When Reality Hits

“I…I” due to his teasing words, I could barely speak or catch my breath. His eyes lingered on me for a brief second before he walked away—nonchalantly—like he was already tired of staring at it, standing with me.

My heart twisted at his indifference, but it was quite normal.

The fact that he was a new student didn't mean he wouldn't realize I was the college loser, the one everyone badly wanted to walk away from.

Before I could catch my breath, I felt some strong arms pull me inside an empty class. “Sarah.” I exhaled, placing a palm on my chest.

“You had a moment with the new student! What the hell, tell me what he looks like.”

I glared at her. Hard. “He looks normal.” I denied, even when he looked like a fallen angel. Dark. Majestic. Frightening. Like the devil himself. “Just like any other person.”

She rolled her eyes, placing her palm on both sides of my shoulder. “We both know that's a lie. He's Dominic Lakes, Lena. Dominic fucking Lakes.”

“I know.” I pushed her away, aiming for the door, “stop fussing about it.”

I had other things to worry about—like why on earth he looked exactly like the same man I'd met in my dreams. Why he teased me when we'd only just met. Why my body reacted to his mere voice.

Sarah and I went for our first class on the list and strangely, the new guy—I'd call him that—was sitting right behind me, his cocky smirk playing on his lips.

Sarah giggled in my ears, “I smell something like attraction.” But I pushed her away. Annoying prick.

I sat in my chair uneasily, expecting him to strike up a conversation, explain why I'd been seeing him in my dreams, but he didn't say a single word till the end of the class.

My entire day was strange because he was in it.

~~~~~

I ignored Sarah because I knew she'd tease me again, so I headed home after closing up for the day. As soon as I alighted from the taxi, the first sound that sucked my breath away was the sharp yell of my sister, followed by loud chuckles.

I ran straight from the taxi, heading inside, taking note of the broken glasses, flipped furniture and slight blood stains on the ground.

My heart ached. Glendale.

I rushed up the stairs and was mortified by the sight in front of me. A few men were trying to overpower her, to have their way with her. Her clothes were torn, her hair messy.

I couldn't think.

I grabbed a vase and smashed it on someone's head.

He growled, grabbing the back of his head as he turned to face me. “You little bastard.”

“No…not my little sister.” Glendale winced, trying to reach for me, but the other guy punched her cheeks, making blood spill from her lips. My eyes saw red. I tried to approach them again, but I was sent flying across the room.

“Selena!” Glendale wailed, suddenly pushing the men off her, “It's me you want, leave her out of this. I'll pay you, I promise.” She wiped her tears harshly, struggling to cover up her torn clothes. “Please. Give me more time.”

“How much more time?” One of the men grabbed her chin, forcing her to stare at them, “we already gave you enough time!”

“A week.” She said desperately, making a tear slip down my cheeks. It was starting to clear up now, they were loan sharks. She'd borrowed some money. Again. “I just need a week this time. I promise.”

The men glanced at her, “You only have a week, pretty slut. The next time.” He licked his lips and nodded at me, “we’ll pluck your sister's cherry.”

Asshole.

They kicked the broken shards of glasses on the ground before leaving with their crumpled car.

Even in her weak state, Glendale ran towards me, helping me up, but I shook my head and enveloped her in a tight hug.

“Glendale, I told you to stop going to them.” I bit my lips, fighting the burn in my throat, “you really don't have to. I work now, I'm of legal age.”

“Your therapy.” She winced, “Your tuition, mine, working alone isn't just going to solve them all.”

“Then I'll stop going to therapy.”

“You can't.” She released me from her grasp, holding my face in her hands, “You need to continue visiting that man in a suit. You need him to battle with your nightmares, you know it.”

‘The nightmare isn't real’ I wanted to tell her, ‘I met the man in my dreams’ but she wouldn't believe me. No one would. They'd call it a mistake, but I was damn sure he was the one.

“Glendale, you don't have to do all the work. Let me. Please.” I pulled up her arm, staring at the bruise on it, “you can't continue going through this for me. I can't take it. It's like a stab slowly tearing me apart.”

Then I saw it, a purple mark, it wasn't exactly a bruise, I knew what it was because Blake once gave me one. A hickey.

I shook my head, tears streaming down my cheeks, “No, No. No.” I whispered, but I saw the truth in her eyes, and then she nodded. “It's just business.” She laughed it off, “you don't have to worry about it.”

But that mere statement scarred my heart.

The fact that my sister sold her body just so we'd ‘live’