Chapter Twelve
Charlotte
I yawn as I listen to Loden strum his guitar. It’s quiet in the house as everyone sleeps. I’m tired, but my mind is racing. I keep replaying what happened with Cal over and over in my mind. He’s confusing because I’d almost say he likes me, but then he opens his mouth, spewing mean stuff.
“You doing okay, Lo?” I ask, holding up my phone to look at him.
He’d propped up his phone against his dresser and is sitting in a chair beside his bed, his acoustic guitar perched in his lap. Shirtless, all of his tattoos are on display. When he plays, I hear whatever he’s feeling inside. It comes out through his music. It went from something hard to almost sad sounding.
His head lifts, his dark brown eyes widened in surprise. “Why do you ask?”
“You seem sad.”
He runs his fingers through his inky black hair, his bicep bulging. Even though he’s tall and lean, he’s cut with just enough muscle to look good. “Just thinking.”
“Thinking gets people like us in trouble. Talking is what saves us,” I parrot Carrie.
A chuckle rumbles through the line. “Fine. I had a fight with my dad.”
“And?”
“He thinks I need more therapy.”
“Are you wanting to use?” I ask, worry trickling through me.
“No,” he mutters. “I’m okay there. About other stuff.”
“Like…”
“He thinks my being gay was because I was always fucked up. Now that I’m sober, I can straighten out my sex life too.” He shakes his head. “Why is he such an asshole?”
“My dad was that way with Hollis. He’s okay with it now. Maybe your dad will come around.”
“Your brother settled down with some hot firefighter. I’m fucking anything with a dick in a ten-mile radius. If I had someone to love, I think Dad would accept it. He doesn’t understand casual sex, especially with men.”
“What does Mena say?”
“She thinks the pressure is too much.”
“From your dad?”
“No. This life.” He sighs. “I love music. But this life? It’s overwhelming.”
I wish I could hug him.
“Lo,” I murmur. “Promise me if you ever feel too overwhelmed, you’ll come see me. Please.”
“Yeah, baby, I will.” He flashes me his fake smile. “You still daydreaming over Cal the naughty teacher?”
“I’m not daydreaming.”
“You probably have your hand in your panties diddling your Skittle while thinking of him.”
I laugh. “Don’t be a freak.”
“I mean, I’m not into chicks, but I wouldn’t say no to watching.” He waggles his black eyebrows at me. “Wanna show me what all the fuss is about?”
“Then you’ll really need therapy,” I say, grinning. “Remember? You hate sweaty vaginas.”
He shudders. “I was just trying to make you feel better, but you’re right. Keep your kitty cat in her cage.”
Loden goes back to playing a song, this one more upbeat. My mind drifts to this afternoon. How I had my hand on Cal’s dick. A text comes through.
Unknown Number: Meet me outside.
“Oh God. He seriously is not here right now,” I grumble.
“Hot teacher?”
“Yeah,” I mumble. “I guess he must have gotten my number from Hollis. I’ll call you tomorrow. Be good, Lo.”
He grins. “I’d say the same for you, but I’d prefer you be very bad with Cal so we have something interesting to talk about later.”
I flip him off. “Bye.”
“Bye, baby.”
We hang up and I don’t bother throwing jeans on. I’m wearing cotton shorts and a sweatshirt, but it’s still warm outside being that it’s August. I toss my phone on the bed before sliding on flip-flops and sneaking down the stairs.
I unlock the door, push it open, and close it behind me, scanning the driveway, looking for Cal’s obnoxious truck.
“Cal?” I whisper into the darkness. “What do you want?”
Someone approaches from the side of the porch, swiftly and angrily, but stops just inches from me.
“Cal? Why the fuck would Cal be here?”
I freeze, terror sending ice shooting down my spine. “Ryan?”
He reaches a hand up and I flinch, not at all interested in the pain he’ll inflict. Another step forward and the moon reveals his face. His frown indicates he doesn’t understand why I’d pull away from him.
“You need to leave,” I state, trying and failing to keep my voice steady.
“I’m not leaving, babe.”
“I’m not your babe anymore,” I remind him. “Leave.”
“Charlotte—”
“Leave or I will scream,” I threaten, tears already forming in my eyes.
He pounces, his palm landing on my mouth, and he shoves me against the front door. My head bounces off the wood, dizzying me. His hips pin me, his arousal evident in the way it stabs me. One of his strong hands grips my throat.
