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What Lies Beyond

Page 14

by B. B. Palomo


  “Just soda.” He shot me a sinful smirk, and it took everything in me not to laugh loud enough to bring attention to our little safe spot.

  I took another drink from the Solo cup, the plastic crinkling if I squeezed too tightly. The cheap liquor burned on its way down as I forced myself to swallow. Anyone who tried to tell me there was no difference between the Kirkland brand of whiskey from Costco and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s had probably sanded their own taste buds off for fun.

  It took a moment to get past the store brand liquor’s sharper taste, getting more manageable as it worked into my bloodstream and relaxed me. Somehow, it started going down smoother, making me wonder if there truly was a difference at all. I leaned into Noah, who offered a warm arm to wrap around my shoulders just as Adira returned with a notably more potent concoction.

  She was energetic as she spun a tale, which was oddly funnier with the soft buzzing around my body. I laughed well before the punch line, which drew giggles from my friends, only instigating me to cackle harder. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed with us sharing our stories and jokes, but I did know I couldn’t hold off on breaking the seal much longer.

  “Where’s the bathroom?” I asked, acutely aware that I’d ignored nature’s call for too long.

  Cora giggled, and Adira pointed to the tree line. “Out there.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered while looking into the dark, remembering the imaginary monsters I had just conjured up.

  “Do you want me to go with you?” Noah asked, and as sweet as the offer was, I didn’t think I could bear him watching me try not to pee on my shoes while squatting behind the trunk of one of the tall pines.

  “No.” I sighed. “That’s all right. I’d like to keep some type of mystery about me.” I got up and dusted the stray wood chips from my jeans. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Scream if you need us!” Adira hollered at my back, and I turned to toss her a friendly middle finger, but she’d already scooted back to face Noah, placing a hand against his arm as she laughed at whatever joke he’d just made.

  I didn’t know why I stared for a moment, unable to look away from how she touched him. Jealousy stirred in the pit of my stomach, surprising me. It was only when my body warned me that if I didn’t move, I’d leak, did I tear my eyes away and speed walked into the trees.

  I moved through the forest steadily, opting to go in the opposite direction of the cars in case anyone pulled up and accidentally shined limelight on my outdoor experience. The sounds of the party faded along with the orange hue that had just guided my path. Now, the white light of the moon was the only thing to pave my way, raining down and stealing the last of the warmth from my flesh. When I felt like I had made it far enough from the clearing to not run into other people on an endeavor for privacy from the party or be heard peeing, I searched for the most ideal spot. My thighs already burned just having to think about holding my weight in a squat.

  A branch snapped behind me, sending my heart into my throat. I swung around, expecting to see someone standing there, but the spot was empty. Cool air rushed around my body, stealing the breath from my lips in a shiver that seemed to seep into my spine. I exhaled slowly, the vapor condensing into a white cloud in front of my face. It wasn’t this cold earlier, but now it seemed my body was encased in ice.

  “Hello?” I asked the dark, trying to sound firm. “Noah? If you’re trying to scare me, it’s not funny.” Suddenly, finding the perfect spot to pee wasn’t as important as making sure I didn’t drench my pants from fright.

  Honestly, after the things I’d seen in the last week, I would jump for joy if whatever was sending my fight or flight into overdrive was nothing more than a cruel prank from my boyfriend. I waited for an answer, which was never received. I figured I was still a little jumpy and turned back to do my business when a closer, louder crack snapped in my ears, echoing off the massive trunks around me. I couldn’t help the little yelp that escaped from me as I realized there was little chance whatever was breaking the branches was a small animal.

  I turned around once again, never expecting to look Timmy right in his face.

  Unintentionally, I gasped and took a step back, my eyes doubling in size. He looked the same up close, relaxed features with sharp edges. Piercing blue eyes that reflected the moonlight like steel. He was handsome by any standard, but under the elements was an emptiness that caring people didn’t possess. I put a stable hand on my waist and rocked my hip into it, making sure to squint my eyes, so he knew he had no business being around me. I did not want to catch up.

