In Harmony(110)

“Willow, this is crazy—”

“I remember you lying on top of me, crushing me. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak. I thought I was going to die. It was my first time. Did you know that? Did you see the blood in the morning? Did you even stay that long? I doubt it or you would’ve covered your tracks. The evidence was everywhere. On my bed and my clothes. Lucky for you, I felt so degraded and humiliated and violated that I got rid of all of it.”

Xavier’s eyes darkened like a snake getting ready to strike. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I gave you something to drink because you were nervous as hell. I was trying to get you to relax.” He leaned closer. “You drank a lot that night and don’t think no one knows it.”

“I didn’t drink that much.”

“Does it matter? You were dancing all up on me, grinding your ass. Everyone saw it. Who’s to say you weren’t the same in bed? Nervous for your first time and drinking to take the edge off.”

My face paled and my throat threatened to close. “You’re disgusting.”

He laughed. “You don’t remember? I have certain a picture that’ll surely jog your memory about how much you wanted me…”

I fought for calm, held myself away from his body. “I know I’ll be attacked for that photo. People might not believe me because it took so long for me to report you, but I will report you. You make me sick. Looking at you right now makes me physically sick.”

Xavier’s jaw clenched. “I suggest you stop talking to me that way. I suggest you drop this disgusting story of yours.”

“Or else what?”

“I will destroy you and your family.”

“My family is already destroyed. There’s nothing you can do to hurt me again. I’ve been to the edge of the abyss and back twice now because of what you did.”

“Boo fucking hoo. I didn’t do anything to you. You’re having second thoughts. Regretting you fucked me, so now you’re cooking up a rape story. I plan on running for office. To be a senator. If you think I’ll let you taint my backstory with your pathetic fantasies of revenge, you—”

“Your backstory is that you’re a rapist criminal,” I spat. “And I’m done being smothered alive under your X anymore. It’s over.”

I tried to wrench my arm from his but he twisted my wrist against his chest until I thought it would snap.

“Go ahead,” Xavier hissed. “See if they believe you. They won’t. In the meantime, I’ll tell my dad to buy the whole damn theater. And when he does, I’ll have it razed to the ground until it’s nothing but a pile of rubble.”

My heart stopped for a moment and jumpstarted again. “What? No…”

Xavier’s smile was wide even as a sigh of relief hissed out his nose. “You didn’t think of that, did you? I’ll bulldoze your precious theater to dust. And if your little Harmony Historical Society tries to stop me, I’ll still buy it. I’ll buy the whole damn block and let it rot. Shut down the theater forever.”

“You can’t do that,” I said. “It’s part of this town’s history…”

“Fuck your history. This is what happens when you threaten me. Do we have an understanding?” He grabbed my chin. “Save your theater, Willow. Save it and keep your little story to yourself, because no one will believe you anyway.”

He let go of my chin and his fingers turned soft, caressing.

“And you know it.”

I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. The icy weight was back and this time it was poised to crush more than me.

“Good girl.” Xavier’s cheerfulness came back with a bright smile. “Let’s go back and make nice in front of our parents.”

He led me on shaking legs off the dance floor.

“You look beautiful tonight, by the way.” He leaned into me, his lips brushing my cheek. “Can I get you a drink?”





Isaac



Martin, Brenda and I drove up to the Braxton Renaissance Hotel, and Marty pulled his old Lexus into a free spot at the back of the lot. We were only fifteen minutes behind everyone else, but it looked as if half of Harmony was already there.

Marty killed the engine but I didn’t move to get out.

“Maybe this is a bad idea,” I said. “She’s having a party. She’s having a good time. Then I show up and…”

“And make it better,” Marty finished.

“How do you know?” I asked. “She has every right to hate me.”

“But she doesn’t.”

“She misses you,” Brenda said, turning from the front seat to smile at me.

I gnawed my lip. This was worse than any audition. This was an audition. The greatest most important audition of my life, and if I blew it…

“So what do I do?”

“You go in,” Marty said quietly.

“Just walk in, in front of her parents and God and everybody?”

“Yes. And ask her to dance.”

I swallowed a sudden lump of pain in my throat. Until now, the idea of touching Willow again, holding her, kissing her, or even just looking at her up close was like a dream that always faded upon waking. I’d been able to shut off some part of me in order to keep going without her. But now that she was here…