Chapter 52: Face-To-Face
Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Bountiful breasts. Beautiful face and body. Standing before my door, looking like a fangirl was Celeste VanWalters—the raping, abusing, and sadistic heiress of the VanWalters' fortune. But at that moment, none of that seemed to matter. At least, not to her.
She was watching me with eyes that screamed devotion. It was as if she would give her life to me if I so much as willed it.
Honestly, I wanted her broken, sure. But I was beginning to wonder if I went too far. I'm not saying she doesn't deserve what happened. She deserved it and more. And at least I know that she won't go around looking to abuse any other girls. It's just that playing with life and death to such a degree was a lot of responsibility.
I'd have to make sure that I only pull that trick on someone that is truly beyond redemption.
The hallway was not as empty as I would've liked. To my right, I saw Lexi and Mira watching Celeste and I interact. Mira looked confused. Lexi looked like she'd seen a ghost.
To my left were other girls that I've never spoken to. They all lived on this floor and probably caught wind of Celeste's visit because, unlike her dorm, ours were not soundproof. If anything, you could hear too much at times. I was sure that her constant knocking grabbed everyone's attention. Far be it from them to ignore the possibility of drama.
Celeste was wrapped in a tight-fitting pair of skinny jeans and a pink V-neck t-shirt. For some reason, she wasn't wearing any shoes. Whatever. Not my problem.
Behind her was the girl from fifth period. Lily was her name. She was dressed all in black and had a pair of dark sunglasses sitting atop her head. Her eyes were filled with unease. I wondered how much trouble she was going to be in by bringing Celeste to my door.
A beatific smile graced Celeste's face as she moved to embrace me.
"I've missed you!"
I held up my hand, stopping her before she set one foot in my room. She never got close enough to touch me either.
"Why are you here, Celeste?"
"Forgive me, Goddess. I could not go on without seeing you. I snuck out of the hotel and came to see you."
"Hotel?"
"Oh. Yes. There was this news story. Ever since it aired, Daddy put me up in a hotel to get me off-campus. But I couldn't stay there because I wasn't allowed to see you."
Fortunately, we were only speaking loudly enough for an intimate conversation. I wasn't worried that anyone would overhear. But that didn't mean I could afford to have this conversation out in the open.
While I really didn't want to do it, I invited her in. I had to contend with the imaginations of my floormates running wild. But there was nothing I could do about that. The die had been cast, so to speak.
"Come in. We'll talk inside."
"Yes!" She practically dove inside. The small doorframe was too small to fit both of our bodies at once. When she forced her way through, her bountiful bosom pressed, crushed, and slid against me. It wasn't altogether a horrible feeling. But I wouldn't say that out loud.
I glanced at Lily. "You're not invited." I already had to babysit this headcase. I didn't feel like tiptoeing around her bodyguard.
I expected some sort of rebuke. Instead, she graciously nodded. "Of course, ma'am. I will man the door."
Well, that was easy.
I closed the door. Inside the room, Rhea stood watching with half fear, half suspicion in her eyes. Across from her, Celeste was staring her down like Rhea was an unwanted ant at a previously idyllic picnic.
〖〖What's this bitch doing here?!〗〗
They both had the same thought. At the same time. I guess it was too late to put the fire out. But at least, I could try to make sure no one got burned.
"Celeste, this is my…umm…this is Rhea. Rhea, I believe you know Celeste."
Rhea nodded but didn't speak.
Celeste on the other hand glared. "I remember you. You have no right to be here. You can't have Kyah."
Rhea looked like she wanted to say something but held back.
"Celeste, stand down. You have no right to tell her she can't be here. If anything, it is you who is unwelcome."
"Un-unwelcome. Am I a bother, Goddess? I'm so sorry. I had no idea. What should I do? Please forgive me. Please don't punish me, Goddess. Please! I'm sorry that I bothered you. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. Please! Please! Please!"
She fell to her knees and became a blubbering mess.
Rhea had this aghast expression on her face. Honestly, even with my inside knowledge, I was a little put off by Celeste's performance. I scratched my head out of frustration.
I turned to Rhea. "I'm sorry, baby. I think it's better if you head out. I think this is going to take a while."
Rhea couldn't take her eyes off of Celeste. "N-no. I don't want to leave. She seems crazy. What if she tries to hurt you? I'll stay and protect you."
I couldn't love this girl more. How did she think she could protect me with her little body? If I went up against someone that I couldn't handle, poor Rhea would get demolished. Still, her compassion and heart deserved respect.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine. There is nothing she can do to hurt me."
"But…" She felt insecure. I understood. We were in the middle of having a lot of fun and got interrupted by this interloper. To make matters worse, she was crying and shivering on the floor after proclaiming me a goddess. There were a lot of questions in Rhea's mind. Unfortunately, now wasn't the time to answer any of them.
I kissed her. I know it was unfair but I didn't do it solely to manipulate her. I really wanted to feel her soft lips on mine.
"I'll come by and see you as soon as I can. But that might be tomorrow. I'm sorry. I know it's not fair and not at all what I promised. Please forgive me."
"I guess, I don't have a choice, huh? Just make sure to text me, okay? I want to know that you're okay. If you don't, I'll come right back over here." Her brown eyes were unwavering. They reminded me of that time in the locker room when she barged into my shower. I thought she was crazy. But I knew from that single glance that if push came to shove, Rhea would face an army of dragons if it meant I'd be okay.
I didn't deserve such dedication. But that is the insanity we call love, isn't it? She went all in. Even at the risk of endangering herself.
I nodded. "I promise. I'll text you as soon as I can."
"Okay. I'll be waiting up for you. Don't make me wait too long." She stood on her toes and kissed me back. This time, her lips and mine lingered on each other.
When she pulled back, there was still unease in her expression. But she looked a lot better than before.
I headed to my closet. "Here. Wear this." I handed her a garment to put over her romper.
"A hoodie? Why?"
I glanced at the blubbering mess on the floor.
"Little Miss. Sunshine over there attracted a lot of attention. Because you're going to be teaching here this fall, it wouldn't do to have the girls know that you are leaving a student's dorm late in the evening. Make sure you pull it up to cover your face. Okay?"
She grinned. "You bet! Thanks, sweetie."
Rhea put on the hoodie and threw me one more love-filled glance. Then she peeked at Celeste and sighed. After pulling the hood up to cover her face, she pulled the strings taut so that it pinched her face closed, then she left.
I felt bad about causing her trouble but it was necessary that she leave. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to have this conversation with Celeste.
After the door closed, I glanced towards Celeste. She was shaking and crying on the ground.
I didn't see a reason to immediately alleviate her fears, so I headed to the fridge and grabbed a water. Then I pulled out a chair and sat down.
After crossing my left knee above my right, I gave her a command.
"Stand."
Like I'd pushed a button on a machine, she followed my order the moment the words left my mouth.
Tears were still streaming down her face as her lips quivered.
It was off-putting. I threw a towel at her face.
"Clean yourself up."
She did. "Yes, Goddess."
Once her face was cleaned, she folded the towel and placed it in her back pocket. Then she looked at me.
When it seemed like she could string more than two words together, I gave her another order.
"Tell me everything."
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