Country Nights

by Winter Renshaw

  “Fine.” His lips flatten. “But if you ever decide you don’t want to stay with him anymore, my door’s open.”

  “Thank you.” I slide into the passenger seat of his fancy little sports car and fasten my seatbelt. This thing is tiny and not very comfortable, but I’d be lying if I didn’t think the purr of the engine sounded sexy the second he starts it up. The seats vibrate as he revs the engine, and I feel its power from my fingers to my toes.

  Pulling out of the garage, he turns down his shady, tree-lined street before taking us toward the highway.

  Shifting, he drives faster, then faster still. The wind whips my hair, and I try and crouch behind the tiny pane of windshield in front of us. Seth tunes the radio to some oldies station, then reaches across the car to give my hand a squeeze.

  “Having fun yet?” he yells over the rumble of the highway as we come over the first hill.

  “Yes,” I yell back, turning to flash him a reassuring grin. There is something freeing about cruising down an open road, wind at our sails and music from a bygone era sweeping us to somewhere else completely.

  He takes us over hilltops, through valleys, and down and around winding roads I never knew existed in this part of the state. After a while, the sun begins to set, and I check the time.

  We’ve been driving for over an hour now, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons blasting and zero conversation, and judging by the proud beam covering Seth’s face, I don’t think he has any intentions of stopping soon.

  He speeds over the hills, taking tight corners a little too fast for my taste and sending my stomach into random free-falls as he looks my way for approval. At one point, he reaches for my hand, pulling it to his mouth and kissing the top.

  Everything’s moving too fast … this drive … this man.

  My legs ache and stiffen. I want out. This overwhelming sense to be done with this never ending car ride comes over me for reasons I can’t explain, and I find myself wanting to be back home, at River’s.

  “Hey, do you mind if we head back soon?” I ask when he slows to a stop at an intersection in some little town I’ve never heard of.

  He guides his attention toward me, huffing. “Why? Is my brother expecting you to be home by a certain time?”

  I’m not sure what kind of bad blood lies between these two, but I refuse to be placed in the middle of it. River’s done nothing but open his door to me and shower me with his own version of kindness these last several days. I refuse to believe he’s some kind of sordid monster in disguise.

  I frown. “Your brother has nothing to do with this. It’s just getting late, and I have to get up early tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m just messing with you.” Seth offers an easy, gentle smile as he pulls into an empty parking lot across the street. A second later, he turns around, pointing the car back to where we came, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

  An hour later, we’re back in his garage, and he’s placing a canvas cover over his pride and joy.

  “So, what’d you think?” he asks. “Is she amazing or what?”

  “She’s amazing. But how do you know it’s a she?”

  His hand drags along his smirking mouth. “Careful, Leighton. You make fun of my baby, I might have to punish that smart mouth.”

  The flirting was fun at first, the attention new and exciting, but now I’m over it. And I just want to go home. I don’t feel the way I felt with him the first time. The magic and newness has worn off, the butterflies have long since fluttered away, an uncomfortable heaviness in their place.

  I unzip my bag, fishing for my keys.

  “You in a hurry?” he asks.

  “Just tired. I should get going.”

  “Do you have time for a drink?” he asks.

  “I better not.”

  “What’s with the cold shoulder all of a sudden?” Seth’s face is all white teeth and dimples, but his eyes are something else entirely. He steps closer, his fingertips tracing my skin and leaving a path of goose flesh. “C’mon, baby. A few days ago you were all about this.”

  “All about what?”

  “Me.” His head cocks and he pulls his shoulders back. “What, now I’m not good enough? Now you want my fucking loser brother?”

  “He’s not a loser. And who says that about their own brother?” My nose wrinkles. “Who are you, Seth? I thought you were nice.”

  “Woman, I am nice,” he says. “I’m the nicest motherfucker in this pathetic excuse for a town.”

  “I don’t like this.” I point, my finger drawing the length of him. “I don’t like whatever it is you’re doing right now. You’re not the same guy I met last week.”

