It felt like someone was sitting on my chest, and I couldn’t breathe.
“Yeah, yeah, she is,” Wyatt said.
I turned and looked at him as he looked down at me and smiled. He had no idea who this was. Then, I looked past Wyatt and saw Jenny standing there. She was pissed.
“I have to go.” I pushed my way past Charlie and ran to my car. I jumped in, started it, and drove off.
By the time I got to my house, I could hardly breathe. My phone started going off like crazy.
Facebook.
I opened it up, and the moment I saw the picture, I felt my whole world stop.
“Oh. My. God. No…”
CHAPTER SIX
Wyatt
Fuck! Just when I got her to talk to me, she freaked again. I watched as she ran to her car and jumped in.
I looked back at the guy who was staring at her as she drove away. He turned and looked past me as he smiled and winked at someone. I turned and saw Jenny standing on the steps. Oh great, just what I needed.
“Take it from me, dude. She’s a good fuck.” The guy threw his head back and laughed.
Wait. What the hell?
“What did you just say?” I took a step closer to him.
Just then, I felt someone touch my arm. I turned to see Jenny standing there. She started to pull me away from the guy.
“Wyatt, let’s go for a ride. I could really use something to eat and drink. Please?”
I looked at her and then back at the guy. “What do you mean, she’s a good fuck? Who?”
He smiled a cocky-ass smile at me.
Holy shit. This is Charlie.
“Sky. She’s probably the best lay I’ve ever had.” He looked at Jenny and winked. “No offense, Jen. You were good, too, babe.”
“Shut the hell up, Charlie. You’re such an asshole.”
My head was spinning. What in the hell is happening? I felt my hands balling up into fists. I was going to kill this motherfucker. I took a step toward him, only to have Mitch step in between us. He put his hand on my chest and looked at me.
“He’s not worth it, Wyatt. Let’s just go find Sky. I’m worried about her.”
I stopped in my tracks. “She went to the dentist… didn’t she?”
Mitch shook his head. “No. She got another note. She took off.”
“What do you mean, another note?”
Mitch turned and glared at Jenny. “Let’s just go. I’ll tell you when we get to the truck.”
Jenny tried to get me to stay, but I told her I needed to find Skylar. I could tell she was pissed, but I didn’t really care. I couldn’t really even stand to be near Jenny. I felt like all she ever did was try to trap me into situations.
After Mitch had told me all about the notes, the threats, and everything else that Skylar had been dealing with, he told me their parents had no clue as to what was going on. My heart was breaking for Skylar. Knowing that she was going through all of this alone gutted me.
“That fucker needs to be put in his place, Mitch. When he told me she was a good fuck, I wanted to kill him.”
Mitch glanced at me and smiled. “Now you know why my brother wanted to kill him. Charlie was supposed to be his best friend, and he raped our sister. Every day of my life, I fight the urge to kill him.”
We drove around for over an hour, looking for Skylar. I looked out the window, wondering where in the hell she would have gone. “Mitch, where do you think she is?”
“I have no clue, Wyatt. She could be anywhere.”
I closed my eyes and whispered, “Angel, where are you?”
Then, it hit me. “Fuck! The lake. Mitch, she’s at the lake.”
“The lake?”
Mitch turned his truck around, and we headed out toward Lake Marble Falls. I was willing his truck to drive faster. I needed to get to her and get to her fast. Then, Mitch got a text message. He pulled out his phone and handed it to me.
“Dude, see if that’s Sky.”
I opened it up and almost threw up. “Motherfucker. Pull over, Mitch. Pull over now!”
Mitch pulled over, and I threw his phone on the seat before I jumped out of the truck and started to throw up.
The next thing I knew, I heard Mitch cursing like a sailor. Then, I heard him on the phone.
“Dad, they posted a picture of Skylar on Facebook. No, Dad. It’s Skylar… naked, and it looks like someone is… someone is…” Then, Mitch started crying.
