The next day, Sebastian called to tell Arielle that he was going to be away for a much longer time. “I just can’t wait that long,” she said, sighing deeply. She could hear him chuckle with pleasure at her longing for him.
“Do you miss me?” he said.
“Just a little,” she lied.
“Well, then, I may have to stay away a little longer, to make sure you miss me a lot,” he teased.
“I miss you more than life itself,” she replied. “Will that make you come back tomorrow?”
“I miss you too, baby, but I need to finish up here. Don’t worry, I’ll be home as soon as I possibly can,” he said, laughing quietly.
“I’m glad you are amused while I’m dying here.”
“Arielle, your face is in my mind constantly. I’m having difficulty getting my thoughts together. All I seem to be able to do is to think about you. You are in for big trouble when I get home,” he said, laughing again.
“I can’t wait to see you!”
“Arielle, just one more thing. Please don’t worry if there are lapses of time between my calls. I’m facing some serious issues. However, I’ll try to text you every chance I get.”
Arielle groaned. “What do you mean by ‘lapses of time’?” she asked glumly, unease sweeping through her.
“It may be a couple of days between calls, and maybe sometimes even longer. I don’t want you to worry; it just means that I can’t break away to talk. But like I said before, I’ll text you.” A long, awkward silence followed.
“Arielle, are you there?” he prompted.
“Yes, I’m here,” Arielle mumbled.
“What’s wrong?” he asked anxiously.
What kind of a ridiculous question was that? she thought. “I hate being away from you,” she whimpered.
“I love you more than life,” he reassured her, but she remained deliberately silent. “Arielle, did you hear me? I love you,” he whispered, his voice filled with emotion.
“I love you, too.” She spoke lightly, her voice overwhelmed with disappointment.
“Arielle!”
“What?”
“What’s wrong, baby?”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Sebastian, I miss you. I want you to come home, I want you here with me!”
Sebastian smiled, his heart filled with joy knowing she wanted him home. “I love you,” he murmured. “Try to understand, I’m doing this for both of us. This is all about the security of our company. Yours and mine.”
Arielle knew he was right. “Okay,” she replied. “Anyway, it’s not like I have a choice.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, and chuckled again. Arielle was a constant heavenly thought in his head, and one he couldn’t simply set aside, even if the issues he was facing were quite complicated.
“Don’t feel sorry for me, I’ll survive,” she said petulantly.
She heard his soft chuckle. “I’ll call you soon, I promise. Miss me!” And he was gone.
Chapter 2
IT WAS AN EASY DAY AT SCHOOL. Arielle had only two classes that day. As she walked to the car alone, her mind was thousands of miles away. She was thinking of her gorgeous boyfriend when a voice made her jump.
“Hey, there.”
She spun around and saw that Matt, the rude jerk from the night before, was gaining on her, a wide smile on his smug face.
“Hi,” she said reluctantly. Her expression was impassive, the tone of her voice cold.
“How are you?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m okay,” she said, looking around to see who was nearby. Matt made her very nervous.
“I wanted to apologize about my behavior last night,” he said. “I had too much to drink and I’m not sure what I said. But whatever it was, I’m sorry about it.”
“Thanks,” she said, walking quickly as if she were in a bigger hurry than she really was.
“Is Paul your boyfriend?”
“No, he’s one of my best friends,” she replied.
“So, where is your boyfriend?”
“What is it that you want from me, Matt?” She braced for an argument.
“I’m only trying to be friendly. I moved here at the beginning of the year, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.”
“Where did you move from?” she asked, curious in spite of herself.
“Frankfurt.”
“Frankfurt? Are you German?” she asked, surprised.
“Yes, I am.”
“You have absolutely no accent.”
“My parents are English, but I was born in Germany. After my father retired we stayed there, but we spoke English in the house.”
“Oh,” was all she said. She picked up her pace. Why in bloody hell, did I bother to ask anything about him? she thought. She was at the car now and it seemed like he didn’t want to go.
