Grave Bound (Secrets, #1)

by T. R. Graves

  I want to admonish Levi for playing such a dirty—literally and figuratively—joke on Tope, but I can't. All I can do is laugh along with him when I think about the very serious and dark Tope stepping into the pile of pooh.

  Finally, I stop laughing long enough to say exactly what I should’ve said right away. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Tope would never do anythin' like that to you."

  "Oh. He's really got you fooled. He's notorious for his practical jokes. Don't think he didn't outdo me the first chance he got."

  Yet another side of Tope.

  I'm curious about what he could’ve possibly done that would’ve been worse. "You've got to tell me what he did, but first, I have to tell you that you totally deserve whatever you got."

  "Whose girlfriend are you? His or mine? You're supposed to support me no matter how asinine or mean-spirited my gags. This will be the first transgression you'll have to pay for when I see you Saturday, little missy," Levi says in complete and utter mock indignation.

  Giggling, I say, "We'll see who pays for what. Now, tell me what he did to you. If it's too bad, I'll take issue directly with him when I see the two of you."

  "I'm positive you’ll take my side in this, Em. He jumped in front of me 'cause he didn't trust me anymore. A long time later and after I'd forgotten all about the entire thing, he stopped and said he needed to rest for a minute. While he was pulling out his water, he asked me to lead us back to his Jeep. He was so serious that it never occurred to me he was up to anything. I told him to man up right before I charged forward.

  "I'm afraid of where this is going, Levi."

  "You should be. That damn Tope sent me headfirst into a whole mess of skunks. I'm not sure how many times I got sprayed before I got out of the middle of 'em."

  "You're freakin' kiddin' me. That's it. Tope is officially on my shit list. How dare he do that to you?"

  "That's more like it. He thought better of what he'd done when he had to ride all the way home with me. He kept the windows open the whole way. Even then, we both gagged nonstop. I've taken four baths with hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and Dawn, and the smell has just now stopped burning my eyes."

  "Serves him right," I say.

  "Your day had to be better than that, Em."

  Levi's musical laugh is still resonating through the line when I remember the pills I'd taken, the day I spent with Lorenzo, and the decision I made to get the stick implanted into my arm. I instantly sober, and my nausea returns in retaliation.

  "Earth to Em. Are you there? I want to hear about your day."

  I sigh long and hard. "I... had to do something today... that might make you mad."

  "I'm not sure that's possible, babe. Tell me what you did, and I’ll tell you how I really feel."

  "I'm not sure I told you when we talked, but Aunt Tess caught me sneakin' in last night."

  "No, you didn’t tell me that. I think I'd remember that."

  "Anyway, she's been real cool all day long. I've learned lots of things about her I've never known. One of them is the fact that she—apparently—is the commune's contraception dispenser."

  "What does that mean?"

  "This morning, she gave me two pills in order to make sure I don't get pregnant from... you know."

  "Yes, Em. I remember vividly what we did last night. It's all I've been dreaming of and thinking of. I should also mention that I’d give every penny in my trust to do it again," he says seductively.

  My breath hitches, and my heart squeezes tight with the thought.

  "Levi, are you mad at me for what I did?"

  "Em, I should’ve been more responsible last night, and that's exactly what Tope has spent all day reminding me. I'm thankful for your Aunt Tess's help."

  "She's gonna insert a tiny stick in my arm so I won't get pregnant for three years, but it'll take a month for it to be effective."

  "We're talking about your body. I think you should start focusing on how you feel about all of this instead of worrying about what everybody else wants or thinks. "

  Agreeing with Levi's take on things, I nod. "I'm glad I'm bein' given some options. Before today, I thought I was gonna be forced to have lots of babies no matter what I wanted. I'm a little worried because the commune's leaders'll kill me if they find out."

  "They're some real assholes, aren't they?"

  "Yeah, they are. Anyway, the medicine I took this morning is givin' me mornin' sickness artificially. Because of it, I've been sicker in the last few hours than I've ever been my whole life."

  Levi sighs. "I wish I hadn't had a hand in doing that to you. It's the last thing I want. Tope's right to call me a selfish ass."

