Secret Regrets (Living For Today #2) (4 page)

Seated at the bar, I leaned up on my forearms and flagged down the bartender.

He nodded to me but first let his eyes caress my cleavage on display.

“Hey,” I said as a blush overtook my cheeks. I remembered the list of shots we’d looked up for tonight. “We
need
shots. Let’s kick this night off with four Blow Jobs.”

The bartender let out a hearty laugh as he grabbed the Disaronno and Baileys. “You got it!” he yelled as he topped each shot off with some whipped cream and dispersed them to each of us.

“To my freedom!” Leslie announced to the club.

Four shots were scooped up and slammed back, and we all screamed in unison.

“More!” Leslie demanded.

“Okay, okay. Next up, four Orgasms,” I requested.

The bartender, by this point, was cracking up. “Bachelorette party, I’m betting?”

“Hell yeah, it is!” Leslie screamed at the poor guy.

I wasn’t sure how much pity I had since he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

Handing me my shot, he leaned in. “You know, I can make all these shots become your reality.”

Slamming the shot back with the girls, I ignored his forwardness, hoping I didn’t have to worry about him since he was making some killer shots.

“Alright, lady, what’s next? Dance or another shot?” I called to Leslie.

“Bend Me Over Baby!” she hollered to the bartender.

With a wink, he set off to mix us up our third shots.

Minutes later, back on the dance floor, we were apparently all feeling the effects of the alcohol we’d just inhaled, happily dancing together and singing along to the music the DJ was spinning.

Suddenly, two warm strong hands wrapped around my hips, pulling me in and grinding against my backside. I looked to Leslie in panic, but her back was to me as she spun with her hands in the air, overtaken by the music.

“Your ass was just calling to me, baby,” he whispered in my ear as I felt his hot breath on my neck.

Panic rising within me I tried to step away, but instead he used my movement to turn me into him, forcing me to look up to a guy who’d done one too many steroids in his life and was doused in cheap cologne that made me want to gag. Flashing my ring, I announced, “I highly doubt my ass was calling to you.” I gently shoved him back to give myself some much-needed space.

Wrapping his arms back around me, he pulled me back in to his body, bringing his face close enough I could taste the alcohol on his breath.

“Oh, trust me it was,” he slurred, leaning in closer, eyes locked onto my lips. Trying to physically shove him back was like pushing a brick wall, and he wasn’t budging an inch.

Refusing to be anyone’s victim ever again, I became enraged. Pulling my hand back, I intended to make sure to slap him with all my force, knowing I needed to shock the hell out of him enough that I could get away.
Whack!
Hand stinging, I shook it out as the girls had apparently realized the pickle I’d gotten myself into and flanked me.

His hand instantly began rubbing his face where a red handprint was appearing as steroid-boy’s eyes filled with rage. “You bitch!” he yelled.

I cringed, seeing his muscles bunch up, ready to charge back at me. Mentally I prepared for him. To my relief, two bouncers and the bartender appeared, snatched him up like a rag doll, and dragged him out as he called me every nasty name in the book.

I felt physically glued to the spot where he’d left me.

The bartender stepped up to us, shaking me from the hold as he looked me over. “You girls all okay?” he asked, concern etched on his face.

For the first time I actually let myself admire him, scanning him head to toe. Blond locks curled at the ends, and green eyes, lean muscles of a swimmer’s body enhanced by his tight denim jeans, white undershirt, and black vest all made him very easy on the eyes.

“Yeah, we are fine. What a douche!” Leslie spoke up from behind me.

“Come back to the bar. You girls look too sober for your own good.”

The girls all headed to the bar behind the cute bartender. I grabbed Hayley’s arm. “Hey, I’m just going to run to the little girls’ room real quick. Her next shot was a… a… a Cockteaser!”

Raising an eyebrow, Hayley hesitated briefly. “I can come with you.”

“No, don’t be silly! I am fine. Just need to break the seal. I’ll be there before he has them in glasses. Go keep the party going, or else we’ll have to deal with Leslie!” I laughed, trying to ease the tension.

With a strained smile, Hayley turned toward the bar where the girls were waiting. As I scanned the area, I made eye contact with Leslie who was intently watching me. Forcing a smile, I mouthed,
“I’m fine,”
as Hayley spoke in her ear.