  “Shit.” Seth groans. “Leighton, I’m sorry. It’s just … you’re a nice girl. And I really like you. And I don’t want you to get mixed up with River, that’s all. Forgive me for being protective of you.”

  I want to believe he’s being sincere. I want to believe this isn’t all a ruse or attempt to get me to eventually sleep with him.

  But I can’t.

  My stomach twists. I have to get out of here.

  “I’m going,” I turn to leave, but he hooks my arm and pulls me back.

  “Don’t go. I’m sorry. Let me make it up to you.” His hands hook my hips, anchoring me in place. “I’m a good man, I swear. I just let myself get worked up over some shit that happened in the past that has nothing to do with you. I let it get the best of me, and I shouldn’t have. Please, let me prove I’m not that guy.”

  I take him in, eyes scanning his for an ounce of something genuine, but I find nothing to quell the uneasiness residing in my core.

  “Leighton, you have no idea what you do to me,” he says, pulling me in. His words are breathless whispers tinged in desperation. “It’s like you came into my life out of nowhere and completely changed what I thought I wanted for myself.”

  I toss my head back, laughing at the insanity coming from his mouth right now. When I glance back at him, all I see are red flags.

  Something’s not right. Something feels … off.

  “We’ve hung out, what, three times? I mean, I was having fun with this, too, but I think things are moving way too fast now.”

  He shakes his head. “I’m not saying I’m in love with you or anything crazy. I’m saying that until this last week, I thought I’d be happy living this perpetual bachelor kind of life, running my bar and coming home to an empty bed every night … but being around you made me realize how lonely I was. It made me realize I might like to have someone around, someone to be with and take care of.”

  “All because we hung out a few times?”

  “God damn it.” His head tilts back. “I know I sound crazy right now, but forgive me because I’m speaking from my heart, and my heart’s beating about ninety miles an hour right now.”

  “Seth.”

  “Leighton, please. Hear me out,” he says. “If you’re going to be around this summer, I’d really love to spend more time with you. I want to get to know you. I want you to get to know me.”

  “I’m very flattered, but—”

  “Just give me a chance,” he cuts me off, one hand reaching to cup my face. “I don’t want you to be the one that got away.”

  “I’m sorry, I’m just not inter—”

  Seth ignores my rebuttal, slamming his mouth onto mine and forcing his tongue inside. My palms splay against his chest, and I push with all my might, but he’s stronger than me, and no amount of force places an inch of space between us.

  With my back against the entry door to the house, he keeps one hand steady on the side of my neck as his lips move from mine and travel down to my collarbone. I’m gasping for air, unable to breathe.

  I’m pinned beneath his strength, and despite the fact that his garage door is wide open, there isn’t a single neighbor in sight to witness my struggle.

  “I can make you feel so good, Leighton,” he whispers, his breath hot on my flesh as his hand slides down my side, moving lower and lower st
ill.

  My eyes squeeze when I remember I’m wearing a skirt today. Pressing my knees together as tight as I can, it’s no use. His fingers travel between my trembling thighs until they reach my lace panties, jerking them down.

  “Seth, don’t do this,” I plead. “You don’t want to do this.”

  “Baby, I’ve wanted to do this since the second I laid eyes on you.” His voice is raspy and low, his tongue dragging between my cleavage as his finger slips between my folds. “You shouldn’t have made me wait so long … it’s not good to make me wait, Leighton. I’m not used to having to work so fucking hard for a piece of ass.”

  “I was never going to sleep with you.” My body is on fire, every nerve ending he touches on over drive. I feel it all, and I feel it all too much. With sweating palms and a ragged breath, I try to push him away again.

  The sharp sting of his teeth tearing at the flesh of my left breast sends a zing of pain that radiates through my body. I struggle against him once more, my body writhing and pushing and squeezing, trying to close up as if that might make him less likely to take what he wants.

