12. Daniel
Chapter twelve
Daniel
A Match Into Water
S itting restlessly in my chair in class, I can’t help but notice Becca isn’t here.
Frowning, I take out my phone and text her, hoping for a quick response. But there's nothing, and frustration begins to build inside me.
Irritably, I push my chair back and stand up. The teacher's curious gaze follows me as I stride out of the classroom.
"Where are you going?" She calls after me.
I stop and turn to face her, clenching my jaw. "None of your fucking business," I snap, before continuing on my way to the parking lot. Slamming my car door shut, I start the engine and speed away from school.
The truck stop is only a few miles away. As soon as I pull into the parking lot, I scan the area for Becca's car. It doesn't take long to spot it. Furious now, I storm inside the busy establishment.
Who does she think she is? Just skipping school to what? To get into more trouble?
To avoid seeing me…
I sigh and push that thought out of my head. Becca never said no. She wanted it. Right?
Immediately, I hear Becca's voice carrying through the air. Following the sound, I find her sitting in a small cafe area, tears streaming down her face as she clings to a big trucker dude who is attempting to console her. My stomach twists with jealousy and anger.
I quickly retreat back into the shadows before she spots me. But it's too late. The moment our eyes meet, her expression hardens into a glare that could cut steel. The trucker also turns his fierce gaze towards me, clearly ready to defend Becca at all costs. And suddenly, all eyes in the room are on me - judging, glaring, and questioning why I'm here and what I want from Becca.
I turn around and leave without saying a word. The weight of their collective glares burning into my back as I walk away.
As I sit in my car, my mind racing with confusion and fear, the door suddenly swings open. That burly trucker looms over me, his eyes blazing with anger. Before I can react, he shoves me back into my seat.
"You stay away from Becca," he growls through gritted teeth. I try to speak, but he cuts me off. "Shut your fucking mouth. That girl is already hurting, and she doesn't need your mind games on top of it."
With a final slam of my door, he stalks off, leaving me reeling and trying to make sense of what just happened. But before I can even begin to process, there's a knock on my window. It's Becca. I open my door and she steps right up to me.
"Why were you following me?" she demands.
My heart races as I try to come up with an answer. "You skipped class.”
Becca scoffs. "Yeah, so what?"
"We have to work on the project together."
She rolls her eyes, clearly upset. "That doesn't give you the right to stalk me."
Frustration and anger bubble up inside me. “We need to talk about last night.”
But Becca shuts me down immediately. "I don't want to talk about it. It happened, whatever. Happy fucking birthday to me, right?"
Now I'm even more confused and angry. "What? What the fuck does that mean?"
Becca's voice turns cold as ice. "It was my fucking eighteenth birthday yesterday, you fucking idiot. But don't worry, I'll never let that happen again."
Without thinking, I reach out to grab her arm. "Becca, that's not-"
But she yanks her arm away and slams the door shut before storming off into the distance, leaving me alone with my swirling emotions and unanswered questions.
Frantic thoughts race through my mind.
Fuck, fuck!
I reach for my phone and call Ryan, hoping he can help me out of this mess.
"You home, bro?" I ask, as the call is connected.
"Yeah, come through," Ryan's voice comes through the speaker.
I quickly drive to his house, feeling nervous and unsure of what to expect.
As I walk into his living room, I see Ryan sitting with Ally, and wince, knowing I interrupted something.
"Uhhh, hey."
Ally stands and looks at Ryan before glancing over at me. "Nice to see you." She turns and walks out, leaving Ryan and me alone.
"So...?" I trail off, unsure of where to begin.
Ryan looks at me with concern in his eyes. "She was upset."
"Gotcha," I respond, sinking onto the couch and reaching for the joint Ryan has already rolled.
"I fucked Becca last night. It was... I think I made a mistake," I confess, taking a drag from the joint and exhaling slowly. "One minute we were fighting, the next thing I know, I'm shoving my dick down her throat like an asshole."
Ryan's expression turns serious. "Did you... force her?"
I hesitate before answering truthfully. "Kind of. But she never said no. She... was into it."
"Holy shit, dude.”
I sigh heavily. "I know. And I didn't even realize it was her birthday. Now I feel like a fucking asshole."
Ryan pauses for a moment."You should reach out to X. Sounds like the shit he pulled on Penny."
"Fuck. I'm in trouble with her now," I groan, feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about how to make things right again.
"I know, man. Maybe just stay away?"
"I... I don't want to," I admit, torn between wanting to make things right and wanting Becca again.
She’s such a mind fuck. One minute I can’t stand to be in the same room as her, but the next I want to be so fucking close to her, inside of her as I mark Becca as mine.
We finish smoking the joint, joking about school and talking about our plans for college.
I look down at my phone, silently cursing.
“I gotta head out.”
Ryan grins at me. "Good luck with Becca. She's wild. Just... be safe, that's all."
I laugh nervously. "I will. You too, with Ally."
Ryan winces slightly before forcing a smile. "Uh, yeah."