Nodding, Leslie held up two fingers to indicate my time limit before she beat the door down, and I laughed a genuine laugh. Hayley ordered the next shot from the bartender, and Leslie turned back to the bar, thrusting her hands in the air and letting out a cheer.

I knew I needed to hurry to not raise suspicion, so I quickly made my way to the ladies’ room and attempted to get in and out before Leslie came in after me. At the sink, I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to straighten it out. Helpless, I pulled a hair tie out of my clutch and pulled my mane into a messy ponytail.

As soon as I opened the door, the loud music pulsed in my ears, making my hips instinctively sway. I walked down the hall back to the main floor to get to the bar, when a hand snatched me up by my forearm and pulled me into a maintenance closet I was passing. A terrified scream escaped my throat just before another hand wrapped around my mouth, muffling my cries for help. The smell of his cologne too familiar, the feel of his hands on me made my fight or flight senses abandon me altogether.

“Hello, Rose. It’s been too long, has it not?”

His malicious voice tormented me as my panicked eyes searched for an escape. He squeezed my arm tighter, and my eyes went back to his ice-cold baby blues, letting me clearly see the pure evil he had hidden from me in high school. Leaning in, he ran his nose along my neck as he sniffed me, and his tongue licked the trail, making my skin crawl and bile rise in my throat.

“Darren, what the hell are you doing, man?” a male voice called from behind. “I told you to stay the hell away from her.”

I tried desperately to wriggle free as Darren directed his glare toward the new guy.

“I have unfinished business with her. She seems to have forgotten she is mine.” His eyes came back toward me in a flash.

I stared at him, trying to figure out what he wanted.

“You look confused, Rose,” he asked, tilting his head curiously.

Not sure what to do, I simply nodded, so he continued. “I hear you got yourself pregnant and engaged in my absence. I was here first,” he said, grinding his erection into me, emphasizing his point. “I was so happy to hear you moved back after graduating, and this fiancé? Well, he can be dealt with easily enough. I am back, and your traipsing around is done.”

Terrified, I shook my head in disagreement. Darren just laughed at me.

“Dude, her friends are going to come looking real soon. Let’s go!” the guy behind me said forcefully.

“Now, Rose, I have to leave you. Don’t waste your breath crying wolf. They didn’t believe you before, and they won’t believe you now. Keep your mouth shut, or else you can say goodbye to anyone you care about. My dad still has plenty of money to bury the problems. Do you understand me?” he asked, gripping me tighter.

Tears welling in my eyes, I nodded again, conceding to his demands. My walking-talking hell was back just as my life had been looking up. Of course.

Sliding his hand away, he brought his lips to mine, and I could taste his drink of choice on his mouth as he smothered me with a one-sided kiss.

“Until we meet again, Rose.”

I could hear him laughing jovially as his footsteps faded out with the other man’s behind me.

Unable to stand a moment longer, I collapsed to my knees. I knelt there for a few seconds, minutes, hours — honestly I wasn’t sure. The amount of time was immeasurable as sobs wracked my body.

“Rose! Rose!” Leslie’s voice yelled out, growing louder. “Rose!” Panic filled it this time as she knelt before me.

“He’s back,” I mumbled.

“What? What’s wrong, Rose?” Leslie shrieked.

“Darren. He is back for me,” I said with an eerie tone of calmness as my eyes locked to hers to see my words sink in and the fear take over.

CHAPTER SIX

T
HE NEXT MORNING
I
WOKE IN
the comfort of a bed — not my own — with a hangover that made my head throb. Blinking into the sunlight, I groaned in discomfort as I saw Leslie’s yellow-walled room and rolled to my side to pull the blanket over me.

“Hey, hun. You okay?” Leslie’s concerned voice bounced around in my head like a Ping-Pong ball.

Slowly, I pulled the covers down and blinked a few times. The two Leslies I saw merged into just one fuzzy one. “My God, how much did we drink last night?” I asked, feeling like my head had been beat against a wall.

“Enough.,” Leslie smiled quickly before a frown reappeared on her face. “Rose, you said Darren was back?”

