Scars of the Past: Chapter One

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweaty bodies moved in rhythmic motions all around us as we pushed through the dance floor. I clung to the hand in front of me like it was a life preserver while trying to keep the person attached to the hand behind from stopping every five seconds. The brightly colored mini-spotlights moved over us as we passed and the thumping of the bass reverberated in my ears. It smelled like fake fog from a machine mixed with sweat and alcohol.

I hated clubs.

We finally emerged from the throng of people and Amanda led us to straight to the bar. The three of us squeezed into a spot against it and she threw her hand up to get the attention of the bartender without success. She turned back around and flashed me a brilliant smile. A smile that said she knew how uncomfortable I was and that it was amusing to her.

“Don’t look so pissed off, Mads. We’re here to have fun.”

“I’m not pissed,” I replied with a frown before catching myself and forcing a neutral expression on my face. “I just feel so out of place.”

Sydney wrapped her arm around me and put her head on my shoulder. “That’s what alcohol is for, babe. Liquid courage.” Even with the deafening music, her loud, enthusiastic personality ensured I could hear her perfectly.

She gave me a smacking kiss on my cheek before leaning across the bar and yelling, “Yo, barkeep!”

The bartender raised his hand in answer and signaled that he’d be a just a second. Sydney sighed and turned around, looking out at the crowd as she did.

“I saw a few out on the dance floor I might have to get to know better.”

Amanda rolled her eyes and smiled. “Of course you did. It’s not a normal day unless you’ve filled your man-candy bowl full of prospects.”

Sydney winked at us before tucking her short hair behind her ear. She opened her mouth to retort when a voice behind the bar shouted to be heard over the pop song that was playing.

“What can I get you, ladies?”

Amanda smiled at him and held up three fingers. “Three shots of tequila.”

“Six!” Sydney yelled, leaning forward and giving him a better view of her exposed cleavage. Not like it hadn’t been noticeable before. The bartender took notice and gave Sydney a perusal before setting out six shot glasses to fill.

Sydney was the boisterous one in our group and, even though she was the shortest, she still knew how to work it. The knee-high boots she had on gave her five-foot-three inches a good height boost and almost brought us eye level. She had topped off her outfit with a short, black skirt and tight, red tube top that dipped low enough to make her generous chest seem even larger. Her short, bright blonde hair didn’t go past her ears, but it was somehow always done more elaborately than anyone with long hair. Her dark brown eyes twinkled as the bartender gave her another once over before announcing our total.

Sydney passed him her debit card before handing us each a shot and raising hers into the air.

“To us- The hottest bitches in this place!”

Amanda raised her glass high as well. “To us!”

I raised mine feebly before mumbling the sentiment and bringing the foul liquid to my mouth. It poured down my throat, leaving fire in its wake, and I scrunched my nose. “That’s disgusting.”

Sydney laughed and shoved another into my hand. “Keep going. The more you have, the better it tastes. Or your throat just becomes numb. One of the two.” She glanced around as people walked by us and gave me an evil grin. “There are so many good looking guys in here. I think you need to break your dry streak and bring someone home tonight.”

I grimaced and shook my head. “I don’t think so. The thought of taking home some drunken guy makes me want to gag.”

Amanda smiled, but Sydney scowled. “Sometimes you’re such a prude.”

We sat at the bar for a moment and I people-watched while waiting for the alcohol to do its job. Solid was a very popular night club with its close proximity to the campus, so I wasn’t surprised that it was packed on a weekend night.

I self-consciously pulled the black tank top I was wearing up, hiding my mediocre cleavage. It was hot in the club, and I was regretting my choice to wear jeans for the night. On top of them contributing to my raised body temperature, my jeans made me look like I was completely over-dressed compared to some of the outfits the other girls were wearing. Apparently it wasn’t proper club attire unless you could show off your ass when you bent over.

Thirty minutes and another round later, the three of us were among the sweaty bodies dancing very un-rhythmically with each other. The four little glasses of tequila I’d consumed had given me a very nice buzz and I no longer felt out of place as I moved to the music.

A man’s hands settled on my hips from behind and I turned around to look at their owner. I ran my eyes over him slowly, my brain feeling a little foggy. His hair fell effortlessly on his forehead, his t-shirt hugged his nice, broad chest perfectly, and the cocky smile on his face told me that he knew that I appreciated the view. He wasn’t that much taller than me in my heels but the way he moved with confidence probably won him quite a bit of admirers.

I gave him a smile as I took his hands in mine and pushed them gently into his defined chest. We danced near each other for a bit before he snaked one arm around my waist. I let him for a minute and we just moved to the beat. Once the song changed, he turned me around so my back was to his front and our bodies were pressed together. He tried to run his lips down my neck but I wriggled out of his grip. When I turned back around to face him, I gave him a small smile and shook my head.