My heart was breaking for Skylar, Mitch, and their parents.
“Why, Dad? Why would anyone post that picture? I don’t know where she is, Dad. Wyatt thought she might be out at the lake.”
I listened to Mitch talk to his father for a few minutes longer. I waited for him to finish before I started to walk back to his truck.
I noticed another truck driving by with music blaring. When I looked at the driver, I saw it was Charlie. Where in the hell is he going?
Skylar. He must know where she is.
I jumped back into Mitch’s truck and yelled for him to get in and drive. He just looked at me.
“Um, Dad… listen, I have to go. I’ll call ya right back. Dad, I know! We’ll find her, but I’ve got to go right now!” He hung up. “What in the hell, Wyatt?”
“Mitch, just drive. Charlie just drove by. I think he knows where Skylar is.”
Mitch threw the truck into drive. “He’s not supposed to be anywhere near her. She has a restraining order out against him.”
“Then, punch it, dude.”
Mitch drove so fast that my knuckles where white from holding on, and I swore he said every cuss word known to man and some I’d never heard before.
I told him about the area where Sky and I had first met at the lake. When he pulled in, we both saw Skylar’s car… and Charlie’s truck.
“Fuck!” Mitch and I said at the same time.
I jumped out of the truck before Mitch even came to a stop. I ran toward Skylar’s car.
Mitch ran up behind me. “Where is she?” He looked all around.
I took out my phone and called her, but it went right to voice mail. Then, I heard her.
Mitch must have heard her, too, because he took off running before I even had a chance to move.
I grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. “Wait! I have an idea.”
Mitch looked at me like I was crazy. “What? Are you kidding me? My sister is alone with the fucker who raped her!”
“Just trust me, will you? When we get there, turn the video from your cell phone on, and keep it facing Charlie.”
Mitch looked at me confused.
I started to walk toward Sky’s voice. She sounded like she was shouting. If that fucker hurts her at all, I swear I’ll kill him.
As we came around a tree, I saw Skylar first. Her hands were balled up in fists, and she was shouting at Charlie. I saw Mitch out of the corner of my eye, and he looked ready to attack and kill Charlie.
“Why? Why would you post that photo, Charlie? What reason do you have for posting it? I’m fucking passed out in the picture!”
“Sky, I didn’t post it! I think Jenny saw it on my phone one night after we fucked, and she sent it to herself. Do you really think I want that picture out there? It only proves…”
They were both so busy shouting that neither one of them noticed us walking up.
“Proves what, Charlie? That you drugged me and had sex with me?”
Charlie ran his hands through his hair and let out a sigh. “Skylar, I didn’t mean to ever hurt you. I’ve just always wanted you so badly, and I knew you’d never give me the time of day, and—”
“So, you drugged me? You were my brother’s best friend for fuck’s sake! He trusted you. I trusted you! I thought you were my friend, Charlie. You ruined my life!” Skylar screamed, causing all of us to jump.
“Skylar, you don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to tell everyone the truth, but my father wouldn’t let me. He just kept saying I was going to be taking over the family busin
ess and that you probably wanted it anyway. I… I didn’t know what to say or what to do.”
I walked closer as I saw Skylar starting to cry harder. She just kept repeating how her life was ruined.
“Why don’t you be a man and tell everyone the truth, asshole? Now, with this picture out, it’s just going to get worse for Skylar, and you know it,” I said as I walked toward her.
When she looked up at me, I noticed as she caught her breath. For one brief moment, she had life in her eyes. She seemed relieved to see me. I wanted nothing more than for her to run into my arms. I wanted to protect her, to take her away from all of this. I wanted to love her.
I do love her.
“Skylar,” I barely whispered. The next thing I knew, she was jumping into my arms. My heart slammed into my chest, and I held on to her as tightly as I could. “I promise you, everything’s going to be okay. I promise, angel… I promise.”
She was sobbing as she tried to talk. “It… it won’t, Wyatt. Everyone has seen that picture. Everyone!”
