“I should really get back to my friends,” I say, my breaths coming out fast and short. I try to walk away but he follows me.
“Your friends are gone,” he says, licking his lizard lips. “Relax, drink some beer.” He’s eying my beer cup again, willing me to drink it.
I pull out my phone. “I’m just going to call them. Plus, my boyfriend should be here any minute. He’s a cop.”
He chuckles at my imaginary boyfriend. Apparently, I’m not the first girl to invent a boyfriend around him and he’s not fooled. I picture those other girls trapped in his basement as we speak. I call Joy and hold the phone to my ear, praying that she answers.
She doesn’t.
Of course.
“Hi, babe,” I say to Joy’s voicemail. Her recorded voice is telling me not to leave a message and to send her a text instead.
“Great, you’re here,” I say into the phone. “Come meet me. I’m in the living room.” I glance at Scorpion, hoping to see him run from Todd (yes I named him), my imaginary boyfriend, but he is just standing there smirking, not buying it. I try for one last hail Mary. “What? You have your pistol on you. You know I don’t like it when you carry that out in public. I know you can’t leave it in the car. Okay, bring it in.” Oh, Todd and your responsible behavior. “I love you too.” Todd loves me.
But apparently, so does Scorpion. He’s not giving up that easily. Unfortunately.
“Let me see that,” he says, yanking the phone out of my hands.
“Hey!” I yell, trying to grab it back but he holds it up out of my reach. “Give me my phone,” I say in my best angry teacher voice.
Scorpion smirks as he goes through it, invading my privacy like it’s nothing.
“Your boyfriend’s name is Joy?” he asks, chuckling as I try to grab my phone but fail spectacularly.
“I call him Joy because he makes me happy.” Yeah, that sounds plausible. Weird, but plausible.
“Any naked pictures in here?”
I’m too short to see what he’s looking at but my cheeks go red anyway. There’s nothing but pictures of my cat in there but I feel violated nonetheless.
“Please give me my phone back,” I beg. I’m keeping my voice down, trying to avoid making a scene.
“Come and get it,” he says, turning away. He walks to the back door with my phone held over his head and I have no choice but to follow, exactly like he wants.
I curse under my breath as I walk into the backyard. The music is muted out here. There is a smattering of people around the yard, smoking and drinking. My pulse is racing. My spider-sense is tingling. I am hating Joy right now and am promising myself to never hang out with her again.
I would leave my phone behind but I have everything on there and I can’t imagine this guy going through it all. Plus, I need it to call a cab so I can get the fuck out of here.
“Can I please have my phone back?” I ask with my hand out. I can hear my voice clearer out here even over the ringing in my ears from the loud music.
“For a price,” he says with a slimy smile.
“How much?” I ask. I’m willing to pay big money for this guy to exit my life right now.
“I don’t want money,” he grins. His creepy eyes stare blatantly at my chest and now I’m happy that I didn’t wear the black shirt.
He presses his black-stained fingers on the screen and smiles as his pocket vibrates. “Now, I have your number.”
“Great,” I say, feeling my stomach churn. “Now, can I have my phone back?”
Scorpion slips it into the pocket of his jeans. He thrusts his crotch forward. “Come and get it.”
I scrunch up my nose in disgust and back away. He can keep it.
“Okay, you can have it,” he says.
I stand still, sensing a trap. He grabs my wrist and yanks me into him. “For a kiss.”
My insides quiver as his stomach-churning lips come rushing toward mine.
Chapter Two
Colton
The world stops when I see her walking outside.
My heart is pounding, but everything else is in slow motion. The distorted beat of the song in my ear, the girl in front of me talking about how close she lives to here, even the bead of sweat that’s now sliding down my temple is now existing in a time warp. It’s all unnaturally slow.
Not only has she shattered me, but she’s destroyed the space-time continuum.
I’m staggered and have to lean on the pantry for support. I’ve never been like this… so, paralyzed in the presence of a girl. Utterly helpless in my feelings for her.
“It’s only about five minutes away,” Natalia is saying as she presses her chest out. “And my parents are gone for the weekend.”