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Ten

I chickened out because I was a chicken. I couldn't ask Veronica about Halloween because I didn't want to know, and it was also because I didn't want Rogue to win. He couldn't take another thing from me.

Veronica and I hung out at the pool house. We ate and swam in the pool, and she told me about the American elites, who was whom, and the latest gossips. By the next hour, I forgot the conversation I had with Rogue. I decided that I liked Veronica, and nothing he said was going to change my mind.

After we finished swimming, I left the pool house to take a shower. I darted up the stairs, and in my room, I stripped off my bikini and jumped into the shower. Less than ten minutes later, I got out and dressed in a loose sleeveless dress. It was navy blue, and the color complimented my skin so well. With wet hair, I jogged down the stairs and checked the pool house to find Veronica gone. Not gone exactly. Her things were left behind on the chair.

Walking out of the pool house, my eyes followed the trail of water in the hallway. I didn't think about it. I decided to follow it. The trail stopped in front of a black door. It wasn't locked. I twisted the handle to open it, silently pushing the door in. There was another hallway, but this one was small. There were only two double doors in front of me, with dimmed lights that flickered in the small hallway.

I laid my hands flat against the door and pressed my ears to listen, but I didn't hear anything. I knew Veronica was inside because the water trail had stopped there. Quietly, I opened the door and peeked in. It was a huge room. I couldn't see anything inside because it was dark. Only a single light flickered under the body that was knelt on the ground.

It was Rogue. He was shirtless. His back was turned to me. His head was bent. Red marks marred his skin, making me suck in my breath. It looked like—Rogue raised a leather whip and brought it down to his back. The sound of it meeting his skin cracked. My hand flew to my mouth to hold in my gasp. Wide-eyed, I shook as I watched him hit himself again. Every hit was like a knife through my chest.

What was he doing? Why was he doing this?

I couldn't take it anymore. I started to go in to make him stop, but I halted when Veronica appeared from a dark corner. My breath caught. She slowly took the whip from him and threw it across the floor, then knelt in front of him to level her eyes with him.

Veronica grabbed his head with both of her hands, and I saw her lips moving, but I didn't know what she was saying. Rogue shoved her to the side, and she fell. I sucked in another breath. She stayed like that for a few seconds, pained and broken, it was all over her face. Then I watched as Rogue crawled over to her, grabbed her shoulders, and whispered something to her, and then he was hugging her. I didn't realize how much it bothered me until I felt physically ill, watching them hug so tightly, connecting through their pains and emotions. It made me dizzy. I curled my hand into a fist, watching them embrace like friends shouldn't embrace.

Rogue pulled away from the hug and cupped her face. Veronica nodded, then crawled out of his arms to stand behind him. She knelt on the ground and touched the red skin of his back, where he had repeatedly hit himself. Her lips touched his bruises, softly and lovingly. Ice ran through me. I needed to leave, but I was glued to my spot. I couldn't look away. She was tracing her tongue on the lines the whip had made, and then I heard her sobbing.

His hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her in front of him again. When he crushed his lips with hers, I bolted. I ran out of there like I was chased by lightning. I didn't stop until I was in my room and I collapsed on my bed. Breathing, I struggled to control my emotions. I curled up in bed and hugged myself.

What the fuck had that been? Why didn't they tell me they were seeing each other? Why would Rogue pretend as if he was attracted to me? Why would Veronica tell me all those things about him only to go and kiss him? Wasn't she married?