Everywhen: (Savage Princess book 1)

by liberty freer

  “Hayley, wait,” Trent calls before I can make it into the dining area. “When it slows, let’s get cut first so we can hit up Danny’s party.”

  “Definitely,” I say because I’m going to need all the mind-altering substances to put this day behind me. “His parties go late, even if we get off on time, we can still go.”

  “Rush coming in, Hayley,” Lisa says, sounding aggravated.

  “Yep, on it.” I brush past her and move to the front of the restaurant where Lilly, the other hostess, is impatiently waiting for me so she can go smoke. I escort four separate families to tables and then move to the register to cash people out. The claw machine takes a little girl’s money, and she cries so hard that she pukes all over the floor. I clean that up, seat a dozen more families, and then get a couple of to-go orders ready.

  When it finally starts to settle down, I lean against the counter and watch the waitresses in the dining area for a bit before doing something I’m not supposed to—play with my phone.

  “Miss Westling.”

  I’m scrolling through social media when the deep voice makes me pause. I don’t want to look up, but I do. Mr. Beefy is at the other side of the counter with his arms crossed over his broad chest.

  “One?” I ask, grabbing a menu from the top of the stack and hoping he doesn’t see the way my hand shakes. I glance to my left, hoping nobody I work with has noticed him. He shouldn’t have brought this drama to my job.

  He lifts a brow. “I think we both know I’m not here to eat.”

  I set the menu down. “Guess you’re in the wrong place. This is a diner. Have a nice day.” I move my focus back to my phone only to have Mr. Beefy snatch it from my hand.

  “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I need to swab the inside of your cheek. You ran off before I could.”

  I’m fighting myself not to lunge for my property in his hand. “You said you don’t DNA test the interviewers.”

  He pockets my phone. “I said we don’t test them all. We test the ones who we think are Anna. We’ve only ever tested one.”

  “What makes you think I’m her?” I ask casually like I don’t care, but I fucking do. I need to know why he thinks it, so I can convince him otherwise.

  “Your past.” His gaze darts to the right and then moves back to me. He lowers his voice, and says, “And what I saw on your neck.” He crosses his arms. “Are you going to cooperate or not?”

  “Maybe. Give me my phone.” I hold out my hand. “And there’s nothing on my neck. My sister checked.”

  “Test and then your phone.”

  I glance to the left again. Angie’s helping a table but her gaze cuts to me. The table across from her is eyeing Mr. Beefy. “Not in here,” I say. “Let me grab someone to cover the front. We’ll do this outside. And no need to come back and tell me the results. I know they’ll be negative.” I smile sweetly like the waitresses do around the annoying customers. “Wait for me out front. You’re already drawing attention.”

  He laughs and shakes his head but heads for the front door, and I hurry to the back. No way in hell am I letting him take my DNA. I thought about submitting my DNA when everyone was doing it to trace their lineage, but after researching the risks, I decided not to. There is all kinds of crazy shit people can do with it.

  I wave Trent over from where he’s flipping patties. “It’s slowing down, wanna head to the party?”

  “Yeah, cool. Let me ask Lisa if she needs anything before I cut out.”

  “I already asked her,” I lie. “She’s good.” I nod to the backdoor hoping Lilly doesn’t come out of the break room to see me dipping out. “Let’s go out this way. There’s a bitchy girl I went to school with up front. I don’t feel like dealing with her shit.”

  He laughs as he hangs up his apron next to all the others. “Okay, babe.”

  My heart pounds against my chest as I push open the back door. My gaze darts around the parking lot, and I breathe a sigh of relief that it’s empty. I speed walk to Trent’s car, not relaxing until he’s unlocked the doors and we’re both inside. Giving up my phone is a small price to pay for a quick escape.

  Chapter 5

  I pull my work shirt off, leaving me in a small gray tank. Trent sets the air conditioner to full blast as he pulls out onto the main road, and I direct the vents on my side to blow on my face. I’m ready for fall. The summer heat has been too much.

