My body wouldn't move.
I was conscious—very much aware—but trapped in a body that no longer responded. My limbs were heavy, like someone had tied weights to every joint. My fingers twitched uselessly, and my chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths. The world around me blurred and stretched like a bad dream.
Then came Theo.
His face hovered over mine—expressionless. None of the smug grins or teasing smirks he usually wore. Just blank, unreadable calm.
"I didn't think I'd ever see you like this," he said softly, brushing my cheek with the back of his fingers. "Still. Quiet. So… obedient."
I wanted to recoil, to scream. But all I could manage was a slurred, "You… bastard…"
He didn't flinch. Didn't move away.
"Don't look at me like that," Theo said, almost amused. "You knew what I was. You just didn't think I'd ever use it on you."
His hand slid down my throat, tracing my collarbone before resting on my chest. My skin burned under his touch—not from heat, but from the sheer helplessness curling in my gut.
"What did you give me?" I forced the words out, my throat raw.
He tilted his head, licking his lips slowly. Deliberately. "Nothing serious. Just something mild. Enough to loosen you up… keep you from running."
Then he leaned in, eyes locked with mine as his tongue flicked out—lightly licking my bottom lip. I would've jerked away if I could. My stomach twisted violently.
"You're scared," he murmured, "but part of you is wondering if I'm going to fuck you, aren't you?"
I clenched my jaw. The humiliation made my chest ache.
"It's not like I haven't had you like this before," he added with a faint smirk. "You gave yourself so easily to me before… but the second he showed up, I didn't matter anymore."
"I never loved you, Theo," I hissed through my teeth.
His fingers paused. For the briefest moment, something flickered in his eyes—rage? Pain? Regret?
"That doesn't mean you had to throw me away," he said, quieter now.
He hovered there, close enough to feel his breath on my lips, his hand still resting against my chest. He looked like he was trying to decide something—whether to hurt me or hold me.
Then, slowly, he stood upright.
"You're lucky," he muttered. "It wasn't an aphrodisiac. Just something to remind you… even you can be touched without control."
He adjusted his coat, brushing invisible dust from his sleeve. Then he paused, gaze lowering back to me.
Without warning, he crossed the room again, knelt down, and grabbed a fistful of my shirt. He pulled me halfway off the floor by the collar, eyes locked with mine.
"You'll be fine in an hour or two," he whispered, right before his mouth crashed against mine.
The kiss was harsh—claiming. Not tender, not asking. Just teeth and heat and something too close to hatred. He bit down on my lower lip before letting go, the sting blooming across my skin.
He leaned back, smiling faintly.
Then Theo rose, walking backward toward the door without taking his eyes off me. His grin faded just before he turned around and disappeared into the hallway.
The door clicked shut.
And I lay there—trapped, seething, humiliated, and terrified.
Wondering how much of me he still thought belonged to him.
And fearing the answer might be too much.
_ _ _
I felt like shit.
Not the kind of shit a hot shower and good sleep could wash off—but the lingering, soul-sucking kind that made your chest heavy and your brain feel like it was moving through mud.
Theo's face wouldn't leave my mind.
The things he said.
The things he did.
The things I let happen.
I could still feel the ghost of his hand trailing down my skin… the sting of his teeth on my lip… the weight of that final kiss before he walked away like he hadn't just shattered a piece of me.
Damn him.
And the worst part? He was right.
I'd always known Theo was a drughead, a genius chemist with a twisted sense of amusement. He'd bored me more than once about his latest "experiments," rattling off chemical names and half-baked theories like I was supposed to be impressed. I remember him once bragging about his high immunity to intoxicants—that he could down three tabs of his own hybrid hallucinogen and still walk a straight line. I laughed. Thought it was just Theo being Theo.
I never saw him as a threat.
Why would I? He was annoying, cocky, clingy—but never dangerous. Never cruel. I'd let my guard down.
I was an idiot.
It's a good thing he didn't know about Aiden.
God, if Theo ever found out who Aiden was—my sweet, awkward, too-pretty-for-this-world Aiden—he'd ruin everything. Break him just to prove a point. Corrupt him out of boredom.
No.
No way.
Theo had been homeschooled, barely had a circle outside his lab rats. There's no way their paths would ever cross.
Still, I couldn't shake the unease crawling down my spine.
I dragged myself to school feeling like I'd been hit by a truck. Whatever Theo had slipped into that bottle had long worn off, but I still felt hollowed out. Drained. Like my soul had a hangover.
On my way to class, I spotted him—Aiden.
And just like that, the air left my lungs.
We hadn't really talked since the kiss. Not properly. Everything had been left… weird. Hanging.
My heart stuttered.
I debated walking the other way, pretending I hadn't seen him. But then—like he had a built-in radar for my presence—Aiden turned.
Right toward me.
His eyes locked on mine.
What the hell?
How did he always know when I was staring?
It had to be some kind of sixth sense.
I panicked, flashing him a smile and a small wave, hoping he'd return the gesture and keep walking like usual.
But to my absolute horror…
He didn't.
He was walking. Towards me.
What the fuck.
"Shit," I muttered under my breath, cursing every god in the sky. My lip was still busted from yesterday. It stung when I moved it. Damn you, Theo.
"Hey," Aiden said, stopping just an arm's length away. His voice was soft, cautious. "How's it going?"
"I—I'm good," I stammered, trying not to visibly wince.
His gaze lingered—for just a split second—on my mouth.
Oh shit.
"Aiden, did I—did I do that?" he asked, eyes widening, voice a whisper like he was afraid of the answer.
My panic flared.
"No! No, shit. I got in a fight. With… with a friend yesterday. It wasn't pretty," I blurted, the lie fumbling out of my mouth like rocks.
Aiden blinked, brows rising in surprise. "Huh. I never pictured you as a fighter."
"You're one to talk," I said quickly, trying to sound casual. Defensive.
His lips quirked at that. He smiled—just slightly—and God, it made my chest ache.
"Anyway… I gotta go," Aiden said, stepping back. "I'll see you later, Isaaq."
"Yeah… yeah, see you," I managed, forcing a smile that felt like it might crack my face open.
He turned around and walked away.
And I stood there, heart pounding like a drumline in my chest, wondering how the hell I'd survive the rest of the day with this storm inside me.