“Let’s grab a seat,” she said, grinning. “Come on.”
Sasha grabbed my hand and pulled me into the room, where we took a seat near the back. Wes sauntered in a second before the bell rang and winked at me as he crossed the floor and took the seat just across the row from me.
I stared obstinately toward the front of the room, even as I felt Wes’s eyes burning holes into my cheeks. To distract myself, I thought about what Sasha had said.
The good girl act is fraying at the corners.
It wasn’t an act, of course, but she was still onto something. The part of me that was good, the part that wouldn’t make it an hour at Wes’s party, was eroding faster than I ever expected. The only problem was I didn’t know what lay underneath. What if there wasn’t anything there at all? What if I cracked and broke open, only to find myself a hollow shell? Wes’s party wouldn’t be the end of it. I already knew that. I had no idea what he had in store for me afterward, but I knew I could count on it being a severe test of my will and strength. As I was now, I wouldn’t make it. The only question was whether I had something inside of me that would persevere or if I was just going to crumple into the broken little girl he undoubtedly hoped I would. That was the only way Wes would have me, and he knew that. He reveled in the knowledge that breaking me would mean my submission. Why else would he make me go to this fucked up party?
It was a power play, designed to show me who was boss. Rather than getting to go to prom with the boy I liked, I’d be chained to Wes’s side at a nightmare of a party.
I did my best not to think about my uneasy fate all through class, but it was easier said than done with Wes’s eyes burning holes in the side of my head. When class was over, I practically vaulted from my seat in an attempt to get away before he could talk to me.
No dice. Sasha’s hand latched onto my arm and prevented my escape.
“Where are you going in a hurry?” she asked. “Let’s walk to lunch with Wes.”
Sasha knew that Wes wanted me more than he wanted her, and she was willing to use me as a pawn to get close to him. If it weren’t for the fact that he’d chase after me, she probably wouldn’t give a rat’s ass whether I left without her or not.
Wes appeared at my side, standing too close for comfort. He reeked of cologne. It was probably something expensive, but to me, it smelled no better than the crappy body sprays that all the boys doused themselves in.
“Yeah, let’s walk to lunch together,” he said. “Unless you’ve got somewhere better to be.”
I thought about all the places I would rather be than lunch with Wes and Sasha. A graveyard. The bottom of a well. A deserted island with only a fish hook and a shell bra.
“I’m all yours,” I said, hoping he picked up on the edge of disgust to my tone.
Wes chuckled and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. The smell intensified.
“Damn right you are,” he said. To his credit, he noticed how put out Sasha looked and pulled her under his other arm. “You both are.”
She preened on that the whole way to the cafeteria. I held my books to my chest and tried not to think about anything at all. The emptier I could keep my head, the better.
Wes found us a vacant table in the middle of the room. By that, I mean he told a bunch of freshmen to vacate it. We sat down on either side of him and soon his friends joined us, trickling in from their last classes.
Everyone began chatting together, exchanging stories of pranks and gossip in animated voices. Wes turned his body to me and smiled.
“I’m excited about the party,” he said.
I nodded with a tight smile. “Me too.”
He knew I wasn’t.
“Are you going to wear something pretty for me?”
My chest tightened, and I fought back tears. I pictured another bit of my “good girl” exterior flaking away.
“I always wear something pretty,” I replied, trying to sound harder than I felt.
Wes smirked. “I like it when you talk back.”
“Good. Get used to it.”
He laughed uproariously at this until everyone at the table turned to see what we were talking about. Sasha’s eyes glinted with malice. It wasn’t fair that she hated me for reasons beyond my control.
“Dallas is getting sassy with me, guys.” Wes circled my shoulder with his arm and pulled me in close. He tightened it around my neck. “Isn’t she cute when she gets sassy?”
The other guys all chimed in their assent. I didn’t fight against Wes’s hold, even though I wanted to, because I recognized it for what it was. He thought I was cute when I talked back, but at the end of the day he was still the boss. I wondered if his dad had taught him intimidation tactics or if it was naturally inherited.
I was quiet the rest of the lunch hour. Hell, I was quiet the rest of the day. I got home after school to an empty house, and when I called Dad around five to ask if he was going to be home for dinner, he told me he wasn’t going to eat. I made some food for him and brought it down to the shop, though I was quiet then too. I didn’t have anything to say to him, and he was too wrapped up in his work to talk to me. I wasn’t sure whether he was staying at the shop extra late because he was ashamed and couldn’t face me or if he was just throwing himself into his work in an attempt to pay off his debt a little sooner. Maybe it was a bit of both. Either way, he still wasn’t home by the time I went to bed. The house was quiet. I was quiet. My life, for the moment, was quiet, but I knew it soon wouldn’t be. Whatever Wes and his father had in store for my father and me was going to change my life forever. This party was only the beginning, but what a vile beginning it was going to be.
The first sob was so loud, so violent, that it surprised me. I turned my face to the pillow, needing to stifle the sound even if there was nobody around to hear it. I couldn’t stand the echo of my wails as I came apart at the seams.