  Trent puts his phone to his ear, talking to someone about meeting us at the party. Probably one of his loser friends. He likes to have them around all the time even though they all hit on me. They’ve even straight-up asked me to sleep with them. When I showed Trent the texts, he laughed it off saying it was a joke.

  “Get in the back, Scott’s getting in.”

  I hadn’t noticed we stopped or that we were parked in front of Scott’s dad’s apartment. I climb between the front seats and drop into the back. Scott gets in and he and Trent begin talking about some new rap song I’ve never heard of. I’m not a big music person but when I do listen, I prefer metal.

  We drive around the block to another one of Trent’s friend’s houses. Jacob climbs into the back with me, sitting in the middle so he can lean between the front seats and talk with Scott and Trent. Jacob fills most of the back with his tall and athletic frame. The air conditioner has his greasy hair flying around his face and the smell of body odor wafting toward me. I squash myself against the side of the car, trying to get away from the stench.

  I’m ignored and forgotten for a few minutes before Jacob’s hand lands on my thigh. His fingers inch higher before I swat his hand away and jab him in the ribs. Apparently, I didn’t jab him hard enough because he chuckles low. Jacob is such an ass. He has a girlfriend that he cheats on constantly. A few months ago, I told her I walked in on Jacob with another girl. She didn’t believe me and accused me of trying to break them up.

  Trent parks, taking his time to get out of the car because he’s busy talking to his damn friends. Scott’s out and moves his seat forward so Jacob can scoot out. Only then does Trent finally realize he should do the same for me.

  I take a deep breath, relishing in the crisp fresh air. It’s peaceful here. If I ever buy a house, I’d want a place like this. Mine and Nana’s houses are in busy subdivisions with constant noise.

  All that can be heard here is the soft sound of music coming from the bottom of the hill where a medium-sized bonfire crackles. Danny lives with his parents in a small log cabin. The home is brushed up against the trees that surround the open property.

  The fire lights the way as we head toward Danny’s party shed where several people have gathered to play beer pong. Danny began construction on his shed a couple of years ago but never finished. Only one wall has drywall with a few blacklight posters tacked to it. The rest of the walls are bare wood that have been lazily painted dark blue. A worn gray couch sits against the back wall and a fridge is next to it. The ping pong table everyone is surrounding sits at the center of the room and is currently being used for beer pong.

  I pull a beer from the fridge while Trent and Jacob talk with a group of people they know. My fingers keep going to the back of my neck thinking maybe I’ll feel the thing Mr. Beefy claims is there.

  I crack open the can and chug it. A few people cheer me on and that gets Trent’s attention. He likes to be in the spotlight. He wraps his arms around my shoulders, pressing his chest against my back.

  “Wanna play beer pong?” he whispers against my neck.

  I shrug him off, moving to the fridge to grab another beer. “I think I saw Grace by the fire. I’ll catch up with you later.” Trent looks aggravated but his friends are calling him to start a new game, and his friends always come first. I crack open the second can and drain half of it before I make it to the fire.

  When I picture a girl named Grace, I think of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, church girl. My Grace is the opposite of that. Her hips are swaying to Marilyn Manson’s “The Dope Show.” I know his music gets a ba
d rap but it’s the best to dance to. I like a beat that calls to me. This is one of my favorite songs to move to.

  “You’re here,” Grace says, moving toward a red cooler next to a row of plastic chairs. She pulls out a beer, pops the top, and holds it out to me. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

  I down the can in my hand, toss it into the fire, and then take the bottle she offers. “Had nothing else to do.”

  “I’m glad you came. I was bored as shit.” She rolls her dark brown eyes. “Georgia’s passed out inside. She lost at beer pong four times.” She begins to sway to the music, moving closer to the fire. “I need a new dance partner.”

  I drain my beer and toss the empty bottle into the woods, disappointed when I don’t hear it smash against a tree. I lift my arms into the air and close my eyes as I begin to move. I love to dance like this, slow and free.

  After a few songs, Grace and I drop down to the plastic chairs and each grab a beer from her personal cooler. She always comes prepared.

  She pushes shoulder-length black hair from her face. “You’ve been distant.”