“Is there something I can do for you?” she asked frostily, desperately wanting to get away.
“No, not really I just wanted to talk to you. You are very beautiful, you know that, right?”
She kept looking for her keys silently. She hoped she could get rid of his undesirable presence.
“Arielle, I would love to take you out to dinner or a film. I know you have a boyfriend, but he isn’t here right now, and I just think you are very nice and I would love to get the chance to know you.”
“Thanks, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think so.” There was something about Matt that really turned Arielle off. She wasn’t sure what it was that bothered her about him, but she didn’t want him anywhere near her.
“Okay then, I’ll see you later,” he said, walking away and looking a bit pissed off. Arielle was relieved he was gone and she instinctively shuddered, as if trying to shake off the bad vibes that emanated from him.
Her phone rang as she got into the car. “Hey, do you want to catch a film?” It was Paul.
“I’ve got a few things I have to do first, but I’ll call you when I’m done and if there is a film that works out for us, then sure, I’m game.”
“Okay, I’ll wait for your call.”
Arielle smiled happily. She loved spending time with Paul. She stopped at the dry cleaners and at the store to pick up a couple things for the flat, and then headed home.
She took a quick shower, changed, and then called Paul. “You can come and pick me up,” she said. “What shall we see?”
“Inception,” said Paul. “I heard it’s really good.”
Arielle agreed, but when they got to the theater she wished she hadn’t. Matt was there with a friend of his.
“Hello,” he said. Arielle inwardly frowned and looked at him only briefly. Matt didn’t belong to that special group of people in her head, but his friend did, and she didn’t like what she saw in his thoughts.
Matt and his friend went into the same screening room as Arielle and Paul. They didn’t sit very close to them, but Arielle could see Matt staring at her with a look that made her uncomfortable. She wished she could hear his thoughts, but since she couldn’t, she was aware only of a vague feeling of menace.
As Paul came back with popcorn and the lights went out, she clearly heard Matt saying to his chum that he was going to teach her a lesson by the end of the month. She was shocked to realize that she was hearing Matt’s words through his friend’s mind. I knew it! she thought. He’s a weasel, just like I thought.
Clearly he was a liar, and his motives were less than honorable. Everything about this bothered her. She was unable to pay attention to the film. She caught little parts here and there, but she knew she was going to have to see it all over again if she wanted to really understand the story.
As she and Paul left the cinema, Arielle’s mind was clearly somewhere else. Paul, always sensitive to her moods, put his arm around her and looked at her inquiringly.
“What’s going on in there?” he asked, pointing to her head.
She leaned close to him and whispered, “Paul, I don’t trust that guy, Matt. He is pursuing me and making me uncomfortab
le. I want you to keep an eye on me when we are out. I’ve a terrible feeling about him, but I’m not very clear what the feeling is about.”
“Do you want me to have a talk with him?”
“No, please do it my way, just in case I’m wrong.”
“Okay, I’ll keep an eye on him,” he said. He smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She hugged him fondly, and they walked to the car.
The next evening Gabrielle and Eva were going out with their dates. Before leaving, Eva looked at Arielle with that mysterious look of hers. “I don’t feel good about you staying here alone, Arielle,” she said. “I have a bad feeling about it.”
“Did you have a vision again?” Arielle asked.
“No, not a vision. It’s just a very strong feeling about you being hurt. I wish you would come with us.”
“Eva, I’m going to lock the door and stay home. I need some time alone. Nothing is going to happen. Go now and have fun.” She kissed them goodbye and they left, still looking worried. But Arielle was looking forward to the chance to relax, read a book, and wait for Sebastian’s call. She smiled at the thought of him. She took a long leisurely shower, changed into her pajamas, and picked up a book to read.
Around seven-thirty the doorbell rang. Arielle opened the door and realized instantly she shouldn’t have done so. Bloody hell! she thought.