  “Willow.” He gave a big smile, the whites of his teeth glimmering. “About the other day—”

  “Save it,” I snapped. “I’m not interested in hearing what you have to say. Now, if you don’t mind, kindly leave me alone.”

  “Oh, come on.” He pouted. “Don’t be like that. I’m sorry, truly.”

  “And like I said, I don’t care.” I looked around for something to get me out of this situation. “I’m busy.”

  “You know, you’ve really grown up since high school.” My skin crawled while something in my mind stirred with anticipation. “I mean, I’ve always thought you were stunning.” He stepped in closer as I took another step back. “Your hair, God, that fiery hair. It’s just beautiful, but you understand why I couldn’t say that, right?”

  “Am I supposed to be flattered or something?” I shook my head. “Last time I checked, bullying someone doesn’t equal anything other than being an asshole.”

  The back of my foot hit the tree stump behind me just as he reached out and snatched a tress that had started to float in the wind. He closed the gap between us as he rubbed it with his thumb and index finger. Timmy glided his hand down the lock as I pressed my back to the tree, trying to create an impossible distance. The faint smell of alcohol lingered on his breath as he leaned into me, trapping me with a stiff arm next to my head. He snaked his hand around the back of my neck quicker than I could see, bringing his face close enough to feel the warm breath he exhaled against my skin.

  “You know what they say”—his lips brushed my earlobe as he spoke—“when boys pick on you, it just means they like you.”

  “You know what they say”—I threw his words back at him—“when a girl says she’s not interested, it means go away.”

  “You should feel lucky I’m even giving you this attention,” he snapped. “Even that boyfriend of yours seems to be searching for a way out with your friend out there. Don’t worry. I’ll make you forget about him.”

  With lightning speed, he jammed his knee between my legs painfully, forcing them apart, and planted a hungry mouth over mine. My heart exploded into my throat as he worked his wet lips over the ones I was desperately trying to pull away from him. He reached a coercive hand up to grab a fistful of my breast, bruising with his squeeze. I pushed at his chest, but he only shifted more of his weight onto me as a response. A burning started at the base of my skull and rushed through my body like a waterfall made of lava, pooling into my feet. Without command, my hands found their way up to his chest and clutched the cotton fabric of his shirt.

  Something in me snapped, and I left it to unravel like a rope, landing into a pile somewhere I couldn’t see or care about.

  Timmy mistook my action for enjoyment and tried to slip his cold fingers under my shirt, but I radiated with vicious energy that was about to find its mark. I pushed him off me with a strength I didn’t think possible to possess. He flew back like I’d been a car that had hit him, landing in the dirt with a thud. His confused expression as he looked back at me brought me joy. He looked scared. I wanted him afraid.

  I want him petrified, so he’ll never forget this moment for the rest of his miserable life.

  He scurried back from me as I stalked toward him, unable to move fast enough through the brush. I lifted my arm, staring at my hand as if I’d never seen it before. It clutched a rock, the tips of my fingers white from the hold. I didn’t
know when I had picked it up, but I didn’t care. Everything seemed so fuzzy, and the voice of reason was a mere whisper in the screams of vengeance. I lunged forward, swinging as I landed and connected with his shoulder. Timmy screamed out in pain. He tried to fight me off, but I was an unmovable force as I straddled him, no amount of bucking able to throw me off my mission.

  I brought my hand down again, the stone crashing into the corner of his skull. The sound rang out in my ears and made me smile. I was going to show him how it felt to be beaten on. I was going to give him the bitter taste of his own medicine. I brought it down again with more force, the adrenaline making me shake. His head cracked open, blood spilling from the wound as he tried to grip my wrist to stop my continued attack. I heard something from behind me, my name maybe, but it didn’t matter. It was useless.

  “I’m going to kill you, Timmy.” I laughed out, but as the words reached my own ears, I paused.

  Did I just say that?

  The extra moment was all it took. Strong hands yanked me from Timmy’s bleeding body and wrapped around my arms, crushing them to my sides. I struggled against the human straitjacket, but just as I’d trapped Timmy a few moments ago, nothing I did could break me loose. A ravenous scream tore from my body. I needed to get my hands around his neck.

