Real Girl: Aston Creek High (Book 4)

by Sheridan Anne

  I’m hoping that after this sham of a wedding tomorrow, Marcus will be a little more lenient on the rules. I doubt he’s going to keep me locked up like Lucien and Maria are now. I’ll be able to find a phone then and who knows, maybe one day I’ll feel safe enough to run but until I can guarantee that my friends and family won’t be harmed due to my actions, then here is where I’ll be.

  Slade would be so upset to know that I’ve given up. I bet he’s been looking down on me, shaking that glorious head of his. I can only imagine what he’d say. ‘I didn’t fall in love with a quitter.’ He’d probably finish that up with a nice, stinging smack on my ass before reminding me all night long why he loved me.

  Loved. Past tense.

  Fuck. The tears start pouring.

  I guess I had the energy to cry after all.

  The door rattles and I whip my head toward it while wiping the tears off my face.

  It’s him. It has to be.

  Lucien hasn’t come anywhere near me over the past eleven days. I guess that’s my one silver lining in all of this. Maybe Slade is looking out for me from above, though it could also have something to do with the fact that Maria has been hounding me about dress fittings and table settings. She even forced me to learn a fucking wedding dance which I honestly can’t say that I remember.

  If I’m not locked in my room, eating my scheduled meal or performing crunches and burpees for the trainer, Maria is hounding me and I honestly couldn’t care because if I’m with Maria, I’m not with Lucien. She has a nasty habit of slapping me but over the last few days, she’s been avoiding my face.

  As much as I hate her for the role she played in destroying my family and bringing me and Blake into this hell, she’s the only saving grace I have from her rapist husband. I almost hate when our time is over as I become vulnerable again, alone and waiting for the monster.

  To tell the truth, part of me kind of wants Lucien to come. Because of him, Slade is dead. Because of him, Blake’s in the hospital. Because of him, I was shot, drowned, and raped. He will not get away with this and I cannot wait for him to try me again because this time, he will not walk out of here with his life.

  I knew he would come one of these nights and to be honest, I really thought he would have tried something by now, if not every night. You know, try to get the most out of me before I’m gone, but he hasn’t been here, which means tonight is his last night, his last shot to take what he thinks he’s owed and I can guarantee that he will not pass this up.

  The door handle lowers and as the door begins to creep open, my hand curls around the wooden stake that I’ve been saving for this very moment. I’d be a little more comfortable with my knife but in hard times, you use what you can get your hands on. For me, it was the chair that sits in front of my vanity. I flipped the fucker over and beat the living shit out of it until the wooden leg finally snapped off.

  I spent three days carving it against the side of my bed frame and turning it into a weapon. I can’t wait to lodge it into Lucien’s chest but to be perfectly honest, I’m torn. I don’t know if I want to slam it into his chest and watch the life drain from his eyes or if I want to stab it through his back the same way he had done to Slade.

  As the door creaks open and light from the hallway begins to brighten my room, Lucien steps into view. My fingers tighten on the stake, turning my knuckles white as an odd sense of joy filters through me.

  Finally.

  It will all be over.

  Lucien has never been welcome in my room until now.

  I’m going to enjoy this but no matter how good it will feel, it will never bring back Slade. I’ve been fighting with myself over this decision for eleven days. Do I kill him or do I allow him to live? If Lucien were to live, it would mean a lifetime of running and looking over my shoulder. It would mean that every other woman in this world is at risk as well as my family. It would mean that he would get to enjoy a life that he doesn't deserve. Yet if Lucien were to die, it would mean that I win…but it would also mean that I’d be taking a life and I’m not sure how that would affect my soul afterward.

  Would Slade be proud of me for taking his life or would he want me to take the high road and save myself from the heaviness it will bring me?

  Decisions, decisions.

  Lucien walks deeper into the room and as he watches me, his eyes become hooded, He licks his lips as though he’s about to devour the sweetest treat and a shiver runs down my spine. He’s so fucking gross.