I looked at Charlie, who was now leaning against a tree with his head in his hands.
What the hell? Is he crying? Motherfucker. I’d really like to beat the hell out of him.
“You know what you need to do. You need to tell the truth, Charlie. You owe it to her.”
He slowly looked up at me and shook his head. “I’ll go to jail. My dad will disown me. I’ll lose everything.”
Suddenly, Mitch had Charlie pinned up against a tree. “You motherfucker! You ruined my sister’s life. Do you think we give a shit about your life? You’re going to tell everyone the truth.”
Charlie pushed Mitch off of him. “Or what, Mitch? What are you going to do?”
Mitch smiled as he held up his phone. “I don’t have to do anything. I already sent Michelle the video of you saying you date raped my sister, and you were too much of a coward to tell the truth.”
Skylar pulled away from me and spun around.
“What?” Skylar and Charlie said at the same time.
Mitch turned and smiled at Sky. “Thanks to Wyatt for coming up with the idea for me to turn on my cell video camera… I got everything on video. Everyone is going to know the truth, baby girl. Everyone is going to know what a lying sack of shit this asshole is.”
Charlie’s face turned white as a ghost. “No. My father is going to murder me. Why, Mitch?”
Mitch shook his head. “I don’t think you want me answering that. I suggest you leave now before I beat your ass into the ground. Go enjoy your freedom before your ass gets thrown in jail.”
Charlie started to walk up to Skylar. She moved back and leaned her body into mine. When I wrapped my arms around her, I felt her shaking. Leaning down, I whispered in her ear, “He’ll never hurt you again, angel. No one will ever hurt you again.”
“Sky… I’m… I’m so sorry. I know you don’t believe me, but… I really am sorry.”
“Get out of my face. I never want to see or talk to you again. Ever!”
He looked at me before turning and walking away. I felt Skylar’s legs giving out as she started to slip down. I grabbed her tighter and turned her toward me.
When her eyes met mine, my heart filled with so much love for this girl that I thought it was going to burst.
She barely smiled. “My hero.”
“Sky…”
She shook her head and closed her eyes. “Please, Wyatt. Please kiss me again. Make me forget everything like you did earlier.”
My heart started pounding as I cupped her face with my hands. I leaned down and brushed my lips against hers as she let out a whimper. I gently kissed her, and before I knew it, the kiss turned from gentle to passionate. She reached up and grabbed my hair with her hands as she let out a soft moan that traveled through my body like a bolt of lightning.
I love this girl.
“Um, really… I don’t want to see this, y’all. I really don’t want to see this,” Mitch said as he walked by.
I slowly pulled away from her as she let out a small laugh. Her eyes were looking deep into my soul, burning her love into me forever. I’d do anything for her.
“Skylar, I… I—”
She put her finger up to my mouth and smiled. “I know. I feel it, too. Will you do me a favor?”
“Yes! Of course. Anything.”
“Will you drive me home, so I can tell my parents what’s been going on? Will you stay with me while I do that? I don’t think I can do it alone.”
My hands started sweating, and my legs felt like they were about to give out on me. Holy hell. What is happening to me? “I’d follow you anywhere, angel.”
She smiled as she reached down and took my hands. Both of our cell phones started ringing.
Sky pulled her phone out and frowned. “Mom? I’m on my way home with Wyatt and Mitch. Can I talk to you when I get there? Yes, I’m fine. I promise, Mom, I’ll tell you everything when I get home. I love you, too.”
She hung up and slipped her phone in her back pocket. She reached up and gently kissed me on the lips. Pulling away, she said, “I always wondered what it was like.”
I looked at her, confused. “What, what’s like?”
“To be kissed and feel such… love. To feel how much you can be loved and adored with just a single kiss.”
My heart started beating faster. I wanted to be with her and more than just physically. I wanted to show her every single day how much I loved and adored her. I wanted to grab her and pull her body up against mine to show her how much I wanted her, but I didn’t want to scare her.
