Caught in Us

by Layla Hagen

  I draw a deep breath, raising my eyes ever so slightly. I pull at the bracelet on my wrist harder, wincing when the silver cuts into my skin.

  "You’re doing great. Go on," he beckons.

  Encouraged by his words, I start speaking again, making frequent eye contact. I expect him to start smirking at some point, or laugh at my ideas, but he doesn't. My stomach loosens, as do the muscles in my limbs. I’m smiling by the time I finish.

  "Now, that wasn't so bad." Damon grins.

  "It was much better than usual. But it's just you and me here. As soon as there are more people, my tongue will turn to stone, and I’ll get all sweaty."

  "So pretend it's just you and me."

  "It's not that easy."

  "You're right." He sinks further down the couch, his grin growing even wider. “We have to make you think you’re alone with me.”

  "How do we do that?"

  "I know! Give me your panties."

  I do a double-take, heat creeping up my face. "No, I won't."

  "I can be persuasive."

  "I'm not walking like that in front of the class."

  Damon strides to me with such determination, I'm convinced he'll strip me naked. But when he reaches me, he merely pushes a strand of my hair behind my ear.

  "Okay, but you'll wear the red scarf I gave you. And get that bracelet off; you'll cut yourself."

  "That's a fair deal," I murmur, watching him remove the bracelet.

  "You have a way with words."

  "Yeah, written words. Speaking them is the tricky part. Thanks for doing this. I needed it. You can read my mind."

  He traces a circle on my wrist with his finger, making my heart swoop. He looks intently at my hand, his brow furrowed as if he's trying to figure out what to say next. "I can't. But just like you can feel when I need a swim to cool off...I can tell what you need, Dani." My insides turn to jelly. "Right now, you need more confidence." He's right, of course. I mean, I know my strengths, but sometimes I do feel like I’m my worst enemy when it comes to championing myself.

  "You are a smart, beautiful woman," he says.

  "I'm not a woman yet." Swallowing hard, I fidget with my hands. Damon's eye glint and the intensity of his stare spears me, fire traveling through my veins.

  "I'll enjoy making you one. And you’ll like it so much, you'll become addicted to it."

  ***

  To my intense surprise, the Rhetoric & Public Speaking class on Thursday goes well. When my turn comes, I rearrange the red scarf around my neck, and then find Damon's face in the crowd and focus on him. Then, slowly, I start looking at other people, too, and I still don't panic. Since it's the last class, everyone skids out after it's over. Damon and I stay behind, desperate for a few moments alone.

  "What would you say if I asked you on our second date?" Damon asks.

  "Mmmm...Where, on the school roof? Or the cafeteria? With Paul chaperoning us?"

  "How about outside school premises?" His eyes glint mischievously.

  "Hell, yes. You want to escape?"

  He nods proudly. "I've set everything up, just needed your permission."

  "To what?"

  "Kidnap you," he answers. Adrenaline wiggles its way into my body. I'm afraid this will mean trouble for both of us, but I need to be alone with him so much it actually hurts. "There are things I can't wait to do to you, and there better be no one around when I do."

  The promise in his voice is exactly what I need. I nod.

  "Here is what we'll do." He tells me his escape plan in less than two minutes. I ponder over it quickly, but it seems pretty bulletproof. The aftermath will be a disastrous fight with my parents, but right now, I don't care.

  I leave first. Paul waits for me in front of the classroom. He throws me a few miserable looks as we walk in silence. I shrug sympathetically, guilt whipping at me for what I'm about to do. I've always liked Paul.

  "Let's walk by my locker; there's something I want to take from it." I don't need anything, but it's the only way to pass by the bathroom I need. When we’re in front of the ladies room, I say, "I need to go inside. Be right back."

