AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There were two single stall bathrooms on the side of the gas station for the tourists that stopped. One for the men and one for the women. I grabbed a couple rolls of toilet paper from the back stockroom and headed outside.
The bright light of the afternoon sun momentarily blinded me. It took me a few seconds to recover and by the time I realized who was standing in front of me, it was too late. The Brighton twins from a farm not too far away from Hanna were staring at me, their father's truck parked next to the fuel pump.
"Hey Lizzy," Dirk called, a piece of hay hanging from his mouth. He elbowed his brother and grinned.
"What you up to?" Stephen asked, returning his brother's grin.
They were both dressed in worn jeans and t-shirts with the sleeves cut off. Barbed wire tattoos circled their muscular arms right where the farmer’s tan ended. Almost every part of them, from the dark hair to the freckles on their noses was identical. Everything except for the crooked scar above Dirk's lip. That was the only way to tell them apart.
I groaned and made a sharp turn for the bathroom. This was the last thing I needed today. The Brighton twins had spent years harassing me, taking advantage of every opportunity to stop by whenever their father drove his truck through town.
At twenty-two years old, Dirk and Stephen were learning the family trade and preparing to take over the family farm. They delighted in making me squirm with their naughty little suggestions and flirtations. It was one of the things I looked forward to leaving behind when I was at school.
"Don't you two have something better to do?" I asked as they followed me around the corner of the station and to the bathrooms.
I heard a mock gasp behind me and an exaggerated sigh.
"But Lizzy, I thought we were friends," Stephen said.
I didn't look up at them, but tried to open the men's bathroom. Locked. Great, now I’d have to go inside and find the key.
"In what universe?" I mumbled under my breath.
The best way to fend off the Brighton twins was to ignore them. That's what I tried to do as I moved to check the ladies room, but a hand closed tightly around my wrist. Dirk pressed in close, pushing me against the wall of the gas station and startling me enough that I dropped the toilet paper and it rolled a few feet away.
"What are you doing?" The twins had tried to touch me before, but never this aggressively. I couldn't hide the hint of panic in my voice.
"Come on, Lizzy. We know you want us. Just admit it."
"No, I don't." I pushed back against Dirk's chest but couldn’t move him even an inch.
He grinned at me, his face inches from mine, while Stephen stood back and watched around the corner. Running a finger along my cheek, he leaned in even closer.
"I know you're just playing hard to get. My sister says girls do that to drive boys crazy. I think you've driven us crazy long enough."
I turned my head away as he pressed his chest against mine and worked his fingers into my hair. His breath reeked of onions and cooked meat. Everything inside me told me to move, but my body was too afraid to fight back. He placed his other hand on my waist and began to slide it up my side.
"Don't, Dirk. I mean it. I said no." The words came out like a whisper.
Dirk pulled slightly away and cocked his head, smirking at me. "Come on. You're always flirting with us. Don't act like you're so innocent."
I shook my head. Nowhere in my memory could I remember flirting with the Brighton twins. I'd simply not taken their crap, even when we were kids. They'd pull on my ponytails and I'd yank on their overall straps. It was all I could think of doing as a little girl. Sometimes, after they teased me and left with their dad, I would have to finish crying in the bathroom before I could return to work.
"I've wanted you for a long time, Lizzy Redding. Now, stop teasing me."
His hands were all over my body, in my hair, and groping at my chest. I tried to fight him, but he laughed and pushed against me even harder, forcing the air from my lungs. His rubbery lips nipped painfully at my mouth and down my neck, pausing at my collarbone. I felt his hands move to the zipper on my jeans and my fear intensified. If I didn't get out of here soon, he wasn't going to stop.
I did the only thing I could think of in the situation. With a grunt, I rammed my knee into Dirk's groin. He yelped and flew back, pressing his hands to his crotch. Before I could duck, he swung his right arm out and hit my cheek with the back of his hand, sending me crashing to the ground.
"What the hell, dude?" Stephan ran up to Dirk and grabbed his arm.
From the look in Dirk's eyes, he wanted to hit me a few more times.
"She kneed me," he said, the pain thick in his voice.
I felt along my tender jaw and tasted blood. If that slap was as bad as it felt, I'd have a nice purple bruise there tomorrow. Granny would definitely interrogate me to find out how I got it. I'd have to come up with a story before then. If I told her the twins did it, she'd tell me I brought it on my cursed self and would sentence me to an hour praying to the goddess in church.
"Come on, man," Stephen said, pulling on his brother's arm. "Dad's probably done gassing up. Let's get out of here."
