6 | toxic

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C L A I R E

"Vaughn Jackson?" Nina's jaw hangs open in the air, her coffee cup stopping midway to her lips.

"Vaughn hot-as-fuck Jackson!?" Jesse exclaims, her amber eyes shining bright.

I nod, sipping my strawberry milkshake with a straw, as I look at my two best friends. We are currently on a break from classes and we decided to check out the new coffee shop that opened nearby. The place is comfy and the smell of coffee and cakes greeted us the moment we stepped inside through the glass doors. 'Hot Cup Brews' is already gaining popularity and I see a few of our classmates huddled around a little table at one corner.

"Claire Hill!" Nina calls out loud, snapping her fingers in front of my face and making me bring my attention back to her.

Her toffee-colored hair hangs loose, framing her round face as she curves her lips to a disappointed look. She recently went to Hawaii for a family trip and got a tan, returning hotter than ever. I so wanted to accept her invitation to go with them but Dad wouldn't allow me to go. The fact that Nina's Dad, Mr. Lewis, extended the invitation instead of her Mom didn't go well with him.

"Yes?"

"You're marrying Vaughn Jackson? How did you even manage to convince your dad?"

"Dad isn't pleased to hear it," I sigh, remembering the events of the last week.

After Vaughn left, Dad threw a fit and grounded his twenty-two-year-old daughter to her room. I spent the weekend crying until Mom came to my room and after a very useless conversation regarding my feelings for Vaughn, told me that Dad had agreed to the marriage.

"He shouldn't be. Vaughn Jackson is the richest fish in the sea."

Nina flips her hair as she takes a sip of her coffee while I spot Jesse rolling her eyes behind her round glasses. We are an unlikely pair to hang out together. Nina is the most fashionable one in our trio with her perfect dresses and hairstyles while Jesse and I go for more subdued looks, mixing our outfits with ripped jeans and crop tops unless it is a party. I love my besties but Nina can be a little judgemental sometimes and gets on my nerves often.

"I can't believe this, Claire," Jesse says, leaning forward and putting her elbows on the table. "Does this mean you were cheating on Mason all this time?"

I frown at the accusation. "We both know that's not true. I tried to break up with Mason but you knew what happened the last time I did that."

The last time I tried to break up with Mason, he ended up getting drunk and causing a scene on campus. He was suspended for a week and then blackmailed me that if I didn't get back with him, he would continue doing it over and over again. I am a simple person, I take threats seriously and that's how my sorry ass ended up getting back with him.

"But isn't marriage too soon?" Nina interrupts. "I mean, you're still in college."

"It's either Vaughn or the forty-year-old Senator." I lean back in my chair. "Dad needs to save the corporation and he figured my marriage was the only way."

"So what are you going to do about Mason?" Jesse asks.

"I don't know. I have a valid reason to break up with him this time," I say.

They both look at each other like I have just introduced them to a murder plan.

"You have a lot on your plate, Claire." Nina throws me a sympathetic glance and I pout my lips. "Anyways, have you guys thought of any new ideas for the project?"

Nina's sudden change of topic comes as a blessing. We have to submit a group project for our last semester and we haven't yet decided on what to work on yet. I usually take the lead for our group projects but nowadays, I am running out of ideas with all the events going on at home.

"I was thinking of going the bold way this time," Jesse suggests. "Like getting our very own model. We can work from scratch and make it original."

"And where shall we find a model, Jess?" Nina pitches in. "Unless Vaughn Jackson will have mercy on us." She looks at me suddenly with a giant smile on her face.

"Absolutely not!" I shake my head. "I'm not asking Vaughn to be our model."

"C'mon, Claire." Nina reaches forward from her seat and takes hold of my hands. "We beg you...Vaughn will be a great model to work on. Just ask once."

I yank my hands out of her grasp. "Nice try but no."

Just then, I spot a familiar figure open the door of the coffee shop and enter. I look at Nina and she follows my gaze which lands her eyes on her boyfriend, Noah Striker.

If there is another person I do not like being around, it is Noah. First of all, he is way older than Nina but they have been together for two years now and secondly, the guy has an eerie vibe going around him.

He is wearing a white polo shirt today with baggy jeans. His hair is short, cropped close to his head. He is otherwise a good-looking man with sharp features and a nice body frame that stands over six feet but to me, he feels like an extra whenever he hangs out with us.

"Hey, babe," Noah says when he reaches our table and places a quick kiss on Nina's lips.

"Hey, honey," Nina greets him with a smile.