  Paul nods, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other. Once I'm in the bathroom, I break into a run toward the window. It's the only bathroom with a window large enough to climb through. Unfortunately, it's as far away from the parking lot as it gets, and time is of the essence. With my bag on my back, clutching my light jacket tightly in my hand, I climb through the window then jump down. I lose my balance and fall on all fours. Bolting upright, I hurtle across the school grounds, my heart leaping in my throat. I keep looking back, though there's no way Paul's following me. Still, if he realizes what I'm up to, he has time to stop me. The muscles in my legs pulse from the effort as I force myself to go faster. When I take the last corner, my heart falls back in its rightful place. Damon awaits me on his bike. My breath whooshes out when I reach him. He puts a helmet on my head, and then helps me into his protective jacket. I throw one jittery leg over the bike, mounting it.

  "Go, go, go," I urge, and as the bike starts roaring, I cling to him for dear life. From the corner of my eyes, I see Paul arriving in the parking lot, panting and red-faced. His body goes rigid when he sees me. Though I know he can't see my lips, I mouth an apology.

  We speed past the school gates and then onto the street. I pinch my eyes shut, the wind tugging at every inch of my body. I feel the hammering of Damon’s heart beneath my fingers. This is the most reckless moment in my life, but I feel safe with him. It dawns on me that I haven't asked him where we're going. I only know we're on the highway when the bike lays on speed. I cling to Damon for a long time. When we slow down, my eyes flutter open. I recognize the surroundings. We're not far away from my home, and we're heading downtown.

  "Where are we going?" My voice comes out muffled, and the wind covers it. When the bike comes to a halt and Damon descends, I'm baffled. I take in the sight of the familiar restaurant. The first thing I do after jumping down is switch off my phone. Damon does the same. I know we'll face hell after our little adventure comes to an end, but I intend to ignore that fact for as long as possible.

  "Why are we here?"

  "The best steak on the coast," Damon replies with a grin.

  "I know the restaurant, but what are we doing here?"

  "I thought you'd like it. You tagged yourself and James here a few times. I saw it on Facebook."

  "You stalked me on Facebook?"

  "Hey, I was looking at your profile to see if you qualify as girlfriend material. That's totally legit."

  "It sure is. Damon...Just because I come here with James doesn't mean we have to go here."

  This restaurant is very expensive, and I bet Damon won't let me pay. As if reading my mind, he says, "Don't worry; I've got it covered."

  "Take me somewhere you want to go."

  "We'd have to travel a long way to do that. All my favorite hangout places are miles away."

  "Well then, let's do something else." I notice the giant billboard poster on the other side of the street and an idea strikes. "Let's go see a movie."

  "Okay."

  "That was easy."

  "Look at your smile." He traces the contour of my lips. I hadn't even realized I was grinning. "Nothing makes you happier than a movie, huh? Is there a cinema nearby?"

  "Yes. I know where it is. Let's go. We can walk; it's close."

  ***

  This is one of my favorite cinemas. It's an ancient mansion, so it has an old-school feel to it, despite being modern inside. It's pricy because it's in a snobbish area. Since it's three o'clock in the afternoon, it's empty. Damon and I get tickets, popcorn, and soda then hurry in the viewing room. To my disappointment, we aren't alone. There is another couple in front of us, and on the last row, there is a group of five. We take our seats just in time for the movie to begin.

  For the first time ever, I’m not paying attention to the screen; I'm too preoccupied with him. I try to be subtle, glancing at him out
of the corner of my eye, taking an eyeful only when I grab some popcorn from the bucket. I strategically placed it between us. I'm firmly convinced I'm doing a fantastic job until Damon whispers, "Stop looking at me and watch the movie."

  I make myself small, wishing the seat could swallow me whole. The corner of his lip tugs up as he takes my hand, turning it, so my forearm faces up. Looking intently at the screen, he runs his fingers over my exposed forearm, up and down—slowly, gently, his skin barely feathering mine. It sets every inch of me on fire, the sensation of white-hot shivers overtaking my entire body, even though he's only touching my forearm.

  "Do you like this?" Damon whispers in my ear. The blow of hot air against my ear pulls a moan from deep inside me. Damon exhales sharply, his hand traveling up to my chin, turning my head until our lips touch. An explosion of sensations overcomes me when he slips his tongue into my mouth, his hand gripping my hair tightly. The ministrations on my mouth spur desire inside me. I’m breathless when he unhitches his lips.

