Meadow’s POV:


    I regretted those words the moment they were out of my mouth but I couldn’t take them back. And frankly, I didn’t want to.


    At least I was getting an expression other than cold indifference from ric.


    His nostrils red, eyes narrowing to slits. “I know what you’re trying to do, Meadow. Stop it, or I’ll make


    you regret it.”


    My heart stuttered at the look in his eyes–raw and almost primal. Heated.


    He was getting turned on.


    I swallowed as my eyes dropped to his sweatpants, where he was already sporting a hard bulge. I took a


    step closer to him, hooking my fore fingers into the waistband as I stood on the tips of my toes. My


    fingers grazed the skin of his abdomen, but barely. He tensed.


    “Is that a threat?” I asked, staring straight at his mouth.


    His breath came out in quick bursts as his eyes dropped to my mouth. I could see the confliction in his eyes. The anger, lust… shame.


    “Come on, ric,” I whispered, my voice trembling, half with fear, the other half with need. “Let me clean your wounds and we can talk. Let me in. Please.”


    His walls cracked. In one swift motion, he crashed his mouth onto mine, hard and punishing. I gasped as


    his hand fisted my hair tightly, and he took that as an opportunity to deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue


    into my mouth to im me.


    I clung to his arms, letting him walk us backward, his hands roaming underneath the shirt I was wearing.


    My backnded softly against the wall and ric’s hand moved down to my bare ass, squeezing for a


    second before delivering a sharp p to it.


    “No underwear<b>?</b><b>” </b><b>I </b>couldn’t read his tone.


    “Didn’t have the chance to put one on because I was too focused on trying to follow the noises I was


    hearing.”


    ric tore his mouth from mine, and his eyes grew hard as his hand reached for the back of my neck, gripping it firmly. And then he… sneered at me.


    “I knew you wanted something,” he said coldly. “You’re always so willing to open your legs whenever you want something for me.”


    My heart fell into my stomach. Gone was the heated look I saw in his eyes. Now all I saw was


    indifference. Coldness.


    He smirked darkly, leaning in until I felt his mouth graze my ear. “You know what I call women like you?”


    My lips quivered. When I didn’t answer, ric applied a little more pressure to my neck. “Answer me,


    Meadow.”


    “No,” I whispered, shaking my head.


    “Sluts.”


    Bile rose up my throat. ric had called me a slut before, but not like this.


    Not… literally.


    Now it sounded like he meant it as an insult.


    I whimpered.


    “What do you want this time?” he continued, pulling back to look at me with narrowed eyes. “Your sister?” He scoffed. “You’re going to have to give me a lot more than a mediocre blowjob if you want that to


    happen.”


    A gasp tore from my throat and I pushed at his chest. “That is low, ric,” I gritted out. My vision blurred and I tried to push him away again, but my efforts were futile. “That is fucking low.”


    “You know what’s low, Meadow?” ric asked smoothly, tilting his head. “Taking a load of shit from a sister who clearly hates you, and still loving her despite it. Still fucking caring about her when you know she’s not healthy for you. That is fucking low.”


    My chin trembled and I raised my hand to p him. I didn’t feel sorry even as his head snapped to the side. “And you’re the sudden expert on family?” I pushed at his chest again to no avail. “You know nothing about the rtionship I have with my sister.”


    I didn’t recognize the man standing in front of me. This cold, extremely cruel, indifferent man.


    Maybe this was what Nn had been referring to.


    ric simply quirked a brow. “Don’t <b>I</b>?”


    “Get away from me.”


    “Well, you’re right. I don’t know much, but I know enough. Like the fact that your own sister was pretending to be you to sleep with professors. It’s one of the reasons you left school, isn’t it?”


    I flinched, a rock forming in my throat as tears slid down my face.


    “Stop,” I whimpered. “Please.”


    “Your sister dragged your name through the fucking mud, and as if that wasn’t enough, she put up an ad on fucking craigslist-”


    “Stop-”


    “-telling people about a rape fantasy she had, and then she put your address instead of hers. Lord knows how many fucking guys would’vee to fulfill those fantasies had your friend not been at home with


    you.”


    My knees nearly gave out.


    I stared at him through my tears, unable to breathe or move or think. Unable to believe the wordsing


    out of his mouth.


    He knew.


    He knew what happened to me in college. The fake rape ad. The professors… things no one but Nova


    knew because they were too ugly for me to admit out loud. He had done a simple research and he knew.


    And now he was throwing them at me so carelessly.


    My hands trembled and I shook my head. “Stop it, ric. Please, let me go,” I cried. “Why would you do


    this to me?”


    “Because you’re weak minded. You’ve been manipted by your sister so many times that you’re so used


    to it, you see it as a norm. You always try to defend her, but your only defense is that she’s your sister. Tell


    me something else, Meadow. I already know she’s your goddamn sister!”


    I scowled at him. “Get away from me, ric. Now.”


    Something crossed his eyes but it was gone too soon. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, stepping away


    from me.


    “I told you I was going to make you regret it.”


    I wrapped my arms around my body, suddenly feeling cold. “So this was what? Some kind of revenge for pushing you earlier?”


    He looked down at his knuckles. “You won’t always get your way with me, Meadow. You should have left


    when I told you to.”


    I exhaled a shaky breath and ric turned away from me, running a hand through his hair.


    I hated it.


    I hated him.


    Crazy how a few hours ago we were making each othere.


    <i>“</i>You win, ric,” I choked out. “You hurt me. Are you satisfied now? Did it make you feel something?”


    He said nothing, although his back tensed.


    I waited a few more seconds for him to turn. And when he didn’t, I walked away. However, when I was


    nearly at the door, the sound of his voice stopped me.


    “I’ll be leaving for Vegas tomorrow.<i>” </i>


    Somehow, his voice sounding softer broke my heart even further.


    “Not sure when I’ll be back.”


    I swallowed, pulling the door open.


    “Good riddance.”