Chapter 18
CHAPTER
Jenn
The Past
I LEANED MY HEAD back on the headrest, feeling the breeze in my hair as Rhett drove us to the field party.
I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation of being driven to our destination.
It was the first time I had ridden in his car, and I wanted to savor the moment.
My body was still buzzing from our evening together at Jagged Point.
I replayed Rhett and I finally being together over and over.
Yes, I would have liked it to have been more romantic.
There were no flowers or candlelight as I always imagined there would be.
I touched the torn sleeve of my shirt, tucking it into the hem so it wasn’t too noticeable.
I wiped the tears that were still drying on my cheeks with the back of my hand.
My thighs felt sore, and there were scraps on the back of my arms from the gravel.
I throbbed deep inside, making it uncomfortable to sit.
I hadn’t expected it to hurt so much, but I didn’t want to tell Rhett and make him feel bad.
For a moment, I had been afraid. I hadn’t been sure I wanted to sleep with Rhett. Not yet, anyway. But he was so insistent, and I knew that I couldn’t say no.
I didn’t want him to leave me, so I gave him what he wanted.
In the end, my doubts didn’t matter because Rhett told me he loved me.
This man was my future. I knew it.
I opened my eyes and glanced at his profile, the love I felt silencing the twinges of uncertainty that had started to grow in the back of mind.
I loved him. He loved me.
I was surprised when he’d suggested we go to Jeremy’s party, but I was glad.
He finally wanted to introduce me to his friends and it had solidified everything in my mind, especially when he had given me his class ring.
He’d had an almost frenetic energy about him, like someone before they dove into the deep end of a pool for the first time.
But I had jumped at the chance to go somewhere with him.
It felt like this was the first step toward being a real couple.
But the closer we got to the field, the darker his mood turned. I noticed the tense set of his shoulders and the clench of his jaw. I ran my fingers through his hair to try and settle him down. Was he nervous about something?
“You okay?” I asked him.
Rhett looked at me quickly. “Yeah, all good.” I didn’t push it. I knew he wouldn’t appreciate it, and I was learning when to keep quiet.
I sat back in my seat and lifted the heavy gold class ring from the chain around my neck. I still couldn’t believe Rhett had given it to me. It was such a sweet gesture. Tangible proof of his feelings for me. So whatever was going on with him now, I convinced myself it had nothing to do with us.
“You sure you want to go to this thing?” Rhett tried to sound nonchalant, but I could hear the tremor in his voice. Was he regretting the offer to take me now? It made sense that he would be nervous, I guess.
“I want to meet your friends,” I told him. “The people that are important to you will be important to me.” I lifted his hand and brought it to my lips, kissing his knuckles. “I love you, Rhett.”
He squeezed my hand before extracting himself from my grip. “I love you too,” he said, but a thread of apprehension had taken root, and I had to force myself to believe him.
I could tell something was wrong as soon as we arrived at the field party.
It began when I saw Jeremy. He was so intense. So angry. Had I led him on somehow? I had been around enough men who felt they had a claim on me for one reason or another. I knew the look when I saw it, and I knew I had to be careful.
I was thankful for Rhett by my side, even though I could feel the undercurrent of anxiety that coursed through him.
Then there was Alison. She was just as angry as Jeremy, but it seemed for very different reasons.
I got the impression she was dating Rhett’s friend Caleb, but she only had eyes for the man by my side, which he was oblivious to.
She pulled me over to the keg and handed me a Solo cup.
When I fumbled with the nozzle, she took my cup and filled it for me with a sigh of annoyance.
“So you and Rhett—?” She didn’t finish the question. She didn’t need to. Her question was full of accusations.
“Yeah, I guess so,” I told her, my voice small. I kept darting looks over to where Rhett stood with Jeremy and Caleb.
“Who are you?” she asked rudely.
I felt jittery with nerves. “I’m Jenn,” I squeaked.
“Jenn what?”
I swallowed a mouthful of beer, hating the taste. “Jenn Moore. I’m new in town.”
Alison filled up another cup of beer, her eyes never leaving me. “I figured, because I’ve never seen you before.” She took a sip of beer, watching me over the rim of her cup. “It looks like you make friends real quick.” She glanced at Rhett, who was watching us closely, his eyes worried.
“Yeah, Rhett’s been great. He’s so sweet,” I gushed, thinking this might be a way to get her to like me if she and Rhett were close. “Are you and Rhett friends?”
