Chapter Fifteen
871 Words
Scarlett POV
Rhett and I strolled through the colorful fall leaves down a well-worn trail behind the house and in the direction of Berry Creek. The weather
was typical for Texas that time of year: crisp, cool, perfect for a walk. We made good conversation. He was charming and witty and I
soon forgot the ugly encounter with Dev. Still, at moments, I wondered, why wouldn’t he want Rhett to know me? Am I that much of an
embarrassment to him? When we got closer to the creek, the trail became uneven. I struggled over a large rock and lost my footing.
Rhett caught me before I fell. “Why don’t you hold my hand—just in case,” he
offered.I accepted his offer with a slight blush. His hand was warm and strong, and I liked touching him. Still my thoughts defaulted to Dev. He could learn a thing or two from
Rhett. Finally, we made it down to a secluded area near the rushing water. Tall oak trees framed the bank and lush grasses made a perfect spot for us to rest a moment.
After we sat down, he immediately leaned in.
It was a little too close for me. “It was nice of you to take me out here—to release some pressure,” he whispered in my ear as he stroked
my hair. I moved away out of reflex. What was he getting at? I tried to diffuse the heady atmosphere. “Um, sure, no problem. Hey, we should go look at the water. We might see some trout.”I started to get up, but he leaned over me
before I could stand up and pressed his weight against my chest. My mind raced.
Is this really happening?“Rhett, please move…”
I pushed his chest away, but it was like
pushing on a brick wall. “Don’t play coy with me, Miss Scarlett. You know you want this,” he said in an exaggerated Southern drawl, centimeters from my face. I could smell alcohol on his breath, and then I could taste it when he kissed me full on the mouth—a sloppy,
frantic kiss. Not at all like the one in my dream…with Dev. I turned my face away and realized I need to end this—now.
“Stop! Get off of me!” I yelled, hoping
someone would hear. Nothing but crickets chirped in reply. With his free hand, he grabbed at the buttons on my blouse. I realized in that moment, he was going to rape
me. I screamed this time. “Noooo!”
His hand found my breast, freed from my bra.
He pinched my n****e and then moved his mouth toward it—his other hand now between my legs. My eyes filled with tears. This was not
how I wanted my first time to be. I was going to be statistic. A victim of r**e. The w*********h girl who asked for it. I deserved it for
being so stupid. Didn’t Dev try and warn me?
I pleaded through my tears, “Please don’t do
this…”And then, just like that, he was off of me.
Free of his weight, I instinctively rolled over to protect myself.
I looked up to see where he had gone.
Dev was here.He had Rhett in a choke hold. I had never seen him so enraged. The two men struggled with each other, but Dev
had the clear advantage with his height and sobriety. Rhett was able to break free for just a moment before Dev punched him square
in the face. He fell to the ground in a pathetic, unconscious pile. I scrambled to my feet and took several steps away. My heart was racing and I had to force myself to breathe for
fear of passing out. “Oh god…” I choked out, in shock. In a second, Dev was next to me. He put his arm around my shoulder protectively, as a big brother or a father would. I turned to him and fell against his chest. Weirdly, it was
the only place I wanted to be at that moment.
I don’t know how much time passed, but I
stayed in his embrace until I heard police sirens. I only vaguely remembered when he called them from his cell phone. Perhaps I was
blocking out everything except the reassuring feeling of him against me.
The police took our statements and arrested
Dev’s college friend for attempted r**e—the college friend with the rich and powerful father who would probably not give Dev a job
after this—the father who probably had the power to ruin his career in banking if he were so inclined. It occurred to me that Dev never expressed the tiniest concern about any of that as we stood by the creek. He could have handled it a hundred different ways that might have preserved his relationship with Rhett—and preserved his chances of having a career at Franklin Bank. But he acted honorably. And
decently. And good. He made me feel important and worth protecting.
At once, my childhood disdain for him started
to fade.
- Writer
