In the Woods When First We Met

40. Darkness

I hate this chapter, I don't want to be in Billy's head. Sorry.

*

Anne wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep that night.

Across Avonlea, Billy Andrews was lying awake in his bed.

He couldn't stop thinking about his encounter with Gilbert.

Who did Blythe think he was?

It made Billy angry.

First of all, he didn't think anyone would find out about what he had done.

He had no thought of that girl telling anyone. She was brassy and argumentative, but he felt sure he'd sufficiently scared the fight out of her.

But Blythe had said she hadn't actually told him; that he'd just figured it out on his own.

Was that true?

If Blythe had figured it out on his own, would other people figure it out, too?

And if Blythe was lying- if he hadn't figured it out on his own- if that ugly dog had actually opened her dirty mouth and told him- then what could he do to make sure she didn't tell anyone else?

Scare her again, he thought.

Maybe not the same way...it had been fun- he'd never done anything like that before and he liked the feeling of power it gave him- but it was just too risky. It had definitely served its purpose, but it couldn't be repeated. He'd have to think of something else.

And it was important that he did think of something else. It was important to make sure she wouldn't use her...evidence, whatever it was.

He hadn't actually meant to tear her clothes, it had just happened. But, like he told Gilbert, it would be easy enough to tear your own clothes if you really wanted to make it look as if you'd been attacked. So that part didn't worry him.

But there was still the blood. The blood made him nervous. And whatever had happened to her that Gilbert said was obvious. He hadn't thought about things like that when he'd planned this...the truth was, he didn't know enough about what he was doing. His planning only involved the timing of the attack and how to accomplish it... He didn't understand what could happen to Anne afterward.

But, he reminded himself, the key here was to make her too scared to do anything about it.

He smiled at this thought:

It won't matter how much evidence she has, if she's too scared to show it to anybody.

But the real thing now, he thought, wasn't even about getting her. His real annoyance, the reason for his lying awake at night now- was Gilbert's threat.

Blythe had shoved him, punched him, told him not to bother Anne, or he'd make trouble for him.

He didn't want to let himself be threatened by anyone, least of all Gilbert, Mr. Perfect.

He decided not to let Blythe push him around. I'll make my own decisions, he decided. If Fido makes trouble, I'll deal with her myself.

I'm not taking threats from Gilbert Blythe.

And with that thought, he turned over in his bed and closed his eyes. Soon he was sleeping peacefully, not a care in the world.