“Buy anything for me?” he said, mischievous grin in full working order.
“I didn’t realize…” I said lamely, unable to finish the sentence. My heart pounded so hard I feared he’d hear it. His fitted blue jeans and a black button-down didn’t help. Why did he have to be so devastatingly good-looking?
He stared at me for a minute, neither of us speaking. “I’m sorry I was so rough on you, princess.”
“I’m the one who’s sorry.”
“I miss you.”
“I miss you, too.” Mostly true.
He glanced around. “Are you here by yourself?”
I nodded. “Just doing some Christmas shopping.” I held up my bags as proof.
“Would you mind helping me? I’m pretty bad at this kind of thing.”
Another surprise. “Sure,” I said, happy to be on civil terms. “Who are you shopping for?”
“Everyone.” He grinned, and my heart melted a little.
We shopped and talked for an hour, joking around in our familiar way and laughing when he put on silly hats in the children’s department, until Alec said he needed to leave. He offered me a ride home, and I accepted.
We compared our best and worst Christmas gifts ever received (my worst was a dull green sweater knitted by my grandmother who had stitched random vegetables all over it; his best was a motocross bike he really wanted when he was thirteen). Alec drove, and emotions somersaulted in the pit of my stomach. I could not deny his affable way affected me or that chemistry still remained between us. Maybe he would stop acting so hateful toward me at school. Maybe we could be friends, or even more again. I peered out the window but didn’t recognize the neighborhood.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“My street. I just need to swing by my house. It won’t take long.”
Uneasiness twinged in my gut. Alec pulled up in front of a large white house. “Come on in for a minute. You can meet my mom.”
That made me feel better, and I followed him inside. From the impressive foyer, my gaze took in the expansive first level, with thick wall-to-wall ivory carpeting, modern furniture and a variety of artwork adorning not just the walls, but bookshelves, coffee tables and the floor. Decorated for the holiday, it came across festive and inviting. I surmised his parents were more sophisticated than my own.
“Mom, I’m home,” he called out, moving toward the kitchen. “Mom?”
I waited in the living room.
He peered around the corner. “Want a drink?”
“Sure.”
Alec returned, handing me a Coke. He clinked bottles with me. “Merry Christmas, gorgeous.”
“What about your mom?”
He shrugged. “She must have gone out.”
I took a long swig of my soda, hoping it would quell my nerves.
“Let me show you around.”
The rest of the house was every bit as cosmopolitan as its first impression suggested. Alec was impassive, taking his family’s wealth and good taste in stride. The tour ended with the last room along the main hallway. I should have known it would be his bedroom. The jitters in my stomach surged, and I fought to appear calm.
I stumbled on some clothes lying on the floor and Alec caught my elbow, sparing me from a fall.
“Thanks.” I regained my composure, or tried to, despite the staccato hammering of my heart.
He flicked on the television positioned on his bureau and sat down on the unmade double bed, patting the area beside him. Two police officers conversed on screen. I recognized the show as The Rookies, even though I had never watched it. I took a seat haltingly. A poster of Van Halen was tacked to one wall, a ripped velvet black light image of a marijuana leaf hung on another. His dresser was covered with different colognes, wadded up napkins and loose change. A hamper bulged with dirty clothes, with shirts and pants on the carpet, having never made it into the receptacle at all.
I chugged my soda in an effort to speed up our departure. Gunfire rang out onscreen, distracting me. I tried to recall what Alec had said. He needed to make a quick stop at his house? For what? He didn’t seem to be in any hurry.
“You said you had something to do?“ I said, fishing for the reason we were there.
“Yeah, it won’t take long. Let me finish my drink and relax a minute, and I’ll take you home.”
Good. It was unsettling being in his bedroom with no one home. I stared at the TV absentmindedly, my inner voice coaxing me to stay cool.
Alec stood, said he’d be right back. Minutes later, he reentered. Naked from head to toe, he grinned wide, holding his arms outstretched.
Fear surged through every cell in my body, yet I sat frozen and immobile as he slid on a rubber in seconds and swiftly bridged the gap between us.
He pushed me on my back and yanked off my jeans and underwear in one swift movement. “You know you want this.”
I found my voice. “No!” I pushed with all my strength at his chest and tried kicking, but he clamped down on my legs.
“Don’t fight it, baby. You promised it to me, and now you’re making good on that promise. Relax. Enjoy it.”
His words were a blur, incomprehensible. “No! Stop, Alec!” My fists continued punching his chest with seemingly no effect.
He spread my legs forcefully and entered me, pinning my flailing arms against the bed. Pain shot through me, and I screamed, my body lifting off the bed in response but having nowhere to go. Tears poured down my upturned face and spilled over my cheeks and into my ears. I cried out over and over, but he didn’t seem to hear me or care. He plunged into me faster, the weight of his
