Knotted Roots (11 page)

I
whispered to Katy that I was going to do some walking around, she nodded and
immediately returned her attention to the cowboy she was talking to.  I walked
away quickly, trying to resist the urge to flat out run.  Everywhere my eyes
landed there were groups of people congregating around one vehicle or another. 
It seemed that most of them were trucks, the bed of the vehicle loaded down
with coolers of who knows what.  I had a feeling it was alcohol, but I didn’t
get close enough to find out for sure. 

I
found a large rock, devoid of people, and sat down.  I pulled my knees up to my
chin and rested my head on my hands.  I felt completely out of my element. 
This was not what I was used to.  This was a whole new world, filled with new
people that I had no idea how to deal with.  I was shocked that Katy seemed to
blend in with everyone so easily.  I searched for her and found her at the same
truck, her hands locked around a red cup.  She was now talking to a group of
giggling girls, all of them animated and looking like they were having the time
of their lives. 

I
smiled, knowing that at least one of us was having a good time.  I heard footsteps
behind me, approaching slowly.  I glanced over my shoulder towards the sound
and nearly fell off the rock.  Chase, dressed in a light blue polo shirt that
accentuated every muscle in his upper body, was standing there, his hands
shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans.

“Room
for another?” He motioned to the rock I was sitting on.  I nodded and scooted
over, giving him enough room to join me.  “Thanks.”

I
nodded again and then returned my eyes to the scene around us.  We sat quietly
for a while, both of us content to just people watch.  When he finally spoke, I
nearly jumped out of my skin.  “I’m sorry about earlier.  I shouldn’t have said
all of that.  I was out of line.”

“Not
interested in talking.” I refused to look at him.  My resolve to be a bitch was
weakening with every word he spoke. “I’m not even sure why I came over here...”
He stood up and looked down at me.  “I keep telling myself to just give you
some time.  That you’re going through a lot of stuff.  But I’m wrong, aren’t
I?  This is just who you are.”

I
looked up at him and shivered, the fire in his eyes felt as if it was singeing
every nerve ending in my body.  In that moment I wanted to throw my arms around
him and get lost in his touch.  I wanted nothing more than to forget about the world
around me and the bullshit that I called life. 

“I
thought you learned your lesson on analyzing me already?”  He cocked his head
to the side, studying my face. 

“I’m
hard headed.” He glanced around, his eyes darting through the surrounding
darkness.  “I guess I’ll just leave ya to it then.” I grabbed his hand before
he could make an escape. 

“Look. 
I’m...sorry. Okay?” I didn’t let go of his hand.  The warmth of his palm felt
amazing sliding across mine.  The electricity coursing between us entranced me,
calling to me, pulling me under with each passing moment.  “I’m messed up.  You
know this.  As much as I hate to say this, I could use a friend here.”

His
eyes lit up with laughter as a grin spread on his face.  “A friend. I think I
can do that.” He squeezed my hand gently, causing sparks to flare, before
gently releasing his grip.  My hand dropped to my side.  I felt bereft now that
we were no longer linked together.  “But just so you know, I want more than
that.  And I think you do too.”

“You
don’t want that Chase.  Trust me.  I’m trouble.  Ask anyone who knows me.”

“Do
you believe everything people say?  ‘Cause I don’t think you’re trouble.
Difficult, yes, but not trouble.” His words hit home.  I looked at the grass
for a moment, my heart thumping out a painful rhythm. What do you say to
something like that?

“Why
are you so damn nice, Chase?  I mean, nice is one thing, but you’re
really
nice.  I don’t get it.  At all.” I looked up and our eyes locked. 

“Why
do you always expect the worst of the people you meet?” he countered.

I
wanted to shake him, show him that the world wasn’t all peaches and cream. 
There were terrible people out there who wanted to do horrible things to
others.  There was no reason to think the best of people when they continued to
show you their worst.  I knew this from experience.  My own parents were one of
the worst examples.  They had given up on their love so easily, letting it fall
through the cracks because it wasn’t what they initially hoped it would be.
They had proven that life was cruel, and the people in your life would tear you
down, from the inside out.

