GRIFFIN
Once I have Ariel sitting in my car, I make her drink an entire bottle of water to sober her up and watch her heavy breathing as she catches her breath. I trail my eyes down her slender neck, the memory of holding her dainty nape while I devoured her mouth is fresh.
Stop.
"I need to know who the fuck Lakes is." My deep voice sounds rough and loud, dominating the cars inside.
"God I am so embarrassed about that." she groans. "What even was that? Should I see a therapist?" She shrugs. "I don't even know a good therapist, maybe I should call my mom-"
"Ariel." My voice thunders over the sound of her softer tone.
"Yes?" she asks.
"Who is Lakes." I repeat. I never repeat myself. I'd rather swallow fire than come off desperate. But I need to know.
"He- He was my boss." She whispers, storm eyes filled with doubt. My pulse quickens. I haven't felt my heart beat in years. Nothing is exciting or alarming enough. "I worked at the company straight out of college and it was great for a year and a half. But he-" She hesitates, looking down at her finger nails that are digging into her palm.
I remain silent, wanting her to go at her own pace.
"He called me into his office one day and he tried to ask me to go to some event with him. Like as his date. And I said no, ofcourse, he was married and he's old." she almost shudders. I feel my jaw clamped down so hard I wouldn't be surprised if I grinded down my teeth. "When I said no he, he got really angry. He called me names and said I had to go that I didn't have a choice. He started cornering me into his couch, I couldn't move, couldn't run I felt stuck and eventually I fell onto the couch." Her voice lowers to barely a whisper shaking with shame and anger.
"He touched me and it finally snapped me out of whatever trance I was in, and I kicked him and ran out." she lets out a shaky breath. "Nothing really bad happened." she forces a smile. "But sometimes I have these- these dreams. There was no one on that floor, I saw the viciousness in his eyes. It could've been so much worse." She sniffles. "I just wonder what if." She shrugs.
I look away, out of my window my body alive with electric rage. I was shaking, I could feel it. I was itching to see the man who made her cry beg me for death.
"Im sorry." I hear the soft sniffle penetrate the thick cloud of anger that surrounded me. I look back at her in question. "I've never had one of those, uh flashbacks I guess, while I was awake. It only happens every- at night." she stumbles over her words.
"Do not apologize." My voice is gruff in contrast to her soft, broken one. Those gray look into mine, soft and doubtful. We stare at each other for what must only have been a couple minutes, but it felt like longer.
A car honking somewhere in the distance makes her jerk and blink several times as she looks out of the window then back at me.
"I should go." She says.
"No." The word comes out rushed. I clear my throat to compose myself. "I will take you home." I state.
"Um, Im still slightly drunk so, I was actually going to try and get a hotel room or something. My family doesn't need to see me drunk." She shakes her head.
"I am driving you." I grunt. "And that is unnecessary. Im sure no one would care."
"No you don't understand. I don't do this, I don't drink or stay out late. And as amazing as they are, they're not my parents and I don't feel comfortable going into someone else's house like this." She says, her exhaustion evident.
"You live there." Im confused.
"Temporarily." She shrugs. "I just never should've said yes to going out tonight. Especially with that scaredy cat." She scowls. My simmering anger threatens to boil over again. "Wait." She looks at me. "What did you say to him that made him run off like that?" She asks, suspiciously looking at me.
"You were right there with me, micetta. I didn't say anything. I asked him a question and he ran off." I easily shrug.
"But why would he be so scared? And why did he say I wasn't his date? I am his date." She knots her eyebrows in confusion. My knuckles turn white because of my grip on my knee.
"Stop fucking saying you were his anything." I snarl. Her curious eyes brighten.
"Why?" She muses. "I did agree to be his date for this club opening." She shrugs. "What are you doing here in the first place." she squints her eyes. "Following me? Are you like that obsessed guy who murders girls he doesn't he like?" she sits up, eyes widening for effect. My lips twitch despite my anger.
"Who is that guy?" I question.
"From a show. You wouldn't know. I don't peg you for a Netflix kind of guy." She smiles. Definitely still drunk.
"Is that supposed to offend me?" I ask her.
"Nope, nothing offends you." she laughs. "If you really insist on driving me, just take me to a hotel near by. It's only 11 Im sure they have empty rooms." She says.
"Im not leaving you at a hotel by yourself." I feel my lips do an odd downward motion. A frown. I must be drunk too. "I have a penthouse near the office." I mention. She looks at me.
"That's probably not a good idea." she purses her lips.
"Worse than staying in a hotel room?" I grunt.
"Yes." She tenses. "There are no hot exotic men there to tempt me." She sighs, then loudly slaps a hand to her mouth. "Oh god." It comes out muffled.
I smirk.
"I'll try not to tempt you." My voice sounds humorous. "I am not leaving you at a hotel, this late and drunk. I will drive you home, or mine. No other options." I stare at her tinted red cheeks.
"Fine." she whispers. "But I should warn you, I kick in my sleep." she hums. The engine starts with a loud roar that makes her squeak in surprise.
I smirk looking over.
"Didn't know we were sleeping together, tempesta." I chuckle at her offended scoff.
"Rude." she mutters, looking out of her window.
