bound by darkness

CHAPTER ONE Penelope I was an eighteen-year-old girl I lived in London and had a normal life I did things I loved to do like going to college and hanging out with my friend but my all-time favourite was designing clothes but that all changed when one day I went out with my friends and met a man. He had short brown hair and stunning baby blue eyes. He was handsome and sweet, so I didn’t see any red flags until it was too late. As I'm sitting at the bar, drinking my vodka and coke with my best friend gemma that’s when he comes to the left of me. “Is this seat taken?” With a smile still on my face from gemma telling me about her classes today, I turn my head to look at the stranger. I don't normally like strangers sitting with me, but I say 'no.' With a smile, he pulls out the stool and sits down, raising his hand to get the bartender's attention. "whisky on the rocks” Me and gemma look at each other and we are both thinking the same thing, only she is the one who speaks it out loud “tough day” He turns his attention back to us, a small smile on his lips. “more like week” Feeling sorry for the man, I ask, “you want to talk about it” I've always been told by my mother that when something is bothering me to talk it out and you will feel much better. He waves his hand and scoffs, “na it's all good. I've just got an asshole of a boss” Well, I don’t have a job so I can't relate to that, so I just give a nod then turn back to gemma who is staring at me wiggling her brows. "Someone likes you,” she says with a smile. See this is what she does she wants me to find someone so I lose my v card and it doesn’t matter who it is but to me it does and besides I'm not ready for that “you’re going to end up being a forty-year-old virgin with the rate you’re going” she had once says to me But so what if I am I'm not hurting anyone am I. Lowering my voice, I say quickly, “I don’t like him and he doesn’t like me gem god, he literally just walked into the room” She rolls her eyes, then pulls her phone from her pocket. That’s when I know she's about to message one of her man friends taking my glass from off the top of the bar. I swivel in my seat to check on the crowd. It's full tonight but most weekends it always is the club is near our university campus so all the students come here we aren’t allowed to have a party inside our dorm anymore not when someone had set a fire when they were drunk so Theres now a ban in place if anyone is seen with a drink on site then we are kicked out and not able to return until next year. I don't get drunk, so I'm not worried about being told to leave. The person who set the fire got kicked out permanently, so nothing like that will happen again. Still, it's better to be safe than sorry." Couples and students dance together on the dance floor some grinding while some males jump up and down I shake my head with a smile as I take a sip of my drink I'm so glad I don’t dance because the way there jumping will most defiantly get someone hurt. Gemma’s hand lands on my shoulder as I take in my surroundings. "I'm just going to meet max outside. I won't be two minutes ok” Placing my glass on the bar, I Turn my gaze to her and give a nod with a smile seconds later she’s rushing out the door.. Leaning back against the bar I watch as mike dances with jenny there the hot couple on campus I don’t know why maybe it’s because he’s the popular guy and she’s the popular girl trust me everyone wants to be their friend and if you thought that ended with secondary school your dead wrong it keeps going. I never really cared about popularity; all I cared about were my studies. I want to become a midwife like my mother because I love kids and helping women bring their bundles of joy into this world. I look up to my mother, and I want to make her proud, which I like to think I am doing. As I'm tapping my foot to the beat of a Miley song, the man next to me speaks once more and I find him facing the same way as me. "Would you like another drink?” I look at him in surprise I have never had a drink brought for me before turning I grab my glass and chug the last of my drink as it hits my taste buds, I realise it tastes a little bitter not thinking anything about it I then hand it to him “sure thank you” He turns to the bar and without a word the bartender pours me another then hands it to me “so” he says to me as I take a sip to get rid of the sickly taste still left behind from the other What brings a pretty girl like you in here tonight? Because I'm pretty sure you're not fishing for someone to spend the night with.” Instantly, my cheeks turn hot, and I know I have just embarrassed myself by blushing at what he says. Shaking my head with a nervous laugh, I