|Lyric's POV|
"Come on, drink." Ellis insists as he shoves another colorful drink at me.
"No, I'm good." I push it away and lean back in my seat.
This is the last place I want to spend my last Friday out of university. I would rather be at home curled up in a blanket reading Paper Towns for the millionth time. I could sip on hot chocolate without having to deal with flashing lights and loud music.
"Come on, drink it, Soul." Ellis lifts the cup to my mouth and squeezes my cheeks.
"Get your hands off of me." I snap as I place my hands on his chest and push. He stumbles back, spilling the sickly sweet smelling drink all over me.
"What the hell, Soul!" He grabs ahold of my wrist and drags me away from his friends.
Once we're out of sight, he pins me against the wall and glares at me. I swallow hard. This isn't the first time I've stepped over the line and acted out against him. It never ends good when I do.
"What the hell were you thinking? Why didn't you just drink the damn thing? What's the worst it would do, huh? Make you a little tipsy? You've had worse, but no, you had to make a scene." Ellis chuckles as he pinches the bridge of his nose and turns his back to me.
I rub at my wrist and try to ease my racing heart. I glare at him as I tug at my skirt to try and cover myself as much as possible. I don't mind wearing skirts, but when Ellis picks them out, they're much too short for my liking.
"We're going to go back out there and you're going to drink the next damn drink I buy you. Do you understand me?" Ellis turns back toward me as I adjust my purse strap.
"You're kidding, right?" I look at him in shock before shaking my head in disbelief.
"No, I'm not." Ellis steps toward me. He stops only an inch or two away from me.
"Yeah, I think you are. I'm going home. I told you I didn't want to come in the first place. This isn't my type of fun, it's yours. So go get drunk with your friends. That way, you can stumble home at three in the morning like you always do. I just wanna give you a heads up, I won't be there. You'll have to sleep in a cold bed all by yourself. I'm done." I state firmly, trying to hide my fear in hopes that he won't challenge me.
"You mean just like last time? You did the same thing. You said you were leaving and never coming back, but the very next day, I woke up to see you sitting on the couch. It's always the same with you. You play the victim card and make everyone feel so bad for you, but you don't tell them what you do. I'm pretty sure you didn't tell that precious daddy of yours how you stole my watch to pay for your addiction. I bet he'd be devastated to hear that his pretty little girl is hooked on pain killers." Ellis smirks as he grabs my purse from me. He tears it open and pours it out on the ground.
A pill bottle hits the ground along with my wallet, phone, and keys. I kneel down to pick it up, but he snatches it away from me.
"Should I take these to your precious daddy? Do you think he'll keep supporting his drug addict daughter? Will he plaster your face all over his building after this comes out? I really doubt it. A billionaire man with a lot of power can't have a drug addict for a daughter. He'll have to sweep her under the rug or even toss her into rehab. Who knows what he'll pick? Maybe he'll even put a hit out on her to stir up pity." Ellis laughs as I stuff the rest of my things into my bag.
I swallow hard. He's right. What would my dad do if he found out? What would he tell everyone? Would he kick me out? Would he throw me away?
"Take the damn pills and go home. Maybe they'll make you a little more fun for when I get home. Take a damn shower and work out or something. Make sure that pretty little body is ready for me when I get there." Ellis spits as he throws the pills down at me.
The lid flies off and the pills spill all over the ground. He snickers before making his way back toward his friends. I frantically try to collect all of the pills before anyone can find them. Once I have them all back in the bottle, I force the lid on the best that I can and shove them in my bag.
I swallow hard and chew on my bottom lip as I try to hold back my tears. I slip passed the bouncer of the club and the cold autumn air hits me like a gunshot.
Where do I go? Do I go back home like he said I would? Do I go to my parent's place and beg them to let me move back in? Do I call up one of the many friends I haven't said a word to since they told me to leave him? Where do I go? What do I do?
If I go to my parents, I can't take my pills. I can't take them with me. If they find them, I don't know what they'll do. I can't get rid of them though. I need them more than ever now. They numb the pain. They make this all bearable.
I stop at the crosswalk and stare out at the speeding cars. Do I walk in front of one? Do I find a stranger who will take me home with them? Do I do like he said and just go home?
I give up and let my muscle memory take over. My feet move me in the direction I long to forget. The large apartment building towers over me. It stares down at me mockingly as if it knows exactly what's going on. I pull my phone out of my bag and wave it in front of the key reader. A little green light flickers and a click signals the door is open. I step inside and lifelessly head toward the elevator.
I stare at the button before hesitantly reaching out to hit it. Zoey lives on the same floor, maybe I can stay with her. Zoey also hates my guts. The doors creep open and I step inside. I don't have a choice. I have to go home.