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Just him. Just the life we promised each other.
All too soon we’re at my school, sitting outside the campus.
Bennet looks up and down the street and then turns to me with his blue eyes glinting alluringly.
“I can’t resist you, Rory. I can’t even try.”
I let out a moan as he leans in, pressing his lips against mine, even as alarms ring out in my mind and try to get me to stop. We’re in public. One of my classmates could see, and maybe – somehow – word could get back to my dad.
But I don’t care about any of that as our mouths open and our tongues clash. Nerves sizzle, making me want to scream as I reach up and grip onto his shoulders.
He snarls through the kiss, his hand coming to rest on my thigh.
And then suddenly he leans back, with that wry smirk on his face. “You really could drive any man wild.”
“Any man?” I tease. “I thought I only belonged to you.”
“Poor choice of words,” he says, his tone possessive and borderline feral. “You drive me wild. Rory, we need to meet later… to discuss things.”
He adds the last part as an afterthought, leading me to believe he doesn’t want to have a simple discussion. My core gives a pulse and urges me to tell him we can go right now. We don’t have to wait.
But I need to go to class.
And, honestly, I need the time to process what might happen later. Or maybe he really does want to discuss the situation with my dad. Maybe he doesn’t want to do anything until we tell him.
“What time do you finish?” he asks.
“Four,” I tell him.
He nods. “I’ll be here.”
Leaning across, I kiss him lightly on the cheek, struggling to keep my hands away from those hard shoulders of his. “See you later.”
Climbing from the car, I shoulder my bag and walk across the street.
I don’t see them until they’re blocking my path.
There are four of them and they’re all clearly homeless, wearing dirty clothes with greasy hair. A pang of sympathy resounds through me, as I think about how lucky I am to have a home, a family, to have Bennet, whereas these men clearly have nothing.
But then the one steps forward, right into my path, and the pang inside of me takes on a different quality. Goosebumps prickle all over my body, and not in a good way, cautioning me as I take a step back.
The man leers, swaying a little from side to side, a brown paper bag in his hand. He’s tall and wide-shouldered, glassy eyes seeming unimpressed.
“Spare any change for a man down on his luck?”
I sigh. “I’m sorry. I don’t carry any cash. I use my card for everything these days.”
“Hmm, I see how it is.”
His tone turns bitter, his eyes narrowing as though I’m lying to him. I look past him, to the campus entrance, a security guard has his back turned to me as he talks with another student. I don’t want to make a scene by yelling, which surely would be an overreaction. But I can’t deny the fear that's going inside of me.
“Why are you looking over there?” the man grunts. “Do you think we’re going to hurt you? We just want a warm meal.”
“I know you’re not going to hurt me,” I whisper, even as my instincts tell me the exact opposite. “But I’m sorry. I really don’t have any spare change.”
“You said you had a card. Larry, there’s an ATM around the corner, right?”
“Yep,” Larry says, even taller than their leader, his hand fidgeting in his jacket pocket.
Does he have a knife, a gun? Or am I just being ridiculously paranoid?
We’re in public. They’re not going to do anything. Right?
“Fancy girl like you, with all those books, I’m sure you can spare a couple of dollars. Why don’t you come with us? Call it your good deed for the day. That way you can feel good about yourself in your nice warm house later, while we’re freezing under a bridge. Okay, ready to go?”
I open my mouth to say no, but the words get stuck when the man steps forward and raises his hand, as though meaning to grab onto my arm.
“What’s happening here?”
Bennet strides up beside me, stepping forward so he’s halfway blocking the man, his shoulder and his bulk an immovable mass of muscle.
Relief cascades through me. I thought he’d already driven away.
The man grins. “This kind young lady just agreed to come to the ATM with us so we can get a hot meal. Ain’t that right?” He turns to me.
I shake my head, not liking the look in his eyes one bit. It’s like he’s angry for Bennet being here as if I called him over.
“Rory?” Bennet glances at me, as I shake my head and his lips curl into a frown. Turning back to the man, he says, “I don’t think that’s quite how things went down. So why don’t you go on your way.”