“Thanks, but I’m not interested.”

He winked at me and placed his hands back on my hips where they’d been originally. He leaned in and I could smell the beer and cigarettes on him as his lips met my ear.

“You and I make great dance partners. I’m sure we’d be great at other things, too. What do you say we get out of here?”

“I’m not interested,” I repeated, taking a step back. “You’ll just have to find another partner.”

His smile grew wider and he didn’t look at all deterred. “Okay. I’ll try again later and see if you’ve changed your mind.”

“I won’t,” I said as fast as my alcohol fueled brain would let me, but he had already disappeared into the crowd.

I turned around and found Sydney with her body pressed up against some guy, doing more rubbing than dancing. I rolled my eyes and turned to head towards the bar.

After I pushed through the other people on the dance floor, I caught sight of Amanda coming from the hallway that led to the restrooms.

Amanda was the level-headed but fierce one of the group. Her long, dark red hair fell in loose curls down her back, and her hazel eyes could burn holes through you if you weren’t careful. She had chosen to wear flats, saying her five-foot-nine inch frame didn’t need any more height, but those long, toned runner’s legs looked fabulous in the shorts she was wearing.

“Where’s Syd?” she asked, pulling her phone out of her pocket so she could glance at the screen.

I pointed towards the dance floor and gave my friend a lazy smile. “She found someone to get to know better.”

Amanda laughed as she linked her arm through mine and pulled me up to the bar. She held up four fingers to the bartender and he immediately placed the shot glasses in front of us. We each downed one quickly but Amanda’s eyes were glued to the phone in front of her. She blew out a frustrated breath and typed out a text message furiously.

“What is it?” I asked, lifting the next shot to my mouth. I set the empty glass back on the bar with more force than I meant to and giggled as if it was the funniest thing all night.

Amanda sighed before tucking her phone back into her pocket and pushing her other shot towards me. “Just Mom again. She’s having a bad night and I need to go before she gets too riled up. It’s only midnight, though, and I hate to make you leave. Would you rather stay with Sydney or do you want to cab it with me to my mom’s?”

I held up her shot glass and tried to remember what number I was on. Five? Seven? I laughed at my lack of coherence and shook my head. Going to Amanda’s mom’s during one of her moments would definitely kill whatever buzz I had.

“I’ll stay with Syd. She’ll just have to go home alone tonight.”

Amanda smiled and gave me a big hug, almost knocking me over with my shaky equilibrium. “Drunk Maddie is fairly adorable.” She released me and fixed a motherly look upon me for a moment that made me giggle even more. “Are you sure?”

I nodded, settling my weight against the bar. “Positive. I’m having fun.”

She squeezed me again before saying something about finding Sydney to tell her to come back to me. I blew her a kiss as she left and leaned over the bar. There were two bartenders now and they stood in light conversation, apparently enjoying that they weren’t completely slammed at the moment.

“Can I have one more, please?”

The bartender who had been serving us most of the evening frowned and propped his hip against the bar. He was a bit older than me, probably his early thirties, and had a rugged sort of charm about him.

“I think you’ve had enough, sweetheart.”

I pouted and gave him my best pleading look. “Just one more, okay?” I let out another giggle when I realized how slurred my words sounded. He shook his head but pulled out a glass to fill it for me anyway.

The second bartender had been on the opposite side of the bar for most of the night, but he stepped up to the counter shaking his head, too.

“That’s the last one, Madelyn.”

I scoffed and waved a dismissive hand in his direction. “It’s fine.” I picked up the small glass but immediately put it back down and gave the new bartender a wide smile.

He had familiar brown hair that sat in curls on top of his head, and his gorgeous, honey-brown eyes looked concerned. My own eyes trailed up and down him at a slow pace as I let recognition wash over me. He didn’t smile back but instead continued to give me stoic look.

“Josh Richards.” I reached over the bar to pat his cheek but my hand missed and I ended up patting the counter instead. “Hi, Josh.”

He finally broke his solid demeanor and gave me a small smile.

“Hey, Madelyn. It’s good to see you.”

I stared at him, confused for a moment as my brain tried to catch up. “You’re back. When did you get back?”

The small smile fell from his face. “Not too long ago.”

“Oh.” I studied his face for a second. “God, you’re still as hot as ever.”

He chuckled and leaned in close enough that I could smell whatever cologne or aftershave he wore.

“And you look even better than the last time I saw you.”

