Page 114 of Catch the Sun

“That’s not okay. I want to leave now.” Glancing around the empty bluffs, I become fully aware of the fact that we’re all alone up here. I can barely make out the lights from the house across the lake. The cold breeze picks up, sprinkling more goose bumps up and down my arms and legs. “I’m going back to the party.”

As I move to pull myself up, McKay snaps his hand out and latches onto my cardigan. “Why would I wanna go back there? My ex-girlfriend is there, probably getting naked with that Kai kid. Fuck that. I like it better here.” He yanks me down with surprising force and I tumble into his lap. “I like you more. I want to know what my brother sees in you.”

Fear grips me like a barbed noose. I scramble to get free as both of his arms wrap around my middle to keep me in his lap. He moans when my ass grindsagainst his groin in my attempt to escape. “McKay…let me go,” I say, my voice shaky, tone pitching. “I’m serious.”

Logic tells me this is McKay. This is Max’s twin brother and he would never hurt me. He’s drunk and not thinking clearly, and any minute now, he’ll apologize and let me go.

This is a misunderstanding.

An awkward, uncomfortable misstep.

But my instincts are flaring, telling me otherwise. They sense danger, regardless of who he is.

“That feels good,” he whispers in my ear, grazing the tip of his nose through my hair. “Feels good when you wiggle like that.”

Then his hand crawls up my torso to cup my breast and he buries his face in my neck, inhaling deeply.

No, no, no.

This is wrong.

This is so wrong.

“McKay, stop it. Don’t touch me.” I peel his hand off my chest and rocket forward, my heart in my throat.

He pulls me back.

I scream.

“What the hell,” he growls, his head popping up while one hand slaps across my mouth to keep me quiet. “Jesus. Someone’ll hear you.”

I keep screaming, the sound muffled by his palm.

“Knock it off, Ella. Fuck…just hold still!” He grips me tighter, squeezing me, until I can hardly catch my breath.

Kicking my legs, I try to find stability to haul myself up. I scratch at his arms, writhing, desperate to flee. Terror sinks into me as my adrenaline spikes and my survival instincts fire tenfold. When one of his hands trails down my body and slips between my legs, prying them apart, I swing my head backward until my skull connects with his forehead.

He gasps out a pained groan and releases me. A bone-rattling scream lets loose as I struggle to find my footing, and then I jump to my feet and run.

I hardly make it a few steps when a hand flies out and grips my ankle.

I shoot forward, landing facedown in the grass, my chin connecting with hard earth. My teeth slam into my tongue and blood fills my mouth.

Tears blur my vision as pain renders me paralyzed long enough for McKay to flip me over and snatch both of my wrists, pinning them above my head.

He straddles me.

I stare up at him, blood coating my mouth and jaw, my chest heaving with panic. Dark, shaggy hair drapes over his face and his eyes glint with black ice. “Please, please, get off me,” I beg, squirming beneath his heavy weight, trying to rip my hands free. “Getoffme!”

“I don’t wanna hurt you,” he slurs. “Jus’ hold fucking still.”

“McKay, stop! Youarehurting me!” I shout. Tears slide down my cheeks, mingling with blood. “Somebody help me!”

He clocks me across the face.

“Shut.Up,” he hisses, eyes wild.

More pain zips through me, head to toe. I watch as something takes him over like a sinister possession. He looks crazed, out of his head.

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