From Lies to Promises

by Lynn, Faith S

  “No, I came here with my friends. They’re around here somewhere.” I say as I reluctantly take my hand from his. He is still standing close, and looking at me intently.

  “Well let me help you find them.” He stands beside me and places his hand on my lower back gesturing for me to walk with him. We walk in comfortable silence as we approach the blazing fire and walk around it. I’m getting a little hot, but it’s not from the fire, I am smoldering by his light touch on my back. I look to my right when I hear Lexi’s laugh, she is standing with Skeigh and the guys we met at TJ’s. I head over to them when Dave glances up.

  “There you are little brother. We’ve been looking for you since we got here. I see you found Kat.” He pats Ryder on the shoulder. “Girls, this is the man that I was telling you about. The one who throws this shin dig every year.”

  “Actually I don’t throw this. Me, you and our friends came out here every summer, built a regular fire and drank till we passed out in the beds of our trucks. The next thing I knew more and more people came. I wouldn’t know why that would be, would you, Dave?”

  “You didn’t mention that he was your brother.” Skeigh jumps in before Dave could come up with something to say back to his brother.

  “Ah, I didn’t figure that part mattered.” Dave replied. He looked at his brother, “Today is Kat here’s birthday, and her friends heard about your party through the grapevine, so they brought her out to have a good time.”

  “Yes, and we are going to do just that!” Lexi grabs me and Skeigh, and hauls away. “We are going to go find some drinks, and then ‘To dance’.” She explains throwing her hands in the air and shaking her hips. I sneak a chance peak over my shoulder where we left the guys, to find those green eyes watching as we walk away.

  After we get our drinks we decide to look around. I notice all the different things going on. They have a table set up for beer pong, in which a game is being played with two guys against two girls. The guys are complaining about losing due to distractions, which really doesn’t seem to be bothering them too bad, seeing as how the girls are showing off their goodies to do the distracting. There is also an area set up for corn hole and horse shoes.

  I finish my cup the same time as Skeigh and Lexi. “Come on.” We put our cups on a nearby picnic table and walk over to where some other people are dancing. I’m feeling real good at this point with the amount of alcohol that is pumping through my veins. We dance through three songs before I start to get too hot and sticky from the humidity.

  “I’m going to get another drink and cool off. I’ll find y’all in a bit.” I say before walking away. I grab another cup of whatever concoction they have in a cooler and go sit on an empty picnic table. I sit watching my friends dance and laugh. On the other side of the fire there is a girl in the back of one of the trucks dancing. She is looking at a guy with those come hither eyes and telling him to come over with her index finger. I laugh because she is having a rough time trying to keep her balance.

  “What’s so amusing?” I jump and turn to realize that Ryder has taken up the spot on top of the picnic table beside me. I bend my neck back to look up at him when he asks, “What are you doing over here alone. I thought you were being shown some fun?”

  “Well I was dancing, but it’s too hot out here next to that fire. So I came over here to cool off for a minute.” I drop my head and look back at the fire, nervously picking at the hem on my dress.

  “With you here by yourself I am surprised that Jake hasn’t ambled on over. He’s been watching you since you and your friends went to get a drink.” When I look up at him, he smiles, but it looks forced.

  “He will find someone else to take his mind off me. I’m sure that there are fifty or so girls here that would love for him to get grabby hands with them.” I’m still looking at him when he leans in real close and his smell hits me. That smell, raw man and spice, ha my already shaken senses going into overload.

  “Yea, but there is no one else here is as beautiful as you are.” He states with a smile. I thought this man couldn’t get any more damn sexy, but that smile has me squeezing my thighs together like a vice grip. I am still trying to comprehend if I heard him right, when the girls walk up. “I’m going to make sure Dave is staying out of trouble, maybe I’ll catch up with you again before the night is over.” He walks backwards for a minute then turns and disappears in the crowd.

