by Mae Doyle
I roll my eyes. She’s the queen of threats, but she’s never actually had the balls to follow through on anything that may hurt me. “Tell me the truth, Bethany, or get out of my car.”
“I saw you with the new girl. The lesbian artist or whatever. I know what you want from her.”
Nora. Narrowing my eyes at Bethany, I lean forward. “What are you saying?”
She shrugs and makes a huge show of looking at her nails, even though it’s so dark I know that she can’t fucking see if it’s chipped or not. I want to reach out and twist her wrist badly enough to ensure that she can’t cheer the rest of the year, but I can only imagine the fallout that I’d have to face.
“I’m just saying that I noticed her. Everyone noticed her. She got a beer flavored pussy or something to have all of the guys talking? What makes you think that you’re so special that she’ll want to fuck you?”
She’s just trying to bait me, but it’s working. “Stay away from Nora, Bethany.”
“You know, I don’t know that I will. I don’t know that she’s my type, exactly, but I’ve always wanted to go for a walk on the wild side, and she looks like she’d be a bit of a freak, don’t you think? You think that she’d be down for a little experimentation? Because I’m looking for a partner.”
It would be easy to think that she’s making empty threats, but I know Bethany better than that. If she thinks that something is worth her time, then she’s going to put all of her energy into it. If she wants to take Nora and destroy her before I have a chance then I sincerely believe that she’ll pull out all the stops to do so.
“Fuck off. I’ll get you your money.”
Bethany claps her hands delightedly and shrieks. “Oh, Teague, I knew that you’d come through for me! You’re such a good friend. How quickly can you have it to me?”
Fuck. I don’t know what I was thinking agreeing to help Bethany out, but she kinda has my balls in a vice right now. I’ll get her her cash and make sure that she never looks at Nora again. I’m the only one that I want Nora to be afraid of.
“Get out.” My voice is dark and deep and Bethany glances at me, a smirk on her face.
“Don’t you want to know what the money is for?”
I should ask. I should know exactly what this evil little bitch is going to do with my cash, but right now I don’t care. I want her out of my truck and out of my life. I want to go home and shower and maybe pay Nora a little visit.
“Just get out.”
“Your loss. Let me know if you change your mind.” Before I can stop her, she leans over and lightly runs her fingers up my arm again, making my skin goosebump. By the time I shiver and yank back, she’s already opened the door to the truck and hopped out.
Leaning hard against it, she manages to close the door. I turn on my low beams and she runs in front of me, flicking me off as she tears up the driveway.
Fucking bitch.
I have no idea what I’ve just gotten myself into by agreeing to help Bethany, but I didn’t really feel like I had a choice.
Slowly I back down the driveway, opening the windows and letting in the cool breeze to try to clear my head.
Nora’s back home. She may have already showered by now, which will piss me off if I missed it.
Or maybe she’s not done. Grinning, I turn the truck towards home and step on the gas.
I don’t want my little virgin to have to wait too long for another visit from me. We didn’t get to finish what I wanted in the woods, and I’m planning on taking what’s mine.
Chapter 6
Nora
I don’t know what I’m listening for, so Mrs. Ward hears Teague’s truck in the driveway first, but when the door slams and he pounds up the stairs to the house, I sit up on the edge of my seat.
My heart flutters and flips. I may have just royally fucked up, but getting a little help when it comes to dealing with Teague seems like a good idea.
Or it did.
But the way that Mrs. Ward is looking at me? I’m beginning to think that maybe I really fucked up.
“Teague?” Her voice cuts through my thoughts when we hear the front door open. “Come in here, I need to talk to you.”
He strides into the living room, his eyes raking over me as he takes in the scene. I’m perched on the edge of a very stiff, very expensive sofa, doing my best not to get any dirt on anything. The fabric has tiny little roses winding around it and I’ve spent the past thirty minutes tracing one over and over.
Not getting anywhere. Just tracing.
