Chapter 10

The bonfire party was in full swing, the music thumping and the beer flowing. I grabbed a cold one from the cooler and cracked it open, feeling the icy liquid slide down my throat. Bree grinned at me, approving.

"That's the spirit, Andy! Let's get this party started!" Bree yelled over the music.

We stumbled onto the makeshift dance floor, laughing and spinning to the music. Tyler was attempting to impress a group of girls with his dance moves, while Emily was cheering him on. Marissa was nowhere to be seen, and I was grateful for that.

As we danced, I noticed a guy watching us from across the fire. He was tall, with messy brown hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through me. I felt a shiver run down my spine as our eyes met, and he smiled.

Bree followed my gaze and grinned. "That's Jake. He's Tyler's friend"

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Why was he staring at me like that?

I took another swig of beer, feeling the buzz start to kick in. I threaded my hands through my hair as I started to feel so free. Just dancing, drinking, laughing.

As the night wore on, I found myself glancing over at Jake more and more. He was leaning against a tree, looking like he owned the place. I felt a spark of annoyance flicker through me. Who exactly did he think he was? I huffed. Bitchy Andy was taking over again.

But at the same time, I couldn't deny the attraction I felt. There was something about him that drew me in, or maybe it was just the alcohol.

As the music pulsed through my veins, I let go of my inhibitions and lost myself in the rhythm. The beer was taking over, and I felt my senses blur. I was spinning, laughing, and dancing with Bree, when suddenly, I felt a hand slide around my bare waist.

I was caught off guard, and my eyes snapped towards the touch. That's when I saw him - Jake, the guy from across the fire. He was standing behind me, his piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, his hand burning a trail of heat around my waist.

I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body, and my heart skipped a beat. I tried to pull away, but Jake's grip was firm. He pulled me closer, his body pressed against mine, and I felt the warmth of his breath on my skin.

"Hey," he whispered in my ear, his voice low and husky. "You're quite the dancer."

I felt a flush rise to my cheeks, and my mind went blank. I couldn't think, couldn't speak. All I could do was feel. The heat of his hand, the beat of the music, and the rush of the alcohol. I felt it all.

Jake's hand slid further around my waist, his fingers brushing against my skin. I felt a shiver run down my spine, and my body leaned into his touch.

"Let's get out of here," he whispered, his lips grazing my ear. "Let's find somewhere quieter."

It felt as though he cast a spell. I nodded, my heart racing with anticipation. And then, we were moving, our bodies swaying to the music as we stumbled away from the crowd.

As we drifted further from the crowd, the music faded as well. Jake's hand was still wrapped around my waist, steadying me. I couldn't think straight, my mind foggy from the alcohol.

We found ourselves at the edge of the beach, the waves crashing against the shore. Jake pulled me closer, his body pressed against mine. I felt his heat, his heartbeat, and his breath on my skin.

"What's your name?" he asked in a whisper, his voice low and husky.

"Andy" I said, somehow managing not to slur.

"You've got a beautiful name, Andy" he said and I blushed.

"Thank you, Jake" I said and he chuckled.

"I'm guessing Bree told you my name?" He asked and I nodded in affirmation.

"I've been watching you all night," he said and I bit my bottom lip. I was beginning to feel hot all over.

"Oh yeah? So, tell me, what do you think?" I asked. At this point, I had zero control over anything I was saying or doing.

"Well," he started, as he ran his thumb over my bottom lip.
"I've been wanting to do this all night." He said as he leaned in and I held my breath. Take that, Peter.

And then, his lips were on mine. Soft, gentle, and exploratory. I felt a rush of excitement, my heart racing with anticipation.

I kissed him back, my lips parting to let him in. His tongue slid into my mouth, and I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body.

We stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, the waves crashing around us. It was like the world had melted away, leaving only the two of us.

As we kissed, I felt myself getting lost in the moment. His touch, and his lips drove me crazy. His hand slid over my ass and dragged me impossibly closer as my hands gripped his neck, hair, everywhere I could touch.

Then his hand began to slide under my top. That was when, all of a sudden, my sense of reason came back and I stopped him.

My hand gripped his as we broke apart. He paused to look at me, raising a brow in question.

"I don't want to… um, sorry" I murmured.

"Oh" he said, not even trying to hide his disappointment. But I definitely wasn't about to apologize for having boundaries. I wasn't about to sleep with someone I had barely just met. To worsen things, we were in public.

"Yeah" I said as I took an unsure step backwards.

"Then why did you lead me on?" He asked and I was taken aback by the question.

"Lead you on?" I asked.

"Yes. That's exactly what you did. I'm sick of bitches like you who lead innocent men on and think they can get away with it" he said and I had to blink to be sure this was actually happening.

I was suddenly conscious of my environment.
I could still hear the music but it was definitely far from where we were. It was darker here and the beach was empty. No one, other than the both of us, was here. I gulped nervously.

"I'm sorry that you feel that way Jake but that's not the case. I just, I would rather take things slow" I said and he basically growled at me, making me move even more away from him. Suddenly, all the attraction I felt for him dissipated into thin air and all I could see was a hungry looking predator.

"Slow? Fuck that shit" he said as he lunged for me. I screamed as I attempted to run away but he caught me easily and before I could even say or do anything, he punched my face.

I went quiet immediately, stumbling to the sandy ground as a metallic taste filled my mouth.

"Fucking bitch" I heard him cuss under his breath as he bent over me.

No, no, no, this could not be happening again. I tried to scream but I could not. It seemed like I was frozen. I could barely move and I watched with tears streaming down my face as he ripped my top and removed my shorts, leaving me in my bikini. He got off me to remove his clothes and he was clad naked in front of me.

Oh God. Please, no.

I tried to crawl away but he only dragged me back to him again.

He shifted my panties to the side and stuck his finger inside me. I struggled against him but he just paused and punched me repeatedly, cussing aggressively under his breath, till I couldn't feel anything anymore. One last punch and my entire world went blank.