  My questions are answered. I know exactly what Slade would want me to do and fuck it, I’m going to do it.

  My hand starts to pull out from under the blanket but I keep my weapon hidden. I don’t want to alert him and screw up my only shot.

  I keep my eyes on him, tracking his every move, his every step, every breath. He will not get away with this again and I don’t care if it means that I have to spend the rest of my life rotting in a prison cell. Hell, I’ll probably find a few girls in there I can relate to. Maybe it’ll be great for my soul. Hell, I’ll call it a vacation.

  Lucien steps up to the end of my bed and just as he goes to reach for his pants, the door flies open and Maria stands in the doorway, her eyes wide and focused heavily on her husband.

  I narrow my eyes at her as she watches him. Something is off here. Her timing…it’s too precise. She came in and disrupted him the day I returned and now again. It’s almost as though…no. No, I refuse to believe that she knows because if she did, surely, she would have done something about it.

  But…the way she is watching him with fury in her eyes is suggesting that she knows exactly what’s been going on.

  “Lucien,” she beams, clapping her hands together as I hastily slam my hand back under the blankets, not wanting to get sprung with a weapon. “How lovely of you to come and wish Skylah good night on the eve of her wedding.”

  Lucien’s hand discreetly moves to his side. “Of course,” he says with a nod, smiling at his wife as though he’s the innocent man he’s always claimed to be. “She’s been my little girl for so long. I’m looking forward to walking her down the aisle tomorrow.”

  Maria beams and I realize that it’s fake as shit but she’s desperate to hold up her act. She doesn’t want her world crumbling down around her and she’ll do whatever it takes to hold onto it.

  “Well then,” Maria says, turning her gaze on me and narrowing her eyes as though she blames me for her husband’s appalling behavior. Though, if that’s true, it would explain why she’s so desperate to marry me off and get me away from him, and if they happen to get their pockets lined in the process, then even better. “We should let her rest. She needs to be up at the crack of dawn for hair and makeup. Dark circles under her eyes for the ceremony would be a bad look.”

  Lucien’s jaw tightens but as his wife stands imposing at the door, refusing to give in, he nods. “Yes, good idea,” he says darkly. “We should leave her.”

  Maria steps out of the doorway, making room for Lucien but he doesn’t move right away. He hovers, waiting to see if Maria will leave so he can play out his sick fantasies, but after a long-drawn-out minute, his feet start taking him to the door. He steps out and Maria glares at me one last time before slamming the door with a hard thud.

  A breath leaves me.

  That was a close call.

  I throw myself out of my bed and race across the room as disappointment fills me. I start pushing my dresser in front of the door.

  I’ve survived another night but at the same time, Lucien is still walking these halls. If only Maria had kept away for thirty seconds more, I would have had my shot to take him out.

  But I will. It might not be tonight or even tomorrow, but one day, I’m going to kill Lucien Valentine. When I do, it will be for Slade and for all his victims like me and Daniella who have had to look over our shoulders all these years. His death will be for all the people he has wronged, but most importantly, for all the girls who he will no doubt hurt in the future.

  Ne
ver again will he hurt another girl.

  With the dresser securely blocking my door, I make my way back to my bed. It’s one thing being awake with a stake in my hand but being able to sleep is a whole other issue.

  I glance back at the door before sliding down between the sheets and just like every other night, the second my head hits the pillows, thoughts of Slade swarm my mind. I cry into the pillow until the exhaustion finally claims me.

  Chapter 10

  Lucien’s fingers dig into my arm as he slowly walks me down the aisle. “Smile for your guests,” he demands, spitting the words through his teeth while keeping his voice low. He stands tall, acting like the respectable, important man all these people assume him to be.

  I hold back tears as I look anywhere but at Marcus at the other end. When I first stepped out onto the aisle, I met his eyes and he looked at me like a tiger ready to devour his last meal. This is going to be my life now.

  This is fucking sick.

