Return of the Bad Girl (12 page)

“No problem. Any time.”

Caroline headed toward the exit and bumped into Ellie as she was coming back in. It didn’t take a genius to see Ellie had been crying.

“Hey, you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Ellie said, wiping at her cheeks. “I was just coming in to tell you I’m taking off.”

“Me, too,” Caroline said. “We can walk out together.”

Ellie didn’t argue, but she was quiet the whole way out to her car.

“Are you okay to drive?” Caroline asked.

“Sure. I only had one drink,” Ellie said, slipping her key into the door. “Plus, it’s not like I have to go far.”

Before she could think, Caroline said, “I just want to say that if this guy doesn’t treat you right, he doesn’t deserve you.”

“That’s sweet,” Ellie said, the darkness shrouding half her face. “Cliché but sweet.”

Caroline didn’t have a response to that as Ellie climbed into the car and started it up.

Caroline had begun weaving back through the cars to where she had parked when she heard a drunken giggle.

“Dance with me.”

Nearby, a very drunk Kirsten was dancing up against a guy. With sparse lighting in the lot, it was hard to make out the guy’s features.

“Give me your keys,” a deep voice said. A voice Caroline was very familiar with.

Gabe.

She heard a jingle. “You want them? You gotta find them.”

Rolling her eyes, she passed them and continued on to where she’d parked. At least Kirsten wouldn’t be driving.

Then, in the dim light, Caroline noticed something on her window. Pulling out her phone, she flipped on the flashlight app and saw that someone had written all over her car with what looked like shaving cream.

Bitch. Whore. Leave.

“Charming,” she muttered, wondering if she should call the Rock Canyon Police Department to report vandalism. Unlocking her car, she grabbed some napkins from the glove department and started wiping at her window.

Caroline heard footsteps behind her but didn’t look.

“Hey, isn’t that her?’

“Yeah, I’m surprised she even had the nerve to come back to town. I heard her dad kicked her out because she refused to go to rehab for her coke addiction.”

“Seriously?”

Giving the windshield one more swipe, she turned around to catch two women she didn’t recognize passing her. “Actually, it was sex addiction. If you’re going to spread gossip, at least be accurate.” They hurried away, and she called, “Have a nice night.”

Great. Miss Know It All will probably have that rumor by tomorrow.

Caroline climbed into her car and flipped on the headlights. Her wipers and cleaning fluid helped a little, but she was going to have to take her car through a wash before the shaving cream sat too long. The smell of smoke and bar funk filled her car. With the place packed so full, it had been impossible
not
to get funkified.

Ugh, she wanted a shower.

As she pulled out of her parking spot, her headlights illuminated Gabe and Kirsten, locked in an embrace. For some reason, seeing them together, so close they could be making out, made her grip the steering wheel harder. She didn’t like Kirsten’s draping herself all over him like that, and why was he letting her, anyway?

For someone who doesn’t care about him, you sure are getting pissy.

Caroline suddenly realized she’d been sitting there too long with the glare of her headlights on them. And Gabe was looking right at her.

Shit.
Pulling forward, she drove past without looking at them. She hoped he couldn’t see who was driving, but he’d probably recognize the car. Damn it; she didn’t want him thinking that she was spying on him, because she wasn’t. She didn’t care who or what he did, as long as it wasn’t illegal and didn’t affect her.

Which is why you were basically
Fatal Attraction
stalking him, right?

Fuck, the voice in her head needed to shut the hell up. Okay, so she was attracted to him. So what? She was attracted to lots of jackasses, and not one of them had turned out okay. This was her chance to turn over a new leaf and not follow her same old patterns. No dirt bags, assholes, or criminals. Item number two put Gabe smack in the middle of the undesirable list.

It took about fifteen minutes to go through the car wash at Mr. Nelson’s Chevron station. Once she was finished, she headed down Main Street to Oak Avenue, pulling down the alleyway slowly, just in case she hadn’t beat Gabe home. The spot was empty.

After she parked, she climbed out of the car and took a deep breath as she tried not to run for the stairs. No matter how many times she told herself that Rock Canyon was a safe place, the fact was, her rapist worked with her father just a little way down the street. And she’d accidentally forgotten her Mace and Taser tonight. But she wasn’t worried about Kyle making trouble, especially since he had no reason to. She’d kept his secret.