Mrs. Ward, on the other hand, chose a straight-backed wooden chair and is dominating the room. She’s a slight woman, but there’s no mistaking the fact that she’s clearly in charge. Now she has one hand on the arm of the chair, the other lifted towards her son.
Grinning on the inside, I turn to look for an accusatory finger. I told her everything and I look an absolute mess, so there’s no reason why she wouldn’t believe me.
But there’s no accusation on her face. In fact, it softened as soon as Teague walked through the door looking the part of a bloody wanna-be rapist.
Her finger, instead of pointing at him, is gesturing.
Instead of yelling at him, she’s practically cooing.
Cooing.
“Teague! What happened to you? You look a fright!”
She knows bloody well what happened to her precious little son. I told her how he chased me through the woods, how he pinned me down. I didn’t mention the part where I cut him with a rock, but I told her that I shoved dirt in his fact and tried to run.
I told her that I thought he was going to kill me.
I told her that I thought he was going to rape me.
“Hey, mom. I’m okay. Is something wrong with you?”
My jaw is practically on the floor as he walks over and drops to his knees in front of her, taking her hand, and looking up at her. Are you fucking kidding me?
“Well, Nora here was telling me the most outlandish tale of something that happened in the woods, but I just couldn’t believe her! Not my Teague, I kept thinking, but she was insistent that you took her out there and attacked her!”
He stiffens and I feel a jolt of glee cut through my body. Maybe she doesn’t believe him after all. She must see right through his bullshit, right? There’s no reason why she wouldn’t believe me.
Except the small fact that he’s her son.
“But looking at you, I can tell that something did happen. Nora,” she calls, whipping her head around to look at me, “you didn’t tell me that you attacked Teague.”
“I…what? No! I told you that I had to stop him from…from…” I’m pissed, but I can’t bring myself to say the word rape in front of Teague. Not with the way he’s grinning at me right now.
“From what? I don’t know what he could possibly have been doing that was so bad that you had to cut his face.” She takes his chin in her hand and turns it one way, then the other, clucking her tongue the whole time. “It’s ridiculous how terrible he looks.”
“Well, I’m sorry that you can’t see what he did to me!” My face flushes and I stand up, digging my finger nails into my palms to keep from crying. “I just wish that I had done more than simply cut him with a rock. Your son is a monster!”
Cue her calling the cops. The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, and now it’s her turn for her jaw to hang open to the floor.
“How…dare…you.” She hisses the words at me, rising from her chair and pulling herself up to her full height. “I opened my house to you! I took you in! You’re as good as an orphan with your crazy mom but I was here for you, even when I didn’t need to be! And this is how you treat me? This is how you repay my kindness? Get. Out.”
My crazy mom? How dare she? I thought that she and my mom were friends, and she’s acting like I’m a charity case orphan that she didn’t have a choice but to take in. She didn’t have to let me come here, in fact, I wish that she hadn’t. I’d rather be anywhere than here. Anywher
e.
Standing, I feel the exhaustion face from my muscles as I consider trying to make a run for it. I don’t know where I would go, but there has to be someplace that’s better than here, right? Right? My skin grows cold as panic replaces the rage that I’m feeling. There’s literally no place that I can go. Nobody else is going to take me in.
She has to know this.
“Mom.” It’s the first time that Teague has said anything, and he places the role of the perfect son well. Too fucking well. “I think that we’re all tired. Nora and I had a misunderstanding in the woods, and she acted out, but think about what she’s going through.”
He lowers his head to his mom and drops his voice, but still speaks loud enough that I can clearly hear what he’s saying. “Her mother is crazy. You don’t think that losing her so abruptly is having a bit of an impact on her? I do. And maybe…” he pauses and glances at me for emphasis, “maybe Nora here is dealing with more than we can see.”
Mrs. Ward’s face goes white and she reaches out, grabbing Teague’s arm.
The same arm that had me pinned down in the woods earlier tonight.