  "You didn't do anything I didn't want you to do. Now, stop beatin' yourself up. Tess and I have this under control," I say, yawning.

  "Okay. That's it. You’re tired, and you need to get your rest. Take care of yourself, and I'll call you tomorrow night."

  I’m about to argue with him, but when I try, I yawn again, bigger and louder.

  "I don't know why I'm so tired. I guess I may need to get some sleep."

  "Good night, babe. I love you."

  I sit and bask in his words, letting them spread over and through me. "I love you, too, Levi. I really mean that."

  "I know you do. Now, take care of yourself," he says before hanging up.

  I sit with the dead phone held to my ear, doing my best to hang on to the last resonating echo of his words. When they're gone, I have that now familiar feeling of being lost and empty and hollow.

  I'm still lying on the phone when I wake up an hour later to go to the bathroom to throw up. I spend the rest of the night up and down, alternating between violently vomiting and sleeping like the dead.

  When it's time for me to leave to go to the union hall, I debate leaving but decide I've used up all of my sick days and remember no one else likes teaching... hence the state I found my classroom in when I returned the day before.

  Like always, I find Tess in the kitchen. As soon as she turns around and sees me, she puts her hand to my forehead. "Jesus, Emi! You look like death warmed over."

  "Yeah. I've been up all night pukin' my guts up."

  "Why on Earth are you here?"

  I shrug. "I didn't want to miss teachin' another day this week."

  "I want you to get back home. I'll teach your class. Then, I'll come and check on you tonight. Now, get!"

  I don't have the energy to argue with my aunt. I turn around and drag myself home and spend the rest of the day like I spent the night, sleeping and throwing up.

  No matter which way I twist, turn, curve, or curl, there never seems to be an end to the nausea or a reprieve from the fatigue. I only vaguely remember Tess's after-class visit because she forces me to drink a glass of water, one that is thrown up as soon as she leaves to make supper for Lorenzo.

  I want to go downstairs and make sure the door is locked, but I don't have enough energy to move. I sure can't muster up enough to go down the stairs and then climb back up them. Just the thought exhausts me. Deciding it isn't worth worrying about, I close my eyes and sink back into my fitful sleep. There, I'm plagued by nightmares filled with images of Sammie laughing hysterically while Uncle Marcus is whipped to death. With perfect clarity, I relive every slap and punch Phil tortured me with that night. Worse than my aching lips, eyes, and stomach is the pain in my chest. My heart breaks in two when I see the film clouding Marcus's eyes and signaling his death.

  With Phil's last vicious kick to my gut and tears streaming down my cheeks, I wake up fighting my pillow as if it were personally responsible for Marcus's death. It takes a few seconds for me to orient myself and understand that Marcus has been dead for months and not minutes. Everything about the dream was too real. Then, I realize the vibration of the phone that's underneath my pillow is actually what awakened me. I snatch it up quickly.

  "Heelloo," I say hoarsely. My throat is still burning with tears.

  "Em, what's wrong. You sound like you've b
een drugged."

  "I'm still sick, Levi. I haven't been able to keep anythin' down since yesterday, and I'm so tired I've slept all day. Somethin's wrong."

  "You're probably dehydrated. Are you sure you can't drink anything and keep it down."

  "No. Nothing stays down for more than a minute. Tess has been trying."

  "Is Tess there with you?"

  "No, she had to go take care of Lorenzo."

  "Is he sick?"

  Confused, I say, "No. It's her job to cook supper for him, not take care of me."

  "Does he know you're sick?"

  "Levi, he wouldn't care. He has expectations that Tess will cook for him no matter what’s goin' on with me."

  "What a fucking asshole! I hope he chokes on whatever she makes for him."

  I want to chuckle at Levi, but I just can't muster it. Instead, I nearly fall back to sleep. Finally, Levi softly says, "I don't want you to hang up. If you need to sleep, you can, but I want to at least hear you breathing, Em. I'm missing you something fierce, and it's the only thing that’ll get me through the night."

  "Okay," I concede just as my eyes begin bouncing with fatigue.

