Mansfield Ranch (13 page)

“I’ll sit in back.” I grunted as I pushed the seat forward and climbed in.

Harrison ducked his head to look inside. “Lilly, you can sit up front with me. You don’t have to be back there.”

Yeah, and what planet of optimism are you from?
I didn’t even give him the satisfaction of an answer. I just climbed in and braced myself for the worst.

“So what are you doing here?” Alexis asked.

I tried not to get too offended. It was just a question—something normal that anyone would ask. However, when she used that tone, it was anything
but
a normal question. “Julia wanted to ride with Sean to talk about their parts.”

“Oh, that’s so cute!” She seemed appeased. “I think they make the cutest couple.”

“Who?” asked Lauren as she sat in the passenger seat.

“Sean and Julia,” Alexis gushed.

I fished in my purse and found my iPod.

“So, you got booted out to ride with us?” Lauren asked.

I didn’t look up as I plugged the ear buds into my player. “Yep.”

“It’s okay—we’ll take her. Right, girls?” Harrison chuckled as he climbed in and started the car.

No one answered him.

A Sara Bareilles song came on and after clicking my seatbelt into place, I leaned back and looked out the tiny window. I thought I would be given some privacy and a chance to allow my head to clear, but Harrison had other ideas. About five minutes later, he began to ask me questions.

“So, Lilly, how was your first practice?”

I looked over. “Good.”

“Are you glad you joined the musical after all?”

He should’ve asked me ten minutes ago. “Uh, yeah. I guess.”

“Do you have any lines?”

Really? “Yeah, a couple.”

“Which part did you get?” Lauren asked.

“Just one of the mayor’s wife’s friends.”

“Oh!” Alexis laughed. “One of the old ladies.”

I pursed my lips together and looked out the window again. “Yep.”

“Are you going to need help with your lines?” Harrison asked.

I turned and met his gaze in the rearview mirror. He must’ve adjusted it to watch my reaction. Thankfully, I didn’t have to say anything.

“Yeah, right. Lilly will have her lines memorized by the second practice,” Alexis said. “It’s me and you who are going to need to practice. I can’t believe how many lines we have, and how many scenes together.”

Harrison winked at me in the mirror as he answered Alexis. “That’ll be fun.”

Lauren pouted. I could tell she was pouting just by the tone of her voice. “But how am I going to learn
my
lines?”

Alexis grinned. “Have my boyfriend help you. He’s good at that stuff.”

What?
I removed one of my ear buds.

“Why should I have him help me?” Lauren sounded as shocked as I was.

Alexis heaved a sigh as if she had to explain something to a moron. “Because he’s going to want to hang out with us, like always, but I’m going to be busy with Harrison most of the time, so I’ll need someone to take over for me. It might as well be you.”

“Wait. Why me? Let your own boyfriend help you with your lines, and I’ll use
my
boyfriend to help me with mine.” Lauren rubbed her hand on Harrison’s bicep.

Harrison was watching the road, but I could see his jaw twitch.

“Are you kidding? Lauren, Harrison has to work with me, since we’re together in the play. You don’t get a choice. I don’t want to look like a fool on stage. I have to practice with him.”

He glanced over at Lauren. “She has a point. I guess I’ll have to work lines with her.”

If Lauren could’ve jumped out of the car right then and still look amazing, she would’ve done it. Anyone could see she was close to losing her cool. “You know what?” she snapped. “I think we should change the subject.”

Harrison cleared his throat. “Probably a good idea.” His eyes met mine in the mirror again. “So who will you be practicing lines with, Lilly?”

I put my ear buds back in as both girls gasped. The guy really didn’t know when to stop.

***

Once we made it home, I immediately went to my room and crashed on my bed. I figured I’d do the dishes and outside chores in a little bit once everyone else calmed down and the house was quiet. I heard the girls say good-bye to Harrison and I waited until the TV came on in the front room. Then I made my way into the kitchen and began to work on the mess. Turning up the volume on my iPod, I quickly unloaded the dishwasher. It wasn’t until about halfway through loading it, when I reached for a cup on the counter behind me, that I nearly had a heart attack.

