Scars: Book One

by West, Sinden

  Thomas frowned. “Are you sure? Miranda said that some of Nora’s less savory associates took you. I thought I should go to the police but then…” his shoulders slumped down. “I’m sorry. I’m a bad friend.”

  I shook my head at him. “No, you’re not.” I sighed. “I…know him, from before and well,” I shrugged. “I told you before that I’m tough.”

  “No,” Thomas corrected. “You said that you used to be tough. But you’re not now. Remember?”

  I forced a smile. “I told you. It’s fine. Let’s get to work.”

  I avoided Thomas for the rest of the night. He was going to ask questions that I didn’t know how to answer. I had no fucking idea what was really going on or how long Aaron would play nice for. What I did know that was I staying in the nicest house I’d ever been in, I didn’t have weirdo Michael lurking around the corner, and the coffee was good. All these reasons were superficial and ridiculous. My original fear of Aaron had turned to wariness. That in itself was probably stupidity on my part; it was probably just my brain going into survival mode again.

  Aaron was early picking me up. I spied his car in the parking lot as I cleared my last table for the night. For an instant I thought of going out the back, of just heading to the nearest bus station and leaving. But I didn’t. I swung my purse over my shoulder and opened the door to his car. He was texting on his phone and informed me that he’d quickly drop me at his house then have to take off again.

  Once I heard his car roar off, I explored the house that consisted of five bedrooms and three bathrooms, all done in white of course, with the occasional artwork adding a splash of color. But these were rare, and most of the art was in blacks, grays and whites. All dour and depressing, I wondered if he’d chosen them himself. A room filled with gym equipment and a sound system was the most revealing. I flicked through his music collection which ranged from Beethoven to Pearl Jam. Only one artwork interrupted the white walls. It was a mural of a tree in winter with different dark tones to depict the twisted grooves on the tree trunk. If you looked closely, faces emerged that were cleverly hidden. Women and men with a variety of expressions looked down on me. I left the room because I couldn’t stand them looking at me in all their creepiness.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  I woke up when Aaron got home, turning on the bedroom light as he walked in. He looked tired, and his hair was messed. He looked briefly in my direction before heading for the bathroom, shedding his clothes as he went. His shower was long, and I was nearly drifting off as he slipped in beside me and reached a hand up to turn off the lamp.

  I waited a moment, before saying, “Aaron?”

  “You’re not going to hassle me for sex are you?” he mumbled. “I’m too tired.”

  I sat up and switched the light back on as I stared down at him. “Are you making a joke?” I said, witheringly. “I didn’t want to have sex with you anyway.” I lay down again. “Where did you go?”

  He closed his eyes. “Work stuff. Don’t ask me about it.”

  “Fine.”

  He opened his eyes again. “I have to go out of town for a couple of days. You can stay here if you want.”

  So I get a choice? “Without you here? That sounds…perfect!” I said brightly.

  He didn’t look impressed. “Are you making a joke now? You shouldn’t. Neither should I. We’re not very funny people.” He closed his eyes again. “Turn off the light.”

  “I thought I had to stay here anyway. Didn’t you take me for a reason?”

  His eyes flickered open. “I took you because you can’t take care of yourself. Look at the people you get mixed up with. And maybe to piss off Nora as well. Now turn off the light. I’ve told you before that I get mean when I don’t get enough sleep.”

  I flicked off the light and settled my head on the pillow. If anyone else had said that, I would have been offended, but this was Aaron. Anything other than insults coming out of his mouth was foreign.

  He left early the next morning. I sat blurry eyed in the kitchen nursing my coffee when he came down the stairs carrying two black sports bags.

  “Do you need me to run through the security system with you again?” He dropped the bags and picked up the cup of coffee I’d made for him.

  “No. I got it.”

  He sat beside me. “Let’s go over the rules.

  “Rules?”

  “I don’t like people in my house, so no guests.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “But you had Antony and that other guy over here the other day.”