  "Would it bother you if I sang to you?"

  "You can sing, Levi?" I hum drowsily.

  "Everybody can sing, Em. Not everybody can sing good."

  "I'll bet you can sing good. When you talk, your voice is musical. It would have to be even more beautiful when you sing."

  The next thing I know, Levi is singing a folksy version of “Take me Down To the River.” I fight my sleep and listen to him serenade me with his rendition of songs that talk of God, heaven, and angels without being overly religious. All are amazing.

  Suddenly something other than Levi's singing catches my attention. Someone’s climbing the stairs.

  "Levi, be as quiet as you can. Don't speak at all. Someone's in the house," I whisper desperately.

  My heart pounds inside my chest, and I’m instantly wide awake.

  "Call my name if you need me, Emily, and I'll call Tope," Levi says. He’s talking quick and sounds as frantic as I feel.

  I shove the phone behind my mattress and watch the door, waiting for the intruder to make himself or herself known. The person must assume I'm asleep because they twist the knob and slowly... carefully open the door.

  I'm beyond angry when Lorenzo pokes his head into my room. He's as shocked as I am livid when I hit him with my vehemence.

  "Lorenzo, you're not supposed to be in this house, much less my bedroom."

  "Aw, Emi, I just came by to check on you. Tess is real worried."

  "I'm fine. Now, get outta my room, go home, and tell Tess to stop worryin' about me."

  I'd been tossing and turning so much that the quilt and sheet that should be covering me are hanging off the bed and pooling next to it. As such, Lorenzo has a perfect view of me dressed in nothing more than a pair of panties, ones that are smaller than my bikini, and a tank top short enough that my belly button is exposed and thin enough that my nipples show.

  Shit! I think when I notice his slow and heated gaze travel up my legs in a way that tells me he likes what he sees. A lot! When he mindlessly reaches down to the front of his pants and repositions himself, I see firsthand just how much he’s enjoying it. I know right then things are about to take a turn for the worse.

  As quick as a flash, I sling the quilt over myself, tucking it in from the bottom to the top and leaving nothing but my arms and head uncovered.

  "You haven't answered me. What the hell are you doin' in my room?" I say. My voiced cracks I'm so unnerved by the unwavering fixation he has on me and also by my inability to snap him out of his lustful daze.

  Sure I’m about to have to fight for my life, I keep my eyes on Lorenzo. I realize how much trouble I’m really in when he reaches down and touches himself again. This time, he's not repositioning his pants. This time, he's stroking himself and staring toward the direction of my panties even though they’re hidden beneath the covers.

  His voice is husky when he says, "You're gonna be my wife, and you're sick. Why shouldn't I be here checkin' on you?"

  His hand movements are still slow, but they’re much more aggressive. They frighten me even more because I know what's about to happen. Even worse than that is the fact that there won't be any stopping him. He's too strong.

  "B-because Owen doesn't allow anyone in his house but family. You know that."

  "Emi. Emi. I'm as good as family," he says, never taking his eyes from my body. "God damn, Emily, seein' you like this makes me want to fuck you more than ever before..." He clears his throat. "My dick’s so hard it would explode right now if I got one more glance of that little pussy of yours or those perky little tits."

  He moans at the thought of them. Having never stopped, his hand is now going faster and his grip on it is firmer. He takes a few steps forward, only stopping when his legs hit the edge of my bed. Before I can unbind myself from the prison I created with the blankets, he crawls on top of me and pins me underneath him.

  He's no longer massaging himself. Instead, he's rubbing his hard bulging crotch against me and using my body to satisfy his needs.

  Knowing Levi can hear every word, I'm determined not to panic until I'm sure there’s no other option. "Lorenzo, you don't want to..."

  All of the sudden, a wave of nausea washes over me. I push Lorenzo's chest and scream, "Move! I'm gonna throw up!"

  He knows I'm not lying and rolls away from me quicker than he pinned me down. I run to the bathroom, slam the door, and lock it.

  After I finish getting sick, I stand up and lean weakly against the doorjamb. "Lorenzo, I'm not gonna leave outta here 'til you leave. You understand? I'm sick, and I don't have time to mess with you."

