Page 37 of Worthy of Sunsets and Second Chances

Bennett literally snarls at me, baring his teeth as he moves across the kitchen, quick and angry. “You have been dating me for weeks, stringing me along. Have not let me touch you. I have been sooo fucking patient, waiting for tonight. You even said you hate this asshole. Then you make a fucking fool of me like this?”

“I’m sorry, I know I wasn’t fair to you. I should have told you I just wanted to be friends.” I back up as he comes closer, my eyes looking to the window above the sink, wondering if I will see a light on at Eli’s house.

A sweaty hand grips my chin and yanks my focus back to Bennett. “DON’T fucking look over there! He’s gotten enough of your attention tonight. Now you’re gonna give it all to me, darlin’.”

He forces a stiff, painful kiss on my lips, and I push away from him. “No! NO!”

“You don’t get to tell me no, not after all this,” he seethes, shaking the photos in my face. Spinning us around, he slams me into the refrigerator, and my head bounces off it painfully, making my eyes water and my head swim.

“Please don’t do this, let go.” I struggle against the bruising grip he has on both of my arms.

“You are supposed to be with me, only me,” he yells in my face.

“We aren’t exclusive, we’ve only gone on a few dates,” I say. But trying to reason with him was obviously the wrong move because he backhands me so hard my bottom lip splits open, filling my mouth with the taste of coppery blood that makes me want to gag.

While I gasp for air, desperately trying to pull some oxygen into my panicked lungs, Bennett reaches for his belt, the sound of the clanking metal echoing through the kitchen more terrifying than anything he’s said or done so far.

He’s not going to stop.

He is still close, not expecting me to move, so I twist out from under his arm and run. Down the hall to the living room. My goal is the front door, but I don’t make it that far. Bennett tackles me to the ground and we crash, our combined weight crushing down onto my left arm where I hear a distinct crack, making me scream out in agony.

Bennett flips me over as tears of pain and panic roll down my face. My dress is ripped and pushed up to my thighs. He is breathing hard and wipes a string of drool from the side of his mouth. I use every ounce of strength I have and knee him right in the balls.

A yell of fury and hurt comes from the man hovering above me. “You nasty little bitch. Your cunt is not worth this.” His vulgar words slam into my ears, and then his angry fist meets my face . . . over and over.

My ribs.

My chest.

His foot connects and cracks something, but I am too lost to even know if it is me screaming or someone else.

The pain overwhelms me as I lay in the place that is supposed to be my safe haven, my home, my nana’s cabin. Mine.

I look over to the floral and fruit wallpaper above the worn plaid couch, the small pile of books I didn’t get to finish yet on the end table, wishing I could have had the time to make this room my own before a powerful fist connects with my temple sending me spiraling into darkness.

29

Eli

By the time I swing my truck into the driveway of my house, it’s late and I’m wiped. The wedding was fun, everything I hoped it would be for my best friend since kindergarten, the man who’s essentially my brother. He and Lainey deserved today. One filled with happiness, joy, and most of all, peace.

After I watched Kendra walk out the door with that little prick she brought as her date, I didn’t really feel like staying either. But the station guys were all there, and it was easy to get sucked back into their bullshit, and before I knew it a couple hours had passed. I finally called it a night knowing I needed to be up early and get Wren from my mom in the morning. It was nice of her to take Wren home so I could stay later, but I honestly missed my baby girl and hated not being the one putting her to bed. Being back on shift is coming sooner rather than later, so I need to get used to letting others help me more with Wren. I never thought it would be this hard.

Turning off the truck, my attention is pulled to the lights still on in Kendra’s house. My heart twists thinking about being with her in that photo booth, our kiss, and the strip of photos burning a hole in my pocket.

That perfect fucking kiss.

I can feel the ghost of her tongue sweeping over mine, sweet and hungry. I wanted more, but she slammed the brakes on us. I understand and I don’t all at the same time.

We have a complicated past, one that nobody even fucking knows about. All our friends just think we constantly push each other’s buttons because we are oil and water . . . but the truth is she is the oxygen sparking the flames in my soul. The emotions she strikes light up so fast: intense, explosive, consuming. To others it seems like we can’t stand each other, but the reality is that I am burning for her. Have been for years, and I’m just now admitting the truth to myself, one that is becoming harder and harder to keep secret.

At this late hour I don’t think that Kendra will be awake, but maybe I can catch her before she goes to bed, talk to her for a minute without the interruption of a baby needing our attention. I’ll take any time she is willing to give me. At this point I’m not above begging.

Walking across her driveway and up her back steps, I open the screen, knocking confidently on the solid door. It swings inward, having not been closed properly, exposing a messy kitchen.

That’s odd, especially this time of night.

It’s also not safe. Don’t like that.