The crowds are even thicker in the fourth house, and Sammy and I lose hold of each other as we shuffle toward the kitchen where some kind of competition is happening. I try to keep sight of her, but there’re so many people and without my heels I can’t even see over the shoulders of people ahead of me.

“Don’t worry, I can see them, just hold on to me and I’ll get us back to them,” Chase says, offering me his hand.

Nodding, I take his hand and let him push through the crowd, creating a path for me to walk along. Meandering in and out of people, it seems to take forever, but we finally reach the wall, only instead of being at the door that will take us to the kitchen, we’re at the doors that lead to the ground floor bedrooms. This is wrong. Chase said he’d get me back to Sammy and the others, but instead he’s led me away from them and toward bedrooms. Panic seizes me, but before I have a chance to scream or run, Chase’s hand closes over my mouth, his arm banding around my waist like a steel bar as he drags me kicking and screaming into a bedroom, closing and locking the door behind us.

“That’s better, just the two of us alone at last,” Chase says with a sinister smile.

“What are you doing, Chase? We need to go and find Sammy and the others,” I say, trying to stay calm.

Tilting his head to the side, he takes in my appearance, letting his eyes scan over me, rubbing his thumb over his bottom lip. “No, I don’t think so,”

“I want to leave,” I say, moving to unlock the door.

I’m not expecting the brutal backhand that explodes on my cheek, knocking me to the floor. “Do you know who I am?” he asks, a manic gleam flashing in his eyes.

“We have gym together,” I say, clutching my cheek.

“I’m Chase fucking Lawrence. I’m the starting quarterback for the Kingsacre Royals, I’m going to the NFL. Pussy lies down and spreads itself in front of me and you… You,” he shouts, “You say no to me. No one says no to Chase Lawrence.”

Shuffling away from him, I glance behind me, trying to find an escape route. I’m trapped. Other than a window on the other side of the room, and the bathroom that I’d have to get past him to lock myself inside, there’s nowhere to hide.

“You’re just like all the other rich bitches who think they’re too good for the guys here on a football scholarship, but I’m a god, on the brink of becoming a legend. You don’t get to say no to me, you’re nothing but a cunt to be used and I’m going to teach you a lesson. So be a good fucking bitch and take your clothes off and maybe I’ll go easy on you,” he snarls, spit flying from his mouth with each angry word.