"Ladies." Noah nods, taking a look at me and Jesse as we stare at him.

"Hey, Noah," Jesse and I say in unison.

He pulls a chair from another table and sits with an arm behind Nina's chair. Nina instantly drags her chair closer to him and sits with a hand touching his bicep.

"What's on today's agenda?" Noah questions with a beaming smile.

"Claire's getting married," Nina replies for me and I nearly choke on my drink in shock.

I am never trusting her with a secret again.

Noah's eyes widen and he looks at me. "Really? Who's the guy?"

"Vaughn Jackson," Jesse answers.

Correction — I am never trusting both of them with secrets again.

It might have been my illusion but I catch Noah's smile as it instantly falls for a moment before he forces it back. He looks at me with his lips parted and I stare back, unable to understand his reaction.

"Vaughn Jackson as in..." He pauses. "Billionaire Vaughn Jackson?"

I nod, slowly, tearing my eyes away from Noah and taking another sip of my milkshake.

"Oh..." Noah begins. "That's...unexpected. Weren't you dating Mason, Claire? What happened?"

"Nothing," I breathe, finishing my milkshake and wrapping my arms around my body.

"Don't mind me, Claire but Vaughn's not a good guy," Noah comments, his voice sounding serious. "You can do much better. Marriage is for life."

The words sound funny when they leave his mouth. His show of concern is obviously fake because he knows that I don't give a shit about his opinions.

"No one's all bad, Noah." I fake a smile as I glance at him. "I'm sure Vaughn has his good side too."

"You've no idea what you're putting yourself into, Claire," he insists. "Think about it. Don't ruin your life like this."

This is the reason why I despise this man. Just because he is older than us, he acts as our guardian and the worst thing is that Nina never stops him.

"Look? Thank you for your concern but I really don't need your advice," I snap at Noah, causing Nina to throw me a glare.

Noah looks at the floor, his cheeks turning red in embarrassment. "Sorry, I was just speaking for your good."

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I have to go. I have a boyfriend to break up with."

I pick up my bag and rush out of the coffee shop, unable to get Noah's words out of my head.

***

"But why?" Mason runs his hands through his hair, his voice sounding agitated.

"Because I'm getting married," I repeat.

We are at the parking lot of the campus and I am leaning against his car while he paces in front of me. As I watch him, I am forced to question myself as to how I managed to get myself stuck with this guy. His lean frame, his messy hair, and the drunken look in his eyes are permanent features of his personality. He always has a temper and doesn't indulge in healthy discussions if he can use violence as a way out.

I only accepted his proposal because I was bored and he was the one running around me like a lost puppy. I took pity on him but I didn't know that my one wrong decision would cost me my freedom.

"You can't do this to me, Claire." He looks at me suddenly and his bloodshot eyes make me flinch.

Before I can say something, he grabs me by my arms and presses his lips on mine. His kiss is sloppy and as I try to push him off me, he shoves his tongue inside my mouth forcefully. I freeze for a second at the lack of consent but am quick to recover,

"Letmego...you sonofabitch!"

I bite his tongue and he leaves my mouth instantly, wincing in pain.

"Claire," he says after he collects himself, cupping my face between his palms much to my disgust. "Claire, please don't do this. We're so good together."

"You cheated on me, Mason!" I lose my patience. "You're lucky that I still played along because I cared for you."

"Then what happened now? Are you done using me?"

"You're the one who used me!" I yell, perplexed by his audacity to play the victim card. "You should understand, Mason. I'm getting married. At least respect me enough to stop this obsessiveness. We both know you aren't interested in this relationship. Then why pretend that you're?"

"You're right, Claire," he says, caging me between his arms. "I'm not interested in the relationship but I still want you."

He places a kiss on my shoulder and I squirm.

What is it with me and toxic masculinity? I am like a fucking magnet!

"Let me go, Mason." I wriggle in his arms when he keeps his hold on me firm. "Let me fucking go!"

"Please, Claire," Mason pleads, sounding anxious. "No one can love you like I do. I have loved you for years now."

"You cheated on me three times in the last year," I remind him as I push him hard but he is stronger and grabs hold of my wrists, pinning them to his car.

"Those were drunken fucks!" he raves. "You're the only one I want. I know you better than anyone else. You won't find someone more capable than me to take care of you."

"Thanks for your concern but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my future wife." The voice breaks us and I look behind Mason to find a familiar pair of brown eyes looking at us.

Vaughn stands there with a muscle in his jaw ticking and his fingers curled into fists, throwing a deadly glare at Mason.


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