They Played With Me First, but I Played Smarter Last

Trista's POV

The girl’s eyes swept across the group and landed on Shaun. She batted her lashes and purred flirtatiously, “Wow, handsome! You’re so hot. Pick me later, okay? Just you and me, under the stars.”

The jock rolled his eyes and turned toward Toby, who was still quietly setting up a tent. “Dr. Andrus, where the hell did you find this wannabe girlfriend? First, she’s after me, then real quick she's after Shaun.”

Toby didn’t even look up.

“Online,” he said flatly. Then, calmly went back to setting up the tent. “I don’t have a girlfriend. But I wanted in on the game, so I recruited someone fast.”

My eyes widened. I didn’t know the jock or the fat guy well, but Toby? I knew him. He was famous at school as the cold, distant guy with ridiculously high standards.

That was when it hit me. These guys weren’t just playing some twisted game. They were completely insane.

Desperate to get away, I shoved Shaun with everything I had and bolted for the woods, running like my life depended on it.

But I hadn’t gotten far when my legs gave out. The world spun around me, and before I could process it, I collapsed.

Through blurry vision, I saw Shaun walk toward me, calm and smiling. He picked me up like I weighed nothing and said, almost playfully, “Looks like the stuff Toby gave you works fast.”

That was when I realized the water bottle he gave me after we got out of the car was actually drugged. They were in this together.

With what little strength I had left, I screamed, “You bastard! If you lay a finger on me, I swear I’ll destroy you even if it costs me everything!”

But he just chuckled. “Well, then I'll break your legs and cut your voice out. Then I’ll stay by your side and pretend to be the perfect boyfriend. Surely, your parents will be grateful for it. Same outcome either way. So, just stop wasting your energy, Trista.”

Half my soul died right there, and my body gave in too, having no strength left to fight. I lay limp as he carried me back toward the tent.

The jock and the fat one peeked through the flap, grinning like kids at a carnival, eager for their turn.

I looked up at Shaun, my voice trembling. “Please, don’t do this. We’ve known each other for three years. We’ve been happy for over a thousand days. I loved you. Itruly loved you. You can’t treat me like this. Let me go, please.”

He laid me down gently and whispered near my ear, “If you just behave, you won’t suffer too much. My buddies aren’t ugly. You’re not missing out on much. Cooperate, and maybe you’ll even enjoy it. But don’t think about running. This place is isolated. I picked it for a reason. You’re trapped. Just like a rat in a trap.”

His words made my stomach churn. I nearly threw up.

“Shaun, you’ll die a miserable death!” I spat.

But he barely reacted. He simply casually tossed the lace outfit to three girls standing nearby, who were dressed for a summer party, not a night in the mountains.

“Help her change,” he said lazily. “Once the sun sets, the real fun begins.”

A girl who looked sweet and innocent on the outside quickly stepped forward.

“Got it, Shaun!” she chirped, then came over to undress me.

Her nails were sharp, and she wasn’t gentle. By the time she was done, my body was scratched and covered in red marks.

She then leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Why don’t you just die, Trista? If you were gone, Shaun would be mine. I’ve been cozying up to that fat idiot just for this moment. Tonight, I’m going to make sure you watch as Shaun sleeps with me.”

I glared at her and spat, “You can have him. He’s trash, and so are you. You two are a perfect match.”

Her face twisted with rage. She grabbed my throat and hissed, “How dare you talk about Shaun like that!”

Between the lack of oxygen and the drugs still in my system, I blacked out.

When I came to again, it was dark. Which meant the “game” was about to start.

The mountain air was cold at night. Even though they’d thrown a blanket over me, it was useless, especially with the scraps of fabric I was wearing. I shivered uncontrollably.

But then I noticed something.

My strength was coming back.

And this time, I was ready to run.