I took extra time to get ready that night. A red crop top paired with a black skirt and knee-high boots. I kept my makeup light, but enough to make me look bolder and better and I let my long dark hair loose, letting it fall over my shoulders.

I thought I looked really good. Because I felt really good.

Ash came to pick me up that night and smiled when she took a good look at me. It wasn't very often that I paid attention to what I wore. But I did tonight and she knew why. "Not just Paul but you're going to make a lot of guys sweat, tonight." She winked.

I smiled at her but didn't say anything. I had no idea what exactly I was expecting with this thing that I had going on with Paul, but I was enjoying every bit of it. I wasn't in love with him. But I did like him a lot. Maybe I would tell him tonight, and hopefully, he would say he felt the same?

Neil and Avi met us outside the house where the party was, it was already packed with people. So many unfamiliar faces and I instantly felt uncomfortable, I took a calming breath and kept telling myself  'it's okay, just let go. It will be fun.'

Neil had brought Sam with him tonight. They weren't officially together yet, but they had been on a couple of dates and they were great together. We stepped inside a huge house that belonged to someone Neil and Avi were friends with.

Soon we were swarmed by people and we ended up at the bar. One drink down and I was beginning to wonder if I'll even see Paul tonight. By the time we were through our second glass someone tapped me on my shoulder and I found Paul beaming at me.

"You look stunning Veronica, " he said looking me up and down.

"Why thank you, " I replied, taking him in, he wore a black button-down shirt with brown pants and he looked as handsome as ever. "You look really nice too." 

"Thanks." He smiled before acknowledging others. Neil was too busy entertaining Sam to pay any attention to us. So it was just Ash, Avi, Paul, and I for a while. But soon, Paul's friends joined him. Including Max.

Within half an hour every one of us was almost shit-faced. I was trying to be the 'responsible one' when I started noticing everyone else was losing control and emptying drink after drink. Avi who was usually well in control looked pretty tipsy too. When everyone decided to take the party to the dance floor, I stayed back. Not really in a mood to join the stuffed-up area with so many people dancing on it. I was mildly claustrophobic and it was beginning to show.

As I sipped my drink, my eyes found an old friend, who wasn't really a friend anymore. Heather. Dancing with Max and a few other people I didn't recognize. I looked away before she could spot me, I'd have to stay out of her way for the rest of the night to avoid any confrontation.

I knew Paul was hammered because he kept stumbling while he was dancing and I giggled at the sight. Suddenly, Max came up out of nowhere and was pulling a chair out to sit beside me. "Hey." He smiled.

"Hey, tired of the dancing?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah. It gets boring after a while. Although if you'd join me it would be a totally different case." His eyes roamed around my body and he added, "You look incredibly hot tonight."

"Thanks, " I said, slightly uncomfortable. He was beyond drunk and I didn't appreciate the way he was looking at me. But thankfully, everyone else returned to where we were sitting a moment later, and I was saved from any further awkward conversation with Max. Well everyone except Paul. I didn't ask anyone about him though, figuring he must have gone out to get some air or something.

After a while, I needed to pee so I asked Max for the way to a nearby bathroom and started walking in the direction he pointed out. I found it without any trouble and after finishing my business there, I pulled out my phone from my pocket and got out of the bathroom to find a missed call from Mom. I decided to find someplace quiet to talk to her and opened the door to a nearby room only to find something that made my stomach drop into my boots.

Paul was on the bed shirtless, heavily making out with some girl on top of him, completely oblivious of me standing at the doorway gaping at the sight. My first instinct was to quietly run away. But then I saw who the girl was. It was Heather. And here I foolishly thought that he liked me. What was I thinking?

I must have made some noise because both of them suddenly looked up at me in surprise. I just stared back at them unable to move.

" Shit, Veronica. Fuck I...I'm sorry, " he started out with a guilty look on his face. "You weren't supposed to see this."

"Yeah, right. I should have knocked. My bad, " I replied coldly.

"No, I didn't mean it like that..." he slurred.  He got up to come towards me but stumbled.

"Don't. I don't need any explanation, you are free to do whatever the hell you want to do, " I said gesturing at Heather who was still sitting on the bed smirking at me.

"You really thought he liked you, didn't you?" She chuckled.

"Fuck you! " I snapped. 

"Oh, he was about to if you hadn't interrupted us."

"Stop it, Heather," Paul said weakly. He was holding his head in his hands and wasn't looking at me.

I heard someone talk behind me and I turned around to find a few people watching us. This was beyond humiliating. I didn't know what to say or act like right now. So I just walked out of the room without another word and rushed down the stairs. I looked around for my friends, and I found everyone playing beer pong at a table nearby. Instead of joining them, I grabbed a stool near the bar and poured myself a drink. One drink led to another, then another, until I lost my count.

"What's wrong? " A voice startled me out of my drunken haze and I turned around to find Max.

"Nothing," I replied.

"Where's Paul? "

"Probably fucking Heather somewhere."

"Oh, shit," he said and sat down beside me "Sorry."

I shrugged and picked up my cup but found it empty. "I need a refill." 

"Here, have this. It'll make you feel better." He handed me a glass with some drink. And I down the entire thing in a second. I didn't know how long we sat there for, with me sulking and him trying to make some small talk, but I couldn't handle it anymore. The music was too much for me to bare and with my head pounding, I could hardly even hear my own thoughts.

