Boys Like You by Jaye Pratt

 

Group therapy. When Lissa mentioned it, I didn’t realise it would happen so soon. All six of us came straight after school Friday afternoon. We decided to use the guys’ therapist since he has worked with them all already. He knows their background, and they’re not comfortable sharing it all again with a new person.

“Come on in.” A middle-aged man with salt and pepper coloured hair holds the door open. We all follow him into his office. “It’s been a while since we had a group session, and I see we have a new addition. I’m Darren.” He holds out his hand to shake mine.

“For the time being, I’m JD.” We shake hands and he gestures to the couches, Rory, Rocky and Levi sit on one couch. I sit between Maximus and Mercer on the other.

“So, I know parts about JD and how she came into the group, I want to run over it again so we are all on the same page. You boys found JD on the beach, she has no memory of her past, she’s staying with Beth while the police look for her family.” Everyone nods at each thing he says.

“Correct,” Levi says, he is always the first to lead the conversation, unless Rocky jumps in with something inappropriate.

“How about we start with why you are all here today?” He looks at us all, waiting on who wants to start. Levi sits forward, realising it’s up to him.

“We all have feelings for JD, and as a group, have decided to date.”

Darren nods. If he is shocked by our confession his face doesn’t show it. “And you have discussed how that would affect you as a group?” he asks.

Mercer answers this time, leaning forward slightly, no longer slouching. “We understand there’s a chance JD may choose just one of us, we’re willing to take that chance.” Mercer looks to Darren for reassurance. I can tell he really respects the guy.

“That’s very mature, but have you considered your individual feelings? Set-backs you might have?”

“JD is worth it, Doc,” Rocky says, his knee bopping a million miles an hour.

“Okay, I can’t argue with that. How about when she finds out who she is?”

“We have, we graduate in a few months, we’re jumping in and hoping luck is on our side that there is no boyfriend and that she’s the same age as us, but somethings we will have to deal with as they come.” Rory looks at me and smiles. He is right, some things we can only deal with if they happen.

“Something else I need to ask, and this is going to get personal so I apologise.” He looks at me and around at everyone else, before speaking. “Sex, has it progressed that far yet?”

I internally groan. How many adults are going to ask about sex? Are they genuinely concerned or is it curiosity about how it will work? I don’t even know what sex with one guy feels like, let alone five. I’m not even sure how I will navigate a situation if they ask who is better at doing certain things. I think we will need some ground rules. Will they expect to have group sex? Is that even something I would consider? I feel heat start to pool in my lower stomach and shake any thoughts from my head.

“No,” Rory answers, and I smile at his tone.

“Actually, JD and I have fooled around. Things happened, but no actual sex,” Levi confesses. The others look on, surprised.

“I see that wasn’t known to some of the group. We can touch on that later, but I think we need to focus on JD for a moment.” He turns his gaze to me.

“Me?” I ask.

“Yes. I was sent your files and I have had a read. I worry that you may fast track sexual encounters with the boys to keep a block in place for your memories.” He turns to the group, addressing them. “You all need to consider her mental wellbeing. And with your backgrounds, you need to make sure the fallout doesn’t destroy your friendship. I recommend, and obviously can’t enforce it, to abstain from sexual contact. That connection can make separation worse.”

I almost snort, highly doubtful there will be no sexual contact.

He goes back to Levi and I fooling around. We all know he feels we should back off a little, but he is a smart man and lets us know he thinks if we are all venturing onto more than kissing we need to talk about what each person is comfortable with, and how to deal with jealousy.

We touch on me having other friends beside the guys. I tell him I am friendly with Maximus’s sister and Rocky’s athletics friend. He says it’s a good start, but I should try to branch out a little at a time. Making friends outside of them will help with my dependency on them.

He suggests if we continue our relationship that we continue group sessions; a safe place for everyone to be open and honest with the way they feel.

Once our hour is up, we head back to the cars. They all have their own plans tonight, and I think it’s the perfect opportunity for me to take a break and spend some time away from them.

Beth is still out with the kids when I get home, so I pack away the folded clothes she left on the couch, then flick through the movies to see if anything appeals. Nothing jumps out at me, and when I’m about to pack it in and grab a book to read, my phone starts to ring, and Mac’s name pops up on my screen.

