Page 56 of Sex Coach

Nineteen

Michelle

H eat scorchedmy cheeks as I wrote the article, but I kept on writing .

The whole idea behind the series was how to keep the heat in a relationship. What Jake had done to me yesterday hadn't brought heat – it had brought an inferno .

Of course, everything he did brought an inferno .

It was a miracle he hadn't burned me up from the inside out .

My hands hesitated, then tripped on the keyboard as memory rushed in. Pulling them away from the keyboard, I reached up and closed my right hand around my left wrist, echoing what he'd done. It had frozen me for a second. Not long, but long enough, because he'd noticed .

I'd just...panicked, maybe ?

I couldn't completely shut those sensory memories off, and for one brief moment, I'd felt somebody else's hand grasping my wrist. I'd felt another hand at my throat and an ugly voice had grunted my name before issuing a threat – nobody will believe you, so keep your mouth shut .

Shaking now, as the memories edged closer, I saved the document and got up, moving over to the window. It was a cold, windy Thursday, the sunlight harsh, oddly bright as it shone down from a sky that was starting to cloud up in the north. Those dark clouds promised a whole hell of a lot of something and the weather guys had been talking snow for a few days. They might be on to something .

Let it snow, then. As long as it didn't keep me from seeing Jake tomorrow .

I needed to see him now, with the echoes of these memories prowling closer .

Nobody will believe you...

It had gone on for months. Parker's hands on me, his mouth...he'd gone from 'accidentally' bumping into me or having his hand graze my breast, to grabbing me...then groping. The first time he raped me, even though I'd been trying to avoid him for months, had come as such a shock. Some part of me had known he wanted to do it, and I'd tried desperately to avoid him, but he'd realized just what I was doing and went out of his way to find chances to be alone with me .

That was how it happened .

My parents had gone out on a date for their anniversary that first night, and I was home alone. Parker shouldn't have been there, but he claimed he'd left something at the house, then upon realizing I was alone, he felt like he should stay and keep me company .

I'd tried going upstairs and locking myself in my room, but he'd followed me. When I tried to run, he tackled me, and it happened right on the front steps of my home .

For months, I couldn't walk down them without feeling sick .

After I finally told my parents, they renovated the whole damn house and the staircase had been gutted and replaced entirely .

Nobody will believe you .

He'd been wrong .

"My parents believed me," I said softly .

And he'd gotten careless. The last time, he'd grabbed me outside, and I'd screamed. A neighbor kid had heard and come to investigate, then he'd ran and gotten his dad. While his father hauled Parker off of me, the teenager had called the police .

The police, thanks to witness reports, had no choice but to believe me. He hadn't done much time in jail, but he'd done time .

And Jake had believed me .

"You didn't win, you miserable son of a bitch," I whispered to the void, staring outside .

There was no answer, but the ache in my chest eased. Turning back to the desk, I debated. Taking a couple of breaths, I forced myself to go sit down and get back to work .

The bastard hadn't won, and I was tired of acting like he had .

* * *

"A fternoon delights, hmm?"

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