  “Here, I figured you was getting thirsty again.” Skeigh said as she handed me a plastic shot glass. We all three take ours at the same time, then place them on the table top. “So I was going to ask you if you were having fun, birthday girl, but from the looks of it I’d say I don’t need to ask.”

  I try my best to keep my voice indifferent, “What? We were just talking. It’s not like he was about ready to jump my bones right here.”

  “Girl, that man was ravaging you with his eyes like you were his last fucking meal. He wasn’t far from throwing you over his shoulder and taking you to a cave in the woods somewhere.” Lexi says. She looks down at me and smiles like she has a secret. “Did you really not see that?”

  “Nope, I think you two have already had too much to drink, and it is time to go.” As I stand I look around to make sure that Ryder isn’t around. He is some kind of intense and I really don’t know if I can handle anymore tonight. Unfortunately for me he sees me stand and comes walking over.

  “You’re not leaving now are you? It’s still early and none of you should be driving.” He ask.

  Well that stops me cold. He is right, we shouldn’t be driving, and that means we are staying a while longer. “I was hoping to head out. But your right, so I guess we will stay for a little while longer till I sober up some.”

  “Ok, that’s better. I have to go back over there and help Rhett get Cole in the back seat of his truck. Don’t go anywhere, ok.” He gives me that panty dropping smile and is gone again.

  Once he is out of site I turn to the girls only to find them gone too. Damn. Now what am I supposed to do?

  “Looking for your friends?” I jerk my eyes up to see Jake staggering in my direction. He stops directly in front of me and I notice his eyes are blood shot.

  “Yea, um, did you see which way they went. They were right here just a minute ago.” I say as I take a step to my left to walk around him. He grabs me by my elbow before I get too far.

  “I did. Come on and I’ll take you to where they were going.” He starts pulling me away from the crowd and I completely start to panic. I don’t want to go wandering of alone with Jake. I yank my arm, hard, and with no use.

  “You could just tell me how to get to them, there is no since in me taking you away from the party.”

  “Awe, well that’s nice of ya, but I am a sucker for helping a lady in need.” There is need alright, but it isn’t mine. I can see it in his eyes, cold and determined. With that my body locks down, my feet quit moving. I deadpan. “It’ll be ok sweetheart they should be just right over here.”

  “I think we should just head back now. Maybe they have already went back, they might not even be here anymore. Come on.” I stammer. I try to do anything to get him to go back closer to the party. I yank on my arm again. Nothing. He pulls me until I am standing beside him looking at an old shack. “See there isn’t even a light on, there is no way they would go in there. Lexi doesn’t even like scary movies, let alone go into a dark shack in the middle of bum-fucked-Egypt.”

  He steps up to the door opens it and flings me in. I try to stay upright, but end up toppling to the floor and hitting my head on a bench. “You’re right they aren’t here, but like I said I am a sucker for a lady in need and by the way you were dancing earlier you are very much in need of something.”

  “And what do you suppose that I need.” My voice shakes with the fear that my whole body is already experiencing. I look around the room for something, anything that could be used as a weapon.

  “Me.” He kneels, and places his hand on my thighs. His face is inches from min
e. Then I remember the knife I keep in the side of my bra. I reach across my stomach with my left hand, like I am trying to cover myself up. I struggle to get the clip off. It seems like it takes an eternity but eventually I get it free. “See, you have teased me all night. Dancing with your friends, moving in ways that made every man out there’s dick instantly hard. And since you’re the cause of my situation,” He pauses and grabs his erection through his jeans, “you get to fix it.”

  His hands move higher up my thighs, my hips, and slides them over my ribs grazing the bottom of my breast. When he lowers his head to my neck I lift my leg and kick him back, then bend over him. I already have the knife open so I press the point to the side of his throat. He holds his hands up as if to surrender, a cocky smile on his face. “Aren’t you just all sorts of handy? Tell me, where’d you have that knife hidden?” He pauses then laughs, “That’s alright, bitch, don’t tell me. Doesn’t matter next time you won’t be so lucky.”

