17 DATES

CHAPTER 1: the wrong way to start uni

"C'mon. You can sleep in my room, I'll sleep in Peggy's."

The night that was meant to raise her spirits ended as a tragedy. While she searched for her pajamas, Anton had already started taking off his clothes. His hands dropped to his belt, when she turned around.

"Anton! Wait till I'm out of the room." Ruby walked over to the door of her room.

Her wrist was caught in a hold. She turned around and noticed a shirtless Anton. She didn't dare look past his face, which started back at her with wide eyes.

"You're not staying?"

"No. I'm gonna sleep in Peggy's room." Ruby tried to run away. She was best at that, but sometimes, persistent people fill the doorframe and try to lock away the world until you face them.

"Just for tonight." He tried to pull her toward the bed, causing her breath to quicken. She shook her head, pain erupting in her throat.

"I'm not that kind of girl."

His hold remained unmoving, eyes pleading, "please, I need to forget."

Even though she didn't know much about one night stands, she knew they weren't the answer to a crying boy. He had already complicated things for them when he raised his fist and placed his lips on hers. She also knew that Anton wasn't going to be her first lay.

She shook her head, hoping he would accept that answer. For good measure, she hugged him tightly, praying to god that he wouldn't persist. His hold around her was too strong, suffocating her.

"You're too good, Rebekah Jackson. You'll find a good guy. You'll get married. You deserve the best. You know that you deserve the best, right?" His delirious words remained tattooed in her mind, reminding her that she didn't deserve whatever had happened to her.

"I know," she mumbled, her eyes staring at his shirt on the floor.

It took three hours to finally get him to bed, before she floated to the bed in Peggy's room. She couldn't sleep that night. The only thing that went through her head was the fact that her first kiss was nothing like she imagined.

The following morning, she rose from the bed at 6 a.m. and started doing the dishes from the night before. Her hands had been shaking the whole morning, mind running over the night before.

At nine, she walked toward the door of her bedroom and hesitantly raised her fist. It reminded her of the bloodstains she had to scrub a few hours earlier from the fridge.

"Anton? It's nine," she knocked and cleared her throat.

A groan followed, until there was silence. She took a step closer to the door, pressing her ear to the door.

"I'll be right out," his voice was normal. Her eyes narrowed, was he going to apologize or pretend that she wanted it too?

Making her way back to the sink, she dried the remaining dishes. He stepped out after she placed the plates back into the low drawer by her feet. She tried to make her expression nonchalant when he appeared in her vision.

"I have to go, my shift at the shop started three hours ago already," Anton said, his tone normal and eyes dry. It was as if yesterday hadn't happened. Was he going to pretend like it didn't happen, just like her?

He was by the door, before he turned around and offered her an awkward smile. Ruby buried her hands into the pockets of her hoodie, face half hidden already by the hood. "Yes?"

"Are you gonna tell me what happened yesterday?"

She froze. "What?"

"My head's unbearable. Do you have pain killers? I don't remember anything from yesterday."