  "I'm goin'. I don't want to fuck you when there's a chance I might have to stop in the middle. When I do fuck you, there won't be any stoppin'. I can tell you that right now. Besides, I just came by to make sure Tess wasn't lyin' for you."

  I listen close, making sure Lorenzo really is leaving. I hear him open the squeaky door before he says, "I'll see you in the mornin' at the union hall. I'll be in your class with you the whole day."

  He stops, and I can still hear him breathing. I know he's not gone. I drop to my knees and look through the keyhole. He's come back into my room and is standing on the edge of my bed. I have a perfect view of what he's doing, and it makes me gag. No longer satisfied with stroking himself over his pants, he's exposing and rubbing himself.

  "Wear a skirt without any panties. You hear me? I want you to sit behind that big ol’ desk of yours... and spread your legs open for me... while I finger... fuck you. I can almost feel how tight and wet you'll be, Emi. I can't wait to... lick my fingers afterwards... taste how sweet you are. Those kids’ll be so busy doin' their work, they won't even know what's happenin' when you... cum right in front of them. Then, I'm gonna... make... you... jack... me... off."

  There's nothing exciting about what I'm witnessing. If anything, it’s scary. He's so out of control, breathing hard and pumping harder. Seconds into his fantasy about me touching him in front of my class—which will never in my lifetime happen—he jerks and moans loudly before spraying a white cloudy milk all over my pillow.

  "If you wasn't sick, I'd make you lick that up while I fuck you from behind," Lorenzo says, zipping himself up, walking over to the bathroom door, ducking down, and looking through the keyhole. Eye to eye, we see each other. "Did you have to touch yourself while you watched me, Emi?"

  "No. It was all I could do not to throw up again," I say hatefully.

  Lorenzo chuckles. "I have so many puberty fantasies to live out with you. You're gonna be sore for a long time, but as soon as you have your first orgasm, you'll be as addicted to comin’ as I am," he says, winking at me.

  On that very sadistic note, he hops up, and seconds later, I hear my room's door close. Shaking, I stay put for a few minutes. Then, I walk over to the bathroom's window, which overlooks the porch. I watc
h as Lorenzo strolls away from Owen's house and back toward Tess's.

  I run from the bathroom, yelling, "Levi, I'll be right back!"

  I dash from my room, leap down the stairs, and lock the door. I pull the curtain next to the door back and make sure Lorenzo’s truly going back to Tess's house. That's when I notice as he completely bypasses the dirt road leading to Tess's house. Instead, he keeps walking in the direction of the union hall. I know he's heading for Sammie and every bit of the sexual dysfunction she offers him.

  I'm gonna have to talk to Tess about his plans for me. She'll have to keep that pervert outta my classroom and away from me. Forever.

  I try to run up the stairs. I'm so weak that my climb up is much slower than the sprint down. Back in my room, I throw my soiled pillow on the floor, spread out on my bed, grab the phone from behind the mattress, and put it to my ear.

  "Levi? It's safe. He's gone, and I locked the house of tight. No one's getting back in."

  "I'm gonna kill that twisted fuck if I ever see him. I swear, as sure as I'm standing on two feet right now."

  Every ounce of anger—and fear—Levi feels is obvious.

  "He's not worth it. Thank you, by the way, for stayin' quiet while he was here. I suspect that was hard for you, but it was best for me."

  "It was all I could do, Em. Maybe you and I should come up with a safe word that’ll help me know when you really need me. It needs to be one that nobody else knows is a call for help. One that I'll understand."

  I think about it for a minute. Finally, I snicker and say, "After last night's story about you and Tope, I'm officially nicknamin' you Pepé Le Pew."

  I may not have had a television in my house growing up, but Aunt Tess certainly didn't mind letting me watch cartoons at the union hall in the summertime when the men were away. Pepé Le Pew was one of my favorites.

  "No. No. I don't like that," he says, totally forgetting his anger and laughing.

  I giggle out loud. "Yes, Pepé. That's the perfect nickname for you, and I can easily bring it up casually."