I threw back the shot and opened my mouth to say something else, but Sydney appeared with a grin on her face. She didn’t say anything as she grabbed me by the wrist and promptly dragged me back to the dance floor. We danced clumsily against each other for a while before a couple of guys joined in and we all danced together, laughing at one another’s dance moves. I felt light and disconnected from my body, but I also felt like it was a thousand degrees in the club.

“Be back. I’m gonna find a bathroom,” I yelled to Sydney and she gave me a nod of understanding as I started to move in the direction of the restrooms.

As I walked, I felt my feet working against the measly two-inch pumps I was wearing and I stumbled a little. I stopped to lean against the wall and tried to convince myself that the room was not spinning. After a moment, I started to walk again and I noticed a door near the restrooms that led outside. I pushed through that door, ignoring the ‘Employees Only’ sign, and felt the fresh fall air hit me in the face immediately. The air smelled faintly of garbage but it was still far more refreshing than the stale atmosphere in the club.

I took in several deep breaths, filling my lungs as I leaned against the concrete building. The world around me tilted in several directions and my eyes drifted shut to try and slow it down. I heard the door close again but I couldn’t persuade my heavy eyelids to reopen.

I smelled him before I felt him and finally convinced myself to crack open my eyes. The too-bold hot guy from the dance floor wrapped an arm around my waist and his wet lips connected with my neck before I had a chance to register what was going on. He thrust his hips against mine, letting me feel how hard he already was and hitting me directly between my legs. I moaned involuntarily at the pressure and put my hands against his shoulders.

“No. I don’t… What are you doing?” I mumbled clumsily as he moved his mouth down my collarbone, his facial hair scratching against my sensitive skin. He pushed into me again, harder, and I told myself not to react. My mental command was ignored, though, because when he connected right at that sweet spot for second time, I let out another moan.

His lips left my collarbone and his tongue was suddenly in my mouth, the taste of stale beer easily recognizable on him breath. He kept moving his hips and my breathing picked up, but I felt panic registering somewhere in my hazy brain. I didn’t want him to touch me but it felt so good. My mind and my body were having a really hard time communicating.

His arm remained around me as his other hand pulled my shirt up over my breasts, exposing my stomach and bra. His fingers moved to my breast and flipped down one of my bra cups before grabbing my nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

“I don’t want to,” I murmured again as I pushed against his chest pathetically. My push didn’t seem to faze him because he didn’t move an inch. Instead, his warm tongue ran along my nipple before he sucked it into his mouth.

My head fell against the hard, cement wall as my eyes shut again and I half-moaned, half-whispered, “Please stop. I don’t want to.”

I heard his deep chuckle and he bit my nipple, making me thrust into him automatically.

“Yes, you do, gorgeous,” he said quietly as he brought his lips to my ear. He started to undo the button on my jeans and his teeth skimmed my earlobe. “This is making you feel good, and you know it.”

He pushed against me again just to prove his point and I gasped while grabbing fistfuls of his shirt. The tinny sound of my zipper could be heard and his hands dragged my underwear and jeans down to my calves. I shook my head from side to side and let go of his shirt before making another failed attempt to push him back.

“No. I don’t want you to,” I whispered as I tried to swat his hands away from me.

He laughed again, and I felt him reach between us and graze my sensitive skin before suddenly pushing two fingers inside of me. I jerked from both surprise and pleasure and my head lolled backwards, too heavy to hold up anymore. In the back of my mind, a war between reasonable thinking and sensation raged on. He moved his fingers in and out of me quickly, and I moaned in between protests.

He worked his hands skillfully and I could feel my whole body tightening up without my permission. When he pressed his thumb against me, pleasure exploded and rushed through my veins. My body floated in disconnected bliss for a moment before coming back down to reality.

“You like that, don’t you?” he murmured before shoving his tongue back into my mouth. I heard him undo his pants before the crinkling noise told me he was opening a condom.

Shame filled me as I finally made sense of what had just happened. And of what was about to happen. I pushed against him again with a bit more force than I had before.

“No, please. I don’t want any of this.” The orgasm had been sobering and my words sounded less jumbled but more coherent than they were when he had originally accosted me.

He took a fistful of hair, tugging on it to pull my head back slightly so I was looking right at him. He stared at me, his eyes dark and his breathing heavy. I felt his other hand pull my knee up to hitch it against his waist. I stared at him in fear and tried to kick my leg away, but it was still tangled in my jeans and his grip was firm.

“I just made you feel wonderful and you know it. Could I do that if you really didn’t want it?”

A tear trickled down my cheek and I stared at him, petrified because I knew what was going to happen next and also because part of me worried he was right.

“Please,” I whispered again desperately.

