There are four teams at this swim meet; and unfortunately, that includes Boise. Our boys' team has won every meet this season, but last time, it was a close call against Boise. Without Elliot here, the odds of our team winning are even slimmer than usual. I don't feel guilty though. Elliot being grounded is his own fault. If he knew what was good for him, he would've just left me alone from the beginning and dated Cassi, like everyone so obviously wants him to.
"I think that guy is checking you out." Sarah's words automatically snap me from my thoughts. It's a rare occasion that someone checks me out, so I can't help but blush.
"Who?" I ask, averting my gaze to the concrete floor.
"Don't freak out," says Sarah, dropping her voice to a whisper. "But it's Dante Fisher. He's still looking."
Dante Fisher? Why would the sexiest, rudest person on the Boise team be checking me out? Alright, this is just getting strange. There is no way more than one hot guy finds me attractive, especially not someone like Dante Fisher. From what I've heard, he doesn't share Elliot's kind morals.
I nervously flicker my vision in the direction of Sarah's gaze. She's right. He is undeniably staring at me with an attractive smirk upon his face. Droplets of water glisten against his tan chest and through his blonde hair. His dark green eyes linger over my body, making me squirm. Despite him being unbelievably hot, I don't like the way he's looking at me. Almost like he's mentally undressing me or something.
"Can we go warm-up?" I ask, eagerly turning toward Sarah.
"I think he wants to talk to you," she says.
"Well, I don't want to talk to him." I tow Sarah back to our team's meeting area. The warm-up pool is still closed for now, so we end up stretching instead of swimming. Dante has gone back to his Boise team area, but his eyes continuously flicker in my direction.
"He's kind of creeping me out," I admit.
Sarah follows my stare and then laughs. "I don't know why you're complaining. If someone like him was checking me out, I'd be ecstatic."
"Sarah..." I start, but she quickly cuts me off.
"Come on, Finn." She leans down to touch her toes. "Admit it; this has nothing to do with Dante and everything to do with Elliot. You just wish it was him checking you out."
"Shut up," I say.
Still, I don't know if she's right; and not just because I'm pissed at Elliot. I don't think I really want anyone staring at me the way Dante is. It's simply creepy, and he won't stop. I know it's probably not helping that I, too, am looking. But I can't help myself. It seems even worse to have him eye-raping me without my knowledge.
Before long, the meet takes off into full swing. I am swept away by warming up and writing down my events and getting dressed... The list goes on, and soon, I forget about Dante's unnerving stares altogether. I do well in my individual medley, but I add time on the relay version. After a quick conversation with Coach, I head back toward the team area. I push through a swarm of waiting swimmers, but my path is suddenly blocked by a solid chest.
"Sorry," I mumble, quickly stepping to the side.
"Finn, right?" a deep voice asks.
I slowly tilt my chin upwards, only to flinch back. Dante stands before me, towering a few inches over my head. His dark green eyes flicker with amusement, though I'm not sure at what. My clumsiness or my blatant uncomfortableness with his proximity?
"Uh, yeah." I take another step back.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asks.
I have no idea why Dante Fisher would want to speak with me, but I can't bring myself to say no. What if it's something important? Or what if it's to apologize for being kind of weird earlier.
"Alright," I say. "But I have a race in a few events."
"That's okay. This will only take a second." He jerks his thumb toward a side-door. "It's too loud in here. You mind?"
I swallow, then nod. I don't know why I'm freaking out so much, but an eerie sense of danger seeps into my mind. It's as though a warning bell is blaring through my brain, yet I find myself following him anyway.
The door leads into a hallway, though this one is entirely different than the one Elliot and I were in. The walls are narrowly spaced and the floors are composed of rough wood. Sounds from the pool room resonate in the air, almost making it too loud to hear properly. Still, it is vacant and slightly quieter than the pool room.
"So, what'd you need to say?" I ask, planting my feet against the ground.
Unfortunately, Dante keeps walking, strolling forward with his thumbs in his suit's waistband. I inwardly groan, knowing I have no choice but to follow.
"You're dating Elliot, right?" he asks.
The question catches me off guard. How would Dante know anything about me and Elliot? Hardly anyone knows, let alone the swimmers from Boise.
"Sort of," I finally manage. I don't know whether Elliot and I are still together, or whether I want us to be.
"That's what I've heard." He glances sideways in my direction.
"Who told you?"
