Page 27

Eve

The moment I stepped outside the dance studio, the cool evening air hit me like a slap, sharp and biting. My heart was still pounding from the routine we had just finished. I always felt a strange kind of release in dancing—like I could escape my thoughts for a little while. But tonight, that peace felt far too fragile.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me from the haze of exhaustion. I glanced at it—Luke. I quickly swiped to answer, eager to hear his voice. This was the first time I had left the dorm in days, and I had no doubt he was calling to check in. He was probably worried, I thought. But before I could even get the phone to my ear, I heard the unmistakable screech of tires. A car screeched to a halt behind me, and I froze. That sound—something in my chest twisted.

I turned slowly, my eyes scanning the street, and there he was.

My father.

My stomach lurched, my blood running cold as his car came to a screeching halt just a few feet away. He slammed the door open with a force that rattled my bones, his face twisted in a grimace of fury. I could see the rage in his eyes, the same way I used to see it in his when I was younger. But this time, it felt different. This time, there was nothing but violence behind it.

"Eve," he spat my name like it was venom, each syllable a blade cutting through the air. His voice was low, filled with that cold, seething anger I remembered too well. "You think you can escape me? Think you can hide behind the law?"

My heart thundered in my chest, my body frozen as I stared at him. I knew—I knew—this was it. He'd found out. The police report, the evidence, the fact that I'd finally found the courage to stand up against him.

I turned, my legs trembling, wanting to run, but my body refused to obey. He was too close. I was too scared.

Before I could even take a step, he lunged at me, grabbing my wrist with such force that the bones in my arm screamed in protest. My breath caught in my throat as I tried to pull away, but his grip was like iron, unyielding, suffocating. The terror I had tried to suppress for so long came flooding back, overwhelming me.

"You think you can turn me in?" His words were more like a growl than speech. "You think you can ruin me without consequences?"

"Let me go!" I gasped, trying to wriggle free, but his grip only tightened. "You're nothing but a coward."

His face twisted with a mixture of disbelief and fury. "A coward?" he repeated, his voice low, dangerous. He shoved me forward, and I stumbled, my back crashing against the side of the building. The air whooshed from my lungs, and I gasped for breath, the pain radiating through my spine.

I tried to stand, my knees shaking beneath me, but he was on me again, dragging me down the alley between two buildings, the cold concrete scraping against my skin. There was no one here. No one to hear my screams. Just the sound of his footsteps and the pounding of my heart in my ears.

"Please..." I whimpered, the words barely escaping my throat, but he wasn't listening. He never listened.

"You don't matter anymore, Eve," he spat, pushing me harder into the corner. His fist shot forward, connecting with my stomach before I even had time to brace for it. I gasped, the air rushing out of me like I had been punched in the gut. I doubled over, the world spinning as I tried to breathe, but before I could even straighten up, his hand was on my hair, yanking me back to my feet. My neck twisted at an unnatural angle, and I cried out in pain, my eyes filling with tears.

He hit me again.

This time, across my face.

I didn't even have time to register it—just a sharp sting, then the taste of blood in my mouth, the pressure as it dripped down my chin. I felt dizzy, my legs unsteady beneath me, but still, I couldn't stop him. I couldn't escape.

"You think you're so clever?" he hissed, his voice filled with loathing. "You think you've got it all figured out? Hiding behind the law, playing the victim. You're weak, Eve. Always have been."

The words stung more than any of the hits. It was his voice, his tone, the way he belittled me, made me feel so small, so insignificant.

"You thought you could get away, huh?" He kicked me, the force of it knocking the breath from my chest. "You thought you could ruin me? You think that pathetic excuse of a brother will save you? He won't be able to stop me. No one can."

Each word he spoke felt like a dagger, stabbing deeper and deeper into me. I couldn't breathe. My head was spinning. But through it all, a part of me was still fighting, still refusing to accept this, still refusing to be beaten down. But it wasn't enough.

I tried to stand, my vision blurry, but he kicked me again—hard, this time in the ribs. I gasped, my body crumpling under the force, my blood mixing with the dirt on the ground beneath me.

"Please," I whispered, barely able to make the words come out, but he just sneered down at me, his face twisted in cruel satisfaction.

And then he grabbed me by the throat.

I was dying.

I was terrified. I was a fucking coward, and I was afraid.

But in that moment, the only thing I could think of was Carson.

His face flashed in my mind, his eyes full of warmth and kindness. His smile. The way he made me feel like I wasn't alone. The way he had kissed me under the stars, promised me he'd never let me go. I felt my heart ache at the thought of never seeing him again, of him never knowing what had happened to me. What my father had done to me.

I wanted to say his name. I wanted to tell him I loved him, that I was sorry, but the words never came. I could barely breathe, let alone speak.

The way he had held me when everything else felt like it was falling apart. The way he made me feel like I could finally be... safe. The thought of never seeing him again—of him never knowing what happened to me—was the last thing that shattered me.

The darkness consumed me completely, and for a moment, there was nothing. Only silence.

And then, somewhere far away, a voice. Carson's voice. His name was on my lips, but I couldn't say it. Not anymore.

And then—nothing.