Releasing my hair, he just offered me a cruel smile and I felt him position himself between my legs. I brought my hand up and got one good slap on his cheek before he grabbed both my wrists with one of his hands, pinning them above my head. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head when he thrust into me roughly. I cried out in pain, certain he was splitting me in two with his force, and he just let out a low groan in response. He slammed into me with punishing thrusts over and over and I felt my lower back start to sting as it rubbed bare against the jagged concrete wall.

“Look at me,” he demanded in a low voice, stopping his movements for a moment. When I didn’t look immediately, he tightened the grip on my knee. “Now.”

Tears flowed down my face but I turned my head to look at him, and he stared into my eyes with that smile still on his face. Sweat dotted his forehead and he panted slightly with exertion.

“What’s your name?” His words were a groan as he thrust into me again. When I didn’t answer, he leaned in so our foreheads were touching.

“Sweetheart, you tell me your name or after this, when I have you on your hands and knees, I won’t be so gentle.” He thrust into me forcefully, as if to prove a point.

“Maddie,” I whispered, my voice hoarse as a sob stuck in my throat.

“Maddie, I like it. You feel fucking amazing.”

He dipped his head and pushed his face into the crook of my neck as he moved faster and faster. The alcohol induced haze was almost completely gone and mortified embarrassment mixed with undiluted fear replaced it. He grunted into my shoulder as he thrust in and out and his grip was like a vice on my knee as I continually tried to pull it away from him. I attempted to break my arms from his grip but, like my knee, he only increased the hold on them until it hurt.

“Please get off of me,” I cried in between sobs, my voice sounding more like my own. I tried to thrash my body to get out from his hold but his breathing kicked up harder and I realized my fighting was probably doing more for his arousal than anything.

After what felt like hours, or maybe even days, he groaned loudly and slammed into me hard before going completely still. His breathing was ragged against my skin, and he gave my knee another squeeze before standing straight and pulling himself out of me. He let my knee drop but kept ahold of my wrists. His fingers grabbed my chin and he turned my face towards his.

“Look at me,” he commanded in a low, husky voice. When I didn’t open my eyes, he gripped my chin tighter and shook it. “Maddie.”

I opened my eyes slowly and looked at him in the darkness of the night. He just stared at me for a moment before a grin started to slowly fill his face. He leaned forward and ran his disgusting tongue down my cheek, lapping up the tears that were still falling down it.

“That was fun now, wasn’t it?” I didn’t answer and he let out another low chuckle. “Oh, gorgeous. I don’t know if once will ever be enough.”

He let my hands drop and I stayed still against the wall, frozen in uncertainty of what he’d do next. He slid the condom off and tossed it behind him as he pulled his pants up. He reached out towards me and I recoiled against the concrete. That just made him laugh again and he smoothed my hair before reaching down to flip the cup of my bra back over my breast.

“Tasted like candy,” he said as he winked before bending down to grab my pants.

I had no idea what he was planning. With him righting my clothing, I felt almost hopeful that he’d finished his sick torture, but the words he had spoken made me doubt that. I just wanted to get back inside and away from him.

He had just started pulling up my underwear when I brought my knee up as hard as I could. It connected with his face, making a disgustingly satisfying noise and taking him by surprise. He stumbled backwards, falling on his ass, and I moved as fast as I possibly could. I pulled my pants up, not even bothering to make sure I was covered, and sprinted towards the door.

“You bitch!” he screamed behind me, but I was too scared to look back.

I ran through the door and down the hallway towards the bar. I frantically looked for Sydney, but I couldn’t distinguish her from the other people. I glanced behind me and even though I didn’t see him coming, I was sure he would once he recovered.

I moved towards the bar, hoping to find her there, and my gaze collided with Josh’s instead. He was staring at me with a confused look on his face before his eyes traveled down to where I was still holding my unbuttoned pants up with one hand. His expression hardened and he moved quickly around the bar until he was standing in front of me.

“Madelyn,” he said quietly, reaching out for me. I flinched away from him and a look of fury appeared on his face. He waved his hand to one of the bouncers near the bar before looking back at me.

“Madelyn,” Josh said again, his shoulders heaving from anger. “What happened?”

The tears were coming down so quickly that he became a blur. He tentatively reached out for me again and I let him put his hands on my shoulders that time. “Please talk to me.”

“He… he… he just… He wouldn’t stop.” I couldn’t breathe and I moved into him, burying my face in his shirt. “I didn’t want to.”

He wrapped an arm around me, and I was suddenly aware that we were moving. I looked up as he guided me into what looked to be the employee breakroom in the back of the club. My heart kicked up a notch as I felt panic start to bubble up again.

Josh noticed my oncoming hysteria immediately and stopped, looking directly into my eyes. “I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.” He directed me to sit in a chair near the TV and turned to the bouncer who was following us.

“Call the police, Rod.”