I hear the pool doors swing open, but I am too anxious for Dante's response to turn around. He stops walking and suddenly spins to face me.
"Just a friend," he shrugs.
"Oh." I chew on the bottom of my lip, not really sure what to say next. "Are you going to tell me why I'm here?"
"I thought we could have some fun before our next races," says Dante, causing my pulse to spike. He smirks and takes a step toward me.
"I'm dating Elliot," I remind him, as though he could have forgotten since the last two minutes.
"Only sort of." He winks and runs his fingers down my arms.
"Please don't touch me." I take a step back.
His demeanor suddenly changes. He drops his arms at his side and lets an exaggerated sigh. "You know, I don't really get it."
"Get what?" I ask. His closeness is making my heart hammer against my ribs, but not in the good way. I feel an overwhelming need to run away, to sprint back to the pool room and never look back. But I don't, and I'm not sure why.
"You and Elliot," he replies sharply. "You're an ugly little thing. Not sure why he'd bother with you."
A pathetic cry falls from my lips. His words shouldn't hurt, but they do. I feel as though I've just been socked in the gut. The only thing that keeps me from crying is the throbbing fear in my chest.
"You're an ass," I say, though my voice quivers slightly. "I'm going back to the pool."
Dante glances over my shoulder, to the hallway behind me. I start to turn, to follow his gaze, but I never get the chance. He suddenly lunges forward, smashing me against the wall. His hands force mine over my head and his hips pin me into place. I scream and twist my head away from his. His hot breath pools over my cheeks, heating my throat and lips.
"Let go," I beg, wriggling beneath him. He only presses me harder against the wall, forcing the breath out of my lungs.
"You must be great in bed. That's the only thing I can think of." His fingernails dig against my wrists.
I let out another half-sob, half-cry. I want to scream, but I know it's useless. Nobody will hear me, not over the blasting music and cheering crowd. My only hope is that someone will happen to wander into the hallway and save me.
"It's obviously not these," he says. He drops one of his hands, still managing to force mine overhead. His free hand gropes over my chest.
I am crying now. I should fight against him, scream for help, try to run. Anything, but I feel like I can't move. He's too strong and there's no one to hear me. I am weak and helpless and pathetic.
"Oh, don't cry," he says with mock sincerity. His hand drops to my thigh, slowly working its way toward my suit. "You've got nice legs. I'll give you that."
I kick against his hand.
"Alright, may as well get this over with." He sighs, bringing his hand up to my face. I don't know what he's talking about, but I don't think I want to.
His mouth roughly presses against mine, smacking my head against the wall. I scream against him, but that only allows his tongue into my mouth. I flail my arms and legs until I realize it's not helping. Just like that, my body suddenly goes on lockdown mode. I close my eyes and fall limp against the wall, begging that this is all a dream. I want to wake up in my bed and realize that this is only a terrible nightmare. Something that would never happen to me in real life.
In the back of my mind, I hear a soft clicking sound, followed by a dim flash. But Dante doesn't stop kissing me. His hands trail over my exposed back, yet he never goes further. The kissing lasts for another few minutes, and just like that, he stops. He shoves me against the wall again and then takes a step backward.
"Tell Elliot I say hello," Dante whispers. His trademark smirk plays over his lips as he turns away, strolling casually back to the pool.
I stare at his retreating back until he fully disappears, and then I collapse to the ground. I cry as loud as my throat can manage. I don't stop until my lungs burn and my eyes are swollen with tears. I try to make the images go away, but they don't. And in my mind, I am suddenly attacked with the visions of what could have happened. It could've been worse. He only kissed me; but right now, it feels like it doesn't matter. Because I know he could have, if he wanted to.
I press my fists against my eyes and scream. I scream because I am weak and helpless. I scream because he is cruel. And then, I scream because Elliot should have been here. And I know that this wouldn't have happened if he had been.
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A/N: Ugh. I hated writing that chapter so much. My skin was crawling with every word, so I am sorry if it was too much for anyone. I tried to tone it down as much as possible, but it still creeped me out. Things like that should never happen. But it's important throughout the plot, so I decided to include it.
Also, I've decided to put the Elliot excerpts in his own mini-book. I won't start posting that book until "Sink or Swim" has officially ended. So, no pressure to read it, but I love the chapters too much not to post them!
Anyway, thanks for reading. I would love you to leave a comment and a vote. I will do a dedication next chapter for my favorite:)