Thirteen
I wait a few minutes before leaving the fun house, just to be safe, and when I do, there’s no sign of Asher or his friends anywhere.
I guess our secret’s still safe.
The crowds have thinned out now, the carnival winding down. When I get back to the stall, Sienna’s busy packing things away. April’s still in the same spot, reading her book, except she’s got a half-eaten tub of cotton candy next to her now. Panic sets in and I scramble my brain, trying to work out how long I’ve been gone. Shit.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I rush out. “I don’t know what happened. I went to get the burger buns and then—”
“It’s okay,” Sienna says, raising a hand to stop my word vomit.
My brows jump. “It is?”
“Yes.” She sighs and rests a hand on my shoulder, her expression morphing into one of sadness. “Hal told me what happened. About your uncle. I’m so sorry, Oakley. It sucks.”
“Yeah. It does.”
She ducks her head. “I’m really gonna miss you.”
“Hey.” I nudge her arm, injecting as much positivity into my voice as I can muster. “We’ll still see each other. I’ll be in every week for a burger and shake. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
That makes her smile. “Good. And I’ll help you find something else. I know a few people around town who are hiring and would be lucky to have you.”
“Thanks, Sienna. And, uh, thanks for watching April. Again. That’s the last time, I promise.”
“Don’t sweat it. I don’t mind at all. She’s a good kid.”
I grin, turning to look at April. She looks so content sitting there, reading and munching on her cotton candy, completely oblivious to the world around her, her little forehead scrunched in concentration. “Yeah, she is.”
We finish packing up and carry everything back to the diner. I’d planned to hang out here for the rest of the afternoon, gossip about the carnival goings-on and pick my way through the leftovers, but the thought of doing that now, after everything that’s happened, feels kind of like rubbing salt in the wound. Sienna must know it too, judging by the sad smile she sends my way.
“I’ll see you soon,” I assure her. I ruffle April’s hair and hoist her backpack over my shoulders. “Ready to go, kiddo?”
She shoots me a toothy grin. “Yep.”
We turn and start heading back through the parking lot, but Sienna calls my name. She jogs over to us, hands wringing together.
“Sorry. I just—” She sighs and scrubs her hands down her face. “I saw you. Earlier.”
My stomach drops, heart skidding to a stop inside my chest. She saw me?
“When Sammy came back from his break,” she continues. “I took April on the ferris wheel and I saw you go into the fun house.” Oh, shit. “You were going after Peyton, weren’t you?”
I stare at her, completely dumbfounded. Peyton? She thinks I like Peyton? “What— how did—”
“You were watching her, with that asshole Asher Brooks. And then you followed her in. I wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but then I remembered how you acted when she came in the diner not long ago. You were all flustered and stuff, like you didn’t know how to act around her.”
I still don’t know what to say. On one hand… Peyton? Really? But on the other hand, I can’t exactly tell her the truth, can I? That the person I was really following was, in fact, that asshole Asher Brooks. And I suppose her thinking I like Peyton is as good a cover as any.
I try to laugh, but it comes across all strained and weird. “Well, I’m just… busted.”
Sienna steps closer, lowering her voice. “Look, I’m not gonna get involved in your business. But, Peyton can be… trouble. Just be careful, okay?”
Even though she’s got it all wrong, her warning still stands. I have no doubt that Peyton’s trouble, and if she ever finds out about what happened between Asher and me, I have a feeling things will get nasty. Fast.
* * *
My search for a new job crashes and burns on the very first day of looking.
I drag April all over town, trying every single store and restaurant we find, but have no luck. Most of them seem genuinely interested, telling me how desperate they are for new staff especially in the run-up to the holidays, but then as soon as I give them my name, they either backtrack and tell me they’re not hiring or brush me off, saying they’ll get back to me.
At first, I assume my bad luck is at fault. But after the fourth time it happens, my suspicions start to grow. Edna, the little old lady who owns the bakery, is the one to confirm them.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” she says, looking genuinely apologetic. “I can’t hire you. It’s your uncle, he’s spread the word all over town that if you work for us, we’re as good as shut down. We just can’t risk it.”
Just when I think that he can’t surprise me anymore, that he can’t possibly be any worse of a human being than he already is, he proves me wrong. He’s blacklisted me from every business in Leighton Bay. Threatened the owners, forced them to agree. I can’t work. I can’t get money. Not even Hal’s connections and overdue favors can help me out of this.
Sure, I could try outside of the town limits, but paying for public transport everyday will take a huge chunk out of the money I save. Plus, it wouldn’t be fair to April. I’d either have to leave her with someone or drag her along with me, and I can’t do that. Not long-term, anyway.
We head home, completely defeated.
It isn’t until a few days later that I feel even a spark of hope again.
I’m standing at my locker, about to head to study period, when my phone rings. I frown, pulling it out of my pocket and staring at the unfamiliar number flashing across the screen. Shaking off the feeling of trepidation crawling up my spine, I hit accept.