  His fingers press deeper inside me, harder and faster. The hot tears that blind me fall away, streaking down my cheeks and leaving an itchy trail in their place. The scent of gasoline and motor oil mixes with Seth’s overpowering cologne. I’m going to be sick.

  “Seth, stop,” I beg once more, feeling the rise of bile in my throat. “Don’t do this.”

  “Shut that pretty fucking mouth of yours,” he growls into my ear, pulling his fingers from me and pressing the outline of his rock-hard cock against me. Every part of me recoils. “We’re only getting started. Going to be a long night if you keep this up.”

  “You’re not going to get away with this,” I scream as his hand snakes beneath my top.

  “Sweetheart, there’s not a single person in this town who’d believe a word of this.” Peeling the lace cup of my bra from my hot skin, he takes a nipple in his mouth before dragging his teeth over the tender skin.

  A merciless bite makes everything fade to black for a brief moment, forcing me to lose my breath, and his fingers are still inside me, prodding faster and harder.

  This isn’t about Seth wanting me. This is about Seth having control. This is about Seth avenging my rejection.

  This man is an egomaniacal monster, relentless and determined to punish me.

  My face is turned to the side so I don’t have to look into that maniacal gaze of his when my left hand brushes against the cool metal of the door knob.

  Seth’s body is still pressed against mine, pinning me close, but if this door is unlocked and opens to the inside, he’ll lose his balance. We’ll both fall, but at least I’ll have a chance to get out of here.

  His fingers work the button of my denim skirt, and he gives it a tug. “I want to see all of you, baby. Show me that hot little ass of yours. Tell me, have you ever been fucked in the ass or am I going to be doing the honors tonight?”

  Turning toward him, I spit in his face, but it hardly fazes him. He simply leers at me before gripping my face so tight in his hands it feels as though my jaw is going to snap.

  “Don’t give me a reason to hog tie you.” His eyes are menacing, their crystalline color turning stormy. “You’re too pretty to be hog tied, princess. And I want to look into those gorgeous eyes of yours as I fuck that tight little pussy.”

  Glancing up at me with an intimidating smirk, he tugs my skirt again, only this time, I give the door knob a twist and brace myself when we both fall backwards.

  The wind is knocked from my lungs upon impact, but I’ve never felt more energized. Adrenaline courses through my body, and I’m ready to make my move.

  Seth lands on top of me, his elbow lodging beneath my ribcage and his face flat on the tile floor, but he’s caught off guard, and I manage to scramble out from beneath him.

  “You fucking cunt!” Seth pulls himself to a standing position, dragging his wrist beneath his nose to catch the blood that’s beginning to drip.

  Grabbing my bag off the garage floor, I sprint to my car, nothing but the sound of my heartbeat whooshing in my ear and Seth’s boots hitting the pavement behind me.

  I manage to lock the doors before he gets to me, but it doesn’t stop him from pulling on the handle so hard I think it’s going to break. When he realizes he can’t get in, he pounds on the driver’s side window, yelling for me to roll it down.

  Starting my car, I back out of his driveway, but he chases me, beating harder and harder on the glass with a clenched fist.

  “You tell anyone about this,” he yells, a crazy look in his cold gaze, “and River’s going to be the one to suffer.”

  I don’t know what he means, and I don’t stay around long enough to find out.

  The drive home has been completely erased from my memory. One minute I was peeling out of Seth’s driveway and the next minute I’m careening into River’s.

  My hands shake as I shift into park and remove the keys. Flipping down the visor, I inspect my décolletage, running my fingers around the red teeth marks and broken skin. When I muscle the courage to meet my own reflection in the mirror, I realize I’ve cried all my makeup off.

  I don’t even remember crying.

  Black mascara streaks spill down my face, dried and itchy, and my lips are red and puffy from his harsh kisses.

  Reaching for the steering wheel, I tighten my grip, not wanting to get out quite yet.

  I feel safe in here with the door locked, surrounded by steel and glass and protected from the outside world.