  The music plays as the guests stand around me but I don’t hear any of it, just the loud thumping in my ears and the voice inside my head telling me that I need to run, but running comes with its very own set of consequences. Lucien made sure of that this morning when he strapped an electric shock band around my thigh and slipped the controller into his pocket. If I run, I’ll be shocked and go down like a sack of shit. I won’t even get two steps. There’s also the threat of Lucien going after the people I love and I can’t risk that which is exactly why I keep putting one foot in front of the other.

  It’s a joke that this sham is happening in a fucking church but it’s not like we could have the biggest wedding of the year anywhere else. Maria would be the laughing stock and she’d rather die than have the world know that she didn’t do this how the rest of her country club bitches would have done.

  My knees shake. I don’t want to be here.

  I want to go home, collapse into Shaylee’s arms, and cry for days on end. Hell, maybe I shouldn’t go home. They probably don’t even know that Slade is gone and I’ll have to be the one to break the news. Fuck, that’s going to suck.

  This news is going to kill them. Having to tell Daniella that her son was shot and murdered in cold blood. Emma and Rain…fuck. Damian? He’ll be crushed. Gone will be the light-hearted, sarcastic best friend. He’ll be nothing but a shell of the man he once was.

  The tears fill my eyes and Lucien tightens his grip on my arm. “Pull yourself together.”

  I let out a deep breath, blinking back the tears before they get a chance to fall and leave streaks in my makeup. I can only imagine what Maria would have to say about that. Hopefully, the guests would just assume I was overwhelmed with happiness, but still, a woman like myself who was raised with such high standards should have learned how to control her emotions. This is simply unacceptable. I guess all I have to say about that is Maria was right to demand the make-up artist to use waterproof mascara, otherwise, I’d be a mess by the end of the day.

  I plaster on a fake smile, trying hard to keep myself strong. I can do this. I have to do this.

  The farther we get down the aisle, the smaller my steps become, desperate to delay the inevitable, but if I was smart, I’d have run down the aisle and gotten it over and done with. The longer it takes, the worse I’m making it for myself.

  We get to the top of the aisle when I finally see a familiar face.

  Lucy Carroway.

  Thank fuck.

  She sits in the second row with tears heavy in her eyes and her mother's hand on her thigh. To anyone else, it would appear as a loving gesture, but I know better. Her mother is holding her in place, ensuring she doesn’t do anything stupid.

  We’d both be dead by the time we reached the end of the aisle, but maybe it would be worth it. Not Luce though, she still has so much to live for. She’s going to go so far in life and it's going to be incredible to watch. Besides, I need her to stick around because with me now living in hell, I need someone to live through and keep me going. Without Slade, I’ve got nothing to live for.

  I know the pain of missing him might ease one day, but so far, I’ve been missing my mom and dad for thirteen years and it still aches. I doubt it will be any different with Slade.

  Luce desperately tries to blink back tears and the more she looks at me, the harder it gets to keep moving. She goes to mouth something and I tear my eyes away. I can’t. No matter what she says, if it’s words of encouragement or telling me to run, I’m going to break.

  I can’t handle it. This is too much.

  I’m about to marry against my will. Slade would be devastated…disappointed. He would say that I’m better than this shit. He would tell me to run and never look back. He would tell me not only to survive but to thrive.

  Damn him. What does it matter? He’s gone now.

  I step up in front of my future husband and as if handing me over like a proud father, Lucien puts my hand in Marcus’. It’s clammy and warm and I don’t miss Lucien’s low warning as he nods to Marcus and steps back. “Hold her tight.”

  Marcus’s grip instantly doubles to the point of pain and I hold back a loud gasp, trying my hardest to appear as though I want to be here but judging by the faces of the people in the crowd, they know this isn’t right.

  They see the fear in my eyes and I see the sorrow and devastation shining back in theirs, but not one of them will do a damn thing about it because I can guarantee that Lucien has all of them on a tight leash. People in this town aren’t good people. They’re rich and entitled which gives them the sense that they can do whatever the fuck they want. They’re just like Lucien. Some of them worse, some of them not so bad, but no matter what, they all have secrets, secrets that Lucien makes it his business to know.