Matt stood at the door, wearing his usual arrogant smile. “Hello, Arielle, can I come in?”
“What do you want?” she asked. She tried to keep her voice even and light, but it was hard to do.
“I want to talk to you.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m busy.”
“You’re not busy, and you’re alone,” he said. “Your roommates are gone, there is nothing to keep you busy. Not too busy for me, anyway.”
Her mouth fell open. “Have you been following me?” she asked.
“Mmmm, you could say that,” he said with a disgusting smile.
“I think you’d better leave,” she said, her voice angry and firm.
“I’ll leave when I’m good and ready,” he said, and pushed Arielle inside, closing the door behind them.
“Matt, what is it that you want from me?” she said exasperated.
“You. I. Want. You,” he muttered, each word clipped. “And I’m going to have you. You’re not the Miss Goody Two Shoes you think you are, and I’m here to teach you a lesson.”
Fear shot through Arielle’s body as she reached up to her neck and realized that she had taken her necklace off when she took a shower. She panicked and tried to run to the door, but he blocked her way and grabbed her arms.
“Let go,” she said with a firm, tense voice. “Let go of me now or I’ll scream!”
He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her hard against his chest. He clasped one of his hands over her mouth, and for a startled moment his penetrating gaze made her wonder if he could read her mind. “If you scream, I’ll hurt you, I’ll hurt you bad,” he hissed. His lips brushed against the side of her face. “Try to go along with this, Arielle, and enjoy yourself, because it’s going to happen,” he said sharply.
Oh, my God! I can’t believe this is happening, Arielle thought, her brain frozen with fear. Why didn’t I listen to Sebastian and keep that bloody necklace on me at all times? What am I going to do?
Seeing no way out, and with no one to help her, she knew she would have to fight. It was her only choice.
With his free hand he ripped her pajama top open. His eyes widened and a nauseating smile painted his face. “No bra. Excellent!” he exclaimed. “So, you were waiting for me,” he added and laughed out loud. His eyes were red and wild with a sort of mad, ugly desire. As he pulled her closer and started to rub himself against her body, she felt the floor shift beneath her feet, and vomit climbed up her throat. She pushed him away as hard as she could and tried to get away, but he grabbed her hips and pulled her against his groin. He groaned.
She tried to scream, but he covered her mouth with his and she could smell the alcohol on his breath. He grabbed her arms and held them together with one hand as the other grabbed her breasts and squeezed them so tight that tears run down her face from the pain. He ran his tongue down the column of her throat. She started to sob.
“Please, Matt, don’t do this, you don’t want to do this. God, please stop.”
“I asked you nicely, but you didn’t want to play nice. I told you that I always eventually have what I want, and you are what I want.”
He crushed her lips under his one more time as if he was trying to devour her whole mouth. Tears ran down her face as he pushed her down. She hit the floor so hard it felt as if every bone in her body shattered. The pain was unbelievable. He pulled her pajama bottoms down, straddled her, and started to stroke her. Anger and frustration turned his body to steel ready to crush her.
Arielle fought back with all the strength she had. She cried and pleaded with him, but he wouldn’t stop. He was like a wild animal and she was losing the fight. She felt completely exhausted. Please God, she prayed silently. Please help me.
She tried to get out from under him, but he had her pinned down with his weight. She was crying so hard she couldn’t stop her body from trembling. Fear had taken over her.
He tried to force her thighs apart and she kneed him in the groin. He let out a groan, cursed out loud, and slapped her so hard she thought her jaw had dislocated. She nearly passed out.
“You will pay for that, bitch!” he said, spitting the words out. He was squeezing her so tightly the pain was unbearable. He was all over her, and now he was excited, wild, and angry. He pulled his pants down and she closed her eyes as she slipped into unconsciousness.
The next thing she knew, Gabby and Eva were staring at her in horror. She looked at them with terror-filled eyes.
“What in bloody hell happened here?” Gabrielle cried out.