  “I’ve been busy.” I take a swig of beer and avert my eyes, hoping she isn’t going to try and have a “heart to heart.” Grace is my only real friend and our friendship works because she isn’t like other girls. Grace has a few friends we both hang out with, but I never hang out with them unless she’s around.

  “How’s Tilly? You and her moved in with your grandmother, right?”

  I take a sip of my beer, feeling a slight buzz from the other ones before this. “We moved in last week. Tilly’s good. She has her days but for the most part she’s good.” I take another drink. “How’s college? You still crushing on your Bio teacher?” I grin.

  “Yep, I’m in love.” She winks and lights a cigarette. “Were you able to enroll for fall classes?”

  “No. Maybe next year.” I shouldn’t have brought up college. I down my beer and reach toward her cooler. “Mind?”

  She waves me off. “Have at it. I have more in the car. Stole a few cases from my brother’s girlfriend.”

  I grab a beer, quickly downing half of it. I want the alcohol to take me away, help me forget about this shit day. “Your brother still with that prissy bitch?”

  She rolls her eyes and blows out a stream of smoke. “Yep. They moved in together.”

  “Hello, ladies.” Jacob drops down next to Grace, and a few others come up behind him, taking seats on the empty chairs around us.

  Not wanting to be social, I move to get up, but the fat blunt Jacob pulls from behind his ear stops me. Trent comes into view and asks the person on my left to move down so he can sit next to me. I wish he’d go away. Alcohol makes me like him even less than I already do. God, I’m a bitch. I can’t keep doing this to him or myself.

  I take the blunt Grace hands me, hitting it a couple times and then passing it to Trent. He ignores the puff puff pass unspoken rule, taking a few extra hits, and then passes it down the line. A couple of chairs down, I recognize a guy and girl I went to school with. I can’t remember their names, but the girl takes a hit and coughs her lungs out.

  I wait for the weed to get to me one more time before telling Trent I’ll be back, and then I get up and make my way toward the lake at the edge of the property. It’s peaceful out here with the crickets chirping and the sky full of stars above me. I drop down to the grass. The alcohol and weed have me feeling pretty good but what happened today won’t seem to slip from my mind.

  My fingers find my neck again. The skin there is silky smooth. I move my fingers into my hairline, not feeling anything there either. I down my beer, telling myself I’ll deal with everything tomorrow. Tonight is my escape.

  Ready to dance some more, I head back to the party. Grace, Danny, Jacob, and Trent are the only ones left at the fire. A small group of people lingers outside the shed. Some of the cars that were parked at the top of the hill are gone, so I’m guessing most people dipped out after the blunt.

  “Where’d you go?” Trent asks, moving from the chair next to Jacob to meet me at Grace’s cooler.

  I grab a beer and pop the top. “For a walk.”

  He glances toward the direction I came from and shakes his head. “What’s up with you lately?”

  I want to smack him. He should know. My dad checked into rehab after turning to pain medication and alcohol to ease his suffering that was caused by my mom’s death. I’ll be twenty in a few months, and I have nothing to show for it. I have a shit job, no car, and I’m basically a mother to my fifteen-year-old sister. My life is fucking stressful right now.

  I only got with Trent out of convenience. It isn’t right to use someone like that. I don’t really feel guilty about it, but at least I know it’s wrong.

  “Come here. Talk to me a minute.” I lead Trent a few yards away from the fire, closer to Danny’s house. “Okay, I think we both know this isn’t working. You should move on.” There, Mom would be proud of me for letting him down nicely. I don’t know how I’ll get to work but fuck it.

  Trent jerks back like I slapped him. “Are you fucking serious?”

  “Yeah, I am.” I can’t hold back my smile. Being with him felt like a ten-pound weight pressing against my chest. There’s still weight there from other things, but I can breathe so much better now.

  He spits to the side. “Fuck you, Hayley.”

  “Come on, Trent. I was a shit girlfriend. You’re better off.”

  “Where the fuck is this coming from? Why are you being a bitch?”