Still, the quiet of the alley was making her nervous. She glanced over her shoulder nervously before rushing into the apartment the minute her key turned the lock. The door slammed harder than she’d intended, her heart pounding against her breastbone as she twisted the dead bolt into place.

She was jumpy as hell and had no idea why. Just nerves, she supposed, but she’d lived in way rougher places than this. Maybe it was because she still hadn’t shaken the run-in with Kyle, and tonight, Wayne Coulter’s cold blue eyes and tight grip on her arm had brought on a rush of unease. Not that the two men looked alike, but the expression in Wayne’s eyes had reminded her of Kyle’s: untouchable, able to get away with anything.

And why not? He had. Aside from Shelby, who obviously hadn’t cared, she’d never told anyone what Kyle had done. She’d simply shoved that bag of bloody sheets under a loose floorboard in the back of her closet and kept quiet. It was her fault that he’d been allowed to move on and become successful.

There had been so many chances for her to come clean, but every time she found an opening, Kyle’s words would creep back in. If she tried to press charges, would he hurt her sisters? Kyle was sick, but as long as she didn’t give him a reason, he would stay away from Ellie and Val.

But now with Kyle being nearby, Caroline’s old fears had returned. Though she wasn’t as worried with Justin staying at the house most nights, what about Ellie? Any time she left the house, she was vulnerable.

It wasn’t the first time Caroline had worried about her sisters’ safety since Kyle’s threat.

A few weeks after he raped her, Caroline still hadn’t been able to sleep without the nightmares. Every night, she’d dreamed of Kyle’s attacking her, only in her dreams, she felt and remembered everything. But one day, just as she was at her wit’s end and had been ready to tell her father, she’d shown up at her sisters’ school to walk them home . . . and they hadn’t been there. She’d been frantic, racing to the house to see if they were there, but they weren’t. She’d called Val’s phone, but there was no response. Just as she was about to call the police, Val and Ellie had come through the door with ice cream cones . . . and a smiling Kyle behind them.

Caroline hadn’t been able to breathe. When she’d told Kyle he needed to leave because her dad wasn’t home, he’d just smirked at her.

“I’ll see you around, then.”

The minute Kyle was out of the house, she’d dead bolted the door and started yelling at Val and Ellie that they were not to go anywhere alone with Kyle. Despite their confusion, she’d dragged a promise out of them and went upstairs to her room. Once inside, she’d closed the door and slid to the floor against it, sobbing.

Now, Caroline headed into her room, and when she went to open her dresser drawer, she realized her hands were shaking at the memory.

Get a grip. Kyle has no interest in you anymore, and you—and your family—are perfectly safe.

Gathering up her night clothes, she went down to the bathroom to shower. She was just getting ready to turn on the water when she heard the front door open. Hearing Kirsten’s high-pitched giggle, followed by Gabe’s low voice, helped Caroline relax. She felt better having him there, which was mind-boggling, because she had left her sister’s to get away from all of the noise.

Letting the heat rush over her body, she scrubbed herself until the water ran lukewarm. After drying off and pulling on her pjs, she stepped out of the bathroom and saw Kirsten dancing unsteadily in the dining room.

Kirsten stopped dancing when she noticed her. “What are you doing here?”

“I live here,” Caroline snapped, hardly glancing at the confused blonde when she caught sight of Gabe by the coffeepot, holding two cups in his hand. Their eyes locked, but she couldn’t get a bead on what he was thinking or feeling.

Doesn’t he feel guilty for bringing home a girl who is obviously too drunk to make good choices?

But Kirsten was a grown woman who had made the decision to get stupid drunk. And Gabe was making her coffee. It wasn’t like he’d spiked her drink.

Like Kyle did to you?

Caroline hated that Kyle was so fresh in her mind. “I’m going to bed. Try to keep it down.”

Gabe had the audacity to shrug. “I make no promises.”

Stomping down the hallway, she resisted the urge to slam her door.

Why are you mad? He’s not doing anything wrong.

She didn’t answer her inner voice.

Caroline realized she’d forgotten to brush her teeth and walked out of her bedroom again. Gabe and Kirsten were no longer in the kitchen. Another giggle came from behind Gabe’s closed door. She brushed her teeth quickly and went to bed, finally slamming the door again before she could stop herself.

