“Krueger.”
My head whipped toward the sound of my name being called, and I watched in what felt like slow motion as Lincoln appeared through the brush and the trees to the clearing I had found myself in. A sigh left my lips as I stood up straight, Lincoln cautiously approaching closer and closer with a silent plea set like concrete on his face.
“Lincoln, please.” I said, suddenly back out of breath and unable to regulate my breathing now that he was back in my presence.
“I just don’t understand and I’m really trying to.”
“We already had this conversation, remember?” I shook my head, not wanting to lock eyes with him. I could feel the energy from his body, knowing that he was so close to me that if I reached out, I’d meet his skin. Closing my eyes, I tried to steel the inner workings of my psyche. “Please respect me enough to listen to what I’ve already said.”
“Come on, Krueger.” The mixture of pleading and aggression in his tone made me open my eyes, taking him in again. He looked wild and raw, like an animal suddenly brought back to life and learning to regain their bearings.
For the first time since meeting him, fear rattled my nerves.
“You said you understood what I was saying before. Has that changed?”
“The only thing that’s changed is me accepting that as the truth.” He closed the space between us in the flash of an eye, startling me so much that I let out an involuntary yelp in surprise. Our bodies were a single breath away from being pressed together. “I know you felt the same thing that I did when we just kissed. You kissed me back.”
Fuck, Ihadkissed him back. Was I leading him on without really even knowing it? I hadn’t intended to, but obviously he was getting the wrong impression.
“I did,” I admitted, initiating a stare that would, hopefully, get him to feel what I was saying in the moment. “My body responded, but that doesn’t mean my earlier stance is gone.”
A snarl ripped itself out of Lincoln’s throat, twisting his head left and right before setting his sights back on me, grabbing my hips by the waist and thrusting forward forcibly, his half-mast dick pressing into my groin obscenely.
“You want me.” His voice dripped with something that I’d never heard before, something sinister beneath it that set my teeth on edge. “You want me and you’re denying yourself forsome reason that’s really getting on my fucking nerves.” And then he crashed his lips against mine, his tongue slithering between the seam of my lips and demanding entry.
I rendered my arms between us, latching on to his shoulders and trying to shove him off of me. But he wasn’t moving, his feet too dug into the ground or his motives too solid for me to shake them. Panic set my skin on fire, raising every hair on my arms at full fucking attention. This was not happening.
Refusing to be taken by the disfigured version of Lincoln that was trying to melt into me, I lifted my leg sharply, connecting with his balls with a force that instantly broke us apart. His yell faded into the night air as his hands went to covering his crotch and I used the distraction to untangle from his grasp, eager to be free of him.
I was bigger than Lincoln but what really scared me was the resolve that he had giving him more strength. I was glad to be free from his touch and a sizable empty space sitting between us again, but fear continued to drip its saliva on my skin. I’d never been in such a situation before and it scared the absolute fuck out of me. No one should ever have to fear for their safety simply from saying the word no.
Lincoln’s pain was subsiding, which was evident as his neck twisted in my direction. He was heaving and pissed, a lethal combination for anyone, but I never thought that I’d ever bescaredof Lincoln. I could tell that things were about to take a turn and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. I could run, I could scream, I could fight. But looking at the rage-induced scrutiny in Lincoln’s eyes, I was paralyzed and immobile.
“Everything okay?”
Both our attentions were brought to the beginning of the brush and the angled beginnings of the forest as my sister stepped into view, concern lifting her eyebrows as well as widening her eyes as she took in the scene of me standing awayfrom a still crumpled Lincoln. His gaze returned to me, souring and looking every pit of pissed off that he had been earlier. But he shifted into something more peaceful, getting back on his feet and straightening like the good little boy persona he so badly wanted everyone to believe.
“Everything’s fine.” Lincoln promised, giving my sister a smile as he fucking waved at me. “Message received.” I really didn’t like the way he said that. There was no malice in his tone, but the unsaid implications were not lost on me and made the hair on the back of my neck do a full salute. “Have a goodnight, Krueger.”
Lincoln left the clearing, Myers staring him down with confusion stuck to her brows as he passed her, the subtle sounds of his retreat leaving as she stomped through the brush until she gave me a dipped nod.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I nodded, exhaling the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
“Are you sure? Because that looked…intense.”
“It was nothing. Lincoln just got a little too handsy.”
Understanding dawned on her face as the reality of the situation bloomed the horror that became her grimace. “I’ll kill him.” She turned to leave the clearing.
“No, nothing happened.” I lied. I didn’t want to bend the truth when talking to my sister. She was my confidant. But I simply didn’t have the strength to relay the happenings at the moment. I needed a very cold shower and a very comfortable bed to reconcile the night I’d had before I could accurately talk to her about it. “I reiterated my point and I think he was disappointed to hear the same thing again.”
Myers looked me over, her belief in my words wavering and threatening to be disproven. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” I repeated, trying to pair it with a smile to prove my point. “I’m gonna turn in for the night. Can you tell everyone goodnight for me?”
“Sure, but…Krueger, I—” she cut herself off, closing her eyes briefly until she took a deep breath, battling a silent war I wasn’t privy to. I just needed her to drop it until tomorrow morning. “Alright, I will. Just text me if you need me.”
