Denial

Chapter 1

Rae


I shifted against the bed restlessly. There was something familiar yet strange about it. I rolled onto my side, clutching the pillow tightly in my grasp. A dissatisfied grunt escaped from me as I rolled onto my back. Still, I couldn’t get comfortable. I tossed and turned for a moment longer before opening my eyes and sitting up.

Blinking against the darkness, I surveyed my surroundings. The walls of the room were mostly bare, save for a few random pictures. I was just barely able to make out the double doors to a walk-in closet. My gaze was trailing along the pieces of discarded clothing littering the floor when something next to me shifted, breathing on my bare flesh.

Wincing slightly, I knew what I’d see if I glanced down. This had been a mistake. He’d told me how he felt and I took advantage of it. Turning towards the source of my discomfort, I was just able to distinguish his features. His thick lips drew my attention before my gaze trailed over to his wide nose. His coarse, black hair lay in waves on his dark head. What little wasn’t covered by the comforter boasted a mouth-watering physique. I knew that if he rolled over and I removed the comforter, I’d see his eight pack and his impressive package that has so many teenage girls and women alike, swooning.

Lincoln.

I gazed down at him, waiting for that surge of tenderness to warm my body. The tenderness people claim they feel when they loved someone. It never came.
Sighing quietly to myself, I climbed out of the bed, my body moving like a well-oiled machine. Moving swiftly around the room, I pulled on my carmine bra and matching silk panties before throwing on my black tights and my violet strapless blouse I’d cut midway to show off my toned belly. Pulling on my black tennis shoes, I crept out of Lincoln’s bedroom and down the hall. It was difficult to see in the dark, but I couldn’t risk alerting any of his family of her presence. God knows I can’t afford to get caught screwing the sheriff’s son.

Finding the stairs, I moved down them as quickly as I could and tiptoed out of the sliding door, into his backyard. Once I was safely outside, I took off at a dead sprint, charging through the neighborhood like a petty thief being chased by the cops. My heart pounded in cadence to my feet beating the ground. The world blurred around me, only the path in front of me remaining crystal clear. I didn’t slow down until I was five blocks away. Then, I set off at a walk.

As I walked, I allowed my eyes to wander. Light was beginning to show on the horizon, so it was definitely early in the morning. Being my stupid, forgetful self, I forgot my phone at home. There’s no telling how many times my ‘parents’ have called me. Thank god I have Quinn to create some cover story for me. Hopefully, she didn’t make something totally out there that would make me want to toss her ass into an asylum. Looking around, I could see the small businesses that pretty much made up our quaint little town known, Dean Isle, Maryland. This main area was surrounded in buildings built with brick and cement, and the ground created the same way albeit with a greyish coloring. We called it Purgatory. There was the little ice cream shop known as La Glace. It made the best ice cream flavors I’d ever had. The birthday cake/ cookie dough mash-up is to die for.

Next door was the town laundromat. If you used it, rumors would spread about you sharing dung beetles with your pet rat, getting your dose of protein. I avoid that place like the plague. At the end of the street was my favorite burger joint, Henri’s Hangout. I used to go there all the time with my family. Now, I hate even the vaguest of references to the place. There were quite a few small businesses littering Purgatory, but the one that stood out the most was the local grocer.

The local grocer belongs to my step-father, Joe Farley. He built it from the ground up alongside his father and grandfather. It’s the only grocery store within 50 miles, so he makes quite a bit of money off of it. Most people would hold this over others’ heads, but Joe isn’t like that. If you couldn’t afford to pay for your groceries, he just put it on a tab and you’d have 3 months to pay it off before he’d have to go to the police. But, that’s never happened.

Leaving Purgatory, I headed into a whole new set of neighborhoods. I let my eyes stray, keeping an eye out for possible attackers. We may live in a small town, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t get attacked by someone in the middle of the night. I don’t care that I’ve known these people my entire life. I’ll kill a bitch if they jump out of nowhere.

The town was spread out about the size of 6 football fields in every direction. Definitely not very big, but it was home. It took about an hour of walking before I finally reached my house. It was a two story, single home, the color of burnt sienna. There were five windows, two on the first floor and three on the second. The yard was of decent size, surrounded by a chain-link fence. There was a 2015 Chevy Cruze and a 2014 Ford F-150 sitting in the driveway.

Opening the fence, I flinched as it made a sharp squealing sound, slicing through the silence. Slipping into the yard, I slipped the gate back into place before heading up to the porch. Fortifying myself for a possible fight, I unlocked the front door and stepped over the threshold. I locked the door behind me and kicked off my shoes, choosing not to place them into their designated cubby.

I was just about to climb up the stairs when someone cleared their throat. Cursing silently to myself, I turned around to face whomever had caught me in the act. A dark shadow loomed somewhere in the dining room. Reluctantly, I trudged over to the edge of the room and clicked on the light.

The man seated at the table was my stepfather, Joe. When standing, he was at least six and a half feet tall. He had broad shoulders and a broad chest. His tanned skin shone brilliantly in the light, his black hair curled close to his head. When our gazes met, I saw the disappointment in his ash colored eyes.

Sighing, he looked up at me from his place at the table. “Where have you been, Rae?”

Shifting from one foot to the other, I didn’t dare break eye contact. “I was out. Nothing illegal.” As the words slipped past my lips, I could tell he wasn’t impressed. He stood slowly and stalked over to me like a predator closing in on his prey.

“This isn’t a game, Rae. You could’ve been taken.” I looked away then, but he grabbed me by my chin and forced me to look at him. “You could’ve been hurt, or worse. You could’ve died.”

I shook him off then and put some space between us. “Look, Joe. I was out, I drank a bit, and I had sex. Happy now?”

He just shook his head at me and brushed past. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked back. “Go to bed. You’ve got class in a few hours.” With that, he climbed the stairs, most likely to return to his wife.

Sometimes, I just don’t get that guy. I don’t mind him being here. I like him. I like his son, Junior. They’re great to have around. It’s just that sometimes, the guy acts like he’s my father or something. Like I need someone to look out for me. I have a father, and I buried him. I don’t need another one. And I definitely don’t need anyone to look out for me.

Shaking my head to clear away the irritating thoughts, I climbed the stairs and went straight to my room. As soon as I was inside, I stripped out of my clothes and slid under the covers. Almost immediately, sleep took me away from the world, if only for a little while.