Runaways by Nicole Dykes
I’ve been sneaking into Rae’s room a lot lately. Telling myself it’ll be okay, and we’re being careful, but I’m always a little on edge. Because if we get caught, I know it would be bad. But I can’t stay away from her.
We’ve done a good job of staying away from each other at school and under Colin’s watchful eyes. He thinks we broke up. It couldn’t be further from the truth.
I couldn’t lie to Nash. He knows we’re still together, but I’ve promised him that we’ve cooled it at school. And so far, that’s been enough for him.
But last night, Rae informed me her Christmas present from her mom and the dickhead was to go away on a five-day trip and leave her home alone. So, I stayed the night last night—Christmas Eve—and we plan to spend tonight together too.
Nash wasn’t thrilled, but he didn’t try to stop me. Rae’s right. This is the best present ever. Getting to live in our own little world where she isn’t in danger and where we’re just two seventeen year olds in love. It’s the best fantasy I could ask for.
“Okay, it’s not a big deal . . .” Rae regards me suspiciously as she puts down the slice of pizza she was about to bite into and moves closer to me on the bed.
“What isn’t?” I hold out a small box that I wrapped as best I could. She smiles big and bright. “You got me a present?”
“It’s Christmas. And really, don’t get too excited. It’s nothing.”
She rolls her eyes at me and takes the box from my hand. “It’s from you. Can I open it?”
I nod, and she tears the paper gently, pulling out the locket I bought. I found a place that would put one of my drawings on a miniature scale inside. “Oh, wow! I love it.”
It wasn’t expensive by any means, not even close to what she’s used to. But her eyes are full of wonder as she pulls it from its box and stares at the watercolor lilies painted for her in the middle of the heart. “You don’t have to like it.”
She shoves my chest. “Shut up. It’s perfect.”
“I’m glad.” She lifts her hair and turns, handing me the necklace so I can secure it around her neck. When she turns around, I can’t hold back my bigass smile.
“I’ll never take it off. I love it.”
“I love you.” She pecks my lips with her own and then reaches under her bed and hands me a box that’s much better wrapped than mine was. “Are you kidding?”
“Just open it.”
I don’t remember the last time I received a Christmas present, especially not a wrapped one. My mom and dad rarely remember it’s Christmas. I shake it and listen to the present rattle inside. She shakes her head at me and shoves my shoulder again.
“Don’t shake it. Open.”
I laugh, feeling a sense of calm and happiness I haven’t felt in a long time. I open it, and when I lift the lid of the box, I peer inside and see it’s full of art supplies.
Rae looks comically nervous as I look through the obviously carefully selected presents. “Rae . . .”
“Is it right? I mean, I know you have specific tastes.”
“It’s perfect. All of it.” I cup her face in my hands and lean in for a kiss which she returns. Before I know it, my present is pushed aside, and she’s straddling my lap. I can’t get enough of Rae’s kiss.
I glide my fingers through her hair as her hips rock against me, grinding against my cock that’s dying to be inside of her. I kiss down her neck and lift her shirt off, smiling as I glance down to see she skipped the bra when she got dressed today.
Knowing she’s here alone with me and safe.
My shirt comes off next, and then we’re both naked. She trails kisses down my chest as I fight not to lose control. It feels good. It feels too good when she takes my dick in her mouth, circling the head and making me groan loudly, “Shit, Rae.”
I feel her smiling. She likes the power, and I’m more than willing to give it to her. I’m embarrassingly close to coming when the doorknob jiggles, startling us both. Rae grabs the comforter and pulls it up just as the door is flung open.
Da Silva and Rae’s mom burst inside, and his glare lands on us first. “I told you I heard voices.”
Rae’s mother clutches her heart and looks disgusted. “Raelynn. My God, are you naked?”
“I told you we shouldn’t have left her here. I knew she would do this.” I would kick his ass if I wasn’t currently naked and yeah . . . the whole not wanting to get arrested thing. “Get up and get dressed.”
Rae holds the comforter to her chest. “Not with you here. And how the hell did you open my door? It was locked.”
His smile is wicked. “You think I don’t have a key to your room?”
Fuck. Acid burns in my stomach, thinking about him having a key to her bedroom. All the false sense of security we had is instantly gone. “That’s not right.”
His eyes move to me. “You know what’s not right? You, defiling Raelynn under our roof.”
I grab my jeans and quickly slip them on under the covers and stand up. Hoping to shield Rae from his pervy eyes, I stand in front of her. “I’m not defiling her. I’m seventeen, and she’s seventeen too. We weren’t doing anything wrong.”
I hear shuffling behind me, and I assume Rae is getting dressed. Da Silva moves closer to me. “You sticking your dirty dick in her is defiling.”
I glare at him, but then I feel Rae at my side. “He’s not the dirty one. God only knows where your dick has been.”
“Raelynn!” her mother shouts. “You do not talk to him that way. How could you do this to me? Do you know how embarrassing this is?”
Of course, her mother is making everything about her. “I love him.”
Her mother rolls her eyes, cold and unfeeling. “You’re seventeen. You have no idea what love is.” She folds her arms over her stomach. “That’s exactly how I ended up with you.”
Jesus. My mom is no prize, but there’s no one like Rae’s mom.“And that was the worst thing ever, right?” I hear the crack in Rae’s voice, which nearly kills me. She doesn’t realize how amazing she is or how much she means to me. That I’m a better man because of the woman standing before me.
“I’ve always been right about you, Raelynn. At least I had the decency to leave your father behind. But you, you don’t have the guts or the brains to do that. You’re going to end up pregnant and penniless.”
“I’d rather be broke than broken, Mother.”
I admire Rae’s strength, and she smiles boldly at me, her back straight and her shoulders back. So her mother shifts to me. “You get out of my house. Right now, or I’ll call the police and tell them you raped my daughter.”
“I’ll never corroborate that story.” Rae doesn’t seem the least bit surprised by her mother’s threat, and I can’t blame her.
Da Silva grins a cold, evil smile. “You think they need to hear your side?”
“He didn’t do anything wrong.”
I turn to face her, hearing how upset she is and knowing I won’t have long to comfort her. “Rae . . . Come with me.”
Rae doesn’t have a chance to answer me before her mother steps toward us. “You will not go anywhere with him, Raelynn. I mean it. I’ll call the police, and then I’ll send you somewhere you can get some help after your rape and kidnapping.”
Jesus. I turn to her mother, who’s glaring daggers at me. There’s no point talking to her. She’ll do it. I know she will.
I turn back to Rae, who has tears in her eyes because she knows it too. “I’m so sorry, Law.”
“Don’t be.” I sweep my fingers through her hair and leave my hands on the sides of her head. “I love you.”
“I love you.”
“Get. Out,” her mother says, her voice dripping with animosity. I kiss Rae’s lips softly and hold onto her.
“We can go.”
She closes her eyes and shakes her head. “I can’t. She’s not lying. They’ll ruin you.”
“I don’t care.”
She smiles, but it’s weak and not real. “I do.” She kisses me again briefly. “I’ll see you soon.”
We both know it’s not true. They are going to be watching her like a hawk, but hopefully she can at least call me. “Okay.”
I grab my shirt and coat, walking toward the door, my limbs shaking at the thought of leaving her behind.
I don’t know how to save her.
But I will.