I clenched my eyes as my stomach rolled at the name and fear that came with it. Had he even really been there, or had that just been a full-blown panic attack from the beefcake who’d tried to manhandle me? Opening my eyes, I could see terror in Leslie’s eyes at the possibility of him being back. “What! When did I even say that?” I smoothly lied to both her and myself. I distinctly remembered his vise grip on my arm and kneeling in the maintenance closet, distraught in the aftermath.

“When I found you, you were freaking out. You said he was back.”

He’d make good on his threats if I told, and I wouldn’t put it past him to take them from me. I couldn’t lose Bryant or Leslie. No way could I survive that. I knew I needed to cover this up until I could put the pieces together to end him myself.

“The nightmares, Leslie. I told you, remember?” I put the confusion back on her to trip her up. “I think when that guy grabbed me, he just sent my mind reeling. He was huge, and that scared the crap out of me.” My body shivered in agreement.

Nodding her head, Leslie seemed to buy my story, which was all I needed her to do, to not question me further.

I needed a diversion. Scanning the room made me panic as a new thought entered my mind.

“Leslie, why are we at your apartment? Bryant is going to freak that I didn’t come home.” I reached for my phone on the nightstand to call him, but Leslie’s hand seized mine.

“I told him we’d drunk too much and were having a girls’ night until I could talk to you. Are you okay?” Her voice oozed concern.

“Besides the splitting headache and the fact you go between looking like a fuzz ball to a Siamese twin, I’m good,” I said, reaching up and rubbing her arm with my free hand. “Thank you for being there for me, but I think, with the stress of moving back and job hunting, my brain is just on overload.”

I slowly stood to go use the bathroom and grab some medicine for my head.

After forcing a glass of water and some toast down, Leslie and I recapped the highlights of the night, avoiding the sensitive topics, until we were both in tears, laughing at her bachelorette party. My phone rang, ending the carefree moment, and I remembered I needed to get ready for Monday.

“Hey, babe.” I answered the call.

“Hey, tell Leslie her time is up. I was promised some fun, and you didn’t come home.” Bryant’s sulking came through, loud and clear, making me laugh.

“Yes, one too many shots. Ugh. I am getting ready to head home now.” I hung up so I could say goodbye to Leslie and get back to Bryant.

When I got home, Bryant was in the back mowing the lawn, so I took the chance to hop in the shower and wash off the smoke and alcohol smell that had permeated into my skin from the club.

“Hey, sexy,” his husky voice called across the bathroom, making me scream.

“Oh my gosh, Bryant, you scared me!” I yelled, smacking him with my shaky hand.

Not noticing my tremble, Bryant scooped my naked wet body up and pulled me into his sweaty shirtless body. I needed the release and wrapped my legs around his hips as he walked us both back into the hot shower spray while we passionately devoured one another.

“So, how was the bachelorette party?” he asked between breaths.

“Uneventful,” I nonchalantly responded, trying to resume our lustful moment.

Apparently hearing the fib in my voice, he leaned back, pinning me down with his skeptical eyes. “You’re lying,” he deadpanned.

I squirmed under the scrutiny grateful when he set me back to my feet, and I could put some distance between us.

Running his gaze down my body, he suddenly tensed when his eyes honed in on a spot on my arm. He brushed his fingers gently over bruises that were very clearly fingerprints on my arm.

Turning away and into the shower water to warm me back up, I prolonged the moment, adding to the growing tension. I wasn’t prepared to have this conversation this fast. More importantly, I was unsure what information Leslie had given him.

“Well, some guy tried to put the moves on me, but I handled it,” I said, puffing my chest out in pride at not needing him to go all caveman for me. Feeling the air crackle with tension, I peeked back at Bryant. Apparently, Leslie had told him nothing. Lovely.

“I don’t understand where security in the club was? I mean, this guy left bruises on your arm, Rose.”

Bryant’s voice broke my heart with the desperation in it. “Bryant, calm down. They showed up as quickly as they could. He was just a total beefcake. I didn’t even realize I had these.” I tried to soothe him, waving a hand nonchalantly at the bruises. Wanting to escape, I turned the water off and grabbed a fluffy towel. I wrapped it around my body. I wrung my hair out and spoke again, trying to ease the tension. “Come on, love. We need to get ready for the rehearsal dinner.”

Snatching the other towel off the rod, Bryant huffed loudly then dried himself off before briskly leaving the bathroom without a word.