I cried for my dad, for the broken man he’d become and everything he’d lost. I cried because I missed my mom and because if she were still alive, everything would be okay. I cried because of the terrifying unknown that lay in front of me, and because there was nothing I could do about it.
I didn’t just cry, though. I wished too. I wished for someone to save me because I couldn’t save myself. The first person who flashed through my mind was Shane, with his piercing green eyes and the conviction that rested in them. The thought of him and his comforting embrace was what finally lulled me to sleep.
Chapter 13
Dallas
Dad turned off his bike, staring over at the flashing lights coming from inside Preston Gromley’s sizable mansion. One of the front windows was busted, and from inside came pulsing bass beats that rattled through my bones. I got off the bike and handed him my helmet. There was no point in lingering.
“Wait,” Dad said, pulling off his helmet.
His eyes were red. I wished he’d kept it on.
“Dad...”
I didn’t know what else there was to say. I was already trying my best not to blame him for this, not to hate him for what I was about to endure. The uncertainty was the worst part of it all. Any number of horrors could await me through that front door. The people milling around out front didn’t look like they came here to play pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey or musical chairs. The women were all dressed in skimpy skirts and dresses, and the men wore giant gold chains and low rise jeans. I just wanted to go home.
“Dallas, I need you to promise me something,” he said.
“What is it?”
“No matter what happens—“ His voice cracked, and he looked down to avoid me seeing the tears collecting in his eyes.
My heart broke, and I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Everything’s going to be okay, Dad. The party’s a little rough around the edges, but I’m sure it’s going to be just fine once I get inside. I’ll find Sasha, and we’ll stick together all night.”
He sniffed and nodded, finally bringing his head back up to look at me. I’d never seen him look so old, s
o beaten. This was the man who used to be my hero, who used to bandage me up when I hurt myself on the playground, and who promised me he would always protect me. I guess neither of us ever thought there would come a time when he’d have to break that promise.
“Whatever happens, pumpkin, please fight,” he said. “Gromley said you have to attend the party, but he didn’t say...anything else.”
I understood his meaning and tried on a reassuring smile. “I’ll fight,” I said. “I’m going to be fine. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Okay.” He pulled me into a tight hug. If he didn’t need to, he wouldn’t have let me go. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Dad.”
With one last look at me, he put his helmet back on and roared off into the night.
I took a deep breath and hoped to God I wouldn’t have to look too hard to find Sasha. I hadn’t expected so many people, and I was feeling a lot less confident than I made out to my dad.
My heels clicked across the pavement, earning the attention of some of the people outside as I approached the front door.
“Who’s this fine young thing?” one guy asked in a deep baritone that made my skin crawl.
“She looks a little young for you, Frank,” said another.
I ignored the fact that they were talking about me like I was a piece of meat. If any of them tried to touch me, there would be hell to pay.
They made a couple of lewd comments as I passed by, but luckily that was where it ended. My relief was short-lived, however, as I entered the house and some stranger immediately slapped my ass. I turned and glared at the man, who couldn’t have been a day younger than forty.
“Don’t touch me,” I spat.
“Kitty cat has claws,” he slurred. “Meow.”
“Ew, you old pervert,” said Sasha, coming up beside me. I’d never been happier to see her in my life. “As if.”
She grabbed my arm and pulled me away with her, chattering the whole while. “This party is the tits. I haven’t seen Preston yet, but I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. Do I look okay?”
We stopped in the kitchen, where she grabbed a cup off the kitchen island and handed it to me. I did a once-over of her outfit, a skin-tight red mini dress that looked like she’d painted it on. It barely covered her ass, and her cleavage was pumped up to her chin.
“You look hot,” I told her, barely suppressing the urge to say she looked like she fitted in. She would have found that offensive, but only because her principal goal in life was to stand out, not because the party was a cesspool of sin.
“Good.” She smiled approvingly and grabbed a cup for herself. “What the hell are you wearing? You can’t even see that you have boobs.”
You could see that I had boobs, my cleavage just wasn’t visible. I’d opted for a navy fitted dress that came to mid-thigh but was high in the neck. It was classy and fit me like a dream.
“You know I’m a little bit more—“
“Boring?”
I frowned. “I was going to say modest.”
Sasha laughed. “Whatever, Sister Dallas. Drink up.”
She tilted her cup back and drank. I sniffed mine first, not that I’d be able to tell if it was drugged. Sasha finished her drink and glared at me.
“What? You’re too good for beer? Should I find you a wine cooler or something?” she said snidely.
“No, I’m just not sure if I want to drink tonight. This party is intense.”
Sasha rolled her eyes. “You’re such a boring virgin. I should have guessed you’d go all Sandra Dee on me.” Her eyes scanned above my head, and she waved.
A guy appeared at my side. He was tall with a shaved head, tattoos snaking out from either arm of his t-shirt and up his neck.
“You look like the kind of guy who knows how to have a good time,” Sasha said, fluttering her lashes.
“You’re damn right I am. What can I do for you, gorgeous?”
“This is a great party and all,” she said, “but so far I haven’t been able to find any party favors. Do you know where I could get some?”