“Hello?”
There’s a bubbly woman on the other end of the line, who sounds way happier than anyone should be at this time in the morning. “Is this Oakley Farrow?”
My brows pull together. “Yes, it is.”
“My name’s Holly. I’m calling about a job opportunity.”
I listen with rapt attention as she starts discussing the details of the job. It’s a one-off deal with a catering company, serving food and beverages at an event in the rich part of town. And when she tells me the pay, my eyes almost fall out of my head. For just one night, it’s more than I made in a month at Hal’s. Surely, this can’t be right. It sounds too good to be true.
“The event starts at seven, so you’ll need to be here at six,” she says. “And we’ll need you to stay until the clean-up is finished, which will be around ten o’clock. Is that going to be a problem?”
Well, I can’t bring April with me. That’s for sure. I hate asking for help, but the money’s too good to turn down. I’m sure Mrs Sanderson won’t mind having her for the night.
“No, that should be fine.”
“Fantastic. I’ll send all the details over to your email. It should be with you shortly.”
“Great. Um, can I ask… how did— how did you get my name, exactly?”
“We got a call from somebody recommending you. I don’t have the name here, but I can—”
“No, that’s okay. Thank you.”
“Take care, Oakley, and we’ll see you on Friday.”
We hang up and I pocket my phone, feeling lighter than I have in days. I guess Hal really did come through. Jesus, how am I ever gonna repay him for this? I feel like I need to bake him a cake or something.
I head down the hall and start brainstorming ideas, minding my own business, when a hand darts out of an empty classroom and drags me inside.
Asher shuts and locks the door behind us, before pinning me against it.
“Fancy seeing you here, Farrow.”
I roll my eyes and shove at his chest. “What are you doing?”
“Getting you alone so we can pick up where we left off. Wasn’t that obvious?”
One time. I promised myself that this would only happen one time.
A one-and-done kind of thing, to get it out of my system. That’s all. Anything more than that is dangerous. I can’t trust Asher, a fact that will never change. I need to cut this off now, before things go too far. Before everything goes wrong. Before I become too… addicted.
“Asher, I— I told you, this—”
“Can’t happen again,” he finishes, ducking his head, trying and failing to hide his disappointment. “Yeah, I know. I guess I just thought that maybe you’d change your mind or something.”
He steps back, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. I blow out a breath, trying to ignore how just being this close to him sends my body into overdrive. My skin feels hot, my head’s spinning, my heart thumping wildly inside my chest. I’m aching for him, and that’s not good.
Just when I think he’s gonna turn and leave, he rushes me again, standing so close that the tips of our noses brush. Breathe, I remind myself. Stay strong. Don’t back down. But even as I repeat the words over and over, I can feel my control slipping. What is it about him? What makes him so damn intoxicating?
“You know what?” he rasps, his hands gripping my sides tight enough to leave bruises. “Fuck that. Once isn’t enough and you know it.”
Stay strong. Stay strong. Stay strong.
Don’t back down. Don’t back down. Don’t—
“Are you… not giving me a choice?”
He frowns. “What are you—”
My eyes go wide, chin tipped down as I urge him to understand. “I know I said it could only happen one time, but if you’re not giving me a choice, then…”
Smirking, he finally gets it. I’m too weak to resist him, but my pride won’t let me make the decision for myself. But, if he’s forcing my hand…
“That’s right. I’m not giving you a choice. You’re doing this, whether you like it or not, Farrow.”
Well, then…
I fist his t-shirt and drag him toward me, sealing my mouth over his. He groans, parting his lips immediately for me to slip my tongue inside. Fuck, this feels even better than last time. How is that possible?
Tearing my mouth away, I push him back an inch. “One thing, though. Don’t take it easy on me out there. No matter what happens between us, things can’t change while we’re out in public.”
These last couple of days, he’s been… nicer than usual. His hits are softer and less frequent, his words not as cruel as I know they can be. And I don’t want that. It’s fucked up, I know. To ask my bully to keep bullying me. But, there’s just something so insanely hot about it. Everyone will see Asher torturing me, degrading me, treating me like dirt. But what they won’t know is that in these brief, private moments between us, I was the one in charge.
Besides, the more normal we are, the less likely we are to blow our cover. The less likely it is for my uncle to find out.
“Are you sure?”
Instead of answering with words, I steal his lips again, fucking my tongue into his mouth, slow and deep until he’s putty in my hands. Biting his bottom lip until I can taste copper, I plant a hand on his shoulder and push him to his knees. He goes willingly, staring up at me with those big green eyes, already glazing over with lust.
“Just so you know, I still hate you.”
He grins. “Good. This’d be way less fun if you didn’t.”
“Now, let’s see how quickly you can make me come.”
Two times can’t hurt, right?