Blackmailed by Her Bully

She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth. “You’ve got it all wrong.”

“I have, have I? You see, I don’t think I do. I’ve got it just right.” Logan folded up his newspaper. “You’re nothing. The people in this town don’t care about what happens to you. It didn’t even take much from me to get the good sheriff to turn his back. No one here will step in my way. You’re mine, Ava. To do with as I see fit and the way I see it, I’m going to make sure you pay for the lies you told.” He swiped his hand in the air. “Take her back to her room. I don’t want to look at her anymore.”

She didn’t fight Hunter as he lifted her up.

Glancing back at Logan, she saw him still looking at her. No, not looking, glaring. There was real hatred in his gaze. He hated her.

That was okay. She wanted him to hate her. It would make fighting him every single step of the way easier.

Hunter opened the door, and she stepped inside. For a prison cell, it wasn’t too bad.

“If you take advice…”

“You seem to be offering a lot of it. I thought you were his friend.”

“Oh, I am his friend. I know Logan better than he knows himself. There’s something going on that I’m not sure of. Why don’t you tell me?” Hunter said.

“I didn’t accuse him of sexual assault.”

“What did you accuse him of exactly?”

She stared down at her hands. “That’s the thing, I didn’t accuse Logan of anything.”

Hunter laughed. “You expect me to believe that?”

“It’s the truth.”

“I’ve seen the words on the papers, sweetheart. You’re not innocent. You accuse Logan of everything. Raping you. The entire scene the way it played out, is in full black and white. I’ve seen what you’ve said, and believe me, he has a right to be pissed.”

“What are you talking about?” She truly had no idea what was going on.

“You’re a good actress, I’ll give you that. Did you always want Logan to notice you, is that it? Do you like playing hard to get?”

“What are you talking about?”

“This conversation bores me. I actually thought you’d tell me the truth. After all, what do you have to lose? Nothing.” He slammed the door closed, and she rushed toward it.

“Let me out! I’m not lying. Get me out of here. You fucking bastards! Let me out.” She slammed her hands against the door, hurting herself in the process, but she didn’t care. She had to make them listen to her. She had to leave.

No one came.

She tried the handle on the door.

It wouldn’t budge.

She was once again trapped and alone. Sliding down the door, she didn’t know what was going on. She had gone to the police but not to tell on Logan. He’d been brought up, only because he was a friend of the man she had gone to report. A man she hoped to never see again.

This wasn’t the first time she’d heard people accuse her of reporting Logan, nor the sexual assault allegations, but she’d never justified her actions, never needed to because she had thought he had been dealt with. What the hell had Logan done? Whoever reported him, it wasn’t her. She had proof with her witness statements. Only now she was starting to wonder what the sheriff had done, and why Logan had been taken away in the process. She’d never been told what had happened to Logan, only that he’d been arrested. The sheriff had advised her parents to send her out of town, and she’d gone to stay at a small resort until after the trial. The sheriff had said he’d take care of anything so she didn’t have to deal with the trauma.

Whatever had happened, she’d been caught in the crossfire, and now there was no way out for her. No way whatsoever.

****

The town was the same, even after twelve years.

Logan stopped off at the coffee shop, ordered himself a bagel and a coffee, which tasted a little on the burnt side no matter how much cream they’d tried to add in to hide it. He was aware of the curious looks and glances his way.

He was a catch, always had been.

Hunter had taken over the rumors and gossip.

Once he’d been seen, he made his way toward Ava’s house, letting himself inside with the key Hunter had stolen for him.

He had the few possessions she’d packed into the suitcase, money, and her passport.

She could have been so much more. There was a time she had dreams of being out of Crow Valley, of having a life writing or in journalism. She’d told him all about it one day when they’d been locked inside the school gym.

It was a prank one Halloween, and they’d stayed there the whole night, talking. It was the first time he’d stayed with her for a long period of time, listening to her talk, and taking the time to do the same. She listened to him as well.