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  Eric grabbed her face gently and kissed her softly. Brandi's heart skipped a beat. His kiss was nothing like Zack's hard, demanding kiss. She eagerly responded, parting her lips and rubbing her tongue against his. He ran his hands down her waist. "You're so beautiful, Brandi," he whispered. She stopped kissing him and rested her head against his chest, holding him close. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "I've been wanting to do that for years," he said softly. She stepped back, surprised. "Years?"

  "Years, Brandi," he confirmed. "I've wanted you since 8th grade English. When you sat next to me with that cotton candy perfume."

  Brandi burst out laughing. "I can't believe you remember that."

  "I've never been able to look at cotton candy without thinking of you."

  Tears fell down Brandi's cheeks. "I wish I had known. Before I met him."

  Eric squeezed her. "It killed me to see you with him. If I ever see him again, he’ll pay for what he did to you."

  Brandi sniffed. "Thanks, Eric. So...what now?"

  Eric pulled her back in his arms. "I'm yours. I'll give you all the time you need. Don't ever feel like you owe me anything, ok? I just want to spend time with you."

  Brandi nodded gratefully. "I don't think...what if I can't have sex? The thought of it makes me feel sick."

  "I don't care," Eric immediately said. "I won't ever pressure you. If you ever want to, we can. But that's not why I want you."

  Brandi nodded, remembering Zack saying the same words to her. This is different, she told herself. Zack said them in desperation to get me back. Eric would never hurt me.

  "Let's go finish dinner," Eric said, leading her back to the dining room. Brandi sat down and ate with a bigger appetite than she’d had in months

  Eric met Brandi at her locker on Monday. She broke into a huge smile when she saw him. "Hey," she said, wrapping her arms around him. She gave him a peck on the lips and finished collecting her books.

  "Haha! Holy shit!"

  Brandi turned around and saw one of Zack's stoner friends, Mark, grinning at her like an idiot. "You went from Zack to Eric fucking Kellen? Talk about a downgrade."

  Brandi narrowed her eyes. "Shut the fuck up. You don't know anything."

  He laughed. "I know you're a little slut. Zack told me about all the nasty shit you let him do to you. Hey, if you're giving it up to just anyone, can I have a turn?"

  Eric pushed Mark and he went flying into the lockers. Mark scrambled back up and tried to push Eric. He didn't move. Eric grabbed Mark by the collar and slammed him into the lockers. Mark's eyes widened at Eric's strength. "I was just kidding, man. Calm down."

  Eric tightened his grip. "If you talk to her again, I will kick the shit out of you. Literally. I'll beat your ass so bad you'll shit yourself."

  "Jesus, fine," Mark said, looking around at the crowd that had gathered around them. "I was just kidding. What do I care what you guys do?"

  Eric let him go and he scrambled away. "Fuck you," he yelled over his shoulder, trying to save face. Eric took Brandi's shaking hand. "You ok?" He asked softly as the crowd dispersed. Brandi looked up at him, nodding quickly. "I'm fine. Let's go."

  Eric took her arm and they walked to history. All Brandi could think about was what Zack had told his friends about her. Why would he say that? He didn't even want her to do anything except stay still so he could have sex with her. The thought of somebody thinking that about her made her nauseous.

  "Are you sure you're ok?" Eric asked as they sat down. She looked at him, wide eyed. "It's not true.

  He furrowed his brow at her. "What's not true?"

  "I didn't...let him do nasty things to me. I didn't even want to..."

  "Shh," he said. "Don't worry what those stoner assholes think of you. Everybody knows that Zack is a piece of shit."

  She nodded. He was right. That chapter of her life was over.

  The doorbell rang and Brandi sprang up to open it. "Brandi! Happy Thanksgiving! Oh honey, don't you look lovely!" Helen exclaimed, grabbing Brandi for a tight hug. "Jack, doesn't she look lovely?"

  Eric's father laughed. "Of course," he said, kissing Brandi on the cheek. "She always looks lovely."

  Eric rolled his eyes and smiled at Brandi apologetically. "Sorry. My mom gets excited when she sees you. Can I help with anything?"

  Brandi looked around. "Everything's pretty much done. We're just waiting for the turkey. Want some wine?"

  "Sure," he said, following her into the kitchen. He exchanged hugs and handshakes with her mom and Ben. "Did you guys drink all the wine?" Brandi asked, eying the empty bottle.

