Page 76 of Wine & Whiskey
“Whis-key.” He speaks slowly as if he’s talking to a child. “Do you like it?”
Confusion steals her voice, fearful of where his question will lead, of what her answer may cause him to do. She shakes her head.
“Now, see, that’s why you and Nick don’t belong together. It’s harsh and caustic just like him. You on the other hand…” She flinches from him caressing her hair, looping a strand around his finger. “Are sweet and gentle. You drink wine, but you probably like those girly drinks with the little umbrellas too, don’t you?”
This doesn’t make any sense. He risks Nick’s wrath to talk about drinks. “I don’t understand why you’re doing this. Nick’s trying to help you. He gave you a job and—”
“Good thing you’re hot, or you’d never make it. You’re so naïve.” He lays his finger on her lips, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Now remember, this is our little secret. Otherwise, I’ll tell Nick all about you seducing me. Then, we’ll see how much he loves you.”
He climbs off the bed and carefully smooths the wrinkles from the comforter, as if erasing the evidence of his presence. “See you later.”
As soon as the door closes, she throws off the blankets and runs to lock it before racing to the bathroom. Her hands tremble as she squeezes the washcloth, waiting for the water to heat. She has to get the feeling of Spencer’s touch off her. Steam rises from her skin, streaked beet red from her fingernails scratching through the fabric.
Flying back into the bedroom, she yanks off the comforter and pillow cases, wadding them into a ball and running down the stairs and through the breezeway. Sharp pain stabs her fist from pounding on the guest house door.
Her best friend’s scrunched face peers through the cracked opening, squinting in the bright sunlight. “What time is it?”
“I don’t know. I need to get rid of these. They’re dirty, and I can’t use them anymore.”
Carrie glances from the pile of fabric to Shae. “Are you okay?”
“No, Spencer’s blackmailing me.” She shakes her head, unable to continue. Weakness overcomes her tense muscles, and the linens fall to the floor before she wraps her arms around herself.
All the drowsiness gone, Carrie’s eyes grow wide. “What the fuck? What happened?”
“I was sleeping, and he held me down…” The words catch in her throat, and she trembles, mimicking what he did, shaking from the helplessness of being so vulnerable to his assault. Tears break free and stream down her cheeks as Carrie pulls her into a hug. “I don’t understand what he wants, but I’m scared.”
“You have to tell Nick.”
“I can’t. Spencer said—”
“Fuck what Spencer said. Nick will believe you. I know he will.”
She nods her head. Carrie’s rational logic calms her racing thoughts. “You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“When he finds out what Spencer did, he’ll kill him. There’s no way he’ll let him get away with it.”
Another wave of nausea turns her stomach. She’ll be responsible for his death. Juan escaped, but Spencer won’t. Unable to steady her shaking legs, she drops down onto Carrie’s bed. “I can’t do this anymore. I want to go home.”
Carrie lies next to her and brushes her hair off her forehead. “Calm down. It’ll be okay. We’ll get it figured out.”
“I miss my mom and Jason. I just want everything to be normal again.”
“Yeah, because being a pop star princess is really normal.”
A half-hearted giggle escapes Shae’s mouth. “How did we get like this? I never dreamed back in kindergarten this is how we would end up.”
“Remember when we were going to be vets? I wanted to take care of dogs, and you were going to save all the wild horses.”
Shae rolls onto her back. Golden rays stream through the sky light, flickering across the ceiling. The desire to feel its warmth on her face engulfs her. “Everything was so simple back then. I wish I had appreciated it at the time.”
“That’s the way it’s supposed to be when you’re a kid. It’s only when you get older things get complicated.”
“What should I do?” Her voice drops to a whisper, all she can manage while trying to ignore the thoughts of Nick’s rage. “I don’t want Nick to kill Spencer. I just want him to leave us alone.”
Carrie pops up and sits cross legged on the bed, laying one palm on top of the other. “Tell me again. What exactly did Spencer say he wants?”
She clenches the bedspread in her fist, unable to make sense of his words. “Nothing. He said he wanted to ask me a question and then talked about whiskey. That’s it.”
