Page 60 of A Billionaire Rebel

“Ah, well, about that…” I scratched the back of my head. “It wasn’t going anywhere with her so we broke things off.”

The look on Davin’s face said he didn’t believe I was telling him everything, but he didn’t push the issue.

“That’s too bad,” he said. “At least it gives you a clean slate to start a new career. Any thoughts on what you’re going to do now?”

So much for me not having to talk about it. But it was better than talking about Jae.

“I’m not sure,” I said honestly. “I think I’m going to take things slow, deciding what I want to do next. Right now, I just want to make sure my friends are okay. Otis still has a long road to recovery.”

“Does he need any financial help?” Grandad asked. “You know we’ll help any of them if they need it.”

“The label actually took care of all medical bills, and they’re paying for any nursing help,” I explained. “I’m more worried about him mentally and emotionally. What he and the others went through isn’t the sort of thing that can be ignored.”

Even as the four of us discussed how to help my friends, I still couldn’t quite get Jae out of my mind. At some point, I would need to decide if I could move past this on my own or if I was going to have to figure out a way for me to get some closure for myself.

Thirty-Five

Jae

The weather todayreflected how I felt, and I had to admit that it was more than a little comforting. Thick, charcoal gray clouds made this late Sunday afternoon in August look like night in the middle of winter. Flashes of far away lightning and the parking lot lights didn’t do much to cut through the sheets of rain.

The storm had the added benefit of chasing away the paparazzi who’d been camped out in the parking lot since the Holden press release. They would’ve used it as an excuse to come inside if Starla hadn’t hung a sign yesterday afternoon threatening reporters with trespassing charges. We didn’t mind the people who came in just wanting to meet Damon Holden and maybe take a picture with him, but the people who kept hounding me to answer questions had gotten on her last nerve yesterday.

We’d had exactly four customers today, and I’d been glad for the boredom, especially since each of those customers had purchased an instrument pricey enough to give us a decent sales day. Thanks to that, when Starla had left about an hour ago, she’d told me that if the electricity went out, I could close early. She’d been sick all day, and it’d taken me that long to get her to go home.

I didn’t plan on leaving early, even if the electricity went off. I enjoyed the sound of the rain, and I’d brought a book to read. Jamie was home, and Kevin was probably going for a sleepover at my parents’ house, which meant if I went home, I’d be alone with her. I wasn’t ready for that, not when she was going to keep picking at why Damon and I had broken up. That was a conversation I never wanted to have.

I was at the display case closest to the door when it opened, and I turned just in time to see Spencer flip the deadbolt on the door as he closed it behind him. A sliver of fear cut through me, and I struggled to hide it. I had to think.

He was trying to scare me, and this was a good way to do it. I could threaten him with calling the cops, but the threat would only work if I could follow through with it.

My cell phone was in my purse under the counter. The landline was on the counter.

“You’re not supposed to be here.” I crossed my arms and tried to look intimidating.

“I think we both know that you’re going to give me whatever I want,” he said with a smug smile. “So drop the act.”

I took a sideways step to put me closer to the counter. “I did what you asked and broke up with Damon. Leave me alone, Spencer.”

“Oh, I don’t think so.” He moved faster than I expected, his hands slamming against the wall on either side of my head. “This isn’t over. It’s just getting started.”

That little sliver of panic blossomed into something large that threatened to consume me. I fought it back and reminded myself that Spencer was a bully. I’d dealt with bullies before.

“You need to back up,” I said firmly. “Go back to your parents’ store, and I’ll pretend this didn’t happen. If you insist on continuing to harass me, I’ll be forced to follow through on Starla’s threat to have you arrested for trespassing and harassment.”

His eyes narrowed, the color darkening to near-black. “No, youfuckingbitch. You’re going to give me what you owe me, whether you want to or not.”

He leaned toward me, and I put my hands on his chest before his mouth could reach mine. I shoved him back with all the strength I could muster.

“No!” I kept my arms out and tried to keep my voice steady.

He grabbed my wrists, pushing my arms in as he closed in on me. Adrenaline raced through me, my body admitting what he was trying to do before my brain accepted it. I jerked my knee up, but he turned his hips, and I caught him in the thigh instead of his crotch.

He laughed and squeezed my wrists until I couldn’t hold back a whimper of pain. “Go ahead and fight it if you think it’ll make you feel like less of a whore. I don’t mind.”

I struggled, pulling at his grip without any thought of how to best get free. I just knew I had to get away, or I was going to get hurt.

“Want to know a secret?” Spencer leaned close enough to put his mouth next to my ear.

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