  I turn away, determined to be the bigger person, and because I don’t feel like arguing with him, but he stops me by grabbing my arm and yanking me back a step. I glare at him and his hand falls away.

  He flicks his head. “You’re drunk. You need to sleep this shit off, and we’ll talk in the morning.”

  I shake my head. “There’s nothing to talk about. I might be drunk, but I’ve been thinking about this for a while.”

  “Whatever, bitch. You never put out anyway. Find your own ride home.” He shoulder checks me causing some of my beer to spill down my arm.

  I fight with myself not to throw the glass bottle at the back of his head for ramming his shoulder into mine so hard. I didn’t think he’d be mad. He rarely acknowledges me anyway. When he’s with his friends, it’s all about them, and they are around ninety percent of the time.

  Seeing an opportunity, Jacob slithers up to me, snaking his arm around my shoulders. This persistent motherfucker is getting on my nerves. A couple of years ago, I’d have kicked him in the balls and broken his nose the first time he touched me, but I’m trying to be better. My mom said violence isn’t the answer, even though I think it is sometimes. Like now.

  “Get off.” I shove him away but only hard enough that he moves a step back.

  “You and Trent finally over?” Jacob laughs. “You inflated his ego. Nobody understands why you got with him.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You’re fine as fuck, and he’s not.” He points toward the shed with his chin. “Look at him trying to spit game to Kelsey. She’s fine as hell. He never would have done that before you.” He laughs. “Have you seen any of his ex-girlfriends? They are all ugly as fuck.”

  I don’t look because I don’t care. “Whatever. Trent can have whoever he wants.”

  “What about me? Can I have whoever I want, ´cause I’ve been wanting you.” He reaches toward my face, and I lean away. “Let me have a taste, Hayley.”

  A dark shadow covers Jacob’s face as a warm body moves behind me. I instantly tense up. I don’t like that someone snuck up on me.

  “Tell your boyfriend to get lost. He can have a taste later.”

  The guy behind me has a deep and raspy voice. It’s one I don’t recognize, and Jacob must not either because he says, “Who the fuck are you?”

  I step to the side, turning to face the stranger. The hood from his black hoodie is up and pulled low, covering his eyes. I can see he has a s
trong jawline, full lips, and a straight nose. His shoulders are broad, and he’s got an inch or two on Jacob.

  “It doesn’t matter who the fuck I am. Get lost,” the stranger says, taking a step toward Jacob, and I back up three.

  “Fuck that. I got here first,” Jacob says, moving quickly behind me, his chest coming against my back.

  This drunk idiot. I’m about to tell him to shut the fuck up when he makes a mistake. Slipping his arm around my torso, his thumb purposely brushes against the nipple of my left breast. I know it’s not an accident because he does it again.

  I rear my elbow back into his taut stomach as hard as I can. He grunts, and I whirl around to shove him back while he’s unguarded and bent over. He stumbles to the side and then straightens, looking furious.

  It makes me want to laugh. Jacob has always been an annoying asshole. Leave it to him to get mad at the girl he’s always touching without permission. I’ve tried to be nice, using my words, but it never gets through to him.

  “Fucking bitch.” He raises his hand to either hit or grab me but the guy in the hood darts forward and grabs Jacob’s arm, twisting it behind his back.

  I hear his deep voice practically growl something and then he releases Jacob with a shove.

  “Whatever,” Jacob says, backing up. “I hear the bitch won’t put out anyway.” He storms away, leaving me alone with the stranger in the hoodie.

  Chapter 6

  “What do you want?” I tilt my head, trying to see under his hood but I can’t. The shadow from his hood is blocking my view. His silence is making me impatient, so I give him my back and make my way toward Danny’s house.

  I reach for my phone to tell him I’m going to crash on the pull-out bed in his room, but my back pocket is empty. I grind my teeth, remembering my phone was taken. My hand grips the doorknob when the presence of someone behind me has me tensing.

  “You trying to escape?” His rough voice is low.

  I turn around to face him as his heavy body backs me up and cages me against the door. His arms shoot out on either side of my head. He towers over me, invading my space.