reply, "No, I—I study too much, and Gemma wanted me to take a break..." He tips his head up as he says, “oh so she’s the one who pushes you into things, huh” What the hell is that supposed to mean is he saying she controls me turning my full attention to him I furrow my brows in frustration "I'm my own woman; I can make my own decisions. I came because it is nice to get away from all the stress, you know?" He holds his hands up, his brows nearly in his hairline. “hey I didn’t mean anything by it I just meant she is the friend who takes you out of your comfort zone it’s a good thing instead of you staying in your room all night studying you’re here having fun there’s nothing wrong with that” Feeling like an i***t I give an apologetic smile as I lower my head and look at my glass grasping it in both hands “sorry I didn’t mean to be rude I guess I'm just protective of her even if she is a pain in my ass sometimes” he chuckles then tips back the rest of his whisky. Gemma has been my best friend since nursery. We have been inseparable ever since we vowed at six years old to never leave each other. If one of us were to move to another country, the other would follow. She's like a sister to me, which is something I've never had since I'm an only child." she's been there for me when I was being bullied in school one day I had my lunch and a girl came and took my sandwich along with a yogurt a little later she had come back and decided to tip my milk over my lap she had no reason to but girl in school claim boys like no tomorrow even if they move on to another the next day and because she saw me speaking to her ex boyfriend Callum she thought it was a good idea to bully me. Gemma wasn’t having it and decided to grab the paint when we were doing art and spill it all over her cardigan lets just say the mom was not happy as it was brand-new I couldn’t help but laugh and ever since that day I was left alone and that is why I love her she means the world to me. Placing his glass down on the bar, he stands and reaches out his hand. "I'm Jackson, by the way. Would you care to dance with me?" My cheeks once more heat up, and I let my hair fall into my face as I answer, "I'm not a dancer. I have two left feet." Grabbing my hair with his fingers, he gently tucks it behind my ear as he leans in close, making my breath hitch. "Don't worry, it's just one dance. Besides, I'll catch you if you fall," he said. Lifting my gaze to his, I swallow hard at how close he is to me. Taking a moment to compose myself, I finally place my hand in his, then he guides me to the dance floor finding a space in between the hot and sweaty body’s we stand in front of each other, the lights above dancing around his as he places my arms around his neck and pulls me in close. We start to move slow and sensual, our bodies moulding together as we grind on one another, his knee in between my legs and our faces closer than before leaning down he whispers “you smell like heaven. I wonder how you taste” As he finishes speaking that’s when everything in the room changes it begins to spin and I feel his arm tighten around my waist still staring at each other he leans in and kisses me I stagger back my lips frozen before my eyes become heavy something isn't right I don’t feel right. Pulling away from him, I try to tell him, but nothing comes out. I try to take in my surroundings looking for gemma. however, I don’t see anything my vision is blurred. Then when I'm suddenly grabbed “hey it's okay” he whispers into my ear “how much did you have to drink” I moan, trying to answer, but he just says, “it's okay. I can take you home, don’t worry. " I manage to nod while wondering where the hell gemma has gone. She said she wouldn’t be. Long? Oh, it doesn’t matter. I will see her in. The morning she's around. Here, somewhere besides, she will call me later. As he wraps his arm around my shoulders, I feel my legs give out my knees hit the floor and im just waiting for my face to plant their to however before that can happen he sweeps me up bridal style and starts to carry me out the club that’s when I hear the screaming of my name “what happened is she okay” Gem demands, however, I can't answer, so he does “yeah she alright. We had a game of shots and she had to. Much. She told me where to take her home” "What? No, I haven't told him where to take me! I try to struggle in his hold, but it's useless. “oh alright then,” I feel a hand on my forehead before she says, “I will be home in a little while, okay” I try once more to get out of this mans arms. however, it's no use. My limbs are too heavy. She must not think twice about this because I feel the swaying motion again of him walking before my body decides it's had enough and I pass out.