  The music begins to soften until it completely disappears and as it does, the priest steps up between me and Marcus.

  He looks out at the wedding guests. “Please, take your seats.”

  There’s the usual rumble as the guests drop down onto their asses, getting comfortable and shuffling around in their ridiculous, over-the-top suits and dresses. Ankles are crossed with knees tilted, children are shushed, while husbands pretend that their mistresses aren’t sitting two rows behind.

  I swallow hard. This is it.

  Maria lets out a blissful, loud sigh, drawing all the attention to the proud mother of the bride. I can practically hear all the eyes rolling. She’s so fucking desperate for approval, praise, and attention. How was my luck so bad to have ended up with her?

  The priest gets started, reciting passages from the bible and describing the meaning of marriage and love but with every word he speaks, I die a little more inside.

  Before I have a chance to stop them, the tears start falling and within the blink of an eye, Marcus’ hand snakes out and slaps across my face. I gasp in horror. I wasn’t expecting that. Maybe from Maria or Lucien, but not from Marcus…I mean, not right here at least. I don’t doubt he would have punished me behind closed doors. It was a ballsy move, especially in front of all these people.

  Gasps are heard throughout the church and the priest takes a step toward me, clutching onto my arm as if to pull me away, but I hold my ground.

  Whispers are heard throughout the pews and even Luce has the balls to fly to her feet. “Hey,” she demands, making Marcus’ head whip around to her. “Don’t you fucking touch her, scumbag.”

  Luce’s father instantly curls his fingers around her arm and pulls her down so hard that she crashes back into the pew, nearly falling to the ground.

  Marcus grins at their performance and turns back to the priest. “Continue.”

  The priest flashes his eyes to me. He doesn’t want to do this. He knows this is wrong, he knows I’m being forced, but more importantly, he doesn’t want to sin in the house of his father. Maybe if he knew that I was already lost to the big man upstairs, it might make it easier for him.

  Seeing his reluctance, Lucien stands from his seat in the very front row and clears his throat.
The priest stares at him and as Lucien raises a smug brow, the priest releases my arm and positions himself between us.

  There goes my last hope. Not even God can save me now.

  I zone out, spending every second staring at Marcus’ chest and forcing myself not to cry. If I meet his eyes, I’m fucked. If I meet Luce’s, I’m screwed and if I meet Lucien’s or Maria’s, I might just murder someone in the middle of a church. Or at least, I’ll try to. Lucien would probably electrocute me before I got the chance.

  The priest's voice rings out loud and clear, much louder than at any wedding I’ve ever been to before. “Does anybody have a reason why these two people should not be wed?”

  My head whips around, begging at least one person to stand up and save me from a life of torture, but not one person speaks up. I look back at Luce and I see her desperation as she also looks around, but seeing that the guests are going to allow this atrocity to continue, determination has her ready to make a move.

  She meets my eyes and I shake my head. ‘Don’t,’ I mouth, silently begging her not to. She and I both know what will happen to her if she was to ruin this for Maria and Lucien. Hell, even her father has a tight grip on her. He’s practically sitting on her lap, holding her down while her mother, on her other side, still keeps her hand firmly on her thigh.

  Defeat claims her and I watch the pain enter her eyes. There’s nothing she can do without paying for it with her life. ‘I’m sorry.’

  Marcus tugs hard on my hand and my head whips up to him to see a heavy scowl as he prompts me to pay attention.

  “Alright, then we shall continue with the vows.”

  Maria lets out a shaky breath of relief, nearly inaudible to the rest of the guests and I realize this was the one moment she was waiting for, the moment that could make or break this wedding.

  My reluctance has Marcus tightening his grip on my hand and I bite down on my lip, stopping myself from screaming out as he practically breaks the bones in my hand. When he finally loosens his grip, I turn to the priest, unable to look at Marcus as I speak.