asshole. I wanted to piss you off. ” He closes his eyes, face full of useless regret. When he opens them again, they’re shiny with unshed tears. “I’m messed up, right? I destroy everything I love.”
Love? Oh, now he can say the word. That’s just awesome.
I try to pull away again, but he doesn’t let me. “Please,” he begs, lowering his face to mine. “Give me another chance. Don’t let me ruin us.”
I take in a shuddering breath, trying to steel myself. “Have you done this before?” I ask almost fearfully. “Cheated on me? You did it so easily tonight.”
Johnny catches my face with both hands and looks me dead in the eye. “I swear to god—I’ve never even looked at another girl since I met you. Tonight was—I don’t even know. It’s always been just you, Juliet.”
The next thing I know, we’re kissing—passionately, desperately. I can’t tell you who reached for who first. I can’t even tell you that there wasn’t biting involved.
You know the really sick part? I’ve never been more turned on.
“Juliet,” Johnny whispers, dragging down the zipper of my hoodie.
I suddenly come b ack to myself, pushing him away. “No. Stop.”
“I can make this up to you. I swear.”
“We’re over. We were over the second you believed the words coming out of some lying bitch’s mouth. Go home, Johnny.”
I jerk myself out of his arms, and this time, he releases his hold, shoulders slumping. But as I start walking away from him, he says quietly, “I’m never letting you go.”
Why does it sound like a threat?
Oh, yeah. Because that’s what the stalker said to the girl right after he tied her up and left her in his basement for a year.
The next mor ning, I stumble into the downstairs, only half-awake. I need caffeine…I need…what’s that s smell? Nose wrinkling, I walk into the kitchen, and almost bump into my mother carrying a steaming cup of coffee.
“Careful,” Mom hisses, wincing as the hot liquid sloshes out of her mug.
“Sorry!” I gasp. I wet a dish towel and hand it to her. “Did you get burned?”
“No, it’s fine.” She takes the towel and wipes her hand and the sides of the cup. Then she gives me a hard look. “You look worse than I do. Rough night?”
I collapse at the kitchen t able burying my head in my arms. “Boys suck,” I groan.
“Yeah, they do,” she agrees readily. “Speaking of boys, did you know there’s one asleep on our lawn right now?”
My head shoots up so fast I give myself whiplash. “What?”
“That boyfriend of yours.”
Mom points toward the front of the house, eyebrows raised. I run into the living room and peek out the curtains.
And there’s Johnny, lying under the big oak tree in our front yard. His jacket is bunched up under his head, used as a makeshift pillow, his hands resting on his stomach. He looks like an innocent little boy, sleeping there so peacefully. I bite back a scream of exasperation.
Mom is sitting at the table, calmly sipping her coffee when I stomp back into the kitchen.
“He’s an idiot!” I seethe, plopping down next to her.
There’s a spark of malice in her usually calm eyes. “Want me to turn the sprinklers on him?”
I consider it—for a very brief moment. “No. Let’s just leave him. He’ll get the hint eventually, and go home.”
Mom just shrugs. I wait to see if she’ll ask me about it—but she doesn’t. “What are your plans for today?” she asks instead.
“Oh…I guess I’ll head over to Dad’s in a bit. I’ll be back tomorrow before dark. What about you? What time do you go in today?”
Mom is an RN at Golden Valley Hospital . She practically lives there. If you’re going to hide from your own life, the hospital is the perfect place to accomplish that. I never see her anymore. Even when she’s here, she’s not here, you know?
“I don’t go in until
Love? Oh, now he can say the word. That’s just awesome.
I try to pull away again, but he doesn’t let me. “Please,” he begs, lowering his face to mine. “Give me another chance. Don’t let me ruin us.”
I take in a shuddering breath, trying to steel myself. “Have you done this before?” I ask almost fearfully. “Cheated on me? You did it so easily tonight.”
Johnny catches my face with both hands and looks me dead in the eye. “I swear to god—I’ve never even looked at another girl since I met you. Tonight was—I don’t even know. It’s always been just you, Juliet.”
The next thing I know, we’re kissing—passionately, desperately. I can’t tell you who reached for who first. I can’t even tell you that there wasn’t biting involved.
You know the really sick part? I’ve never been more turned on.
“Juliet,” Johnny whispers, dragging down the zipper of my hoodie.
I suddenly come b ack to myself, pushing him away. “No. Stop.”
“I can make this up to you. I swear.”
“We’re over. We were over the second you believed the words coming out of some lying bitch’s mouth. Go home, Johnny.”
I jerk myself out of his arms, and this time, he releases his hold, shoulders slumping. But as I start walking away from him, he says quietly, “I’m never letting you go.”
Why does it sound like a threat?
Oh, yeah. Because that’s what the stalker said to the girl right after he tied her up and left her in his basement for a year.
The next mor ning, I stumble into the downstairs, only half-awake. I need caffeine…I need…what’s that s smell? Nose wrinkling, I walk into the kitchen, and almost bump into my mother carrying a steaming cup of coffee.
“Careful,” Mom hisses, wincing as the hot liquid sloshes out of her mug.
“Sorry!” I gasp. I wet a dish towel and hand it to her. “Did you get burned?”
“No, it’s fine.” She takes the towel and wipes her hand and the sides of the cup. Then she gives me a hard look. “You look worse than I do. Rough night?”
I collapse at the kitchen t able burying my head in my arms. “Boys suck,” I groan.
“Yeah, they do,” she agrees readily. “Speaking of boys, did you know there’s one asleep on our lawn right now?”
My head shoots up so fast I give myself whiplash. “What?”
“That boyfriend of yours.”
Mom points toward the front of the house, eyebrows raised. I run into the living room and peek out the curtains.
And there’s Johnny, lying under the big oak tree in our front yard. His jacket is bunched up under his head, used as a makeshift pillow, his hands resting on his stomach. He looks like an innocent little boy, sleeping there so peacefully. I bite back a scream of exasperation.
Mom is sitting at the table, calmly sipping her coffee when I stomp back into the kitchen.
“He’s an idiot!” I seethe, plopping down next to her.
There’s a spark of malice in her usually calm eyes. “Want me to turn the sprinklers on him?”
I consider it—for a very brief moment. “No. Let’s just leave him. He’ll get the hint eventually, and go home.”
Mom just shrugs. I wait to see if she’ll ask me about it—but she doesn’t. “What are your plans for today?” she asks instead.
“Oh…I guess I’ll head over to Dad’s in a bit. I’ll be back tomorrow before dark. What about you? What time do you go in today?”
Mom is an RN at Golden Valley Hospital . She practically lives there. If you’re going to hide from your own life, the hospital is the perfect place to accomplish that. I never see her anymore. Even when she’s here, she’s not here, you know?
“I don’t go in until
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