“Sure.” I didn’t tell him that I’d go just about anywhere with him if he asked.

He pulled into the field and parked in the same place he did the night he brought me there to watch the movie. Grabbing a blanket out of the back of the Jeep, he opened my door to help me out. Again, I was perfectly capable of getting out myself, but I wouldn’t give up the chance for him to touch me. Even an innocent touch sent my body into a frenzy, creating feelings I’d never felt before. Feelings that confused me, but felt oh, so good. And I greedily took as many as he was willing to give.

He gripped my waist to help me down, and I put my hands on his arms. His biceps flexed under my hands, and I nearly groaned out loud. He pulled me close to him, and our faces were so close that I had to remind myself to breath. It was heady, heart stopping, and made me feel completely off balance. And I wanted it. I wanted it all. I wanted him.

Is he trying to torture me?

When he set me on the ground, we stood there, our bodies touching, looking in to each other’s eyes. He reached up and placed a lock of hair behind my ear before grabbing my hand and pulling me away from the Jeep.

He spread the blanket on the ground and sat down on it. “Wait until you see this. You’ll love it.” After he pulled me down on the blanket next to him, he laid down on his back. “Lay down.”

I eased myself next to him. “What am I looking for?”

“Just look up,” he whispered.

“It’s beautiful.” The sky was so black, not like in the city where the lights turned it into a murky gray. Stars were sprinkled across the inky sky, bright and beautiful, twinkling like they were winking at us. “I’ve never seen so many stars.”

“You can’t see them in town with all the lights.”

“It’s amazing.”

“I come here sometimes to think. It calms me,” Brody murmured.

“Thank you for bringing me.” I looked at him. He stared at the sky. I took my time looking at his profile, my eyes roaming over his face. He hadn’t shaved and a day’s worth of stubble covered his cheeks, giving him a sexy, rugged look.

He reached out and threaded his fingers through mine. I turned and gazed at the stars. It was perfect, lying with him in the dark, the stars shining above us. I wasn’t sure how long we lay there silent, holding hands. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours—it didn’t matter. I could have stayed there all night with him. It felt right.

“Why do you stay with him?” Brody asked quietly.

I opened my mouth to answer, but closed it and shook my head. My eyes filled with tears. I didn’t have an answer to give him. Not a good one—not the truth, anyway.

Brody rolled to his side and wiped my tears away with the pads of his thumb. “You’re not happy with him. Anyone who pays attention can see that. And I swear on my life if he hits you again, I’ll kill him.”

“Jaden doesn’t hit me.” I tried to pull away, but Brody held me in place.

“Willow, I’ve seen the bruises. Everyone has.”

“He’s never hit me. He’s a jerk sometimes, yeah, but he’s never hit me. I’m just clumsy, and I bruise easily. I’m fair-skinned, so they look worse than they are.”

Please, please just let it go.

Brody shook his head. His hand fell away from my face and he reached down, pushing up the sleeve of my shirt, looking in my eyes. “You can’t hide them all with big bracelets and long-sleeves.” His fingers lightly traced the bruises circling my wrist. His touch was so gentle.

“I… I stumbled and—”

“You said you’d never lie to me. Don’t lie for him. These marks are the perfect imprint of a hand.” His voice was hard, and I flinched.

What do I say? How do I get him to leave it alone? The truth? Can I tell him the truth? I want to tell him, tell somebody.

“It’s late. I need to get home before they miss me.”

Brody sighed and let go of my hand. “Okay.”

We picked up the blanket and climbed into the Jeep. Brody was silent as he drove me home, stopping a few houses away from mine.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” I turned and smiled at him. “Thanks for tonight. It was… perfect.”

He didn’t smile back. “Willow, it doesn’t have to be like this.”

Tears pressed at the back of my eyes. “Yes, it does,” I whispered before climbing out of his Jeep. I ran to my house, slipping through the door with tears staining my face.

I wish you were right and things could be different. But wishing gets me nothing. He knows what she did. What I did. She could’ve gotten to him. But she didn’t even try… neither did I. Jaden has his hooks in me until I can leave and get as far away as possible.

Breathe. Just breathe. This won’t last forever.

Friday night, my favorite night of the week. Or not. I sat on the bleachers right behind the players and watched the football game. Exactly where Jaden told me to be. I didn’t get to spend time with Jenna or Tim or any of my other friends. He didn’t even want me getting up and leaving to go to the concession stand alone. Karen followed me. I felt like a fugitive.

At least I was going to get to see Brody for more than just an hour that night. I was staying over at Jenna’s house. Jaden wasn’t pleased, but I told him he could go do something very naughty to himself that involved an ‘F’ and ‘you.’ Something I didn’t generally say, but it fit the situation and Jaden just brought it out in me. He took the hint, for once, and gave in without too much of a fight.

Jenna was all for Brody and me spending the evening together. She even had the logistics of how I’d get in and out of her house all worked out. I loved her. I just had to wait for the game to end and for Jaden to shower, blow dry his freakin’ hair, change, and then take me home. By the time he did that, it would be two hours after the game ended. Jenna and I planned to meet up three hours after the game. She’d pick me up and then drop me off at Brody’s house.

It was planned out perfectly. But there was a saying about the best-laid plans. They rarely worked out. Jaden didn’t bother showering. He just changed and met me in the car. He wanted to go to Jamieson’s party. He knew I was supposed to be at Jenna’s that night, so my curfew wouldn’t be an issue. When I pitched a fit about having to go to the party, he told me to tell Jenna to meet us there.

“She doesn’t want to be at a party with all your skanky friends any more than I do,” I snapped. That earned me a smack on the mouth.

“Check the attitude, Willow.”

“Take. Me. Home. Now.”

He drove to the party, despite my demand to be taken home. I expected no less. When we got to Jamieson’s, I rummaged in the kitchen drawers until I found a phonebook to find a number for a cab.

Jaden ripped the book out of my hands and grabbed my cell phone. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Calling a cab to take me home,” I said, reaching for my phone.

He held my phone over my head. “You’ll leave when I do,” Jaden said, tossing my phone at me.

As soon as Jaden walked away, I texted Jenna and asked her to pick me up. She was there in twenty minutes—it was the longest twenty minutes of my life.

We were halfway home when I saw a car that looked a lot like Jaden’s Mustang in the side mirror. I turned in my seat to get a better look and could see the cherry red paint when it drove under a streetlight. I was sure it was him. “Crap. Jaden’s following us.” My voice cracked.

“What do you want me to do?” Jenna glanced at me.

I faced forward and sighed. “Just take me home so I can grab my stuff, and come get me at ten like we planned.”

“I don’t want to leave you alone with him. He’s been drinking, and he’s pissed off.” Jenna shook her head.

“Everything will be fine. I won’t be alone with him. My mom and Ralph will be there, remember?”