opened behind me, and I stepped aside to let the customer pass.
“There you are,” Jesse said. “Were you going to leave me?”
“Correction, I am leaving you. You’re a little bit too cryptic for me, Jess. I’ll make sure to count down the days until Christy turns eighteen.” I waved over my shoulder and took a few steps toward the parking lot. “Shouldn’t be long now.”
Before I could stop him, he grabbed my hand and twisted my arm behind me. I yelped in pain as he swung me around to face the restaurant. He got behind me and thrust his hips forward, pushing me into the door. My face bounced from the glass and I stopped struggling, trying to shake the dizziness from my head.
The tinny taste of blood lingered on my tongue and a sharp pain emanated at my temple.
“Your jealousy is so sweet,” he breathed into my ear. “So tell me Charlene…” My name rolled off his tongue, and I gagged at the sound. He leaned forward, his chest and hips pressing me into the glass. “Do you want me to make you come?”
I’d never heard anything so repulsive.
I may not have deserved Jesse’s attention. He was one of the beautiful people. I may not have earned the right to ask and demand answers. And I might not have been much in anybody’s world, but dammit, I didn’t deserve a sprained arm and bloody lip.
“Jess. Please,” I begged.
Hearing my voice crack, he loosened his grip and took a step back. I stumbled to get away and when I finally regained my balance, I stood shocked. Tears escaped my eyes, and I was so scared I could barely breathe.
My salad was strewn over the sidewalk and my lit cigarette lay burning behind him on the pavement.
“Got any fucks left to give in that head of yours? Or have you spared your last one? Because I think you owe me an apology,” I snapped.
As he realized he’d cut my lip, he stared at me with panic in his eyes. “Charlie… I…” He trailed off. “I’m so sorry.”
“The fuck is wrong with you?” I screamed, walking to my car.
He yelled my name over and over, but I never turned back.
Chapter Ten
Charlie
He tried calling once. But I let it ring and he didn’t leave a voicemail. By Sunday, the bruising on my wrist had faded and my lip was no longer swollen.
After the matinee, Angie and I went to the restaurant across from the movie theater.
“I haven’t been here in years! I’m totally getting pie,” Angie said, looking at the menu.
“Yes! And a muffin, I’m starving.”
Angie closed the menu, eyeing me skeptically. “How much weight have you lost now?”
“I don’t know. Thirty pounds or so. It’s amazing how quickly it’s come off. Turns out that when you have a hundred pounds to lose, five to ten pounds a week is pretty attainable. I just need to work out more often. I’ve been slacking. I need more motivation.” I shrugged.
“Seems you and your motivation were getting along just fine at The Crimson the other night. He’s the guy , isn’t he?”
I sighed. “Nothing is going on between us. As far as I know, anyway. We’re friends. Sort of.”
“Friends don’t look at each other the way you two do. It’s so…intense.” She shivered. “The guy has been working there for a few months, and he doesn’t talk to anyone. Well, not anyone he doesn’t plan to bend over his dresser. And then suddenly he’s all about Charlie. ‘Charlie this’ and ‘Charlie that.’ Poor Alejandro knows everything about you two.”
My mouth hung open. “He does not talk about me!” I tugged at my lip. “Does he?”
“Stop acting all cute and innocent here, Charlie! This is serious shit. The man goes out of his way to talk to Adam about you. I heard him the other day bragging about hanging out with you and that you went to some park.”
“Why would he talk to Adam about me?”
She slouched in her seat and rolled her eyes. “There was a rumor going around a couple of weeks ago that you and Adam liked each other. Jesse must’ve
“There you are,” Jesse said. “Were you going to leave me?”
“Correction, I am leaving you. You’re a little bit too cryptic for me, Jess. I’ll make sure to count down the days until Christy turns eighteen.” I waved over my shoulder and took a few steps toward the parking lot. “Shouldn’t be long now.”
Before I could stop him, he grabbed my hand and twisted my arm behind me. I yelped in pain as he swung me around to face the restaurant. He got behind me and thrust his hips forward, pushing me into the door. My face bounced from the glass and I stopped struggling, trying to shake the dizziness from my head.
The tinny taste of blood lingered on my tongue and a sharp pain emanated at my temple.
“Your jealousy is so sweet,” he breathed into my ear. “So tell me Charlene…” My name rolled off his tongue, and I gagged at the sound. He leaned forward, his chest and hips pressing me into the glass. “Do you want me to make you come?”
I’d never heard anything so repulsive.
I may not have deserved Jesse’s attention. He was one of the beautiful people. I may not have earned the right to ask and demand answers. And I might not have been much in anybody’s world, but dammit, I didn’t deserve a sprained arm and bloody lip.
“Jess. Please,” I begged.
Hearing my voice crack, he loosened his grip and took a step back. I stumbled to get away and when I finally regained my balance, I stood shocked. Tears escaped my eyes, and I was so scared I could barely breathe.
My salad was strewn over the sidewalk and my lit cigarette lay burning behind him on the pavement.
“Got any fucks left to give in that head of yours? Or have you spared your last one? Because I think you owe me an apology,” I snapped.
As he realized he’d cut my lip, he stared at me with panic in his eyes. “Charlie… I…” He trailed off. “I’m so sorry.”
“The fuck is wrong with you?” I screamed, walking to my car.
He yelled my name over and over, but I never turned back.
Chapter Ten
Charlie
He tried calling once. But I let it ring and he didn’t leave a voicemail. By Sunday, the bruising on my wrist had faded and my lip was no longer swollen.
After the matinee, Angie and I went to the restaurant across from the movie theater.
“I haven’t been here in years! I’m totally getting pie,” Angie said, looking at the menu.
“Yes! And a muffin, I’m starving.”
Angie closed the menu, eyeing me skeptically. “How much weight have you lost now?”
“I don’t know. Thirty pounds or so. It’s amazing how quickly it’s come off. Turns out that when you have a hundred pounds to lose, five to ten pounds a week is pretty attainable. I just need to work out more often. I’ve been slacking. I need more motivation.” I shrugged.
“Seems you and your motivation were getting along just fine at The Crimson the other night. He’s the guy , isn’t he?”
I sighed. “Nothing is going on between us. As far as I know, anyway. We’re friends. Sort of.”
“Friends don’t look at each other the way you two do. It’s so…intense.” She shivered. “The guy has been working there for a few months, and he doesn’t talk to anyone. Well, not anyone he doesn’t plan to bend over his dresser. And then suddenly he’s all about Charlie. ‘Charlie this’ and ‘Charlie that.’ Poor Alejandro knows everything about you two.”
My mouth hung open. “He does not talk about me!” I tugged at my lip. “Does he?”
“Stop acting all cute and innocent here, Charlie! This is serious shit. The man goes out of his way to talk to Adam about you. I heard him the other day bragging about hanging out with you and that you went to some park.”
“Why would he talk to Adam about me?”
She slouched in her seat and rolled her eyes. “There was a rumor going around a couple of weeks ago that you and Adam liked each other. Jesse must’ve
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