Becky: Why her?
Becky: Did you think she was me?
Becky: Why didn’t you tell me?
Becky: Do you not love me anymore?
Same ole, same ole.
I ignore them and drop the phone onto my lap. Cole pops his head out of the water, sucking in a deep breath, but says nothing.
My phone begins to ring, but I don’t even bother looking at it. I have nothing to say to Becky. I didn’t sleep with Demi for any other reason than I wanted her. Simple as that. And I was single. Am single. I don’t have to explain myself, especially to her. She’d kill me if she knew I did it for a second time. Third time. Fourth time. They were all better than the first, if that’s even possible. And it’s all I’ve thought about. I’ve been hard for the last three days.
It stops for a second and then starts up again.
“You gonna answer that?” Cole asks.
“Nope.” I take another drag. It stops after the second ring this time, and I sit back in the lounge chair.
“Wanna talk about it?” he asks.
I almost laugh. “Not much to say.” At this point, I’m not sure who fucked me over more. Demi or Becky. One cheated on me, and the other used me.
Fuck, I’m starting to sound like a bitch whining to her girlfriends about a guy she expected to love her.
I hear the sliding glass door open, and a moment later, Austin comes to stand beside me. “Get your ass out of the pool,” she tells Cole in a rush.
“Austin, what …?”
“Get the fuck up.” She ignores him, smacking my arm so hard I drop my cigarette in my lap.
“What the hell?” I bark, trying to shove it off before it burns my fucking dick through my jeans.
“What’s going on?” Cole demands, jumping out of the pool.
“Demi is here.”
My teeth grind at the mention of her name. I can’t do this again. I don’t see it ending well. I hated that I felt the slightest bit sorry for her when she confessed she wanted to be anyone but herself. It’s just another trick. Now that I haven’t seen her in days, I’ve been able to think clearly. She picked Seth over me. And I refuse to do this again. I’ve already done it with Becky.
“And?” Cole growls.
“And she needs our help.”
I snort. “Tell the bitch to go to hell.”
Austin shocks the shit out me when she slaps me across the face. And fucking hard, I might add. I jump to my feet.
“Get the fuck over it,” she yells. “This is serious.”
Cole grabs her arm, forcing her to face him. “What is going on?”
She takes in a deep breath. “It’s about Seth.”
“That doesn’t help her case.” I growl.
She pulls away from Cole and places her hands on her hips. “Every time I forget how big of dicks you guys can be, you remind me.” Then she spins around and enters the house, slamming the sliding glass door shut.
Cole grabs his towel and dries off with a hard look on his face. I step on my cigarette, making sure it’s out before I go inside to face whatever bullshit is going on.
Cole and I enter the house and find Demi sitting on the couch with her head down between her hands. Austin sits beside her, rubbing her back and speaking softly.
“Why the fuck are you here?” I demand, coming to stand in front of them.
Austin’s head snaps up, and she glares at me. “Deke …”
“No, he’s right. I shouldn’t have come,” Demi whispers.
“This is my house, and you are welcome here anytime you want. This is a safe place.”
What the fuck is Austin talking about? Safe place? Is she trying to say I hurt her last time she was here? ’Cause Demi never told me no or to stop. She was very willing. “Get the fuck out.”
“Deke!” Austin shouts my name, jumping to her feet. “Don’t fucking talk to her that way!” She steps into me, but Cole pulls her back. She spins around on him. “Cole …”
“Austin.” He growls her name in warning, but what Cole doesn’t understand is that he no longer holds any kind of power over Austin Lowes. “This doesn’t concern us.”
“It does,” she argues.
“It doesn’t …”
“He tried to rape her!” she shouts, yanking free of him.
Silence fills the large living room at her words. I look down at Demi, and she still sits with her head down, but I now see the trembling in her small body.
Austin lets out a long breath and sits down next to her again. When she reaches out to touch Demi’s back, she jumps slightly. “It’s okay,” she whispers to her.
I run a hand through my hair. “What happened?” I ask through gritted teeth. This better not be another damn trick! Her sister pretended to be pregnant so who knows what Demi is capable of?
That silence continues, and it makes my jaw tighten. If it’s true, it doesn’t make any sense. First, he hurt her at the Halloween party, and now he tried to rape her? What the fuck is his deal? And why the hell is she with him?
“Demi?” I snap her name.
She stands, keeping her head down. “I’m leaving,” she says in a soft voice, and she turns to exit the living room.
I reach out, grab her arm, and spin her around to face us, about to scream at her, demanding to know what the fuck happened, but the words die on my tongue when I see her beautiful face streaked with tears. And my heart begins to beat faster as I look her over. Her T-shirt has been stretched out; it hangs off her right shoulder, showing the strap of her nude-colored bra. She has a rug burn on her elbow, and her hair is tangled. Her cheek has a small cut on it. But it’s her eyes that make my chest tighten. They look like the saddest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.
I step into her, placing my hands on her face. “What happened?”
She licks her trembling lips. “He was gonna rape me.”
DEMI
I expect him to push me away. To throw me out. I didn’t come here for him. I came here for Austin. I read her journal, so I know what she went through with her mom’s boyfriend. Not only would he slap her, but he also touched her inappropriately, and I wanted to talk to her. Not explain to Deke how my fake boyfriend decided he wanted to fuck me and wasn’t gonna take no for an answer. At least that’s what he told me his plan was.
“What makes you think that?” Cole is the one who breaks the silence.
I reach up and push Deke’s hands from my face. Thankfully, he doesn’t fight me. “He …” I swallow. “I went to go see him, and he was acting weird.” I drop my head to the floor. “When I tried to leave, he grabbed me. I told him to stop, and he said he wished he could. Then he threw me face down onto the floor. I started screaming, and he kept saying sorry, over and over. I felt him undo his jeans, and he flipped me over. That’s when I lost it.” A tear runs down my cheek. “I clawed at his face, bit his arm, and managed to kick him off. Then I just ran.” My body shakes. “I left … and … I didn’t know where else to go.” I choke out the words. I can’t tell my mother this. She thinks I was with Lauren. And I can’t tell Lauren because she thinks we are already sexually active. I had nowhere else to go.
Strong arms wrap around me, and I bury my face into Deke’s shirt. “You’re safe now, princess,” he says, kissing my hair.