  “I can have who I want. You can’t. Understand?”

  I looked away from his serious glare. “Sure.”

  He relaxed back. “It’s not really a concern anyway, since you don’t seem to have any friends anyway.” Ouch. “Or family who care about you–“

  “You got your point across.” Like you’re any better, asshole.

  “Good.” He looked smug. “Now get down on your knees and suck me off before I go.”

  I blinked, and my jaw hardened. I’d been stupid to think anything had changed. I got down on my knees on the hard, cold tile and slowly freed him from his pants. He was hardening already. I started at his base and kissed along the shaft, dragging my tongue along slowly in a way that I hoped frustrated the hell out of him. I neared the head and then reversed back in the opposite direction, continuing with the teasing while I cupped his balls.

  “Get on with it,” he ordered in a strained voice. I rolled my eyes and finally took the head in my mouth. It didn’t take him long to cum. I prepared myself from the coming onslaught of his seed into my mouth as he grabbed the back of my head. But instead, he pulled out and tilted my head back so I was looking up at him. His cum rained down on me in warm strings. In my hair, on my nose, my mouth. I managed to shut my eyes in time to avoid them being hit and kept them squeezed tight and froze until I knew he was finished. Then I wiped the cum off my eyelids before opening them. His semen smeared along my fingertips.

  Disgusting.

  I kept looking at my fingers while he stood and fixed himself up. I sank down lower onto the floor, fruitlessly trying to wipe myself clean with the palms of my hands but only succeeding in spreading the mess around more. I was covered in the shit.

  I heard him pick up his bags and kept my eyes averted so he wouldn’t see the tears of humiliation that were beginning to pool. I heard the jingle of his keys as he grabbed them; then he crouched down beside me. A finger on an unsullied part under my jaw forced my head up to look at him. He inspected me with an emotionless face that was beginning to blur through all the tears in my eyes. Suddenly, his face broke out in a grin that I wanted to slap right off. He removed his finger before standing, and without another word, he walked cheerily out the door.

  I took the bus to work. I had to change two different stops, and increasingly creepy people got on the closer we got to my workplace. I ignored them and discouraged anyone that tried to speak to me.

  “You okay? You look sick,” Thomas greeted me.

  “I’m just tired.”

  “Okay…Guess where I’m going!” he yelled excitedly.

  “Where?”

  “Miranda’s taking me for a week of debauchery in Paris!” He clapped his hands together, jumping up and down.”

  “Really? That’s great. The Paris part, not so much the debauchery.”

  “Actually. I’m looking forward to that part just as much.” He winked at me before going to serve in his section. I washed my hands again. I was sure I could still smell the pungent scent of Aaron’s semen on me.

  My section was filled with one asshole after another. I got called a bitch three times, and a stupid slut at least four times. After my last customer had left, I sunk down into a booth and rested my face on my forearms. I hated my fucking life.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Movement across from me caused me to raise my head. Antony sat there smiling at me. “Bad day?”

  “Bad life,” I said cautiously. “What are you
doing here?”

  “I was hungry.”

  I couldn’t hide a smile as I took in his designer suit, tidy nails and expensive haircut. “And you came here?”

  He looked around us. “Well, it’s not a place I usually frequent. I usually like to be the only drunk person passed out in the room…” He cast his eyes in the direction of a man who stank of alcohol and hadn’t moved for the last half hour. Antony turned his gaze back to me and smiled brightly. “Actually, Alexa told me this is where you work. When do you get off?”

  “Fifteen minutes.”

  “Great. I’ll take you to dinner, and then give you a ride home. Are you still at Aaron’s? I know he’s gone away.”

  I sat up straight. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

  “Hey.” He raised his hands. “It’s all innocent I promise. I even texted Aaron that I might swing by and check on you.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “And what did he say to that?”

  Antony shrugged and smiled. “He told me not to, so of course I did the opposite.”

  A giggle escaped me.

