“So we’re all in agreement about everyone’s part for the project?” Sarah asked, looking around the study room.
“I am,” I stated and looked over at Colby Wilkins and Peter Smith. They both nodded. Colby smiled at me, so I smiled back and then focused back on Sarah.
“Everyone needs to have their part of the paper written and turned into me by the end of the day on Tuesday. Colby, is that going to be a problem? Don’t you start like football training again or something?”
Colby nodded. “Spring training doesn’t start for another few weeks. I’m good, don’t worry. I’ll have it to you, Sarah.”
She studied him, then smiled. “Do you need any extra help? You can swing by my place if you do.”
I had to force myself not to roll my eyes. Goodness, Sarah didn’t even try to hide the fact that she had the hots for Colby. A part of me wondered if she just wanted to hook up with him purely because of the fact that he played football.
One more semester dealing with this sort of thing. I couldn’t wait to be back in Boggy Creek and with Hunter all the time. My mind drifted off to thoughts of our last time together.
“What are you thinking about, Arabella?” Peter asked with a laugh.
“Whatever it was, it must have been naughty for you to blush like that.” Sarah winked.
I laughed. “Don’t be silly. It’s just hot in this room.”
The study rooms in this part of the library were all private and soundproof, which was nice when you needed a quiet place to read, but in the winter they could get toasty. Everyone nodded, and I noticed Colby staring at me.
Sarah stood. “Okay, then that’s all for today. Have a great weekend everyone—and Colby, if you change your mind, call me.”
Peter chuckled as he quickly stood, grabbed his bag, and headed for the door. “I’m outta here. I’ve got a frat party I need to prepare for. You gonna be there tonight, Colby?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there.”
Sarah handed me a piece of paper with information for the slide presentation, since I was the one in charge of making it. “Thanks,” I said, starting to gather up all my things.
“Later, guys,” Sarah said as she slipped out.
Colby stood and walked over to the door and shut it.
I looked up at him and slid a notebook into my backpack. He was leaning against the door, smiling at me. I stopped what I was doing and stared at him. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
A sudden feeling of dread washed over me when he let his eyes wander down my body.
“You like wearing dresses, don’t you, Arabella?”
I swallowed hard and looked at my dress. “Um, it was an unusually warm day today, so I thought I’d wear one.”
He nodded and pushed off the door, making his way around the large study table. “Does your boyfriend know how much you want me?”
My eyes went wide while my mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t play dumb, Arabella. All the little smiles you give me. The way you dress in those tight sweaters and dresses. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you lick those luscious lips of yours all the fucking time. I’ve had dreams of your mouth around my cock.”
I took a few steps back, glanced at my cell phone in my purse on the floor, then focused back on Colby. “I don’t know what you mean, Colby, but I am very much in love with my boyfriend and not the least bit interested in you that way.”
The moment I saw his expression change, I knew my words were a mistake. Colby didn’t seem like the type of guy who liked women telling him they weren’t interested.
“I’m not good enough for you?”
“That’s not it, it’s just…I have a boyfriend.”
He nodded, taking a few steps closer. “If I were your boyfriend, there’s no way in hell I’d let you go off to college without me here to watch over you. So that just tells me he doesn’t care too much.”
A nervous laugh slipped free. “That’s not it at all. He’s going to a private college where he got a scholarship—”
The look in his eyes changed and he lunged so quickly, I startled. I attempted to dodge him and tripped over a chair. I tried to reach for my phone, but Colby grabbed my arm and pulled me close.
“Let go of me, Colby, or I’ll scream!”
He laughed—and the pure evil in the sound caused my entire body to tremble. “You won’t scream. I feel how your body is trembling, eager for me to touch you.”
I frantically tried to pull out of his hold. “No. You’re scaring me! Let me go or I swear to God, I’ll scream.”
He pulled me so hard I stumbled and fell into him. He spun me around and pushed me against the wall. Somehow, he had pulled both of my hands behind my back. His other hand ripped off the scarf around my neck and shoved it so far into my mouth, it made me gag.
“There, that takes care of the screaming now, doesn’t it?”
His hand moved under my dress, and I tried desperately to fight him. My sobs were muffled by the scarf, along with my pleas. Tears ran down my face as he ripped off my panties. I frantically shook my head and kicked my legs.
“Stop fighting me, or I’m going to make you pay. I can be rough or not—but one way or another, Arabella, I’m going to fuck you right here and now.”
I stilled, my eyes going wide with fear. He used his leg to push mine part. I sobbed, trying to get my hands free so I could pull the scarf out of my mouth. His body had mine pinned hard against the wall.
He pushed my dress up while I begged for him to stop, my words muffled by the scarf.
His free hand went to his pants and I cried harder, trying to pull my hands free of his grip.
“Does he have any idea how fucking sexy you are? How you flirt with other guys?”
I shook my head so hard, I nearly made myself dizzy.
“Does he touch you like this, Arabella?”
The moment he touched me, my legs collapsed. I felt sick to my stomach and was momentarily stunned.
Colby pulled on my arms, causing a sharp pain to hit me so hard, I gasped and nearly choked.
Before I could recover from the pain in both of my shoulders, he spun me around, threw me down on the table, pinned my arms over my head—and took something that wasn’t his to take.
I cried so hard, I was sure someone, anyone, would be able to hear me.
He leaned down, placed his mouth against my ear and whispered, “Does he fuck you as good as I do?”
I tried with all my might to get away, but the harder I fought, the more pain he caused.
My eyes closed, and I drifted to another place. A large field with rows and rows of lavender. And there were beehives, one after the other, all placed in neat lines between the lavender. When I squeezed my eyes tight enough, I escaped the hell I was currently in, listening to the swarm of bees instead of the chaos all around me.
Then, almost as quickly as it had started, he was off of me. I couldn’t move, only gasping for air when he pulled the scarf out of my mouth.
“Don’t worry. I pulled out.”
I snapped my eyes open and saw the ceiling of the study room. It took me a moment to get myself together before I scrambled off the table and backed into a corner, as far away from Colby as I could get, gulping for air.