  "There's more in the basement," Lynn said. "Your father had quite the collection. Grab any one you want."

  Brandi grabbed Eric's hand. "Come with me? I hate the basement."

  "Sure," he said, following her down the stairs. He could see why Brandi hated it. It was dark and damp and filled with crap. "This is all my dad's stuff," Brandi explained. "The stuff he didn't want and my mom couldn't bear to get rid of. It's depressing." She pulled him to the wine cabinet and kissed him. "You look nice," she said softly.

  "You look gorgeous as usual," he said, running his fingers through her hair and kissing her back. After a minute she pulled away. "They'll know what we're doing if we don't hurry. This one looks good," she said, pulling out a bottle of pinot grigio. She looked around nervously. "What's wrong?" Eric asked. She shook her head. "Nothing. I just hate it down here. Come on," she said, running back up the stairs. Eric shrugged and followed her.

  Thanksgiving dinner was one of the best times of Brandi's life. Her mom was happy and laughing, and she got to spend time with Eric. Everybody was having a great time. She shook off the strange feeling she got in the basement. That place always creeped her out. "So Brandi, you want to be an accountant?" Jack asked, pouring himself more wine. "Yeah," Brandi said. "I'm a math nerd, so getting paid to do math is kind of my dream."

  "That's fantastic," he said, smiling. "You know Eric's going to study nuclear physics? Pretty impressive."

  Brandi giggled as Eric rolled his eyes. "Dad, Brandi and I are already dating. You don't need to play wingman."

  "I know, I know," Jack said, winking at Brandi. "Couldn't hurt to reiterate."

  "I already know how great Eric is," Brandi said, smiling softly at him. He smiled back at her.

  By the end of the day, everyone was stuffed and tired. Brandi hugged Jack, Helen and Eric goodbye and made plans to see Eric the next day. "That was nice," Lynn said after they left. "So you and Eric are getting pretty serious?"

  Brandi shrugged. "I mean, we're dating. We like each other. But we're taking things slow. There's no hurry."

  Lynn nodded. "Just, uh...be careful."

  Brandi frowned. "Be careful of what?"

  Lynn sighed. "You know. If you're going to...you know, get physical..."

  "Holy shit," Brandi laughed. "Let me stop you. I'm not there yet. I may never be there again. But I'm almost 18. I get it."

  "Good," Lynn said, smiling. "So you're feeling ok?"

  Brandi shrugged. "I'm ok. I'll feel better when they catch him. Why is it so hard to find him? I keep thinking that I'm gonna wake up one night and he'll be standing over me..."

  "He won't, honey," Lynn interrupted. "He can't get past the security system. The windows are bolted shut. Even if he came back, he won't get you. And Ben is here. He'll keep you safe."

  "I know," Brandi said softly. "But I'll feel better when they get him."

  Zack laid back on the pile of blankets, trying to listen to the conversation above. Something about a security system. And Brandi's mom telling her to be safe. He clenched his fists, remembering Eric kissing Brandi. That piece of shit thought he could put his hands on Zack's girlfriend and get away with it? When he got Brandi alone, there would be hell to pay. He would have to show her who was in charge. The thought of Brandi squirming underneath him while he showed her who was boss made him hard. He would make his move soon. He just needed that asshol
e cop to get out of the way so he could get to Brandi alone.

  Kayla sat next to Brandi at lunch, grinning at her. "So, I have a favor to ask," she said. Brandi sighed. "What?"

  "Come to the winter formal. I know you're not a "school dance" person, but Kyle and I are nominated as king and queen. So you have to go."

  Brandi gasped. "Wait, seriously? You guys were nominated?"

  Kayla smiled happily. "Isn't it amazing? Imagine if we win? Just to be nominated is awesome. So will you go?"

  "Of course!" Brandi said. "That's so awesome for you. I just have to talk to Eric. I'm sure he's ok with it." She texted Eric and he immediately texted her back. "He said of course. What are you going to wear?"

  "I don't know. We need to go shopping. Wanna go after school?"

  "Sure," Brandi said. "I really hope you win. I'm actually kind of looking forward to going with Eric. It's nice to have someone who will do those things with me, you know? Imagine Zack taking me to a school dance?" She laughed. "He'd just be like, ‘Brandi, this is so lame. You look so fat. Stop looking at that guy over there. You're such a whore.’”

  Kayla raised her eyebrows. "Well I'm glad that you're able to joke about it."