  I stand up, arm still extended with the knife pointed at him, and back out the door. Outside I close the knife and put it back. Then I take off, I don’t look back, I just run. I have no idea if I am even headed in the right direction until I see the light of the fire. I’m almost there when someone steps out from around a truck and I crash into them. When their hands land on my shoulders I step back ready to take off in the other direction, thinking that Jake has already caught up to me and is going to finish what he intended on doing in that damned shack.

  “There you are. Whoa, where are you going? What’s the matter, you look like death himself is after you.” It’s Ryder. Just Ryder, but my mind doesn’t process this as he reaches out to grab me.

  “No! Please just leave me alone. I have to go, have you seen Skeigh and Lexi?” I keep my eyes downcast, so that he doesn’t see my fear or the tears that are pooling in my eyes, threatening to spill onto my cheeks. “Please, I just feel sick and need to go home.”

  “OK. Okay. No, I haven’t seen them, but why don’t you come sit over here on the picnic table and I will see if I can find them.” I can tell from his voice he doesn’t believe me, but I refuse to tell him, or anyone what just happened. Not this time.

  Liar.

  All lies.

  Liar.

  The words are always there haunting me. Reminding me.

  A few moments later Lexi and Skeigh are walking me towards the car. “I guess it’s a good thing I quit drinking a while back, huh?” Lexi, always prepared. I fake a smile, and nod, then climb into the back of the car and shut the door behind me. They don’t ask me what happened, they think I just had one of my episodes. I don’t have them often. I have become a master at keeping things buried and not letting them bother me. That is the only way I can have a semi-normal life that I have been in search of since I was little.

  They don’t say a word the whole way home. Which is fine by me, I need the quiet right now. With my head against the cool window, I watch the land as we pass. The world looks peaceful when you’re just getting glimpses here and there, but the truth is the darkness is out there, everyone just ignores it.

  Chapter 3

  I open my eyes, just to close them right back. My eyelids feel like they have half a ton of sand under them. Just like every other time I wake up from a night of drinking I wonder why the hell I do this to myself. Normally I remind myself that the night before was worth it, but not this time. This time I remember terror. I also remember a beautiful man, with green eyes. I sit up, grabbing my head as it starts thudding, then stand to walk to my door. I need a shower, which usually makes me a feel a tad better anyways.

  In the shower I decide to lock the bad of last night away. Forget it, like always. I’m sure I won’t see any of the people from that party again anyways and that will make it easier to not remember. I get out and get dressed. College is where I spend a majority of my time. I love to learn, but it’s Sunday and that means I get to spend the day with my little sister. I’ve been part of the Big Sister program for two years, and love Jamie. She isn’t the type of kid to get into trouble, she is just shy and her parents work all the time, in order to pay the bills. Since I have been her big sister though she has shown improvement. She has gained a friend at school, and sometimes she comes with us on our days. She has also found her niche, softball.

  I sit down at the kitchen table where Lexi is reading off her e-reader and drinking her orange juice. I reach across the napkin holder and grab her cup and take a drink.

  “Really? You just walked in here, sat down and drank my juice? The fridge is right behind you, dork!” Her finger pointing to the refrigerator.

  “Yea, but that means I would have to dirty up another glass, and its Skeigh’s week for the dishes.” I point out laughing.

  “Which I will not be doing tonight.” Skeigh walks in with her hair all flopped up into a messy bun and drops in the other chair at the table. “Not because I don’t want to or anything, but I have a new customer and she made an appointment at freaking seven o’clock. She better spend her ass off to keep me that late, just saying!”

  “Did you tell her that you normally close the doors at six?” Lexi ask.

  “Didn’t have to, she already knew. She heard about my shop via her assistant. The woman is new in town and apparently some super journalist, so she needs to look sharp. So, I took the appointment thinking she would make it worth staying over for!” Skeigh replies.