Shaking my head at his awkwardness, I leave his house and get back into my car, driving home with a mixture of guilt, confusion, and desire swirling inside me.
What am I going to do with Becca?
T he dinner table is set, but there's an empty seat where Becca should be. My family all turns to look at me as I clear my throat.
"It was Becca's 18th birthday last night.”
My mother gasps in shock. "Oh, my god! We have to do something for her!"
I shake my head, knowing better than anyone that Becca hates her birthday.
"No mom, she doesn't want anything."
Delilah nods in agreement. "Maybe we should talk to her first."
My dad takes a sip of his drink, his face clouded with concern. "I agree. She's been through a lot. Let's ask if we can do something small, like just a cake here at home."
My mom sadly smiles, her eyes filled with compassion. "Okay, I just... my heart breaks for that poor girl. I love my children and could never imagine treating you guys the way Becca's mother has treated her. I want to show her what real motherly love looks like." She looks around the table. "Where is she, anyway?"
I shrug, not wanting to tell them about my tense interaction with Becca earlier. But Delilah jumps in with a sneer on her face. "What did you do to her now?"
Frustration boils inside me as I slam my hands down on the table, pushing my chair back forcefully. "Nothing! Why do you always have to accuse me like that?"
Delilah sits back smugly and smirks at me. "Well, you don't exactly have the best track record with girls."
My dad lets out a heavy sigh, clearly tired of our constant bickering. "That's enough."
I push my plate away, suddenly losing my appetite amidst the tension and accusations at the table. "I'm not hungry anymore."
Without another word, I storm up the steps to my bedroom, feeling a mix of anger and hurt at my sister's words.
After slipping off my school uniform, I slip into soft gray sweatpants and a white long-sleeved shirt. I pull on a black hoodie and lace up my sneakers before stepping out onto my balcony. Grabbing my bong, I take a few hits and let the calming effects wash over me as I stare at the full moon above me.
But then thoughts of Becca flood my mind, the woman I hate but also can't seem to resist. Why am I so drawn to her?
With a sigh, I get up and quietly enter Becca's room. It's no surprise that she's not home yet. As I start rummaging through her bags, the sound of screeching tires catches my attention.
Rushing downstairs, I open the front door just in time to see Becca parking her car haphazardly on the side of the garage.
My heart races as I sense something is wrong. Becca stumbles out of her car and I catch her in my arms. She looks up at me with a smile before suddenly turning to vomit all over the lawn.
"Goddammit, Becs. What's wrong with you?" I ask, trying to help her stay upright.
She closes her eyes and smiles again before muttering. "I just... needed to lose control. Mne nuzno bylo perestat dumat o tebe. ”
"Shit. Let's get you inside," I say, putting my arm under hers.
As we make our way upstairs to her room, she continues to puke in a trash bin, but some of it gets on her clothes. Without hesitation, I strip Becca and me down and lead her into the shower with me.
Becca starts crying and my heart breaks at the sight of such rare emotion from her.
Oh god, did I break her? Did I do this to her?
"I want my Katya, Danny," she sobs.
“I know, baby. I know.”
All I can do is hold her as the water turns cold. I gently bring her out of the shower and wrap her in a towel, her red eyes swaying as she stands there.
I dry myself off and throw my sweatpants back on.
"Stay with me tonight," she pleads.
I sigh, unsure of what to do. "Becs..."
"I just need your touch," she says, desperate and drunk.
I shake my head. She's not thinking straight.
"No, I can't," I say firmly.
Becca pouts, but sways on her feet. I quickly put a shirt on her and tuck her into bed. "I'll sleep on the couch. Just so I can watch you."
Becca lays her head down and passes out.
"God, what a fucking mess," I mutter to myself as I prepare to sleep on the couch.
An hour goes by when I hear Becca whimpering in her sleep. She's sitting up, but her eyes are closed. "Please, please don't. I promise I'll be good. Please mommy," she mumbles.
My heart races at the mention of ‘mommy’ and I rush over to the bed. Becca is still dreaming, her arms covering her head protectively.
"Not the hanger! I didn't mean to ruin your dress! Please mommy! Katya save me!"
Without hesitation, I climb into bed with Becca, pulling her into my arms.
“Shhh, Becs. I got you. You’re safe, butterfly. You’re safe.”
Her body slowly relaxes, and she falls back asleep against my chest.
As soon as she's settled, I close my eyes and try to sleep again.
But a few hours later, Becca slips out of my arms and sneaks onto the balcony. After waiting a few minutes, I cautiously sneak over to check if she's okay.
In the moonlight, Becca looks fucking gorgeous all wrapped in a blanket... reading something?
Squinting my eyes, I see that it's letters... and just barely make out the name Katya written on them.
Becca starts to get up and I rush back to the bed before Becca returns.
She carefully climbs in next to me, pushing the stack of letters under her pillow.
Becca is soon right back to sleep, her soft breaths soothing my anxiety.
I close my eyes and try to get a little shuteye before having to deal with this mess in the morning.