ELAINE – 20 DAYS AGO

Two weeks go by. Two weeks of constant, never-ending torture.

The day after what happened... happened, Graham left me alone. There were no calls, no messages, nothing. A glimmer of hope grew within me; futile, desperate, and most importantly, fleeting.

The very next day came the first request.

I was to pick his books up from the library.

The request surprised me, relieved me. The hope remerged. Maybe he'd ask me to do his chores. That I could handle. I'm good at cleaning and cooking.

But then came his presents. Every day, I was to dress in the outfit he picked and each outfit was skimpier and more embarrassing than the former.

Tight, short skirts, deep V-necks, tiny tops that left little to imagination.

Everyone noticed. Myrtle and Sarah noticed. They asked me what was happening to me, but I could only shake my head and brush it off, pretending I had no idea what they were talking about.

They guessed, though.

Sarah said it was because of a boy. Myrtle agreed.

Yes, that's me. I'm the type of a girl who's going to dress gradually sluttier and sluttier to appease a boy.

Well, I guess it's not that far from the truth.

Graham stopped with the outfits when they turned too revealing. He knows professors would eventually start raising they eyebrows and I think he's afraid someone will make me talk.

I wish I was brave enough to talk, but I'm not.

After the outfits, things took a turn for the worse.

Every day after classes, I have to come to his penthouse and spend time with him. Every time I enter that building, I feel like I'll never leave.

Spending time with him includes kissing him, and touching him, and letting him touch me.

I'm detached from myself. My body doesn't even belong to me anymore. It almost feels like he can do whatever he wants and it won't reach me.

Graham claims he's in love with me. He says he loves me.

At first, I thought he was just a sick maniac. Now I think he's actually deranged.

He scares me even more.

When I'm not serving his every need, I'm asking around campus about him. Weirdly enough, he never tells me anything about himself. Our conversations are... kind of stupid. Graham keeps telling me about our future together, and how much he loves me, but a part of me is wondering whether he'll just get bored eventually.

That's what I'm hoping for anyway.

Because what I've learned about him makes my situation disheartening.

Graham's father is an oil tycoon and he's sitting on more money than I can imagine. It didn't take long to find out his father has multiple sexual misconduct allegations against him. An apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I suppose.

William Koch gets away with everything. There's no reason his son wouldn't.

I'm too scared to do anything.

So, I spend my nights praying and hoping he'll stop.

But it's been two weeks now and the ending doesn't seem to be near.

I'm lying on my bed with my face buried into my pillow. My tears have dried out. I'm incapable of crying anymore, even my panic subsided. I guess that's the funniest thing. I'm less anxious than I was before.

Maybe because the worst possible scenario happened. There's nothing bad to imagine anymore.

I haven't shown up to work in two weeks. My boss, Charlie, keeps calling, but I don't know what to tell him. Bartending includes a lot of smiling, casual chitchat and politeness, none of which I'm currently capable of.

I also failed all my exams. David Hume, the philosopher that got me into this mess in the first place, has been flunked. Everything else, too.

Every single bad thing that could have happened, happened.

Someone knocks on my door and interrupts my thoughts.

My head jerks upright.

"Elaine? You in?"

My heart hammers, it's Josh Wright.

Josh has been distant. Or, I keep my distance from him. Graham forbids me from seeing Josh. He doesn't trust him around me. Well, he doesn't trust any guy around me. He's threatened to kill some of my teachers for giving me feedback on my shitty essays.

"Elaine? Your roommate told me you're here." Josh speaks again.

I take in a sharp breath. Of course, Amy just left the room. My mind goes over Graham's schedule. He said he had football practice today and that we were going to meet at 5PM. I glance at the clock, 4:40PM.

I guess I have time for a conversation. But I also have to make sure Graham doesn't know Josh came by.

Somehow, I manage to crawl out of my bed and open the door, "What do you want?"

Josh actually flinches upon seeing me.

I look like hell. My hair is a dry, thin mess and permanent dark circles etched themselves underneath my tired, dim eyes. These two weeks aged me at least ten years.

"Are you alright?" He frowns.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I force a smile on my face, but it hurts me.

I cannot smile anymore. A couple of days ago, I stood in front of the mirror and forced myself to keep a smile. It's not possible. Every inch of my face begins to hurt and I have to relax into a frown once more.

"You don't look so good." Josh observes me carefully, trying to read through me.

I hope he does. I hope he realises exactly what happened and saves me from this hell. But my face cannot reveal that, only my words can, and he wouldn't believe my words.

"I feel fine." I squeeze through my teeth. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to check on you." His gaze escapes beyond me, into the room. "You haven't answered any of my messages."

"I've been busy." Tears gather in my throat. "I'm sorry."

I try to close the door, but Josh stops me.

"Elaine." He leans his palm against the door. "I know it's not my place and that you have many friends to talk to, but I feel like something changed since the Druid. And I feel responsible for dragging you there and I just want to know whether I did something-"

He thinks it's his fault.

That's why he's here.

Not because of some sixth sense, or a twist of fate, or even a strange, prophetic dream. He's here exclusively because he thinks I changed because of him and he doesn't want to feel bad.

"Josh, I'm fine." My lips form a thin line. "This has nothing to do with you, if that's what you're worried about."

"No-" He holds the door when I try to close it again. "That's not what... fuck, I'm not good at this."

I let out a sigh, "Look, Josh, it's fine. I'm fine."

"Listen, Elaine." Josh's gaze softens. "I like you, I like you a lot. And I know that I'm not... an academic, or even at Harvard, and I have no idea who David Hume is, but I don't belong with them neither."

"Either." I murmur.

"Whatever." Josh sighs. "I've done some pretty fucked up things in my life, I'm sure you've read or heard stories about me, and I just don't want to scare you off. Because right now, I'm just trying to get by. I'm not like them, I'm not even rich anymore."

"Josh." I cut in. "If you're trying to redeem yourself by being friends with me, I suggest you find someone else, because like I said, I'm busy."

Josh flinches.

"Alright, I get it. I won't talk to you again." Josh steps away from the door. "I just wanted to ask if you were-"

"I'm fine!" I shout. "Take a hint, Josh!"

"Bye, Elaine." He looks sufficiently hurt as he walks away.

I just hope he's hurt enough to share with Graham that I shooed him away. The last thing I need are Graham's jealous outbursts.

As I drop back on the bed, eager to enjoy another few moments alone, my phone lights up.

Come over, angel. We've got a big day ahead of us.

The blood in my veins turns ice cold.