The Love Dare

Val's P.O.V

After Jax beats Ronan to a pulp, we left him lying there and walked home in silence. Neither of us said a word, the weight of what had just happened hanging heavy in the air.

What was I supposed to do now? If I went to the cops, they'd probably do nothing—Ronan had connections. But if I stayed quiet, he might come after me again. The thought made my stomach churn.

I wished my parents were here to help me. Dad was gone, and Mom couldn't even look at us without breaking down. I had to keep all of this to myself, or else everyone I cared about would get dragged into the mess. But if I got hurt, they'd be hurt too.

"What was that about?" Jax asked, breaking the silence.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. He just wanted to get back together," I said, shrugging.

"Don't lie to me. I'm not stupid," he said, his tone sharp.

"I don't know about that," I smirked, trying to lighten the mood.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Spill. I know something happened last year."

I bit my lip, hesitating. "If I tell you, will you promise not to tell anyone?" I asked, and he nodded.

I sighed, looking down at the ground as we slowed our pace. "Ronan…he was toxic. Our relationship was toxic. At first, I didn't realize it. But then…he hit me. I tried breaking up with him, but it didn't end well. He forced…Ronan, he…" My voice trailed off, the words catching in my throat.

"He forced himself on you?" Jax asked, his voice calm, but his body language was anything but fists.

I nodded slowly. "I managed to defend myself that time. But he threatened me, said he'd hurt everyone I cared about if I left him. So, I stayed quiet. I was scared I'd lose someone else because of him."

I shut my eyes, stopping in my tracks. The next part was the hardest to say. "My dad knew. I told him, and he was going to report Ronan to the cops. But Ronan got to him first." My voice broke, and I fought back tears. "He was drunk when he hit our car. He was furious with me, and he ran us over with his truck. He wasn't arrested because his family covered it up. They're powerful—they can make anything disappear."

I started breathing heavily, the memories overwhelming me. "It's my fault. If I had just kept my mouth shut…he'd still be here." I sobbed, crouching down on the sidewalk and covering my face.

"Val…" Jax started, but I cut him off.

"It didn't end there," I said, my voice trembling. "Before my dad died, he hired private investigators. They found Ronan guilty of everything, and he was sent to a mental institution after he tried to…hurt me again."

Jax's arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a tight embrace. I broke down, crying into his chest as he held me.

"Let it all out, Val," he murmured. "All your anger, your pain, everything. Just let it go."

The Next Morning

As I got ready for school, my thoughts drifted to my mom. It had been over a month since I'd last seen her, and even then, it was only for a day. I shook my head, pushing the thoughts aside, and finished getting dressed. I threw on a black Champion t-shirt tucked into blue-washed denim jeans and hurried out the door.

The Cafeteria Incident

I was walking to the cafeteria when someone grabbed me by the waist and shoved me against the lockers, making me wince in pain. The cold metal dug into my back, and the sharp edge of a locker handle pressed painfully into my spine. My books clattered to the floor, the sound echoing through the suddenly too-quiet hallway. A few students glanced our way but quickly averted their eyes—no one wanted to get involved. My stomach twisted with familiar dread.

"Hello, my love," Ronan smirked, his voice dripping with false sweetness. His breath smelled like mint gum, a stark contrast to the venom in his eyes.

I gritted my teeth, my heart sinking faster than a stone in water. "What are you doing here?" I demanded, my voice steadier than I felt. My fingers curled into fists at my sides, nails biting into my palms.

"Why, I go to school here," he said smugly, his other hand braced against the locker beside my head, caging me in. His smile didn’t reach his eyes—they were dark, calculating. "Did you miss me?"

"Let go of me!" I struggled against him, but his grip was like iron. His fingers dug into my waist, and I knew there’d be bruises later. The thought made my skin crawl.

"Why would I do that?" he asked, his smirk widening. He leaned in closer, his nose brushing against my temple. "You know you don’t mean that."

"Because I said so," I snapped, jerking my head away. My pulse roared in my ears, a frantic drumbeat of panic and rage.

He grabbed my chin roughly, his fingers pressing into my jaw hard enough to hurt, and pulled me closer to his face. His grip was unforgiving, forcing me to meet his gaze. "I let you go for a moment, and now you think you’re better than me?" he whispered, his voice low and dangerous. His thumb traced my bottom lip, a mockery of tenderness. "You’re wrong. Very wrong."

The hallway blurred around me. Distantly, I heard laughter from the cafeteria, the squeak of sneakers against linoleum—normal sounds that felt worlds away. My chest tightened, my breath coming in short, sharp bursts.

Before I could react, he forced his lips onto mine, kissing me roughly as I tried to push him away. His free hand tangled in my hair, holding me in place. The taste of mint turned sour, and I gagged, my hands shoving at his chest uselessly.

Somewhere behind me, a locker slammed shut, and a voice shouted, "Hey!" But Ronan didn’t let go. His grip only tightened, his kiss more possessive than affectionate—a claim, not a caress.

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Instead, I bit down hard on his lip, the metallic tang of blood flooding my mouth. He jerked back with a hiss, his expression twisting in fury.

For a heartbeat, I thought he might hit me. But then his lips curled into a smile, slow and sinister. "Feisty," he murmured, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I missed that."

My stomach churned.

No. No!

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