“Hello?”

“Hey, are you coming to the party?” he asks.

“No, I didn’t know about any party.”

“Of course they didn’t tell you,” he says under his breath. “There is always a party, and it happens to be at my house again since the rents have gone to some exotic island where the weather is actually warm. You should come.”

“I’m at home and all the guys are busy.”

“I could come get you,” he offers.

“You have been drinking, and I wouldn’t want you to leave your own party.”

He laughs. “It’s still before seven, no one will be here for at least two hours.”

“Oh, how would I get home?” I ask.

“A, you stay the night in one of the spare rooms. B, I can pay for a taxi to take you home, or C, you call one of your guys.”

“That could work. I’ll text Beth and ask and let you know.”

We end our call, and I send Beth a text. She is hesitant, but I tell her Mac is a friend of Rocky’s and that I will have my phone on me and will send her the address. She works on trust, and if I break it, there will be no more outings alone.

Mac pulls up forty minutes later. I managed to throw together a party-worthy outfit quickly; a black pair of skinny jeans, an open toe boot, a cut-off midriff shirt and a denim jacket. I kept my makeup minimal and my hair down.

“Wow, you look amazing,” Mac says when I slip into his car.

“Thanks.”

Mac talks my ear off the whole way back to his house, telling me about his training. He won’t be drinking tonight, because his dreams of the Olympics mean he has to keep to a strict training schedule.

By the time we pull into his garage there are already a few cars parked outside. He tells me it’s some of his mates and the real party will kick off in about an hour.

We make our way out to his back yard, where he has a fire going. His bar is set with two half-naked girls. I shake my head when he goes to talk to them.

“JD.” I turn at my name and see Sherie walk out the doors.

“Hey, Mac didn’t tell me you would be here.”

“Yeah, he makes us all come to his parties. Even though we rarely drink, he says we still have to be teenagers. Tomorrow I’ll be dragging my tired ass around the track.” I laugh. “You remember Jada” she says when the girl who clearly has a crush on Rocky joins us.

“I do, from Rocky’s birthday.”

She doesn’t look impressed but puts on a fake smile. “Is Rocky here?” She looks around and back to me.

“No, he had to work. Mac asked me to come.” She dismisses me and sips from her drink.

“Here. I brought the pretty lady a drink,” Mac says, handing me something that smells like pineapple.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Sherie jokes. I take the drink from him.

“Don’t forget, only take drinks from me, I don’t have a death wish.”

“That reminds me, I better send them a group message and let them know where I am.”

Mac laughs. “I give it an hour before they show up.” He’s right, but I still need to tell them; if I keep it from them then it goes against what we have.

Me: Hey guys, I’m taking the therapist’s advice and making friends, don’t worry about me, will text when I’m home.

Me: I’m putting my phone away so you all don’t go crazy on me, I have to do this to prove I haven’t attached myself to you all.

I throw my phone into my bag.

People start to arrive. The music is loud, more pop than anything else. Mac makes sure to keep drinks in my hand as the night goes on. We are in a battle of two-on-two pool. It’s lucky he is good because I suck.

“I need to pee; can you go on without me?” I notice a slight slur to my words.

“Here.” He hands me a key. “Use the one in my room, up the stairs, last door on the left, pull the door shut behind you.” I nod and make my way through the crowd.

I bump into Sherie; she’s been on the makeshift dance floor most of the night. I tell her I will join her soon, then escape before she convinces me to dance with her.

Walking up the steps, I bump into a familiar face. The girl that Maximus was playing video games with at Rocky’s birthday. She doesn’t talk to me, just continues down the stairs. I keep going up the stairs using the railing to pull myself up. The alcohol has gone to my head.

Mac’s room isn’t hard to find. I brace my free hand against his door, using my right to try and line up the key to the hole.

“It must be my lucky night.” The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. Two arms come either side of me, a large body trapping me between the door and a chest. I know the voice. I try to compose myself, the tightness sits in my chest.

“What do you want, Saul?”

“You,” he says into my ear, the smell of beer on his breath.

“Not interested.” I stop trying to open the door, a room that locks behind itself is not a good place to be alone with a strange guy.