  "Dani, stop." He pushes me away a few inches. The air between us is so charged it practically sizzles.

  "I want more," I beg. He obliges and my toes curl when he kisses me again, briefly this time.

  "Don't tempt me. I am so close to taking you somewhere else to ravage you. I'd kiss every inch of your body and make love to you until you're delirious underneath me." Fire stokes me at his words. It feels intimate and intense; I'm afraid I might combust. My pulse spikes to an impossible rate, the heated void in my lower body climbing to a consuming high. "But we're not alone. When we are, my beautiful Dani, I will rock your world until you scream my name."

  Chapter Eighteen: Damon

  The foyer of the cinema is milling with people after the movie. "Where did all these people come from?"

  "There's a private school nearby," Dani answers. "Their classes probably just ended." We walk through the crowd holding hands, and I tease her for not paying attention to the movie.

  "Like you paid a lot of attention," she counters.

  I freeze in my steps, my jaw hardening. Dani follows my gaze and then gasps. Gabe is at the entrance of the cinema, propped against a wall, inspecting the crowd.

  "What is he doing here?" she asks.

  "I don't know. He doesn't live anywhere nearby." Gabe's not the type to go watch movies on his own. He shows no interest in the posters or the various small screens running trailers. He's here for something else. I zero in on the way he looks at people as if trying to weigh them, to decide...what? There's something off about him. His eyes glaze in a funny way, and...

  "Hey, does Gabe do drugs?" Dani asks.

  "Crap." I pull her closer to me. "Yeah. He sells them, too. Mostly weed. Do you think he's come here to look for customers?"

  "That's exactly what I think. Rich suburb, rich kids. That's not gonna happen."

  "Dani." My warning tone stops her in her tracks. "Don't get involved in this."

  In that precise moment, Gabe notices us and comes our way immediately.

  "Well, well, well," he grunts out.

  "What do you want, Gabe?" I bark, attracting several ugly glances from those around us.

  "Play nice, Damon. This is no way to treat a friend."

  "You're not my friend. Outside the ring, I don't give a damn about you."

  A vein pulses in Gabe's temple. "Then get the fuck out of here."

  "Why, so you can sell your crap to kids?" Dani's voice is a whisper, but several more people turn toward us. Behind Gabe, the guy selling popcorn and drinks jerks upright, staring at Gabe. Damn it, I don't want her to get on Gabe's bad side. That's a sure-fire way to get hurt.

  "Your girl here hasn't learned not to mess in other's people affairs. That's just too bad, isn't it?"

  I step in front of her, shielding her with my body. "If you have a problem, we'll deal with it in the ring. You can schedule a fight any time."

  "My problem is with both of you. Why bother with the ring? This is much more fun. Your girl will see you taking the beating of your life, and you will learn that when you come to a new place, you show respect."

  "Fuck off, Gabe. I’ll see you in the ring when you aren't high."

  Gabe doesn't back off. He just shakes his head, grinning.

  "Boys," the popcorn guy exclaims, "whatever brawl you have, take it out of here."

  "I don't think we will," Gabe says. The guy's eyebrows furrow, eyeing the phone in front of him nervously. He must have called the police already.

  "Dani, go home," I tell her.

  "What are you doing?" She steps between me and Gabe, crossing her arms over her chest.

  "Listen to me, Dani. It won't go down well. This idiot is high. Go home. I'll call you once I'm out of here."

  "I'm not going anywhere," she says.

  I want to argue some more, but never get the chance because Gabe pushes her out of the way with a shove. I reach out, but miss her by a fraction of an inch. She stumbles back, right into a group. One of the guys catches her.

  What happens next goes on so fast, no one has time to stop us. Gabe and I start fighting.