There, standing outside with this stupid grin on his idiotic face, was Harrison, staring at me through the window. I turned off the water and the iPod and marched out the back door. “Are you kidding me? I nearly peed my pants,” I hissed. “What in the holy curses are you doing back here, you stalker?”

He chuckled and shut the door more firmly. Then he placed a finger over his lips and motioned for me to follow him.

“Uh, no.” It was cold and dark.

He motioned.

“I don’t even have a jacket.”

He sighed and then began to unzip his.

“No. Harrison, not only is it cold, but this is absolutely insane, and I’m not going anywhere with you!”

“Shh!” He placed the still-warm coat around my shoulders and then slipped one of my arms in the sleeve.

I pushed his hand away, put my other arm in on my own, and then zipped it up. “Okay, what? And why all the secrecy?”

He tilted his head toward the barn and began to walk over there. “Come and see.”

Is he serious? Ugh. What did he do?
I couldn’t even fathom. Reluctantly, I began to follow him. “This better be good,” I ungraciously muttered. “I could get, like, grounded for a month if I’m caught with you out here like this.”

He glanced at me. “Oh, it’ll be worth it, I promise.”

I grumbled some more, but honestly, the suspense was killing me. What in the world had the guy done? And when did he do it?

As soon as we slipped inside the darkened barn, he shut the door behind us and began to kiss me.

What in the—?
I pushed him away. “Really?” I sputtered.

I heard his chuckle and could just make out his glittering eyes. “What did you think we were coming here for?” he asked.

I felt his arms go around my waist and his mouth nuzzle my neck. I wanted to hurl. I pushed against him, but he didn’t budge.

“Relax,” he muttered against my jaw. “Just stop and enjoy yourself for a few minutes. Let’s get this feisty princess a little more happy.” With one hand, he began to unzip the jacket.

“Um, no.” I pushed against his chest. Why did I never realize how strong this guy was? “I am not making out with you in a smelly barn, so back off.” I pushed against him again, but his arms pulled me closer.

I could feel one hand make its way up my back to cup my head. “Shh . . . Now stop.”

I was beginning to get mad. “Harrison, if you don’t get yourself off me this instant, you’ll regret it.”

His lips trailed over to my ear. “Whatcha gonna do? Hiss at me?”

Seriously? Was the guy’s ego that big? “Let. Me. Go. Now!”

He paused, but didn’t let go. “Are you flirting or angry? I can’t tell in this light.”

Ha. As if he couldn’t tell. I didn’t have to see his face to know he was grinning. He loved thinking I was stuck. “Are you going to let me go?”

“Not until I want to.” He began to push the jacket off my shoulder. “Now come here. I want to warm you up properly.” His other hand wound around my waist to my stomach and slipped under the bottom of the jacket, rising up to my rib cage.

That was it. I was done. “Fine.” I brought my hands up to play with his hair.

He took it as a good sign and relaxed just enough for me to knee him in the groin. Hard. When he doubled over, I yanked his hair and slammed his nose into that same knee and then shoved him away from me. His moans were loud.

When I opened the barn door, I could see him writhing on the floor. He’d grabbed his face with one hand while he held himself with the other. I swiftly removed his disgusting jacket and dumped it on top of him.

“The next time you mess with a cowgirl, I suggest you make sure you’re a better fighter than she is. You’re lucky I was nice, or you wouldn’t have such a pretty face to kiss someone else with.”

I brushed off my hands and stepped out into the cold air. “Oh, and if you ever touch me like that again, I’ll send Sean after you. If you think I’m trouble, just wait. He taught me everything I know.”

I shut the door and marched back to the house.

How dare the jerk think I was the type of girl who’d do junk like that? Give me a break! How many warnings did I have to give him, anyway? How many times did I tell him no? The guy needed to be shot! I really didn’t trust him. I didn’t.

Everyone else could think he was nice and innocent or whatever, but I really, really, didn’t like him. And now, much more than ever before.

If I never saw Harrison Crawford again, it’d be too soon.

The loser.

Chapter Sixteen: Revenge

The night I fought off Harrison changed everything. If I had known what would happen because of it, I don’t know what I would’ve done. Maybe told someone? Maybe not have gone back in the house and finished the dishes?