“Come on, let me have one up on that fucker. He has fucked with me for years, and since you have shown your pretty face, he is different.”

The first flash happens when he presses his body closer to mine; I’m pushing a door closed, and someone pushes against it, I scream. I can’t tell if it’s me screaming in the present or in the flashback. Everything gets jumbled, and I hear shouting. I see Rory’s face smiling at me. I wave and blow a kiss. Then suddenly I’m getting kicked. I curl my body into a ball as the pain ripples through me. Someone picks me up, and I lash out with everything I have.

“It’s Mac.”

But it’s like we are in a tunnel. I’m so confused. Mac is here? I try to remember where I am.

“Just dump her by the water.”

It’s so dark. I try to scream as my lifeless body hangs over someone’s shoulder.

“Not before I take something I deserve.” I feel my dress being ripped off.

“Beating was one thing but rape? I’m out… Someone’s coming, just dump her already. There is no way they will suspect it’s you, she loves you.”

I hit the ground and everything around me fades.

***

 

A light is switched on. The fogginess in my head lifts as I gasp for air. I sit up, looking around to see where I am. I’m in a room, not on the beach. I lift my arms, expecting to see bruises, but there’s nothing.

“She’s awake.”

I turn to see my guys all standing side by side, visibly shaken. Mac is also standing with them except he has a black eye. I look straight to Mercer, seeking the comfort he can give me.

“What happened?” I keep my eyes on him.

“You blacked out,” he says, taking a step forward. I hold out my hand to stop him.

“That part I know. What happened to Mac? I think he helped me.”

“He did, he beat the shit out of Saul. It was impressive.” Mercer ignores my arm and pushes it out of the way to sit next to me, all the guys do, except Mac who stands beside the bed.

“What happened, JD? You scared the shit out of me,” Mac says.

“I don’t know. I was going to use your toilet like you said, and then Saul cornered me and I panicked.” I don’t tell him I had flashbacks; he doesn’t know my past. I keep seeing the flash of Rory telling me he loves me and me waving. I don’t understand what it means, but then I remember, “There is no way they will suspect it’s you, she loves you.”

Suddenly the air escapes my lungs at what that could mean.

The guys ask Mac to give us a minute. When he closes the door, they all look at me with concern. Levi is the first to ask questions.

“What really happened? And don’t tell me you panicked.”

“I had flashbacks of being taken. I opened a door, someone blocked it with their boot, it’s fuzzy but I was kicked and taken, maybe through a tunnel, they took me to the beach, to rape and dump me.”

“That doesn’t make sense. I thought the rape kit came back negative?” Rocky asks.

“It did. Someone interrupted, and I was dropped. One of them said ‘they won’t suspect it’s you, she loves you’.” I look up at Rory, but he can’t meet my eyes. For the first time, I wish I could remember more. A part of me wants to believe he would never hurt me, but then why won’t he look at me?

No. I can’t think like that. I won’t even entertain the idea he was involved in this.

***

 

The guys take me back to Beth’s. It’s early morning when we get in yet she greets us as we walk in, holding a cup of coffee.

“I have been trying to call you,” she says to no one in particular.

“I’m sorry, I had a panic attack and the guys had to come and get me.” The look on her face tells me something serious has happened.

“The police called, they have a lead and we have to go in and see them”

Before we can even gather ourselves, someone knocks at the door. We all turn to watch Beth walk from one side of the room to the other. I get a sinking feeling in my gut; something’s not right.

Lissa and Deacon stand at the door in uniform. “Hi, Beth, sorry to intrude. Is Rory here?” She nods and lets them inside. Two other officers follow.

Deacon steps forward towards Rory. “Rory Vincent, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Bristol Montgomery.”

Everything seems like it’s in slow motion. I step in front of Rory, yelling, “No!”

The guys pull me back as Lissa handcuffs Rory, reading him his rights. She turns to me with apologetic eyes, and my legs give out.

“I love you too!” I scream, and he turns against the officer’s grip.

Deacon lets him go. We meet in the middle of the room. He leans down, and I grab his face, pressing my lips to his. “Don’t tell them anything, I love you.”

“Call my solicitor,” he says before being led outside.