  The twilight sky is painted in the most beautiful shades of ambers and pinks and blues, and the big white farmhouse is lit from within … the most serene thing I’ve ever seen.

  I’ll feel safer if I go in, I think.

  Into that old house.

  With River.

  Because he’s not dangerous … he’s the only thing I’ve got.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  River

  The front door opens and closes with a low creak, and the soft padding of Leighton’s footsteps creak across the entry. She left for town hours ago, saying she was meeting a friend, but I thought she’d be home before dark.

  Her dinner plate got cold, so I wrapped it up and placed it in the oven, thinking she’d be home any minute. But that was hours ago.

  “Leighton?” I rise from my recliner, making my way to the middle of the house.

  She stands at the bottom of the stairs, one hand on the banister and her back toward me. “Yeah?”

  Her voice is shaky, and she won’t meet my gaze. Her hair is messy and her skirt crooked, and upon closer inspection, I notice the strap of her tank top is broken and falling down one shoulder.

  “Everything all right?” I go to her, placing my arm on hers and turning her to face me. “Jesus Christ.”

  Her eyes brim with tears and her face winces. She still can’t bring herself to look at me.

  “You’re shaking.” I run my hands down her cold, bare arms before leaving to grab a blanket from a hall closet. Returning, I wrap her up, but I don’t hold her close. She doesn’t look like she’s in a mood to be touched right now. “What the hell happened to you?”

  Her swollen lips part, and she’s about to say something, but she stops. Her breath trembles in her chest, uneven and barely there.

  “Whoever did this to you,” I say, shoulders heaving, “I’m going to kill him. I’m going to fucking kill him.”

  Her body trembles.

  “Who was it, Leighton?” I ask.

  Dragging the back of her hand across her damp cheek, she finally looks me in the eye. Taking a deep breath, she wipes away another tear before saying, “Your brother.”

  “Seth?” I take a step back. “Seth did this to you?!”

  She nods, biting her quivering bottom lip.

  “Why were you with Seth?” I ask.

  She doesn’t answer.

  “I’m sorry. That’s irrelevant at this point.�
�� I exhale. I know she’d been to The Oasis a couple of times. I should’ve known my brother would latch onto something as shiny and pretty and new as Leighton Hart. It’s my fault for not warning her. Everything’s always my fucking fault. Brushing her hair from her face, I make a promise. “I’m going to hurt him for doing this to you, I swear to God.”

  “No.” She shakes her head. “It’s not worth it.”

  “He had no right.” I pace the entryway, seeing red one minute and black the next. “He can’t touch you like that. He’s got to pay. It’s time he pays.”

  “He said if I told anyone, you’d be the one to suffer,” she says, voice cracked. “River, what did he mean by that?”

  I stop, hands on my hips and eyes on the floor. I know exactly what he means, and I’m getting to the point where I’m starting to no longer give a fuck.

  He’s held this over my head for years.

  And there’s only one way to bring an end to it. There’s only one way to strip him of the power he’s wielded over me far too fucking long.

  “Seth likes to make threats,” I say. “Who the fuck knows what he meant.”

  “No,” she says. “The look in his eyes, River. You should’ve seen it.”

  “He was just trying to scare you.” I head to the mudroom, pulling on a pair of utility boots and grabbing my truck keys off the hook.

  “Where are you going?” Leighton stands in the doorway, the blanket tight around her shoulders and a wild look in her eyes.

  “Going to right some wrongs,” I say. “I’ll be back.”

  Hopefully.

  “Please don’t go.” Her request is a desperate whisper, and our eyes lock. “I don’t want to be alone right now.”

  Fuck.

  Taking a seat on a wooden bench, I kick my shoes away and rest my elbows on my knees. I can’t leave her, not like this.

  Not when she needs me.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Leighton

  I stay in the bath until the last of the scalding hot water swirls the drain and my damp body shivers in a blanket of icy, air-conditioned air. Peeling myself out of the claw foot tub, I wrap myself in a pale blue bath sheet and confront my reflection in the mirror.