Page 21 of Between Now and Forever

“Duke, maybe we should just go.” I grab his arm and he looks down at me, his expression makes his annoyance with my request clear. He shakes my arm off and glowers down at me.

“Don’t be crazy, we just—"

“Dukeeeey, baby!” The loud cry reaches us before the owner of the voice is visible.

A young woman appears from behind a group of people and breaks into a run. Her grin is bright and wide and her corn silk blonde hair streaks behind her like a sail on a boat.

Unlike mine, there’s no doubt that hers is growing from her scalp. Her perfect body—all ample, perky breasts and slim, but rounded hips—is on full display in a tiny white bikini. She doesn’t slow down as she approaches, and I jump to get of out her way as she leaps into Duke’s open arms.

I watch, stupefied, as she shrieks in delight and he spins her around, his face full of the same excitement as hers.

He puts her down and she lands on her docksider clad feet with a vivacious and exaggerated bounce.

Then, like the girl he invited isn’t standing right next to him, he leans down and kisses her.

The crowd of people who followed her over hoot and whistle while they kiss like they’re trying to eat each other’s tongues.

I’m not sure what I’m feeling, only that it’s not anything good. My heart is a frantic fist slamming repeatedly against the inside of my chest begging me to help.

I need to get out of here.

As I fumble in my bag for my phone, fear pulls away from the cluster of emotions I couldn’t name a second ago and asserts itself fully. It acts like warm water under a passing hurricane and escalates the churning in my gut.

My equilibrium is rubble.

But, I’m not really sure why.

I’ve got nothing to be afraid of.

Iknowthis.

Yet, my fear only intensifies, rising up my chest, into my throat, and morphing into a scream that I have to bite the inside of my cheeks to contain.

I try to focus on unlocking my phone. I regret the tequila shots I took when my vision blurs for a minute.

I try to calm myself with deep, slow breaths and proactive thoughts.

I’ll call James.

He’ll come for me.

My fingers finally close around my phone. I hold it tight to counteract their trembling.

“You must be Liz.” The girl’s high-pitched, friendly voice startles me, and I drop my phone on the ground.

I jerk my head to see who’s talking to me and feel the blood drain from my face when I see it’sher.

She’s wearing a broad smile, but it’s unabashedly false. Her brown eyes are as hard and unforgiving as the granite wall that looms over the lake. I’m used to indifference from the folks in Winsome, but this level of disdain from a total stranger is disconcerting. I glance at Duke, but he’s busy doing something on his phone.

I look back at the woman. She’s older than me. Closer to Duke’s age and very pretty. But, the worst she can do is make me uncomfortable. She’s just like all the other girls in Winsome who look down on me from the perches of perfect looks.

I’m not scared of them, and I’m not scared of her.

I lift my chin a little and smile stiffly. “I’m Elisabeth. And, who are you?”

“I’m Etta. Duke’s girlfriend.” She drapes around Duke’s waist and pulls him close.

I look sharply back at Duke.

---