My eyes glisten with tears as Lissa walks over to me. “We need you to come down to the station.”

I shake my head. I’m not sure if I said yes or no. So much is running through my head, and nothing makes sense.

Lissa says she has to take me with her, but Beth can meet me there and to call Marlene from child safety. Beth nods as if she knows what is going on.

“We’re coming too,” Levi demands.

I stop him before he has a chance. “No, I need you to get Rory a lawyer. Whatever they’re saying he’s done, he didn’t. Please, just believe that, no matter what.” I should have listened to my gut. I knew something wasn’t right.

“What do you remember, JD?” Levi asks.

I struggle to look up at him as guilt washes over me. He knew something like this would happen, it’s why he took so long to warm up to me.

“Nothing, just trust me.” He knows I’m lying, I can see it written on his face, but he nods. “I love you all, never forget that.”

The look on their faces is somber. Everyone has no idea what to think. Mercer looks like a range of emotions pass over his face: sadness, anger, fear.

“Don’t talk like you will never see us again,” he demands.

I look down, avoiding their eyes, and Lissa leads me from the room. Maximus runs down to the car and pulls me into a hug and whispers in my ear. “You’re ours, never forget that.”

My heart skips a beat at the sound of Maximus’s voice. It soothes me, giving me a false sense of security. It whispers to my soul that everything will be okay.

He moves aside so I can get in the police car. I take a last look at four of my guys. I had a feeling that my past would catch up with me, and when it did, it wasn’t going to end well for me.

***

 

I’m escorted to an empty room when we arrive at the police station. I feel like I’ve been sitting in here forever.

Lissa opens the door and closes it behind her. “I have to be quick, I need your help.” Her voice is shaky.

Why would she need my help?

Her eyes dart around, keeping an eye on the door.

“How can I help you?” I want her to understand I will do whatever it takes to free Rory. I don’t know a lot about myself, but I know without a shadow of doubt that none of the guys would ever lay a finger on me.

“To free Rory, we need your memories back. The people who just walked in are not good.” She clenches her fist as she leans across the table, the sweat on her forehead running down her temples. She is desperate for me to believe what she is saying.

“I need to go with them, don’t I?” I say under my breath. I was dreading this day.

My head hits the wooden table in front of me a little harder than I anticipate. The throb is a welcome pain; at least I can feel something other than worry. How will I get through this if they take me away?

“If you don’t and you can’t be a witness, he will go away for a long time.”

It doesn’t make sense he could be convicted with no witness.

She gives me a few details on ‘my parents’ who are trying to force their way in here. She explains that while she can’t tell me much, she can say that my family name is Montgomery, and they’re a long line of criminals. The police have watched them for years.

“Promise me you will keep the boys away. No matter what, they can’t be involved.”

She agrees.

“What do you need me to do?”

The door opens and a uniformed officer, two guys in suits and an older version of me walks through the door. The woman starts crying as she rushes towards me for a hug. I stand up before she gets to me and step backwards. I see the hurt on her face, but I don’t care. What kind of a mother doesn’t look for her own child?

“I want to take my daughter home,” the taller of the two men demands. His suit screams money, as does the gold watch covered in diamonds and his chunky gold necklace.

“I’m sorry, Mr Montgomery, we have to wait until her legal guardian and child services arrives. We have questions and forms to fill out.”

The guy who claims to be my father hasn’t even looked my way. His lawyer looks like a slimy bastard and my mother a trophy wife.

“Can everyone shut up!” I scream as Beth is led into the room. I rush to her side and wrap my arms around her. She assures me it will be okay.

I’m told my name is Bristol Montgomery, and I was kidnapped from a psych hospital while my parents were out of the country. The hospital was under a strict confidentiality agreement and couldn't contact the police about a patient until the parents could be contacted. They try to tell me Rory kidnapped and beat me.

“I was so worried about you,” the lady who claims to be my mother cries. “You were due to be released upon our return, and to find out you were kidnapped and lost your memory… I’m the worst mother in the world.”

I scrounge up every ounce of anger and shove it back, plastering on the fakest smile. I look at her with her fake tan and bleached blonde hair. “It’s not your fault.” I look at Lissa. “I want to go home with my parents.”

The end.

Part Two coming soon