Chapter 3
AMY
The ground beneath me thumps to the bass of the music. Sweaty bodies sway along to the beat while voices sing out of tune to the popular song.
Sarah’s standing in front of me, and she turns to catch my eye, giving me a lazy alcohol-induced smile. She takes my hand, her palm sweaty from the heat of the crowd.
She says something that I can’t hear over the music and offers me her water bottle. I’m parched but I learned earlier that it’s not water she’s got in there. It’s pure vodka, and the last thing I want is to get drunk.
I shake my head. She shrugs her shoulders, letting her hand drop mine, and turns back to the stage while taking a sip from the bottle.
One of the boys from our group, Aiden, slaps an arm around Sarah’s shoulder and takes the bottle off her. He takes a long swig, upending the contents into his mouth. Then he throws the empty bottle into the air, letting out a loud whoop.
I cringe as the bottle lands somewhere in the crowd of people, probably hitting someone on the head. But Aidan doesn’t care.
He starts dancing to the music with his arms flailing in the sir.
I step back, trying to give him room, and he half turns, stopping mid-move when he catches me looking at him. I drop my eyes quickly before he gets the wrong idea.
Too late.
I feel his eyes on me, roaming over my cut-off shorts and fringed mid-drift top. I borrowed it from Sarah. She wouldn’t let me come to the festival in my plain jeans and t-shirt.
I pull the fringe down, trying to cover my stomach, but all that does is make my cleavage pop out at the top.
Aidan gives me a wide-mouthed grin as his eyes travel up my body.
He takes his arm from around Sarah and holds it out to me instead. I try to back away, but he grabs my wrist. His hand is sweaty and covered in dust from the festival.
“Come dance with me.”
His breath is alcohol tainted, and with the crowd around us and the loud music, I feel a wave of dizziness.
This is not where I want to be, in a dusty field with a crowd of drunk boys.
I shake my head and pull my hand out of his grasp. Aiden narrows his eyes at me, but before he can grab me again, I put my hand on Sarah’s shoulder, making her turn around.
“I need some air.”
I shout so that Sarah will hear me. She looks disappointed.
“I don’t want to miss the next set.”
“It’s fine,” I say. “I’ll be under the trees in our chillout spot.”
It’s not a big festival, only a few thousand people, and when we first arrived, we spent some time sitting under a copse of trees in the shade. I would have liked to spend the whole day there, watching from afar and away from the main crowd. But everyone else wanted to see the bands up close.
I couldn’t care less about the music. It’s too loud for me, too bassy, too many people.
As I push through the throng of sweaty bodies, trying to get out of the crowd, the skin on the back of my neck starts to prickle. I’ve had this feeling ever since I arrived, like someone’s watching me.
I glance around quickly, but all I see are groups of smiling people dancing or swaying in a happy daze.
Someone else is moving a few feet behind me, but I can’t see them. All I get is a flash of silver hair under a khaki-colored cap.
“You’re blocking my view.” A woman wearing shorts and a bikini top stands with her hands on her hips and her eyebrows pulled together. I guess not everyone here is in a good mood.
“Sorry,” I mumble as I keep going, pushing through groups of people until the crowd gets thinner and the air fresher.
Gulping in large breaths of fresh air, I head for the trees. How I let Sarah talk me into coming here, I have no idea.
I sink into the shade of a large elm and take a few deep breaths. The air is cooler here, the music a muffled hum rather than so loud that it hurts my ears.
When we first arrived, this shady spot under the trees was packed with people. Now most of the festival goers are in the crowd watching the band on the main stage.
The place is littered with trash, empty bottles and food packets left behind. So much for our generation supposedly caring about the environment.
There are a few groups of people dotted about on the grass. The smell of weed wafts in the air, and tinkles of laughter drift above the sound of the music. A couple is making out on the grass, rolling on top of each other.
“Get a room!” someone yells.
But the couple don’t stop their energetic kissing.
I can’t believe I let Sarah talk me into this. It’s only for one night, but if there was a way to leave right now, then I would.
