Show Me the Way (Fight for Me 1)

But what hurt was it was clear his regret went so much deeper than the simple fact we’d let ourselves lose control where we’d been hidden by his massive truck. Deeper than the fact he needed to pull away to return to her.

And with Rex?

I felt out of control.

Spinning from a thread and barely hanging on.

He knocked the ground out from under my feet.

Shaking myself out of it, I pushed from the door and locked up before stepping out onto the sidewalk.

The scene in front of me made me wonder how I’d ever left this place. The old buildings built up on each side, massive shade trees grown up through the planters and shading the store fronts that still boasted some of the old shops my grandmother had gone to when she’d been my age.

You’d think the restoration in progress would have stolen from the charm.

It didn’t.

It only amplified.

The renovated buildings bore crisp new awnings and eaves, and the new brick structures climbed up between them to give the exact cohesive feel Lillith had been so proud of the day I’d first met her.

One day soon, Pepper’s Pies would be a part of this rebirth.

I inhaled a satisfied breath and started for my SUV, glancing down to fiddle with my key ring to grab the right one.

Then I smacked right into a firm body.

“Oh goodness, I’m sorry, excuse me,” I mumbled through my surprise.

Hands came out to steady me by the shoulders.

“Whoa, slow down.” The man chuckled, and my attention shot up. My eyes grew round, and my mouth went dry, my heart bottoming out in my stomach.

He smiled at me.

Confused by my reaction.

His head angled to the side, tone filled with an easy chuckle. “Tiny thing like you should slow down before you fall and mess up that pretty face.”

I took a staggering step backward. Still unable to say anything. Still unable to respond.

I couldn’t breathe, my heart locked in the center of my chest.

A rush of dizziness swept through my head, my balance lost.

He didn’t even recognize me.

The bastard didn’t even recognize me.

I pressed a hand over my mouth, trying to keep back the cry that clamored up my throat, just standing there, staring at him.

Unable to move.

Paralyzed.

Frozen by shock.

By fear.

By hatred.

“You okay, beautiful?” he asked as if he had the capacity to care.

I wished with all of me I had the strength to slap him across the face. Or maybe spit in it. Scream at him to go to hell, right where he belonged.

Instead, I stood there staring at him in terrified disbelief.

He started to reach for me, and I finally snapped out of my stupor. I frantically smacked his hand away as I stumbled back. Fighting tears, I broke away and rushed for my Cherokee. I fumbled with the key, hands shaking so badly I could barely get it into the lock. Another rush of dizziness swept through me, a violent storm, taking me under.

I could barely haul myself into the driver’s seat.

Nausea whirled.

I slammed the door and locked it, hands squeezing on the steering wheel. I fought the urge to shift my truck into drive, tuck tail, and run.

He was there.

He is here.

Bile climbed my throat when Aaron looked back over his shoulder at me. He shook his head as if I were insane then turned and continued down the sidewalk as if it meant nothing at all, as my mind was jerked back to the days I’d do anything to forget.

Rynna – Twelve Years Old

I grinned eagerly, excitement blazing through my nerves. I couldn’t believe I’d been invited.

Something about this felt special. As if things were finally gonna change. I hated being left out. Gramma said it was just because I was too shy, but I wasn’t so sure.

I threaded my fingers together and set them on my lap where I sat with my legs crisscrossed on Janel’s bedroom floor.

We’d made a circle.

The circle.

My eyes made a pass over the faces: Kimberly, Sarah, Ben, Kerry, Janel, and Aaron.

Aaron.

Butterflies stormed my belly and sweat slicked my palms.

Aaron.

I kept glancing at him, wishing I was sitting right next to him, but I was too nervous to make the move.

But at least I was there. That was all that mattered.

A dim light glowed from a bedside lamp, but otherwise, the lights were off.

Janel set the bottle in the middle of the circle.

Kerry giggled. “This game is so stupid.” But she was peeking at Ben when she said it, and I wondered if she was as nervous as I was. If everyone was.

Janel cleared her throat, and I thought no. Janel was never scared.

“Okay, these are the rules,” Janel said. “When you spin the bottle, whoever it lands on, you have to kiss them for three seconds.” Her voice dropped with the scandalous challenge. “On the lips.”

“Even if it’s a girl?” Kimberly asked.