As it turned out, pretending nothing had happened ended up being my biggest mistake. After that, I became Harrison’s greatest challenge. And he went to extreme lengths to prove it to me, even going so far as breaking up with Lauren the next morning.

She was in a foul mood as we got ready for school. I hadn’t got the “Harrison must die” memo like Alexis had, so there was no warning whatsoever that Lauren would be raging. I kept my iPod on and my head down as I climbed into the car, like any typical day.

But then she drove maybe a thousand feet before slamming on her brakes and shouting at me to get out of the car. I was in a bit of shock, but from the look on her face, apparently she had just cause to go ballistic. “Did I do something wrong?” I asked.

“Yes, you were born. Now get out!” If her eyes could’ve shot daggers at me, they would’ve.

I raised my brows. “Wow.”

“GET OUT!”

“Okay, okay, I’m going.” I clutched my backpack, opened up the side door, and left.

Just as I was shutting it, she snapped, “Text your boyfriend and tell him to pick you up! You don’t need to ride with us anymore!” Then she sped away, leaving me alone with a long walk ahead of me.

My boyfriend? What was going on?
Had she seen me and Harrison go into the barn the night before? I sucked in some cold air and looked down the road, then flung my backpack over my shoulders. Tugging on my gloves and beanie, I began to walk. Might as well get this over with. If I hurried, I might be able to get there in the middle of second hour.

What was her problem, anyway? Lauren wasn’t the sweetest of sisters, but she’d learned how to reign in that temper. Mostly.

I sighed. One thing was for certain—it changed the dynamics of the play drastically. There was no way I wanted to be around Harrison ever again. And with Sean announcing that morning that he’d be taking Julia to and from practices, and his sisters not allowing me to drive with them, it made everything so much more awkward. My heart clenched and I walked faster. A lot faster.

What was wrong with me, anyway? How did I manage to alienate so many people, but attract the one guy I didn’t want? Ugh. Why did I even go to school? Why did I even try?

I knew why. To get away from home. I was the kid who went to school every day, even when I was sick, so I didn’t have to be at home. Stephanie Benally would’ve made me her indentured servant. I had learned really quickly that if I didn’t want to rush back and forth getting her drinks and snacks and the phone and anything else she wanted while she watched her shows, I’d better go to school.

I kicked a rock with my shoe and watched it bounce out into the road. It was only one of the busiest streets on the Bloomfield Highway. A lot of people sped past, and I didn’t even want to think about what I looked like to everyone. Teen girl with a backpack obviously going to be late for school . . . I’m sure that if anyone recognized me, I’d be in even bigger trouble.

I blinked up at the sun and willed myself not to cry. There were days when I really had to remind myself how much better it was to be with the Benallys than at the Children’s Home. But then again, there were days like today when I wondered what it’d be like just to be a kid in that place again.

No. I shook my head. No, this was better. This was a hundred times better.

But it really began to mess me up. It was hard to be the one no one wanted. Not even my own parents wanted me. I frowned and then took a deep breath.

Enough. This ultra-sadness wasn’t going to make anything better. I had to choose my own happiness. I had to decide I wanted a better life and see the good. There was good, a lot of it. Like, at least it wasn’t snowing right now. That was a plus.

Now, tomorrow—one never knew, but that was tomorrow. A million things could happen between now and then. I picked up my pace again and was still trying to convince myself to remain positive about twenty minutes later when I heard a car honk in front of me.

Harrison flipped a U-turn and pulled over on the side of the road.

Um, no
. I kept walking.

I heard him get out of the car. “Lilly! Come on, don’t do this. Lauren said she dropped you off. Let me take you to school.”

I didn’t even give him the satisfaction of an answer.

“Look, I totally regret last night, okay?” He jogged to catch up with me. “Now come with me. School started about five minutes ago. If we hurry, you won’t miss much.”

I didn’t look at him.

“You’re not even going to talk to me? Really? Lilly, give me a break. So I was a jerk last night. So I wanted to move things a little faster than you were ready for. Okay. I get it. You can kick my trash. Now let me give you a ride. You don’t have to be out here in the cold just because your sister can’t handle rejection.”