  “Seriously, do you have a car? At least let me take you home.”

  My plan had been to ask Thomas so I didn’t have to sit with any creeps on the bus, but he’d received a text from Miranda so had gone home early.

  “Sure,” came out of my mouth.

  Antony’s car was sleek and expensive; however garbage littered the interior. “I haven’t taken it in to be valeted for a while,” he excused himself.

  “I don’t care. It’s better than the bus.”

  When he stopped in front of a restaurant that reeked of money, I tugged at my t-shirt self-consciously. “I can’t go in there. I’m not dressed for it.”

  “You look perfect.” He stepped out of the car and came around to my side to open the door. As he helped me out he in leaned closer and whispered. “Besides, no one fucks with me in this town.”

  I leaned back and looked at him wide-eyed.

  “I’m joking. Seriously. Come on.” He took my hand and led me through the doors. The maitre’d knew Antony by name and greeted him warmly. He was polite and almost friendly to me and didn’t look twice at what I was wearing. We were seated at a table covered by a white tablecloth and lit by candlelight while soft classical music played in the background. The menus were done in fancy script with no prices printed beside dishes so ornate I couldn’t pronounce them.

  Antony ordered us wine without even looking at the wine list. I gazed around me at the other diners. They were all dressed nicely and the women all seemed to be clad in diamonds. Everyone seemed to speak in hushed tones like were in a library.

  “This is nice,” I whispered to Antony.

  “I know,” he whispered loudly back. “You don’t have to whisper.”

  I blushed and leaned back in my chair. He gave me a grin that I sheepishly matched.

  “Want me to order for you?” he asked as I surveyed the menu, not understanding half of what was written in front of me.

  “I think that’s a good idea.” I placed the menu back down neatly on the table.

  “The duck’s great. You should try it.”

  The sommelier returned with a bottle of Merlot to which Antony gave his approval.

  “I don’t really drink a lot,” I told Antony as my glass was filled.

  “So just have the one glass. Just sip it. Not like how most teenagers drink. That’s what you are, right? A teenager.”

  I nodded. “I’m eighteen.”

  “I knew you were young. Nora likes the young ones…”

  I stiffened at the mention of her name. He gently reached across and touched my hand. “Sorry, I always seem to be embarrassing you.”

  I moved my hand away, brushing hair away from my face. “No, it’s okay. It was my choice so I shouldn’t be embarrassed by it. Can we please not talk about her anymore?” I paused, then. “Do you go to those types of parties?”

  “Sometimes. They’re not really my thing, but my brother hosts them occasionally. I tend to go to those ones because sometimes business takes place at them.”

  My mouth dropped open. “Luca? What does Alexa say about it?”

  Antony took a sip of his wine. “They have an…understanding. They’ve been together a long time. They have one of the happiest marriages I’ve ever seen. Although, Luca rarely indulges anymore, personally I think he’s happier being at home with Alexa and the kids.”

  “And what about Aaron? Does he to go those parties very often?” It was something I’d been dying to know.

  Antony looked amused. “You don’t want to ask him? I don’t blame you; he’s not very approachable. He only goes to Luca’s parties. I’ve seen him fuck girls before, excuse my language, but I don’t think he goes in for the whole humiliation thing.”

  Oh but he does.

  Antony was looking at me curiously. “So tell me, what’s so special about you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t get me wrong, you’re a gorgeous girl, but this town’s full of gorgeous girls. I want to know why Aaron seems to have chosen you.”

  I sipped my wine before saying, “He didn’t choose me. I’m not his girlfriend.”

  “He let you into his house. He hardly lets anyone into his house, let alone a girl he’s screwing. He’s my friend, I like him a lot. But he’s guarded. I don’t think anyone will ever get to know the real him.”

  I played with my wine glass. “He sounds perfect for the business you’re in.”

  “He told you about that?”

  I looked up at him. “No. But I made my own assumptions. Why don’t you tell me what makes it so no one ‘fucks’ with you in this town? Do you do what Aaron does?”