  I need him to suffer.

  “Willow!” Noah’s voice cut through the red that was threatening to swallow me whole.

  Instantly, the fury I had felt so profoundly left me. The rush turning my blood to ice. My body convulsed with uncontrollable shudders as I struggled to catch my breath, sucking in lungfuls as if I hadn’t been breathing the whole time of the attack. I stared at my hand, immediately dropping the rock like it had seared my flesh. Even in the dark, the deep color of Timmy’s blood coated my skin, unmistakable for what it was.

  “What the fuck did you do?” Noah didn’t let go of me to yell toward a retreating Timmy.

  “Nothing, man!” Timmy lied, getting up on wobbly feet. He held his head, the blood flowing freely through his fingers. “She’s crazy!”

  “You better get the hell out of here while you still can.” Noah’s voice was coated in a venom I’d never heard before.

  It was clear Timmy wasn’t taking any more chances and hightailed it back in the direction of the party. My knees trembled, and just as I thought I’d collapse, Noah adjusted his hold on me, turning my front into his chest, and pulled me in so close it hurt. His warm embrace stilled the last of the trembles still working their way up my spine. After a moment, he allowed the smallest amount of space between us, wanting to look me over but not wanting to let me go.

  “What happen—” His eyes trailed to the ripped collar of my shirt. “That son of a—”

  “Nothing happened!” I tried to assure him, but the fire in his eyes didn’t cease. “Well, I mean, kinda. He tried something, and obviously, I retaliated.”

  He cursed out, seeming to see me for the first time. “Don’t get me wrong. I support you punching the guy, but, Willow, you could have killed him.”

  “Would that have been so bad?” I mumbled, and it earned me a stern look. “Kidding! I don’t know; I just—saw red. He needs to be in jail!”

  “How can we accomplish that now?” he yelled.

  “It was self-defense!”

  “In this town, Willow? Do you think they’re going to side with you now?” He shook me lightly like it would clear my head.

  “I’m sorry,” I cried.

  “Ah, shit,” Noah cursed and crushed me to his chest. The fabric of his shirt instantly soaked up the hot tears streaming down my face. “I think we should get out of here—before people start asking questions.”

  “Okay,” I spoke into his shirt before he finally released his grip.

  I wiped my hand against my jeans, leaving an ominous handprint staining the leg, and let Noah lead me toward the clearing. Before we broke through, he shifted our path, making sure we traveled the length of it, keeping to the trees and making it around without anyone knowing we were sneaking off. I peeked through the trees to try and see if I could make out Timmy’s face amongst the last of the partygoers, but it was hard to tell.

  We finally made it to the parking lot, and I looked behind me as Noah fished his keys from his pocket. My skin prickled with a warning, sensing someone’s eyes on me. I turned, faintly catching the outline of a person hiding in the shadows of the forest. I shuffled forward, trying to get a better look at their face, when the creak of the door opening brought me back.

  “Did you see that?” I asked Noah, who peered in the direction I was just looking.

  “See what?” he asked. I turned back, but whoever had been there vanished. “We should get going.”

  “O-okay.” I shuddered, still feeling those eyes glued to me. “Let’s go.”

  Noah helped me up into the truck, shutting the door behind me. I turned the heater on full blast and rubbed at my arms to create the heat I so desperately tried to restore inside my body. No matter how much I shivered, the cold had already penetrated my bones, and somehow I knew the warmth I was searching for was never coming back.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I had been sitting for a while, drumming my fingers against a coffee cup that had long grown cold and flat. I pinched the book’s creme paper that no longer had my interest and flipped it over, exposing a new page I had no intention of reading, considering I was clueless about what the last page said. This vicious cycle of studying made me wonder if college was for me.