  “Well I hope you are right and she does! I have to go get Jamie, I’ll see you two when I get home!” I say. I yell bye as I head out the door and to the driveway to get in my car. It isn’t much but I paid for her in cash my senior year of high school. It got me out of that dreadful town and here, and is still proving to be dependable. The blue on it has faded, but not so much were it looks terrible. The interior is still good, and according the mechanic that sold it to me, that it should have a pretty good mileage rate ahead as well. I had to fix the radio though, it was way too old and music I my mood moderator and keeps me sane. Now, I can hook up my phone to it and play my songs that I have on it. This makes me happy.

  I get in the car and hook up my phone, then hit random. Asking Alexandria’s song ‘The Death of Me’ comes roaring to life. So what else is there to do other than turn it up louder and roll down the windows. I have to admit I have an addiction to really good, hard rock or metal songs. To be honest I really don’t have a particular type of music, as long as it is a good song and calls to me. I finish the song up before I make it to Jamie’s and turn it off. She likes to tell me about her day, and not so secretly hates most of my music. She’s thirteen, I get it, no reason in scaring her.

  She comes running from her house with a big ole grin like she just got her first kiss or something. Oh, no! It couldn’t be could it? She climbs into the passenger seat, smile still stuck to her face like it’s been glued there.

  “What’s up with the joker smile, kid?”

  She just looks at me with this expression that says ‘really?’.

  “Are you not going to tell me? Because I would like to know what has made you so, how do I say it, giddy since I saw you Wednesday.” I put the car in drive and head to our favorite spot. We found it not too long ago out in the mountains. It is a nice patch of grass next to a flowing clear river. When we found it we were out there till dark catching frogs and tadpoles.

  “Well, you know that dance that is next weekend? The one I was telling you I probably wasn’t going to, because I wouldn’t get a date.” She drags it out.

  “Yeah, I remember. So what did you get a date or are you just messing with my emotions?” I tease.

  “YES!! He is so pretty, Kat. I am so excited. I feel good about this, too. He is on the football team, and is pretty popular. I couldn’t believe it when I found the note in my locker from him asking me to go.” She practically yelled.

  “So, you’re saying that he didn’t even ask you to your face. He wrote you a note and stuck it in your locker? How do you know for sure it’s from him?”


  “Well, Jane said that Sara said she saw him next to my locker after the period that I found the note in my locker. Who else would it be, it was signed by him and everything!” Needless to say I was apprehensive about the whole thing, but her experience in school is not mine. Plus, it is just junior high. And who could be so cruel to someone as sweet as Jamie?

  Jamie continues to tell me how amazing this boy is that’s taking her to the dance as we drive. She reaches forward and unplugs my phone only to replace it with hers. She sets it down about the time we arrived at our spot. We roll the windows down and she turns the volume up so we could hear it as we sit next to the water. It’s perfect, ‘American Honey’ by Lady Antebellum playing from the car on such a gorgeous day. We grab the blanket from the trunk and walk to the edge.

  “So do you mind helping me pick out a dress, and helping me get ready for the dance Friday night?” She ask like I was just going to throw her to the wolves.

  “Of course, you know you don’t even have to ask. We can go looking for a dress on Wednesday and I only have two classes on Fridays so I’ll be home by the time you get out of school. Just have your mom drop you off by my house.” When I finish she looks at her hands. I put my hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s just that mom and dad are working late Friday. Which means I have to ride the bus home. Do you think you could pick me up from my house?” She peeks at me through her lashes them blue eyes and melts my heart.

  “You are my little sister, whether by blood or not, I feel that way. So I don’t know why you feel like I am going to take of your head when you ask me for something.” I take a hair bow from my wrist and hand it to her, because her blonde hair is blowing everywhere and she is having a hard time taming it.

  As she ties the elastic band into her hair she straightens up and looks at me. “It’s just,” she takes her hands down from her hair with a deep breath, “I am scared one day you are going to get tired of me being your charity case.”