"Can we find someplace quiet, " I yelled leaning into him.

"Sure."  He smiled and took my hand. I picked up another beer bottle and followed him.

Biggest mistake.

***

TRIGGER WARNING-  Violence and Mature content ahead. 

***

He led me to a room and as soon I entered the music got bearable, and I realized just how drunk I was. My vision was blurred and I was swaying at my feet. I quickly sat down on the bed and took a few deep breaths. I have never been so drunk before so I couldn't figure out how to handle this.

I turned to look up at Max, but I found him locking the door. Even in my drunken haze, I knew this was going the wrong way.

"What are you doing?" I blinked up at him.

"Locking the door. Don't want anyone to walk in on us."

"Walk in on us? What? I want to go home, Max. Can you drop me home?"

"No. Calm down and let me help you relax, " he said as he came closer and I quickly crawled away from him on the bed.

"So you are going to play hard to get now?" he gave me a cynical smile and my stomach clenched. This is bad. Really bad.

"Look, Max, I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. But I don't feel so good. I really want to go home."

"You practically invited me to this bedroom with you. I know you want this as much as I do. Let's forget Paul now, shall we?" he slurred, climbing into the bed with me.

"WHAT? NO!" I yelled and got out of the bed to run towards the door. I was too drunk to deal with him. But he caught me by my wrist and slammed me into a wall with his hands on my throat and a thunderous expression on his face.

"You choose Paul over me. I was the first one to see you that night. I wanted you from the moment I saw you. But Paul decided to be a dick and butt in. Now that he is taken care of, I can have you. And you are not going to ruin that!" he said in a low tone, his hands tightening around my neck.

I was beyond scared. My senses were not in my control and I looked around trying to find something, anything that could help me out of this situation.

He began to kiss my neck trying to claw my clothes, and I tried hard to push him away but he didn't budge. I screamed for help but I knew nobody could hear me out at the party.

Helpless and pathetic. That's how I felt and I hated every bit of it. I was beginning to blackout now, and I knew I just had a few minutes before this whole situation was a lost battle for me. Angry tears streamed down my face and I furiously wiped it away, trying to clear my vision. I froze when I heard the noise of a fabric tearing and looked down to see a part of my top now torn away from my chest.

"No! No! Please stop, " I wailed. And I hated the helpless whine in my tone, but I couldn't help it. 

"Not so tough now huh?" he laughed menacingly, his hands roaming all over my body. "I always get what I want Veronica. I suggest you relax and I promise you that you will enjoy every bit of this, " he mumbled against my skin.

I caught a reflection of myself in a mirror, and I felt disgusted. I was just standing there, helpless and crying. Letting him have his way with me.

No fuck that! If I'm going to be forced into something, even though I couldn't win, I was not going down without a fight. I could at least make it difficult for him.

Fear was replaced by anger and I felt better. Anger I could deal with, not fear. Never fear.

Wiping my tears away I tried to focus. But he suddenly lifted me up and threw me on the bed. Pure adrenaline pulsing in me I jumped out of the bed before he could climb up on top of me. I stumbled my way towards the door and slid the lock away, unlocking the door with my shaking hands but before I could do anything else. I was hauled back on the floor with my hair. I let out a scream in anguish when I was slammed against the floor and he clamped his hand on my mouth.

"Feisty little thing aren't you? Will you stop fighting me now?"

I furiously nodded with my head throbbing with pain and my vision blurring. I gingerly touched my head and gasped when I saw my hand covered with blood. 

He quickly took hold of my wrist and forcefully twisted it to hold it behind my back, snapping it in the process. I let out another scream and he cursed under his breath. "I don't want to hurt you, don't make this harder on yourself."

He slowly started to pull me up with him and I obliged. That's when I spotted my weapon.

 I kept my eyes on him and let him pull me back to the bed. As soon as we were close enough, I lurched forward, picking up my half-empty beer bottle and smashing it against him with all my might. All in one swift motion.

I slumped down on the floor as I watched him groan in pain. His white shirt was beginning to soak in blood. I had missed his head but had managed to smash the bottle on his shoulders, which wasn't enough to knock him out but was quite enough to stall him for a few minutes.

I quickly stumbled up and got on my feet, ignoring the way my body protested at the sudden movement. Black spots were dancing in my vision and the entire room was spinning around me. 

"Deep breath," I coached myself, blinking to clear my vision. "Almost there."

"YOU LITTLE SLUT!" I heard him scream when I was stumbling towards the door.

Suddenly the door swung open and I found the panicked faces of Neil, Avi, and Ash as they stormed into the room. I let out a sigh of relief at the sight of them.

"What the fuck! Are you okay? " Avi yelled and rushed towards me as I fell into his arms hardly being able to support myself. Ash seemed to be paralyzed by the door at seeing all the blood and my horrific state. Neil was already on top of a half injured Max throwing punches at him while he struggled underneath him.

"Hey, hey, listen to me. Don't blackout!" Avi frantically spoke as he pulled me into his arms, supporting my body. I wasn't answering him though, because there was only one thing playing in my mind on loop. 

Over. It's over. It's finally over. I'm safe.