  I sighed and sat back, looking around me. The library was empty except for the librarian who stood at the front desk with her reading lamp on, looking up from her book to the clock, surly counting down the seconds until she could kick us out and lock the doors. I pushed back into my chair, the front legs rising slightly beneath me, and scratched at a tender spot behind my ear. The skin was raw to the touch, but it hurt more to leave it alone than irritate it further.

  I gave it a few more moments before the vexation was no longer bearable and had me up on my feet to find out where they had gone. The recessed lighting in the ceiling guided me down an aisle of bookshelves. I listened for any conversation, but the steady click of the clock on the wall was the only thing ringing in my ears. I took a few more steps, unintentionally lining each foot with the white light painting circles on the ground before I heard it.

  The soft giggles that snuck from a little corner in the very back of the room sent my nerves into my throat. I took another step forward, placing my weight carefully to stay hidden, not understanding why I felt the need for stealth in the first place. I put my palm flat against the light oak of the end-cap shelf and leaned forward, panning for the spot the sounds emanated from. The corner was dimly lit, but the two figures melted together in a lover’s embrace would have been recognizable to me in the dead of night.

  Noah had a long, lazy arm draped around Adira’s slender shoulders. Her hands were pressed firmly against his chest, moving slowly, feeling every ripple of his muscled pecs under the black shirt he wore. Noah’s free hand trailed the length of her body, resting at her hip and pulling her in close until I couldn’t tell where his body stopped and hers began.

  A smile pulled at her plump lips as Noah kissed a trail to them, locking his own in tight. A strangled sound forced its way up from my lungs. I stumbled forward, my heart twisting in my chest and knocking me into the shelf. A single book tumbled from its spot and landed on the floor with a solid thud. The impact echoed off the walls. They sighed in unison before grudgingly pulling apart ever so slightly. They each turned so I could see their swollen lips in full view, neither of them looking particularly worried over my staring.

  “H-how could you?” I choked up, the tears falling in warm streams down my face.

  Neither one provided more than matching sinister smiles, happy they’d finally been caught. Glad they’d finally killed me.

  Wake up!

  Firm fingers pressed into my skin, roughly trying to shake me from the gras
p of the hell behind my eyes. The nightmare’s claws were still embedded in my brain, not willing to let me go yet. A broken cry echoed in my ears, entangling with a disorienting ringing as if my brain didn’t want to let the outside world in.

  Please let me go.

  “Willow.” Noah’s pleading voice cut through the black haze. “Wake up!”

  My eyelids sprang open, my enlarged pupils not dilating fast enough to stop the burn of the light. Noah’s face swam into focus as I bolted upright in the bed, almost colliding with him. His laundered sheets were wrapped around my legs, imprisoning their movement. The shirt I had stolen from his dresser drawer clung to my body as sweat dripped consistently from the now saturated fabric.

  I tried to move my arms to push the wet strings of hair from my vision, but they were locked in place. Noah had a firm grasp around my wrists like I had been swinging them wildly, and he wasn’t sure if when he let go, I would go back to an attack. I tried to slow my breathing as I took in my surroundings, recognizing the room, Noah’s bed, and the fact that I was not in the library.

  “Shhhhh.” Noah loosened his grip. “It’s okay. It was just a dream.” He moved to wipe what I assumed were tears from under my eyes, only hesitating for a moment when I unintentionally flinched.

  I reached a newly freed hand up to rest it upon Noah’s cheek. It trembled against his skin as I felt him, making sure he was real. An angry red blotch was illuminated by the light. My eyes widened as guilt pulled me back into the darkness I’d just escaped from. Noah softened his eyes and turned slightly, but it was too late. I knew that mark was from me, from my fist. The same clenched fingers that sat heavily at my side, that had held a rock and almost killed someone, but it wasn’t the idle hand that was growing into a monster. It was me.

  As if Noah could see what I was thinking, he tugged me into his chest, resting my ear against his steady heartbeat. Nothing could stop the tears from spilling like a dam had broken in my soul. Just a week ago, everything seemed normal. Now, not even the blood rushing through my veins seemed like my own. I was spiraling out of control, and even the outstretched hand of the ones who loved me wasn’t enough to stop my free fall.

 

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