I whimper, hating how weak I sound. I squirm to no avail. Ryan has always been stronger than me. Meaner. My hands grab at his wrist, trying to pull him from my neck.
“Stop fucking moving,” he seethes. “I just want to talk and you’re making this difficult. Calm the fuck down and I’ll let go.”
My body goes slack instantly, praying he’ll be good on his word. Hot tears flood down my cheeks, soaking his hand that still covers my mouth.
“I drove two hours to come see you.” He inhales my hair. “And the first thing that comes out of your mouth is another guy’s name?” His grip on my neck relaxes, allowing my breathing to not be so labored. He squeezes my breast and then slides his hand into my shorts. “This is still mine.”
I sob when he enters me roughly with one finger.
“There,” he croons. “I missed this pussy. There aren’t any girls at OSU like you, Char. You’re special. That’s why we have to make this work. I won’t be in Corvallis forever.”
It hurts as he jabs at my insides. I claw at his arm, trying to pull him off me.
“You know I prefer it when you’re compliant. Do you need something to calm down? Stay really still.” He pulls his finger out of my body and then sucks on it before diving his hand into his pocket. The moment I see the pill, I panic.
He releases my mouth and I start to yell. His fingers that smell like me cram the pill into my mouth. I try to bite him, gagging on the acrid taste. He curses, forcing his hand back over my mouth. The pill burns on my tongue, but I refuse to swallow it. I know what he can do to me once that pill takes over my senses and I can’t let him do this to me again.
We struggle and he starts to yank down my shorts. They fall at my ankles, leaving me bare and vulnerable. I scream against his hand, but it’s too muffled. He starts yanking at his pants, pulling his dick out. It rubs against me, sending terror lighting me up from the inside out. I’m close to swallowing the pill so I don’t have to endure this.
And then it happens.
Light.
Pain.
My spine explodes as I land on my back, Ryan crashing against me. It takes me a second to realize the front door has opened and we’ve fallen inside. Ryan goes completely still above me.
“Get the fuck off my sister.”
Penny.
Slowly, he pulls away from me, his hard dick jutting out like a dagger, ready to inflict pain. I spit the pill out and stare at the fierce way Penny points a gun right in Ryan’s face.
I roll away from him and scramble to my feet beside my sister. His vicious glare now illuminated by the entryway overhead light nearly destroys me as he shoves his dick back in his pants.
“This isn’t over,” he growls.
“It would be if I shot you in the fucking dick,” Penny spits out.
If looks could kill, my sister would be dead. Luckily, the only weapon worth anything is the one in her hand. The same gun I know Aunt Karen keeps for protection in her bedside table.
Without another word, he stalks off into the darkness. I hear an engine start up and then he peels out. Quickly, I yank up my shorts from the porch and pull them on.
Penny shuts the door, a furious expression on her face. “I hate that guy.”
“Me too,” I whimper.
I throw myself at her, hugging her tight. She squeezes me in an affectionate way that’s rare for my sister.
“We’re getting a restraining order put on him,” she tells me. “I’m calling Dad and we’re dealing with Ryan. As a family.”
“Penny, I’m scared.”
“Which is why we have to do this.”
“His dad is a cop.”
“So? He can’t get away with this. Besides, not all the cops are bad.” She pulls away and studies my face. “Or we could just call your boyfriend. Let him handle him.”
“Boyfriend?”
“Oh, come on. Like I don’t know you and Cal are together.”
I scoff. “I’m not with Cal.”
“Could have fooled me when you were giving him a handy over his jeans today.”
“You saw that?”
“I see everything, sis.”
“It’s not what it looked like.”
“Whatever. Regardless, I don’t think he’d be happy to know your psycho ex-boyfriend just tried to put his flea-infested dick in you. Am I right?”
I have to agree with her on this one.
“You’re right,” I agree.
“What’s going on?” Mom asks, coming down the stairs with Karen right behind her.
“Why do you have my gun, Pen?” Aunt Karen demands in her principal voice.
Penny relinquishes it to our aunt. “I almost had to shoot Ryan in the dick for trying to use it against Char.” She shrugs as though her blunt words won’t give Mom a heart attack.
Mom cries out in horror, yanking me to her, stroking her fingers through my hair. “That monster. Oh my God. Sweetie, are you okay? Did he—”
“I’m okay,” I assure her, choking on my tears. “But can we call Daddy? I want…I want to file a restraining order against Ryan. I won’t allow him to hurt me anymore.”