The Madonna, The Virgin, and The Whore

Chapter Thirty

LEXI

As soon as I sent the text Mark got up. It was like he intuitively knew that I was calling in reinforcements and he didn't have much time. I kept my eyes glued to him, watching as he got up from his end of the bar and pushed his way through the crowd. I wasn't going to just sit there and wait for him to corner me, so I grabbed my purse and started fighting through the throngs of people around me. If I could just get to the exit without running into him, I could park myself by the bouncer and wait for Will to show. Mark wouldn't try anything in front of someone else, although I wasn't entirely 100% sure about that.

I pushed open the door of the club and squeezed by some people trying to get in. When I found the bouncer I stood far enough away from him that I wasn't in his way, but near enough that I knew he could still see me. My phone chimed with a message; it was from Will saying that he was on his way. I knew he wouldn't ask any questions. I knew Will enough to know that he'd save those for later, and I still had no idea how I was going to explain all of this to him.

I could tell him that I was drunk, that I didn't have enough money for a cab. He'd buy that. With my history there was no way he wouldn't.

"Why are you always running away from me?"

My insides seized. It was stupid of me to think he wouldn't follow me out here. I'd had hoped Mark would've given up, but it seemed he hadn't changed. He was still after me. As he stepped closer to me my body armed and I could feel the impulse to flee or fight battling it out inside me. "What do you want Mark?" I hissed, hoping not to draw any unwanted attention, but not foolish enough to antagonize him.

"Lexi, baby, is that how you treat an old friend?"

I could smell the alcohol on him and fought the desire to wretch that was tearing its way up my esophagus. "We're not friends," I seethed, wishing for about the billionth time in my life that he'd just go away.

"You're right Lexi," he slurred, trailing a finger down my stomach. "We're more than friends, aren't we? We've got a history together you and me."

I yanked my body away from him in revulsion. He couldn't be serious. Did Mark really think he was dealing with the same girl he screwed with two years ago?

"If you're referring to that time you drugged and raped me, then yeah; I guess we do have a history together."

Mark laughed. He actually laughed and all I wanted to do in that moment was tear off his balls and shove them down his throat. He deserved that and so much worse.

"Jeeze Lexi, you're acting as if you didn't like it." The repulsion raged through me and almost blinded me with fury. Mark leaned in closer and I could almost taste his rancid breath as he spoke. "I can promise you I made sure you liked it."

I almost gagged as I pushed myself away from him, but he just started laughing again, getting his rocks off from the horrified look on my face. "You don't believe me?" He asked, digging his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans. "Do you need a little refresher?"

The blood drained from my face when he started tapping at his phone. He turned it towards me and that same picture, the one he showed me two years ago, was there on the screen. I thought he would have deleted it by now, or maybe gotten a new phone and lost the picture, but I was wrong. Mark was like a sad cliché come to life- The former jock, holding onto his glory days and still boasting about his high school conquests while the rest of the world moved on. I couldn't allow him the power he had over me; it'd been too long.

"Do you think I care about that?" I spat. For a second he looked as if he'd lost control and I could see him scrambling for something to say. But then, just as quickly, his eyes narrowed and he edged closer.