  "Someone break them apart, please!" Dani screams. No one does. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see her get out her smartphone and press it to her ear. There are some big guys in the crowd, and I'm sure they could efficiently break up a high school brawl, but Gabe and I are pros. This is worse than in the ring. We hit with the same ferocity and determination, only this time the determination is a dangerous thing. In the ring, it's about winning, but now it's about hurting him so he can't hurt her. The crowd has formed a large circle around us. I don't know for how long Gabe and I throw punches at each other. Then a guy gets between us, forcing us apart and receiving a punch in the jaw from Gabe. When I see Dani run to the guy, I realize it must be her brother James.

  The police arrive a few minutes later, taking both Gabe and me into custody.

  "Check his pockets," I say, spitting blood, and I know it's game over for Gabe. He knows it, too, by the look of hatred in his eyes.

  The police interrogation lasts for hours. As soon as I spill the beans on Gabe having drugs on him, all Hell breaks loose. He starts talking about the fights, and then the police question us about everything. In the midst of it all, Dani's brother whisks her away, and I’m grateful for it. I don’t want her to witness this. She deserves someone who doesn't put her through crap like this. At nine o'clock, I'm dismissed. George is called to take me to his house and the police take Gabe with them.

  We stop at a gas station, but George doesn't fill up his car’s tank with gas. He goes inside the shop, returning with a pack of ice. He hands it to me, and I give him a silent nod of thank you, and then put it on my split lip. My eye hurts like a motherfucker, so I bet it'll be black tomorrow.

  When we arrive at home, I intend to disappear to my room as fast as possible, wondering if it's too late to call Dani, but George stops me.

  "Damon, wait. We need to talk."

  I lean back against the door of my room, staring at him. This better not be some father-son bonding bullshit from his part. All right, it was decent of him to show up so quickly when the police called him, and to buy me the ice pack, but I'm in no mood for a sermon. He's been backing off for the few past weeks, stopped pestering me to stay away from Dani, so I suppose he's accepting it.

  "You've crossed the line," he says.

  "I'm not in the mood for this."

  "Neither am I. It's late, and I'm tired. I'll make it short. It's obvious I'm not good at this father thing."

  "Obviously."

  "That's why I'm sending you to boarding school."

  "What?" His words hit me like a ton of bricks.

  "Isn't that what you wanted? To get away from here?"

  I unhitch myself from the door, suddenly alert. "Not at a fucking boarding school. Maybe I don't want to leave anymore."

  "Because of Dani."

  "That's none of your business."

  "It is. I have no control over you. You've done
nothing but get into trouble and hurt yourself since you came here."

  "She's been helping me," I say, more to myself than to him.

  "And this is how you pay her back, by getting her into trouble, as well? You will hurt that girl. You’re starting at the new school on Monday."

  "But it's Thursday. How did you arrange my transfer so quickly?" I ask. He avoids looking at me. I narrow my eyes, forcing myself to take deep breaths and keep my fists behind my back, so I don't punch him. "You've been planning this for some time, haven't you?"

  "Yes, a few weeks now. The principal of the new school is a friend of Dani's father. He sped up the process."

  "I bet he has," I say through gritted teeth.

  "You'll do nothing but hurt that girl, and you know it." The sad thing is, I do know it, but I won't admit it to him, not in a million years.

  "The school is in Canada."

  "Fuck you, George."

  "You will show me respect, damn you. And you will call me Father."

  "As you wish. Fuck you, Father."

  "I bought you a plane ticket for Sunday. Don't bother going to school tomorrow. I explained to them today that you'll no longer attend there when they called to tell me you and Dani ran off.”

  "You can't do this."

  "I’m your father. I can do this, and I will."

  "How about your promise to Mom?"

  "I promised your mother I will take care of you. I'm obviously not good at it, so I'll hand you over to people who can."

  "You’re washing your hands of me. Don't kid yourself that you're doing the right thing."

  And here I was, thinking the lack of conflict in the past weeks meant he was warming up to me. Instead, he was just plotting to send me away.

  "Damon." He drops his voice to a calmer note, but it annoys me more. "I’ll still pay for your school and whatever else you need. If you decide to go to college afterward, you'll have my full support."

  "That's supposed to make me feel better?"

  "It won't now, I'm sure, but it will later. Start packing."

  Chapter Nineteen: Dani