Chapter One
Waverly shrugged her backpack higher onto her shoulders as she walked through a section of the grasslands in the Grand River National Grassland in South Dakota. She lived in Lemmon, which was a smallish town of over a thousand people, and was close to where she now hiked.
It was gorgeous outside, and a Saturday in June. Waverly tried to come out to the grasslands as much as she could and spend the day hiking. The area boasted rolling hills, river breaks and scattered badlands. It mostly was made up of mixed grass prairies.
While with her ex-boyfriend, she hadn’t had as many opportunities to enjoy this particular pastime. James hadn’t been a hiker, and had taken exception to her going off on her own to the grasslands. He really hadn’t liked her to do much without him, which was part of the reason she’d broken up with him a few months before. He hadn’t taken it well, but it’d been time for her to move on.
Waverly had just topped a hill when the sound of her name being called reached her. She turned and couldn’t believe who she saw running toward her. It was James, the last person she wanted to see. Lately, he’d been calling her, almost begging her to take him back. She hadn’t been impressed.
After he finally met up with her and had caught his breath, Waverly asked, “What are you doing here, James? Did you follow me?”
He gave her a smile. “Maybe a little. I’d come by your place and saw you driving away so I decided to see where you were going. When I realized you were coming here, I sat in the parking lot for a bit, not sure if I wanted to take the hike as well.”
“I see you did in the end. What do you want?”
“You. As my girlfriend.”
She blew out a breath. “We’ve been over this on the phone several times. I don’t want to get back together. You were starting to suffocate me. You wanted to control my life.”
“What if I promise I’ll stop?”
“That won’t change my mind.”
“Why not? I love you. We’re meant to be together.”
Out of the six months they’d been a couple, not once had either one of them said the big “L” word. Waverly doubted James actually felt that strongly about her. Obsessed maybe, but definitely not love.
She shook her head. “No, you don’t. You’re just thinking that way because we broke up. You want to use it as another tactic to get me back.”
“You’re wrong. I’ve always loved you since our first date and never told you.”
Would James ever give up? He had to know she wanted to keep things the way they were between them. She’d only said so at least a dozen times. Being apart from him showed Waverly she hadn’t made a mistake. He wasn’t the right guy for her, and really hadn’t been from the start of their relationship.
“Forget it, James. What’s done is done. You have to get past it and move on with your life.”
His smile slowly died. In its place a sneer formed. “I won’t let you walk away. You’re mine.”
“No, I’m not.”
“If I say you are, then you are.”
James’ words came out in anger. Rage was written all over his face and the stiff lines of his body. Waverly had never seen him like this before. He reached for her arm and roughly jerked her closer.
He brought her nose to nose with him, and bellowed, “You’ll either stay with me or I’ll make you regret it.” James’ fingers cruelly dug into her biceps.
That was when Waverly grew scared. James wasn’t a big man, by any means, but he had three inches on her five-foot-seven and weighed at least twenty pounds more than her. She struggled to break his grasp, which had no effect on him. He shook her until she felt like a rag doll.
Even though there wasn’t anyone around, and couldn’t be for miles, Waverly screamed as her fear tried to take her over. She really hadn’t known the man she’d called boyfriend and had slept with. It was as if he had two personalities, and she was getting her first introduction to his crazy
Waverly shrugged her backpack higher onto her shoulders as she walked through a section of the grasslands in the Grand River National Grassland in South Dakota. She lived in Lemmon, which was a smallish town of over a thousand people, and was close to where she now hiked.
It was gorgeous outside, and a Saturday in June. Waverly tried to come out to the grasslands as much as she could and spend the day hiking. The area boasted rolling hills, river breaks and scattered badlands. It mostly was made up of mixed grass prairies.
While with her ex-boyfriend, she hadn’t had as many opportunities to enjoy this particular pastime. James hadn’t been a hiker, and had taken exception to her going off on her own to the grasslands. He really hadn’t liked her to do much without him, which was part of the reason she’d broken up with him a few months before. He hadn’t taken it well, but it’d been time for her to move on.
Waverly had just topped a hill when the sound of her name being called reached her. She turned and couldn’t believe who she saw running toward her. It was James, the last person she wanted to see. Lately, he’d been calling her, almost begging her to take him back. She hadn’t been impressed.
After he finally met up with her and had caught his breath, Waverly asked, “What are you doing here, James? Did you follow me?”
He gave her a smile. “Maybe a little. I’d come by your place and saw you driving away so I decided to see where you were going. When I realized you were coming here, I sat in the parking lot for a bit, not sure if I wanted to take the hike as well.”
“I see you did in the end. What do you want?”
“You. As my girlfriend.”
She blew out a breath. “We’ve been over this on the phone several times. I don’t want to get back together. You were starting to suffocate me. You wanted to control my life.”
“What if I promise I’ll stop?”
“That won’t change my mind.”
“Why not? I love you. We’re meant to be together.”
Out of the six months they’d been a couple, not once had either one of them said the big “L” word. Waverly doubted James actually felt that strongly about her. Obsessed maybe, but definitely not love.
She shook her head. “No, you don’t. You’re just thinking that way because we broke up. You want to use it as another tactic to get me back.”
“You’re wrong. I’ve always loved you since our first date and never told you.”
Would James ever give up? He had to know she wanted to keep things the way they were between them. She’d only said so at least a dozen times. Being apart from him showed Waverly she hadn’t made a mistake. He wasn’t the right guy for her, and really hadn’t been from the start of their relationship.
“Forget it, James. What’s done is done. You have to get past it and move on with your life.”
His smile slowly died. In its place a sneer formed. “I won’t let you walk away. You’re mine.”
“No, I’m not.”
“If I say you are, then you are.”
James’ words came out in anger. Rage was written all over his face and the stiff lines of his body. Waverly had never seen him like this before. He reached for her arm and roughly jerked her closer.
He brought her nose to nose with him, and bellowed, “You’ll either stay with me or I’ll make you regret it.” James’ fingers cruelly dug into her biceps.
That was when Waverly grew scared. James wasn’t a big man, by any means, but he had three inches on her five-foot-seven and weighed at least twenty pounds more than her. She struggled to break his grasp, which had no effect on him. He shook her until she felt like a rag doll.
Even though there wasn’t anyone around, and couldn’t be for miles, Waverly screamed as her fear tried to take her over. She really hadn’t known the man she’d called boyfriend and had slept with. It was as if he had two personalities, and she was getting her first introduction to his crazy
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