I feel his hand move to the bottom of my t-shirt, trying to raise it.
“I would love to see some rope around that tiny neck and a knife cutting into your skin,” he says in an evil tone.
These words haunt me to my core.
I react quickly. My hand lands across his ear and cheek as I slap him hard. He only reacts with a devilish grin like he got pleasure from it.
“You’re gonna pay for that,” he whispers.
I watch him step back, his eyes fixed on me as he walks away, disappearing into the bedroom. My legs feel like jelly and I collapse to the ground, my heart racing with fear.
I scramble to my feet and make a beeline for my bedroom. I shut the door and frantically push a chair against it, hoping it will hold. My mind races as I decide who to call–Cain, Nate, or Mike. But a small voice tells me I have to be strong and deal with this myself. I can’t always have them come to my rescue. So I take a deep breath and try to steady my nerves.
I wake up, wondering how I fell asleep in the first place. As I try to orient myself, I hear a faint noise coming from the kitchen. I get out of bed, trying to be as quiet as possible and make my way to the kitchen. To my relief, I find Rae there, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Oh, hello. I didn’t know you were here. What happened in the end?” Rae asks me, her voice filled with concern.
I sit at the table, my mind still trying to process everything. I glance around the room, half-expecting to see Archie appear out of nowhere.
“Charges were dropped,” I say, sighing in relief. “Thankfully, it’s all over now.”
“Good. I can’t believe Cain arrested you. What time did you get in?” she asks, pouring me a cup of coffee.
I take a sip of coffee, trying to remember what happened last night. “Uhh, I don’t know. I went straight to bed,” I utter, my mind still foggy from lack of sleep.
“Well, Archie left about half an hour ago. We had a good night,” she says with a sly smirk.
I try to warn her about Archie, but she cuts me off abruptly.
“Listen, I don’t want to hear any lectures about being careful with him or any warnings that he might hurt my feelings, ok?” she says, her tone firm and resolute. Clearly, she had already made up her mind and didn’t want any interference from me or anyone else.
“Tonight at work, we have an eighties music night happening. I’ll be working, but do you wanna come along?” Rae asks, trying to change the subject.
“Sure. I’ve got nothing planned.”
“Good. You can sit at the bar and keep me company.”
The clock strikes seven as Rae and I step into the dimly lit bar. The place is packed with middle-aged and elderly patrons, all chatting and laughing over the blaring sounds of eighties music. Rae confidently strides towards the bar and I follow her lead, taking a seat on one of the stools. Without wasting any time, Rae relieves the former bartender and starts mixing drinks for the customers. Meanwhile, I turn around and gaze at the dance floor where couples are swaying to the music. As I watch them, I can’t help but feel a pang of longing for Nate, Mike, and Cain.
Rae notices my pensive look and asks, “You miss them, don’t you?”
Without hesitation, I answer with a hint of melancholy, “Truthfully? Yes.”
Rae’s eyes soften. “Oh, Tess…” she murmurs.
I take a deep breath and request a shot of tequila. Rae swiftly pours me one.
“I’m gonna sit in that booth down there,” I explain to her, pointing to a secluded corner. With a sympathetic nod, Rae watches me reach the booth, giving me the needed space.
MIKE
The three of us park outside the bar, munching on some burgers and fries. Cain is in the driver’s seat while Nate sits beside him. I sit in the back, taking in the sights and sounds of the bar. Suddenly, Nate breaks the silence with an unexpected question, “Ok, who do you think she would marry out of us three?”
I can’t help but shake my head in disbelief. Cain can’t contain his amusement and chuckles before grabbing a handful of fries.
Interrupting our banter, Cain asks, “Did either of you keep an eye on her after I dropped her off last night?”
Both Nate and I exchange a puzzled look and then shake our heads.
“God’s sake, you had one job!” Cain exclaims, visibly frustrated.
“We have just seen her enter the bar and she looked fine,” I say, hoping to ease the tension.
We all quietly enjoy our meals. I take the final bite of my delicious burger and break the peaceful silence, “Uhh...Me and Tessie kind of fucked at college…Well, I teased the hell out of her,” I explain.
To my surprise, Nate speaks up next. “Wait, what? Well, while Rae wasn’t there, she texted me to come over and we fucked...I also admitted I loved her,” he says quietly, his voice barely audible.
We all look at each other smirking.
“She’ll be the ruin of us, won’t she?” Cain says, his voice filled with a mixture of amusement and frustration. “I also fucked her last night.”
Cain’s voice trembles as he speaks, his eyes filled with uncertainty. “I have feelings for her, guys. I hate to admit it,” he says, averting his gaze as if ashamed.
Nate and I exchange a bewildered look–Cain has never been the type to open up about his emotions.
Suddenly, he flings open the Jeep door and exits.