We’re sharing a tent, but something tells me she’s going to hook up with one of the guys from the group tonight. Which means sleeping in a tent alone.
My mind wanders to Leo and what he’s doing now. Probably something civilized and adult, like having a decent dinner and drinking a beer while watching the Rams play.
I would rather be snuggled on the couch with takeout watching sports than stuck in this field with a bunch of wasted kids.
If Leo could see me now, he’d for sure think I was a still a kid.
“Hey, gorgeous.”
I startle at the sound of Aidan’s voice. He must have sneaked up behind me, and now he’s leaning against the tree, watching me.
“Aren’t you watching the band?” I ask, trying to hide my annoyance. I came here to be alone. The last thing I want is to chat with Aiden.
It’s nearly twilight, and the sky is darkening. But I can see the lascivious look on his face, his eyes half-lidded, raking over my body.
Sarah hinted that Aidan would be my type. She’s keener for me to lose my v-card than I am. But it certainly isn’t going to be to a guy who chugs vodka straight from a bottle.
“I’d rather watch you.”
Oh god, he’s hitting on me. That’s the last thing I want. I scan the grassy slope, hoping to see Sarah or anyone else from the group. But there’s no one I recognize. They must all be watching the band still.
Aidan sits next to me, positioning himself too close than what’s comfortable, and puts a sweaty hand on my thigh.
“I like you, Anna.”
I shift away, pushing his hand off my thigh.
“It’s Amy.”
Aidan snort laughs. “Amy, Anna…What’s in a name?” He’s obviously drunk and he lurches at me, sending a waft of liquor my way. “That’s Shakespeare, you know? Hamlet.”
He says it like I should be impressed. But he’s got the wrong play.
“Romeo and Juliet,” I correct him.
“Huh?”
“It’s a line from Romeo and Juliet.”
His eyes narrow, and I realize I’ve made a mistake. That’s another thing about boys. Their fragile egos can’t stand being shown up by a woman.
Aiden regards me for a long moment, and I can almost hear his brain processing. Silently, I will him to get up and leave, but instead, his features relax into a grin.
“You’re smart too.” He runs a slippery hand up my thigh.
I stop his hand with mine.
My mouth is dry, and I feel nauseous. My heart beats rapidly and I’m sure he must hear it. Aiden’s a big guy, a football player. It’s almost dark, and there aren’t a lot of people around. I make my voice steady so he doesn’t hear how frightened I am.
“I’m not interested, Aidan.” I say it firmly, looking him directly in the eye so there can be no misunderstanding.
I’m about to get up when he grabs me by the shoulders and pushes me to the ground. I’m so taken by surprise that I gasp.
“You don’t have to be interested, Amy. Just let me kiss you.”
My body freezes in shock. I’m aware of the earth beneath me and the hard press of his body on mine. This can’t be happening.
Then his alcohol breath invades my nostrils as his mouth searches for mine. The stench of his breath spurs me into action, and using all my strength, I struggle beneath him.
“Get off me…”
Aiden tries to kiss me but he’s slow and drunk. I can’t get out from under him, but I manage to pull my leg up and knee him in the groin. He lets out an angry bark. But it’s not enough to get him off.
Then Aiden gives a yelp, and the weight is lifted off me. I roll away from him as he’s lifted into the air by someone grabbing him from behind.
I sit up on my elbows, panting, the fear subsiding to relief when I see a large man with Aiden in a hold. It’s the man in the khaki hat.
His back’s to me as he punches Aidan in the face and sends him sprawling in the dirt.
“She said no, shithead.”
Aiden scrambles in the dirt, holding his bloody nose. The man advances on him, and I can only see his back, strong muscles rippling under his t-shirt. His fists are bunched up and angry veins pop in his neck.
He’s going to kill him.
The thought jumps into my head, and while I hate Aiden for what he did, I don’t want anyone dead.
“Stop.” It comes out as a whimper, and the man freezes.
He turns around and I gasp. The man in the khaki hat is Leo.