The same arm that I wanted wrapped around me, pulling me close in a loving embrace, not holding my arms above my head and pinning me to a tree.
“Do you think she’s crazy?” Her eyes flit over to me, but she doesn’t look at me for too long. Instead, she stares back up at her son, adoration filling her face. It’s enough to make me sick, but it’s not the way she’s looking at him that makes me really mad.
I can’t believe she just said that.
“I’m not crazy!” I yell, turning on my heel and stomping through the house and up the stairs. I want to knock all of their family pictures off of the wall, but that won’t help my case.
She’s going to kick me out. I can feel it. That, or she’s going to call the same hospital where my mom was committed and see if they have a double room.
Two-for-one deal. BOGO rooms. Something.
I’m fucked.
Slamming the door to my room, I lock it and throw myself onto the bed. I don’t know how I got myself into this fucking mess.
I’m not crazy.
That’s what I’m going to have to keep telling myself. If I hold onto that, then maybe I can make sure that it stays true. Nobody here is going to help me remember that I’m not crazy, so I have to be the one to keep reminding myself. I have to hold onto it, even when Teague is turning my world upside down.
Ears straining, I try to listen for Teague or his mom to come down the hall, but nobody ever comes to check up on me. I’m exhausted and filthy, but the desire for sleep is too strong.
I should shower. But as soon as I put my head on the pillow, I’m out.
***
I meant to shower last night, I really did, but I fell asleep. My sleep was as dark as the woods last night but dreamless. I was terrified that I would dream of Teague and see him stalking me in my sleep, but I didn’t move once I passed out. My mind and body had had enough and I fell asleep immediately, one hand throw up over my head, the other hanging off of the edge of the bed.
So now I’m still dressed, stiff from sleeping in an awkward position, and with twigs and dirt in my hair with just a little time to get ready before school.
If I even go to school. My contemplation of skipping school to become a hermit is interrupted by a knocking on the door.
“Who is it?” There’s no way in hell that I’m getting up and opening the door without knowing who’s on the other side, but in response, they only knock harder.
“I’m up! Geez, you can stop.” Swinging my legs off of the bed, I have to pause and hold my head until the throbbing dies down. Feels like I drank too much last night.
Or got attacked in the woods by my ridiculously sexy roommate.
Ridiculous.
The knocking still hasn’t stopped. Stalking to the door, I grab the handle and pull it open as quickly as possible. Teague is on the other side of the door, his hand raised to knock again, a sick smile on his face.
“Well, good morning, sunshine. You look…kinda rough, honestly, Nora. Did my mom not show you where the bathroom was yesterday when you got here? If you need a shower buddy, all you have to do is ask.”
He looks incredible. Of course he does. As he leans against my doorframe, I can’t help but let my eyes drift over his body.
I have to remind myself that this is the same guy who held me down in the woods last night.
It just doesn’t seem possible right now.
“I didn’t want to leave my room.” Lifting my chin, I look him dead in the eyes. “But now I’ll be going to shower, if you’ll excuse me.” Ducking my head, I try to slide under his arm and between his body and the doorframe, but he drops it, stopping me.
My heart starts pounding in my chest. I can’t help the fact that everything about Teague makes my entire body pay attention. Hell, the low tugging in my stomach is the same as it was when I first laid eyes on him.
That doesn’t mean that I want him, right?
Sure, Nora. Whatever you say.
It’s pretty fucked up to want to be with your would-be rapist, but if you listen to Mrs. Ward, that’s all I am, and I come by it naturally.
Fucked up.
“You want a partner in there? Make sure that nothing bad happens to you? You know, Nora, you seem to run into a lot of trouble.”
“I’m fine.” It takes all of my self-control not to push him out of the way. I don’t trust my body if I put my hands on him. “Now, would you please get out of the way?”
He does, a wicked grin on his face as he moves and watches me walk down the hall.
“Make sure that you hurry up, Nora. We don’t want to be late to school, do we?”