She’s too drunk, and he should know better.

The thought came unbidden and caused her to catch her breath, trying to bite down the panic.

This happened sometimes. She’d catch the harsh scent of a cologne, reminding her of the one Kyle had worn that night. Or she’d taste that same cherry flavor that reminded her of the drinks Kyle had spiked.

Or she’d see a girl who was out of control from drinking too much.

Closing her eyes didn’t help, but she did it anyway and clenched her fists until her nails dug painfully into her palms. That night was still a blur, with patches of memory missing throughout, and
that
was almost more terrifying. Remembering the disorientation as she came in and out of consciousness. The heavy feeling of him on top of her, inside her. The pain so sharp it had made her sick. She remembered vomiting over the side of the bed and his laughter. He always seemed to be laughing at her.

He was still laughing at her.

Taking slow, even breaths, Caroline grabbed her iPad from her dresser and her Wi-Fi plug. Nothing could chase the past away, but sometimes an episode of
The Big Bang Theory
could push the memories back down.

Caroline set the iPad up on her nightstand and rolled onto her side, concentrating on the characters on the screen instead of the demons in her past.

Chapter Eleven

“I’ve been told if you want to find a good man, look at the way he treats his mother. I disagree. You want to find a good man? Watch the way he treats his dog.”

—Miss Know It All

C
AROLINE WOKE UP
to the sound of the front door slamming. Rubbing her hands over her face, she glanced at the clock next to the bed and groaned at the red 6:07
A.M.
mocking her.

Climbing out of bed, she went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. After washing her face and twisting her hair up in a clip, she came out of the bathroom and smacked into Gabe.

He grabbed her, steadying her, and she caught herself staring up at him. The lids were heavy over his obsidian eyes, as if he were only half-awake. His face sported some scruff that made him look a little less perfect but no less handsome. His warm, firm grasp on her arms felt good, and the close proximity made it hard to resist stepping into him and snuggling against that hard chest. Would he wrap his arms around her, or would he pull away?

“You okay?” he asked, his voice gravelly with sleep.

Are you okay? No. You’re fantasizing about a man you despise, who takes advantage of drunk women. Stop it.

It still took her another moment to pull away. “Yeah, just sleepwalking. I’m guessing that was your sleepover guest who slammed out of here.”

“Yeah, she was running late for something.”

“Nothing like the walk of shame on a Thursday morning.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Gabe said, running his hand up and over the top of his head. His muscles flexed and bunched as he moved, and she silently told her body to stop swaying toward him. He wasn’t hot, and she needed to stay away from him.

“You’ve never left a girl’s apartment after a one-night stand?” Caroline asked, taking another step back.

“Not that I can remember,” he said, moving around her into the bathroom. Spreading toothpaste on his toothbrush, he added, “And I don’t usually have overnight guests either.”

“Aw, so Kirsten is special? How romantic,” Caroline said sarcastically. Without giving him a chance to respond, she walked out into the living room. She was angry again, wondering what had happened to Kirsten after Gabe had taken her back to his room. Had she woken up this morning with a fuzzy recollection? Had she realized what had happened and regretted it?

Needing something to do, anything to occupy her, she grabbed a few of the empty boxes left over from unpacking and headed for the front door.

“Actually, I’m just not as big of a dick as you seem to think I am,” Gabe called after her.

Caroline dropped the boxes to open the door and turned to snap at him. “Well, you certainly aren’t a good guy, or you wouldn’t have slept with a woman who could barely walk a straight line.”

His handsome face twisted into a glare. Had she struck a nerve?

“I wouldn’t be casting stones, princess. I heard all about your sins the minute I hit town.”

Furiously, she threw the boxes down the stairs outside and reached back for the knob. “I guess you know what I’m capable of, then.”

Slamming the door, she cursed all the way down the steps, her breath fogging in front of her as it hit the cold air. She saw frost coating the metal handrail and realized she was wearing only a thin long-sleeved shirt, pajama bottoms, and house slippers. She was too pissed off to go back and put on a sweatshirt, though. Picking up the boxes at the bottom of the stairs, she walked down the alley toward the Dumpster.