Show Me the Way (Fight for Me 1)

“The best team,” I said, reaching out to wrap my arms around her. “Thank you, Gramma. Thank you so much,” I murmured at her ear, inhaling the sweet scent of vanilla and sugar that somewhere along the way had become a permanent part of her.

She hugged me tight, so thin and frail yet so incredibly strong. “I love you more than you’ll ever know, Corinne Paisley. You have been the greatest light of my life. It has been the greatest honor raising you into the woman you are.”

Tears slipped free, and I sniffled.

She pulled back and wiped them away. “Stop that, now, or you’re gonna mess up that makeup you spent the last two hours perfecting.” She nudged me toward the door. “Go on, have fun.”

I stepped back and squeezed both her hands in mine. “Thank you. I love you so much.”

Sight bleary with tears, I swallowed around the knot of hurt wedged at the base of my throat. “I left the house so happy that night.”

“Fuck, Rynna. I can’t . . .” Rex itched beneath me, muscles straining, as if he had to stop himself from jumping up and going back to that day to stop it from happening. But that was the thing about the past. It was over. All except for the scars it left behind.

“He picked me up at the end of the street. I hopped in his truck. I can still remember how he squeezed my hand, told me that tonight was just him and me.” Agony wheezed from my throat. “And for a moment, I felt beautiful.”

“Fuck, Rynna.” It was grit from Rex’s mouth. Hate bound with the protectiveness he so clearly felt for me.

“He took me to the lake. I was nervous and excited. There was this . . .” My brow pinched at the memory of it. “Old shack. Barely standing. So secluded I don’t know how he ever found it. There was a fire already burning in a pit near the shore. He said he’d come out and set it up for me. It was the first time I felt uneasy about everything. Something about it felt off. I should have listened to that flicker of intuition.”

I turned my stare down to Rex, who was grinding his teeth, hands tightening, holding on to me.

“I should have listened.” It left me a on a grated rasp.

Aaron led me into the shack. Immediately, his mouth covered mine. I kissed him back, fighting the quiver of fear that slicked beneath the surface of my skin.

I liked him.

I liked him so much.

I was just nervous. It was my first time. Everyone was nervous when they left themselves vulnerable to someone else. When you gave them this kind of trust.

I’d been enamored with him for all of forever. I finally had this chance, and I’d be an absolute fool if I let anxiety and insecurity get in the way.

Not again.

I’d been doing it for too long.

But when he led me to the small cot backed against the far wall and started to undress me, I couldn’t stop shaking. Shaking and shaking and shaking. Nerves skittered free and fast. Naked, my stomach tightened, and I couldn’t relax. I pressed my knees together, suddenly wanting to cover myself. It didn’t let up when Aaron undressed in the muted darkness.

I should have been watching his muscular body in the shadows. Instead, I squeezed my eyes closed and fought tears.

“Shh,” was all he said when he climbed over me and wedged between my thighs. My legs shook. I squeezed them against him, because something about this felt all wrong. My fingers dug into his shoulders and a whimper escaped my lips.

A sharp pain stole my breath when he thrust into me. I tried to hold it back, but a small cry escaped.

And those cries—they wouldn’t stop coming, though, I bit them back, keeping them subdued as he kept driving into me, his head shifted to the side, away, never looking at my face

Tears flowed, almost silent as I stared at the ceiling, wondering how his kisses had felt so good when this felt so . . . wrong.

I knew it.

My gut told me.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Something was so unbearably wrong.

I just didn’t know the extent of it until he groaned and pulsed before he quickly pushed off me and climbed to his feet. His naked body was lit up in oranges and reds against the lapping flames reflected in from outside.

Then Aaron, he smirked.

I blinked down at this amazing man who lay completely still, listening, knowing he wouldn’t judge me. But that didn’t mean my voice didn’t quiver with shame and agony. “He gave me this look before he ducked down and grabbed my clothes from the floor. He balled them against his chest and just . . . walked out with them. I couldn’t stop crying, Rex. Couldn’t stop crying. I kept calling for him. Screaming for him to come back. Not to leave me. Never in my life had I felt more alone than the moment when he walked out on me after he’d taken my innocence. After I thought I meant something to him.”