  He let out a small laugh. “No. I take care of more of the business side of things. I’m good with money.”

  “And Aaron does the dirty work?” I asked softly.

  He looked at me, suddenly serious. “It’s what he’s good at. It’s what he likes. He’s smart, and he could probably go as high as he wanted in our organization without being family if he wanted to. But he doesn’t. He makes good money and enjoys his work.” Antony’s face relaxed into a smile. “I guess you could say that he’s living the dream.”

  I had to laugh at that, and Antony laughed with me until he suddenly turned serious again.

  “You know, I saw you at that party, I saw how upset you were, and I’m glad you’re away from her.”

  We were interrupted by the arrival of our food, and our conversation turned to more harmless topics. Afterward, he drove me back to Aaron’s house, even walking me to the door before giving me a polite kiss on the cheek good night.

  The house was cold and silent as I turned on the lights and entered the kitchen. I looked down at the spot where I had knelt this morning, and the unpleasant memory came back to me. I gripped the strap of my purse firmly in my hand. I didn’t belong here.

  After I showered and slipped into bed, the wine I’d had made me fall asleep easily. The next morning I was filled with purpose as I packed my things. I was going back to my shitty apartment. I didn’t have to go to work, so I took my time making sure nothing of me was left in this house.

  I let myself into my apartment quietly. I didn’t want Michael bitching about how noisy I was. I quietly closed the door behind me and made my way to my bedroom. My door was half ajar, and I stood there and pushed it wide open.

  I was greeted with the sight of a naked Michael kneeling on my bed. A pair of my panties were wrapped around his dick as he worked his hand back and forth, his head tilted up and eyes closed in ecstasy. I lifted my hand to my mouth as I felt vomit rising in my throat. His cum spurted forth over his hand and onto my bed, in spectacular fashion.

  I must have made a noise then because his eyes opened, and his head spun around to look at me. He didn’t look embarrassed; he just stared at me and I stared at him. Then I backed slowly out of the hallway before spinning on my heel and getting the hell out of there.


  I sat in the park clutching my bag to my chest, trying not to think about the disgusting sight I’d just witnessed. I sat there for hours as people fed ducks and played with their kids. As dusk came, the families left, and the seedier people came out. Homeless people found benches to sleep on while teenagers drank on the playground equipment. I only got up when a man asked me how much I charged for a blow job; he followed me to the bus stop and hung around me until a bus arrived, and I hopped on it. Out the window, I saw him making crude gestures to me until he finally disappeared from sight.

  It was near midnight when I made it back to Aaron’s place. As I let myself in, I saw that the living room light was on, and that’s where I headed. Aaron sat on the couch, a glass of whiskey in hand. He didn’t look at me as I came in. It was only when I sat down beside him that he even looked my way. His eyes had a drunk, glazed look to them and for a moment I wondered if he’d really seen me. But then he spoke.

  “Were you leaving me?”

  I was amazed that his words weren’t slurred.

  “No,” I said quietly.

  He threw what remained in his glass down his throat before placing it on the coffee table. Then he grabbed my wrist and hauled me over to sit on his lap, trapping me there with his arms.

  “Stop lying. I know your whole world is built on lies, but you don’t lie to me, understand?” He gripped my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. I nodded, and he released my face.

  “How come you came back?”

  I looked down. “I can’t go back to my apartment anymore.”

  He pushed up the sleeve of my t-shirt and started to kiss my shoulder. It amazed me that someone so hard could have such soft lips and a touch so gentle. His lips touched my collar bone, and I stiffened. He glanced at me.

  “What’s wrong?”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to say, ‘nothing’ but instead I said, “I’m not your plaything.”

  He looked at me for what seemed an eternity, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him. Then he kissed me on my mouth with the skill and seduction of someone who liked doing it. In spite of myself, I kissed back like I couldn’t get enough. When he pulled away, I watched him expectantly and breathlessly.