FUCKED.

13

It had been a week since the troubling encounter with Iris, but today I woke up feeling cautiously optimistic. My bruises had mostly healed, though the emotional scars remained. Family always came first, right? Sapphire still hadn't told Jason about the baby, and it was stressing me out more with each passing day. Keisha had been uncharacteristically quiet, which made me uneasy. If it had anything to do with Iris, I wasn't sure I wanted to hear it—I'd had enough of him for one lifetime.

I grabbed my favorite caramel coffee from Jason and was on my way to the Gallery near the University to indulge in some art when Sapphire called, asking me to meet her at the abandoned building on campus. I sighed, reluctantly turning around. Within minutes, I found myself in a dark, musty space, searching for Sapphire. My attempts to call her were futile; the calls wouldn't go through. I heard hushed voices coming from a nearby room and cautiously opened the door. To my surprise, there were Sapphire and Travis, engaged in a heated argument.

"Okay, so are we having a threesome or plotting to kill Travis?" I asked, eyebrow raised in frustration.

"You invited her too, really?" Travis sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"What do you mean by 'she invited me'? I'm her best friend. What the hell is going on here?" I demanded, crossing my arms.

"Chill, woman. Why the sudden mood swings?" Travis snorted, clearly annoyed.

"I swear, I'll rip your throat out if you and Sapphire don't spill the beans," I threatened, my patience wearing thin.

Sapphire looked between us, clearly distressed. "Okay, I think Jason might be taking things elsewhere. He's been so distant and reserved since the fair. Yesterday, I overheard him talking about breaking things off after this semester. I'm scared he's going to dump me soon."

"Stop jumping to conclusions, Sapph," Travis said, his tone softening. "The only person Jason calls 'babe' is his twelve-year-old cousin Lily. Trust me, she's a handful. And about the other stuff you overheard, I really don't think it was about you. Jason is straightforward; if he wanted to end things, he'd just say it. You can ask Keisha if you think I'm lying. Jason and Keisha didn't exactly get along well because he was dating her twin Kourtney. There was a major drama when he kissed Keisha, and it was hell. But they settled their differences eventually."

Sapphire chuckled through her tears, and Travis pulled her into a comforting embrace. "Imagine poor Jason being baptized with a cross and anointing oil. Despite everything, he loves you, Sapph. I've seen him cry when you were upset and refused to talk to him. He's sacrificed his job to visit you. The least you could do is discuss your worries in a less dramatic setting than an abandoned building at school."

"Let's get out of here. I want to go to class," Travis said, holding my hand as we all made our way back to campus.

"My class starts at nine, and it's already nine fifteen. I have to go. Call me if you need me—" I started, but before I could finish, I slipped and fell hard, landing face-first in the dirt. To make matters worse, someone had spilled yogurt all over the floor.

"I was about to warn you, and oh, your shirt looks nasty, Chloe," Travis said, laughing as he helped me up.

"What are you wearing under that shirt? I see a crop top," Sapphire asked, approaching me.

"I'm not wearing a bra, Sapphire. I'm not taking this off if that's what you're implying," I replied, trying to keep my composure.

"You want it the hard way, then?" Sapphire smirked and yanked my shirt off, tossing it into a nearby bin. "Now you look sexy in those jeans," she added with a wink.

We eventually discovered that we had the same class and realized I'd missed it for reasons unknown. Our next class was Psychology, and I dreaded it because the previous lecturer had been difficult—plus, he was Keisha's ex. We arrived late, slipping into our seats without acknowledging the lecturer.

Sapphire gasped, urging me to hurry and sit. I turned around to see none other than Iris, who looked at me with a mixture of disdain and something darker.

"Miss Montana, see me after class," he said coldly, ignoring me for the moment and continuing with his lecture.

Travis and I settled into our seats, and I tried to focus on the lesson. I grew increasingly bored as Iris droned on, and my attention wandered. I slipped my hand under Travis's shirt and kissed his cheek, trying to inject a bit of fun into the dreary class. Travis smiled at me, his expression softening. He responded by touching my breast, which only made me smile more. But Iris's clear throat interrupted our moment, and I knew we were in trouble.

"I won't tolerate this behavior in my class, Williams," Iris said, his eyes narrowing at Travis. He shot me a glare that made me shiver. The lesson continued until it was finally over, and students began filing out. Sapphire darted out as soon as he dismissed us, and Travis kissed me before heading out with his friends, earning another angry look from Iris.

Two girls tried to flirt with Iris but were quickly dismissed, leaving just the two of us in the room.

"Chloe, such a lovely name for a disobedient lady like you," he said, his voice dripping with malice.

"I'm not going to hit you, Chloe. I'm going to fuck you. Hard," he said, his tone brooking no argument.

I gulped, my throat dry. Iris stepped closer, his movements deliberate and menacing. He claimed my lips, biting them hard and then licking the blood from them. He lifted my top, exposing my breasts, and began to suck and pinch one, eliciting a moan from me. His touch was rough, but my thoughts were elsewhere, focusing on the one person I truly cared about.