“Because
people are destined to let you down.  They’re selfish. They’re doomed to
disappoint.” I had to avert my eyes as I spoke.  I couldn’t keep staring into
his eyes and not get tongue tied.

“Who
told ya that?”

“No
one had to tell me.  I’ve learned that first hand.”

“Then
maybe ya haven’t met the right people yet.”

“Let
me guess. You’re the right person, huh?” I smirked at him.  He shrugged his
shoulders and looked at something far away.  As I studied his profile, my
insides churned with longing.  He looked so innocent right then, so unlike the
flirtatious guy that I had come to know.  His intentions towards me were no
secret, even if mine towards him were.

“I
didn’t say that.  But I will say that ya will never know unless ya get to know
me.”

How
do you tell someone that you can’t get close to them because you don’t know
how?  Would he laugh at me if I said that?  Would he end up telling everyone at
this party about my inability to have “real” friends? I couldn’t risk it.  That
was something I wasn’t ready to give up just yet.  My secrets were held close
to my heart; right where I was determined they would remain forever.

“What’s
the point?  I hate to sound like a broken record, but I’m leaving here at the
end of August.  I’ll go back to New York, back to my old life, and everything
will go back to normal.  Why get attached?”

He
shook his head, but didn’t say anything else.  There wasn’t much he could say
because he knew I was right.  Why cause ourselves unneeded grief?  It was
easier to just keep things simple.  We sat there for a while longer, neither of
us talking, just watching.  The party was in full swing.  The music was
blasting from every speaker around while people danced and drank, swaying
clumsily to the sound of Trace Atkins’ amazing voice. 

I
caught myself mentally tracing the lines of his face, my hand itching to reach
out and caress the slight stubble on his chin.  Could we keep something between
us casual?  Or were we destined to break each other?  Our summer could be
filled with romance and fun, but what would we do at the end?  He didn’t
deserve the baggage that I brought, or the pain that I would cause.  I had to
squash my urges and be his
friend
.  The word felt hollow and empty, just
like my heart.

Chase
stood up and stretched, then turned to face me, his hand outstretched. “Would
you like to-”

His
voice was cut off by a scream that pierced the night.  I jumped up and scanned
the people around me.  My heart was thrashing wildly in my chest as I searched
for the owner of the screams.  It sounded familiar, but I had a hard time
placing it.  I looked at Chase’s face which had gone stark white. 

“Chase?
Is it-”

He
held up his hand, his eyes searching the surrounding area.  As the realization
hit him, he grabbed my hand and pulled me along.  I had a hard time keeping up
with the strides of his long legs, but at that moment I was thankful I had worn
sensible shoes tonight.  My lungs burned as we ran, my breaths become shallower
with every stride. 

My
feet kept catching on roots as I struggled to keep up with him.  His hand no
longer felt comforting.  It felt fierce and strong.  I could imagine what they
were capable of as they pulled me closer to the source of the screams.  At that
moment I felt safe with him.  I hadn’t felt safe with a guy in so long that the
sensation was overwhelming.

We
pushed through the crowds of people, searching for Katy.  No one else seemed to
notice the panicked looks on our faces until we bumped into one of them.  They
glared at us, shooting evil looks as we ran, but we kept pushing.  Another
scream pierced the night, much closer this time.  I pointed in the direction of
the scream and we took off running again.  Chase’s hand still grasped mine as
we darted towards a dark patch of trees.  A blur of movement caught my eye.  We
slowed down as we approached, unsure what we would find.  As the figure became
more visible I sucked in a sharp breath before releasing an ear splitting scream
of my own.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“Katy!”
I screamed as I ran over to where she was lying, unmoving, on the ground.  I
barely noticed that Jackson was there until Chase grabbed him by the front of
his shirt and slammed him into a nearby tree. 

“What
the hell did you do to her?” He wasn’t yelling, but the deadly hiss that
escaped instead set my nerves on edge. 

“Katy!
Wake up!” I yelled in her face but her eyes didn’t even flutter.  She wasn’t
responsive.  I shook her shoulder but she didn’t stir.  I stood up and stomped
over to where Chase had Jackson pinned.  Before either could glance my way my
hand cracked across Jackson’s cheek.  The sting of my palm as it connected with
his cheek was satisfying.  I had no idea what had happened, but he was here and
she was on the ground unconscious, so I made an obvious assumption.

