as he hisses in a breath. I take the second to find my way to my feet and run. I'm that stupid girl. The one who runs upstairs. The one who thinks that a second floor window is my only way of escape. But the thing is that I have more objects to protect myself with up there. That's where my room is. That's where I spend most of my time. I grab the banister and yank myself as I shove off the last step, needing all the help I can get as I pant from exhaustion. My head is yanked back, and I scream as my arms go flying. Before I can fall backward, causing us both to fall down the stairs, he shoves me to the side, causing me to hit the wall. I fall down to my knees on the stairs and brace my face. I taste blood. My blood. And I can barely hold my head up because the room is swaying so much. He jerks my hands away from my face, and I look up at him through heavy lashes.

"You are so fucking pathetic," he growls. "You'll let random men touch all over you but won't give me what I deserve?" he demands.

"You don't deserve me." My voice is weak. Just as weak as my body.

"I don't deserve you? I made you!" he screams.

I throw my head back and laugh. A laugh that makes my entire body shake. It's the first true laugh he's ever given me. I'm sure it makes me look hysterical. "Made me what?" I ask once my laughter starts to die. He stands over me breathing heavy with narrowed eyes. One hand grips the banister, and the other pushes against the wall. "You made me hate you is what you did," I inform him. "I loved you." I start to speak the truth as the nausea sets in. All this throwing me around, and the liquor is about to come up. "I gave you all of me, and you took advantage of it."

He reaches out and slowly caresses my face. I don't pull away, but I flinch from the contact. "I only did what you were afraid to ask."

I gasp. "You think I wanted to be your play thing?" I ask in surprise. Does he truly think this way? "You think I wanted to be treated like crap? Not only did you use my body, but you also fucked with my brain."

"A whore is a whore in all aspects," he says simply, and my mouth drops.

"You sorry son of a bitch," I scream. "You are nothing. Nothing but a piece of shit who uses women."

"You make me sound like I'm the only one who has ever used you." He gives me a cruel smile. "You think he didn't use you?"

"Shut up." I place my hands over my ears. He can't talk about Dash. He doesn't know about what we had.

He leans over and rips my hands from my ears. "I heard the way he used you that first night. How easily you begged him to fuck you. It was disgusting." He spits in my face. "How easily you became a whore for him."

"What?" How would he know what we did? "What are you talking about?" Is he referring to Dash's party?

He rolls his eyes. "Don't act so surprised. Of course, I was there."

I shake my head. "You are one sick bastard," I mumble, yanking my wrists from his grip. "I did. I gave him everything that you wanted." I smile, and his eyes narrow on me. "And I'd do it all again. Maybe even let you watch…"

I feel the sting on the side of my face before my mind can comprehend what he even did. "You really think you can beat me?" he growls as he huffs. "After all I've done for you?" he shouts. "I was fucking nice to you. But now…now, I'm gonna show you what it's really like to be someone's bitch."

I turn over onto my stomach and start to climb the last two steps when I feel his hand wrap around my ankle. I try to stand to run, but he pulls on my ankle and it causes me to fall back onto the stairs. I hit my chest hard on the steps, and it momentarily knocks the wind out of me. He grabs my hair and yanks my head back. I still haven't caught my breath enough to even cry out. He shoves my head against the upper step, and I let out a moan of pain as I close my eyes. Maybe it's the alcohol, or maybe it's just the pain, but I can literally feel my skin tear open on my forehead and then the blood running down my face. "Rodger…" The word slips from my swollen lip, and I suck in a deep breath. I don't know what I plan on saying. Maybe beg for my life. But he would just get off on that.

He lays his body on top of mine, and it pushes me uncomfortably into the stairs. Fuck, I need to get us off these stairs. They're gonna kill me. "Say my name again." He breathes heavily into my ear from over my shoulder. "Beg me to forgive you."

"Fuck you, Rodger," I say before I spit blood onto the carpet.

I'm able to take a deep breath as he climbs off me.

He lets out a dark laugh as he grabs my ankle. He twists it to the point I scream out, and I have no choice but to turn on to my back. He yanks me down a few stairs, and I grit my teeth from crying out again as I feel the skin on my back scrape from the carpet on the stairs. I hate the fact that it pulls my dress up, exposing my legs and panties, but that's the least of my worries. He's going to kill me.

"I can play this game all day, sweetheart."

I can't. I already feel lightheaded and nauseous. If I don't stop this now, I'm going get sick. And the bastard is twisted enough to drown me in it.

He drops my ankle as he looks down at me with a cocky smile on his face. "You always were fun to play with."

"Go fuck yourself, Rodger," I growl with hatred.

"You always had a filthy mouth," he snarls. I look up at the ceiling and take a deep breath. I use my feet to shove him with all that I have, knowing that by pushing him backward down the stairs, he is gonna take me with him. I'm willing to take that chance.