Alison glared at me. “I’ve known him for years. Rhett’s special. I thought he was better than this.” Her mouth twisted like she tasted something sour. “He’s too nice for his own good. Doesn’t realize when he’s being taken advantage of.”
I gaped at her. “I’m not taking advantage of him. That’s not what’s going on at all.”
Alison grabbed my wrist, twisting it slightly, making me gasp. “Watch your step, little girl. We don’t take kindly to women who think they can take what—and who—doesn’t belong to them.”
She dropped my arm and I cradled it against my chest, the skin throbbing. I didn’t even have to question if her words were a threat. It was obvious she meant me harm. For reasons that seemed all too clear.
She was jealous, even though she had a boyfriend.
I didn’t understand the strange dynamic I had stumbled into.
I touched Rhett’s ring around my neck, trying to soothe my fearful anxiety. Alison’s eyes darkened as she watched me slip the ring on and off my finger.
“Is that Rhett’s class ring?” she demanded.
I looked down at it and couldn’t help but smile, despite the situation. “Yeah, it is. He gave it to me this evening.”
“I can’t believe him,” Alison fumed.
“This looks like a great party,” I commented, trying to sound upbeat and friendly. Wanting to turn this around, if at all possible.
Alison didn’t respond. She kept staring at me angrily. Her antagonism put me on edge. “I think we should get back over there.” I nodded in Rhett’s direction. “I don’t want Rhett to wonder where I am.”
“Of course. Can’t have Rhett worrying over you, can we?” Her voice held a nasty note of sarcasm.
I rushed back to Rhett, wanting him to shield me from everyone. I was starting to understand why he hadn’t wanted to bring me tonight. His friends weren’t very nice. I couldn’t make sense of why the kind, sweet boy I was in love with would hang out with these people.
I handed Rhett one of the beers and was surprised when he drank it quickly. He’d told me he wasn’t much of a drinker. That grain of mistruth disturbed me.
I held out my own beer for him to take. “Here, you can have mine. I don’t really drink anyway, remember?” He took it without hesitation.
“So, uh, Jenn, is it?” Caleb asked. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to be nice or if he was simply filling the awkward silence.
I looked from him to Rhett, who appeared uncomfortable. “Yeah, it’s Jenn. Jenn Moore.” I gave him a sweet smile. Like with Alison, I really wanted him to like me. These were Rhett’s friends, and they were clearly important to him.
“How long are you planning to stay in Fern River?” Caleb asked.
I glanced at Rhett again, and his face was frozen in a stiff smile. “I’m not sure. Depends on Rhett, I guess.” It was meant as a flirty joke until I saw Caleb and Jeremy’s expressions.
“Oh, really?” Caleb asked, and he and Jeremy started laughing, which seemed to piss Rhett off.
Jeremy smirked hatefully, his eyes hooded and furious.
“I had no idea you two were so close.” Then he leaned toward me.
I felt his invasion of my personal space like a violent act.
Jeremy threaded his fingers through my hair and I shuddered at how casually he touched me, as if he had every right to.
Then he pulled something out of my hair.
It looked like grass. He held it up. “Looks like you two already had a roll in the hay before you got here.”
I wanted to die inside.
Was it that obvious that Rhett and I had slept together?
I glanced around the field at all the people who seemed way too interested in us. Could they tell too? The whispering and blatant staring was awful.
Rhett leaned close to me, his lips brushing my ear lobe. “I think we should get out of here.” I nodded gratefully. I wasn’t having a very good time, anyway.
Not with Jeremy watching me like he owned me and Alison glaring like she wanted to kill me.
I took Rhett’s hand again, lacing our fingers together. He didn’t pull away, and I took that as proof that I wasn’t wrong about us. Then I saw the change of expression come over Rhett’s face. He looked like he had seen a ghost.
Alison’s eyes widened, and Caleb whistled low under his breath. “Uh-oh.”
“Hi, Rhett.”
I glanced up to see a gorgeous woman with long blond hair walking toward us.
She seemed angry even with her dazzling smile.
I wanted to cower behind Rhett and hide from her.
She had the aura of someone who would stomp all over me, and I wanted to get as far from her as possible.
She was incredibly intimidating. Even Caleb and Alison hurried off, clearly eager to be far from this woman’s fury.
I could see Rhett swallow thickly. He pulled his arm back and took a noticeable step away from me.