I smiled as I put my hand behind her neck and drew her in for another kiss. I pulled back and barely took my lips off hers. “It’s a good thing you’re with the person who happens to be head over heels in love with you.”
She leaned her forehead against mine and smiled. “I love you, too, Wyatt.”
I grabbed her hand and pulled her close to me as we walked back down to her car. Mitch was standing against his truck with a stupid-ass grin on his face.
“You hurt her… I’ll fucking kill you,” he said to me as I held her door open while she got into her car.
Skylar let out a giggle as I looked over at Mitch.
“Good to know, dude. Good to know.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Skylar
It had been a few months since Michelle had posted the video of Charlie talking about drugging and taking advantage of me. Things were slowly getting back to normal.
I looked across the school parking lot and saw Jenny laughing. When she looked at me, her smile faded, and she quickly glanced away. I never could get her to confess to setting up the fake Facebook account and posting the picture of me passed out. I’d decided not to pursue it.
My parents had been furious with me for lying to them all those months about the bullying. My father was ready to rip heads apart. All I wanted to do was get through the next few weeks of school and get the hell out of Marble Falls for the summer before heading to the University of Texas with Wyatt and Mitch.
Wyatt had made arrangements to take me to Italy for a month. We were set to leave the day after graduation, much to my parents’ disapproval, but somehow, he’d sweet-talked them into it. It helped that Wyatt’s dad worked for the FBI, and his dad had promised my parents that he’d use all resources available to keep an eye on both of us.
Wyatt and I still hadn’t made love. I wanted him more than I could stand, but I could tell something was holding him back. He kept saying he wanted it to be special for me. A part of me was afraid he didn’t want me because of what had happened to me, but Michelle had told me I was crazy and that any fool could tell with just one look that Wyatt was smitten with me.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
I smiled as I felt his hot breath against my neck. Shit, I want him so much. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to wait much longer before I begged him. I closed my eyes and smiled. “Italy.”
He let out a laugh as he came to face me. “I w
as thinking about it earlier also. Have you picked up your prom dress yet?” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down as he gave me a wicked grin that caused the need between my legs to grow ten times stronger.
“Yes, I did. Michelle approves of the easy access to putting it on… and taking it off,” I said with a wink.
I knew he had made arrangements for a cottage on Lake Marble Falls. We had said we’d go to a party that Jon Fallon was throwing, but we were only planning to stay for a few minutes before heading off to the cottage.
My heart was pounding so loud in my chest that I was sure he could hear it.
“Nervous?”
I smiled as I tilted my head. “Nervous about what?”
He smiled and winked. “Dancing with me.”
“Terrified. Beyond terrified but excited.”
His smile slowly faded. “Sky…”
“Don’t, Wyatt. I want this so much. Please.”
He leaned down and gently kissed me on the lips. “Your brother has threatened me at least ten times this week.”
I laughed as I looked over his shoulder at Mitch talking to Michelle. “You know, he and Michelle aren’t even showing up at the party, so he’s one to talk.”
Wyatt looked at me, and the love in his eyes caused my heart to drop as the butterflies took off in my stomach.
“I promise to make it special for you, angel.”
Oh. My. God. He was beyond perfect. I was just waiting for the floor to fall out from underneath me.
“Just being with you, Wyatt, is what’s going to make it so special.”
He sighed and stood back up. “So, what time should I pick you up tomorrow?”
“Probably around five, so our parents can take pictures.” I rolled my eyes. I didn’t even want to go to the prom, but Wyatt had insisted. People still looked at me funny as they whispered behind my back. I just wanted to forget all about the last few years.
“I promise, angel, you’re going to have a wonderful time.”
“Yeah… we’ll see.”
I pushed him, and he lost his balance. He grabbed a hold of me and brought me down with him.
Yep… as long as Wyatt is with me… there isn’t anything I couldn’t do.
Stories for Amanda Page 11