He grinned licentiously and grabbed her hand. “You’re a naughty girl. Why don’t you come with me and we can see about getting you some pixie dust. Does your friend wanna join?”
Sasha laughed. “She’s a total prude. You don’t want her anyway.”
Sasha and her new friend flounced off, leaving me in the kitchen with a bunch of strangers who showed a new interest in me now that I was alone. I walked over to the floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the backyard. There was an enormous pool, part of it practically lapping up against the side of the window. It was lit up in a cold shade of blue, and around it, people danced and drank while tiki torches flickered and spat sparks into the sky.
Someone moved behind me, and I refocused my gaze on the reflection in the window. It was Wes.
“What are you doing here all alone?” he asked, sliding an arm around my waist.
I tried to pull away but he held me tight, mouth pressed against the back of my head. “You’re much too innocent to be by yourself. One of these guys is going to eat you up.” He made a biting motion in my hair and caught eyes with me in the window.
“You’ll protect me?”
I think he was too drunk to catch the sarcasm in my tone. The stale smell of beer and cigarettes wafted to my nose, as well as something sickly sweet in his breath. If it was between Wes and one of the strange, scary looking guys I’d seen around, would he really be the lesser of two evils?
“Of course I’ll protect you,” he said, his hand inching up from my stomach toward my breasts. “You’re mine.”
I anxiously pulled on his hand, and he stopped, laughing.
“Oh, sweet darling Dallas. You’re going to have to forfeit your innocence eventually. Why not start now? I’d make it real good for you.”
I glared at him. “I’m not yours, and I don’t have to forfeit anything.”
“We’ll see about that.”
He spun me and pressed my back against the window, peering down at me with drink-addled eyes.
“The only reason you want me so bad is because I’m innocent,” I told him. “You wouldn’t give a rat’s ass about me otherwise.”
“I admit that I enjoy this game of hard-to-get you’re playing, but you shouldn’t sell yourself so short, baby girl.” He brushed a strand of hair from my face, lips curved into a vicious sneer. “You’re pretty, gorgeous really. Much prettier than Sasha and she knows it. She would rip your face off if given a chance, but you know that, don’t you? That’s what I like about you, Dallas. You’re smart. You bend where you need to bend to keep standing. That’s why I know you’re going to bend for me.” He leaned in until the sour smell of his breath made me dizzy. “You would never go for me if you had the choice, but you don’t. And I’ll make you want me. It might take some time, but we’ve got all the time in the world, baby girl.”
“Stop calling me that,” I snarled through gritted teeth.
My heart was racing, and I could barely feel my hands and feet. Panic threatened to overwhelm me, but I knew I had to be strong, had to push through the fear if I wanted to survive this night.
Wes merely grinned. “Let’s go to my room.”
He grabbed my wrist and started to drag me away from the window. I dug my heels in and resisted. I wasn’t going anywhere alone with him. He would have to haul me up there kicking and screaming.
Wes looked back at me and rolled his eyes. “Don’t be like that. We both know you’re going to enjoy it in the end.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Wes tugged on my wrist again. “Yes, you are. Come on.”
I tugged back, and when he wouldn’t let go, I let my weight drop. Wes staggered forward, releasing my wrist, and I jumped to my feet. He was heading toward the window, legs too weighed down by booze to stop his momentum. I got behind him and threw myself against him with all of my weight.
Wes smashed throug
h the window, sending shards of glass cascading down like raindrops. I only barely managed to stop myself from falling through with him, and I watched in a mixture of horror and delight as the pool swallowed him up. The chatter around the pool halted as the curious onlookers waited to see what was going to happen next. I waited too, wondering if I should jump in to see if he was okay.
Wes’s head and shoulders shot up out of the water. He flung his sopping wet hair back from his face and ran a hand over his eyes. Then, throwing his fists in the air, he let out a booming laugh.
Everyone around the pool began to cheer, and some of them started jumping into the pool as well. Nobody seemed to notice or care that there was broken glass all in and around the pool. Nobody even paid any attention to the shell-shocked girl standing in the frame of the broken window, clutching her hand to her mouth.
I was in way over my head. These people, this place, were too much for me. But, since I could never let any of them see me cry, I did the next best thing. I grabbed a beer off the table and chugged.
Chapter 14
Shane
I killed the engine in the empty parking lot, setting my helmet on the handlebars and waving at the dark storefront. I couldn’t see him, but Jake would be watching out for me.
Sure enough, the storefront lit up and a second later my best friend walked up to the door and unlocked it to let me in.
“Did you bring the goods?” he asked in a conspiratorial whisper, even though we were the only ones in the store.
“I brought them,” I replied. “Have you called for pizza yet?”
He laughed. “Have I ever. I’ve ordered enough to feed the whole football team.”
I cocked a brow at him as we headed toward the stairs up to the office. “Why? Expecting company?”
“Nope. You only get to skip prom once though so I figured we should go big.”
“Nerd.”
Jake looked back at me as he began to mount the stairs. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
The TV and GameCube were set up in one corner of the office. I tossed my bag onto the couch directly opposite, and not even a second later Jake was rummaging through it.
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