Jackson
struggled to get away from his captor, the look of hatred in his eyes causing
me to stumble backward.  Chase regained his grasp, and then slammed his back
into the bark once again.  “Don’t move asshole.  Or you’re going to get worse
than that,” spat Chase, his fury barely contained.

“I’m
calling 911,” I said as I pulled out my phone and dialed quickly.  I rushed
away from them, back to Katy.  I sat down beside her and brushed the hair out
of her face.  She was pale, her skin devoid of color.  As I scanned her face my
eyes found the newly forming bruise under her eye.  I touched it gingerly
before moving my gaze lower, continuing my inspection.  There, on her neck,
were angry marks made by her attacker’s hands.  Jackson’s hands. 

I
had never felt such immense hatred before, but the marks on her body caused my
blood to boil in rage.  How
dare
he put his hands on her!  What gave him
the right to leave marks on her delicate skin, to mar a body that wasn’t his? 
I gently traced my fingers across the marks one last time as I waited for the
call to connect.

I
glanced between Chase and Katy while I spoke to the dispatcher.  I couldn’t
bear to take my attention away from Katy, but I had to know that Chase was
okay.  I locked eyes with Jackson for a brief moment and my hatred doubled.  He
showed no signs of remorse, instead he smiled at me, his teeth bared
menacingly.  Chase noticed the action and stepped in front of him, blocking our
view of each other.

I
returned my attention to the phone and the dispatcher who was asking numerous
questions.  I tried to tell them where we were, but I honestly had no idea. 
All I could tell her was that we were in a big field, full of teenagers and
loud country music.  I made an attempt to describe my surroundings, but it was
no use.  Evidently telling someone that you were in the woods with trucks and
teenagers wasn’t a big enough hint.

“Ma’am,
I’m gonna need more info than that.  Is there anyone around you who could tell
me where you’re located?” she asked in a calm voice. 

“Well,
yea, of course, but his hands are kinda full at the moment,” I replied as I
glanced over at Chase again.  He had his arm on Jackson’s throat, probably
cutting off part of his air flow.  The raging part of my brain hoped he made
him pass out too.

“Can
you put that person on the phone?  If your friend is hurt we need to get there
quickly,” she was beginning to lose her calm voice. 

“Okay,
hold on,” I replied as I stood up and walked quickly over to Chase.  I put the
phone up to his ear, allowing him to keep his grasp on Jackson.  “She needs to
know where we are.”

He
spoke quickly, telling the dispatcher exactly where we were and what was going
on.  He sounded calm, but the glint in his eye told me that he was barely
holding it together.  I had never seen him look so fierce.  He had always come
across as poised and calm.  While this was a very serious situation, I couldn’t
help but let my eyes wander up and down his body.  I made no move to conceal
what I was doing, but when Chase’s eyes locked with mine my face became hot and
flushed. 

He
didn’t smile, but the intensity in his eyes had doubled.  This time there
seemed to be more than just anger.  Was that passion that I saw in his eyes? 
Were mine reflecting those same emotions back at him?  And how terrible were we
that we were having eye sex while Katy lay on the ground, unconscious?  I broke
eye contact, ashamed of where my mind had gone.  Damn hormones.  They always
popped up at the worst moment. 

When
he nodded that he was done, I returned the phone to my ear.  He didn’t meet my
eyes this time, his attention focused solely on the criminal he held hostage
against the tree.  In no position to help him, I walked back over to Katy.  She
still hadn’t moved.  I sat down beside her again, holding the phone to my ear
as the woman prattled on, her words reminding me of the teacher from the
Charlie Brown cartoons.

The
thought hit me quickly, causing a spastic giggle to escape my lips.  I slapped
a hand over my mouth, completely mortified.  I looked over at Chase, but he
hadn’t heard my insane outburst, or at least he didn’t show it.  I was a
terrible friend! Every move I made tonight screamed
Warning: This girl sucks
as a friend, has mind sex in a field, and giggles at inappropriate times.
 
Score one more point for me on my long list of awkward.