I flip him the bird as I walk into the bathroom and lock the door behind me. This is the first time that I’ve been faced with my reflection since last night, and I’m afraid to look in the mirror.
Not looking won’t make it any better.
Taking a deep breath, I walk to the mirror and am met with my worst nightmare. I look like hell. Or, at least like I just clawed my way back from there.
There are still leaves and twigs in my hair and I have small scratches on my arms and face from fighting with Teague. It’s almost laughable how out of place I feel.
Along the bathroom counter are mini bottles of shampoo and conditioner along with little shaped soaps for guests. Technically, I’m a guest, and I grab what I want before turning on the shower and letting it heat up.
Teague is right outside of the bathroom door, I’m convinced of it, but I have to get clean. I don’t know what he’s planning on doing, if anything, but right now I don’t have the energy to fight him off.
This place is fucked up. If I had any other choice…
Tears spring to my eyes as I remember the promise I made my mom before getting on the bus to come here.
Keep your head down, Nora, and just do your best. If anything bad happens to you, just know that I’m thinking about you.
At the time, I had thought that she was just being overly cautious.
But now I have to wonder if she knew something that she didn’t tell me.
I mean, honestly, if I can’t trust my own mom, who can I trust?
Teague
Mitch and Robby keep an eye on Nora for me during lunch today so that I can go and talk to Bethany.
She knew that I’d find her the money.
“You came.” There’s a gaggle of cheerleaders around her when I walk up, but she shoots them a dirty look and they scatter, leaving just the two of us alone in the courtyard.
“You wanna tell me what kind of trouble you’ve gotten yourself into, Bethany?” I’ve had the five grand in my pocket all morning, but that doesn’t mean that I’m particularly keen to just hand it over. It’s a fuckton of cash, and she knows it.
Besides, where in the hell is she going to stash it in that tiny cheerleading outfit of hers? Normally the thought of a cheerleader
trying to handle that much cash and hide it under their tiny outfit would have me grinning, but now I can’t stop thinking about stupid Nora.
“Naw, not really. Just know that you’re doing the Lord’s work, Teague.” Her hip pops out and she snaps her gum at me when she holds her hand out for the cash.
“That’s doubtful.” When I don’t move to hand her the money she pouts and takes a step closer. “Tell me what’s up, Bethany, or no cash.”
“I can see it in your pocket, you asshole. Just give it to me.” She reaches for my pants, but I smack her hand away, smiling at how wide her eyes get. “You hit me!”
“Nothing wrong with hitting a thief and a slut,” I tell her, crossing my arms. “Talk.”
Bethany rolls her eyes. “Fine. I just need the cash because I made a bet with Zach, and I didn’t win, so now I need to pay him back.”
“5 grand is a hell of a bet to make. What the fuck were you thinking?” I swear, since Clay went off to college and there hasn’t been anyone here to keep a leash on Bethany, she’s gotten out of control. Her parents don’t seem to notice, and everyone in her squad is too much of a fucking pussy to stop her.
She shrugs, a delighted smile on her face. “I was thinking that I could win 5 Gs, dumbass. What do you think? Besides, I didn’t think that Zach would actually win, obviously. Now, are you going to help me out, or what?”
“Fuck, Bethany. What the hell do you have to do if you don’t pay up?” I have a feeling that I know what Bethany bet Zach, but I’m hoping that she’s not that stupid.
She rolls her eyes, but doesn’t answer me, and my fears are confirmed. “Jesus, Bethany. Fine.” Digging in my pocket, I wrap my hand around the wad and pull it out, thrusting it at her. “Take your fucking money, but you owe me.”
“Sure, sure.” She opens the envelope to look inside, but her grin fades from her face and she frowns. “What the fuck is this, Teague? You joking with me?”
“What do you mean? Let me see.” Grabbing the wad from her before she can object, I open the envelope and look inside. “I swear to God, I had 5 grand in here last night.” My heart starts to beat harder, the sound pounding in my ears.