Arielle tried to speak, but no words came out. She began crying uncontrollably, looking around the room, terror covering her face.
“Don’t worry,” Eva said. “Troy got Matt away from you. He’s holding him outside until the police get here.”
Eva put her arms around Arielle and hugged her tightly. Tears were still running down her face, but they were tears of joy now.
“My God, Arielle, you are bruised all over,” Gabrielle said.
“Gabby did… did he… did he…” She couldn’t finish her sentence. “I can’t feel my body at all,” she whimpered, covering her face with her hands.
“No, he didn’t,” Gabrielle answered, with a tone of grim satisfaction, adding, “We got here just in time. Eva made us come back. She knew something was wrong.”
“Oh, thank you, Eva, I love you so much!” Arielle cried, lying back down again and closing her eyes. She didn’t let go of her friends’ hands and they didn’t try to pull away from her. They just held their arms around her and she felt safe.
A short time later, a policewoman came into the room and motioned to both Gabrielle and Eva to approach. Eva made sure the blanket they had draped over Arielle was still protecting her naked body before she stood up. She gave her friend a reassuring smile, and turning, she followed Gabrielle to talk with the policewoman at the entrance of the flat. Arielle lay trembling on the floor, unable to move, and closed her eyes. It wasn’t long before a warm hand touched her forehead. She opened her eyes and regarded the kind face of the policewoman apprehensively.
“How are you feeling, dear?” she asked Arielle.
“Not so good,” she murmured, voice full of agony and tears in her eyes. She could feel excruciating pain traveling throughout her body.
“Can I ask you a few questions? Do you think you feel up to it?” the policewoman asked kindly. “If not, I’ll wait until we get to the hospital.”
“Yes, I can,” Arielle said softly. With both hands she clasped the end of the blanket and pulled it tight all the way up to her chin. Her move didn’t escape the policewoman, but she was familiar with that type of rea
ction from traumatized victims. Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of angry voices came from outside. Arielle lifted her head and stared wildly toward the door.
“It’s okay, dear,” the policewoman said, placing her hand over Arielle’s hands. “You are safe now, there is nothing to worry about.”
Arielle averted her gaze to the officer and saw her calm expression. Relieved, she forced a smile, apparently convinced she was now safe.
“Can you tell me what happened?”
Arielle sucked in an agonizing breath and told her all she could remember. She was almost done giving her a preliminary report when a couple of paramedics came in carrying a gurney. They smiled soothingly as they checked to make sure she wasn’t bleeding. They lifted her aching body, set her gently on the gurney, and moved her into the ambulance. The pain, as she was moved, was agonizing. Arielle feared she was going to pass out again. They covered her with a warm blanket and transported her, along with Gabrielle and Eva, to the hospital in minutes. Troy and Ian followed in their car.
Arielle had been in the examining room a short time when her mother burst into the room, a terrified look on her face. “Arielle! My God, what happened?”
Arielle tried to smile but couldn’t; her lip were swollen and her eyes were black and blue. “Don’t worry, Mummy,” she said. “I’ll be all right.” She could hear the doctor assuring her mother that except for the bruising she was fine.
“There was no penetration, but she’ll need some type of counseling following an incident like this,” the doctor added, speaking softly so as not to disturb Arielle, who of course was tuned in to every word.
“Darling, will you ever stop getting hurt?” her mother said, folding Arielle in her arms. “You’re coming home with me,” she added. Arielle just nodded and smiled softly.
Gabrielle and Eva were waiting in the waiting room with Ian and Troy. When Arielle and her mum walked out of the examining room, her friends approached them and they all hugged warmly.
“Thank you for your help, all of you. I love you so much,” Arielle murmured, tears in her eyes.
“Arielle, we are going home, but we’ll come and visit as soon as you feel like having company,” Gabrielle said. The stress in her voice was palpable. She was hurting for her best friend.
Arielle Immortal Seduction (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 2) Page 2