  Brandi shrugged. "I have to. What else can I do?"

  Kayla gave her a small smile. "So do you feel like you're getting over him?"

  Brandi sighed. "No. I still have nightmares. I still flinch every time Eric touches me and I'm not expecting it. I feel awful about it. And I know he's not gonna hurt me. But I can't help it. Then I think about Zack hurting me and I want to cry, but I remember how he would call me weak and pathetic when I cried. Then I feel even worse. It just sucks that he messed me up so bad. It's not fair. And he's still running around doing god knows what."

  Kayla smiled sympathetically at her. "You'll feel better when they catch him."

  "IF they catch him," Brandi corrected her. "I can't figure out where he went without a car. He can't have gotten far. Where the hell can he be?"

  Brandi got ready for the winter formal with Kayla. Kayla had a tight pink dress that ruffled out at the bottom, and Brandi had gotten a black knee length sparkly dress. It was a lot tighter than she was used to, but it showed off her flat stomach that she was finally feeling comfortable with and made her ass look fantastic. The boys were picking them up from Brandi's house at 7, so they still had half an hour left before they came. "We look hot," Kayla said, studying their reflection in the mirror. The girls went downstairs to take pictures with Lynn and Ben. Ben whistled when he saw them. "You girls look great."

  "Thanks," Brandi said. "What are you guys up to tonight?"

  "Actually, we're going to dinner and a movie," Ben said. "We'll be home around 11. You'll be home around midnight, right?"

  "Yeah," Brandi said as she and Kayla posed for a picture. 15 minutes later Lynn was finally done. The doorbell rang and Brandi sprang up to answer it. "Hi!" She said to Eric and Kyle. Her eyes widened when she saw Eric in his suit. Holy shit, he looked good. "Come in. My mom is gonna want to take pictures. Sorry," she said to Kyle. He smiled. "It's cool. We've got time."

  Brandi, Kayla, Eric and Kyle posed for pictures until Brandi had to tell her mom to stop. "How many do you need? You've taken like fifty."

  Lynn shrugged. "This way we can weed out the crappy ones."

  Brandi laughed. "Alright. We have to go. Bye, guys. Have fun tonight."

  She slid in the backseat with Eric, who didn't take his eyes off of her. "You look stunning," he whispered to her. She smiled and kissed him.

  "I can see you," Kayla called from the front seat. Brandi giggled. Tonight was going to be amazing.

  Zack waited until he heard Brandi's mom and that asshole cop leave. Jesus Christ, finally. He wanted to go upstairs and shower, but he would trigger the alarm and fuck his whole plan up. He lit a cigarette and laid back, waiting. Brandi was about to have a night she'd never forget.

  "When do they announce the winners?" Brandi asked. "I'm so excited. I feel like I'm more excited than even you," she said to Kayla.

  Kayla laughed. "There's no way. I'm like jumping out of my skin. Hey, are you ok?"

  Brandi smiled and nodded. "Yeah. A little dizzy. I think I've just been dancing too much. Let's go freshen up. I feel like I look like a raccoon."

  Brandi tried to ignore her nausea and followed Kayla to the bathroom, reapplying her lipstick and wiping her eyes. They left the bathroom and Brandi found Eric. "Hey," she said, her voice cracking. He frowned at her. "Are you sure you're ok, Brandi? You've looked sick all night."

  Brandi nodded, trying to fight it. "I'm fine. Let's dance."

  Eric held Brandi as she rested her head on his chest. They swayed back and forth gently. "You're so pretty, Brandi," he said softly.

  "Mmm," she said, her knees buckling.

  "Oh shit. Come on," Eric said, scooping Brandi up and carrying her off the floor. "Stay here," he said, sitting her down. "I'm gonna tell Kayla and Kyle that we're leaving."

  Brandi sat with her head against the wall, closing her eyes. She felt like she was drunk. Maybe she ate something weird. "Hey. You ok?"

  She looked up at Eric and nodded. "Kayla's mad?" She mumbled. Eric helped her up and took her outside. "No, she's not mad. She's worried about you."

  Brandi sat in the car with her head between her knees. "I think I ate something weird," she mumbled. "Just wanna lay down."

  "Just relax," Eric said. He pulled into her driveway and carried her out of the car. "What's the code?" He asked, unlocking the door. "7404," she murmured. He punched in the code and locked the door behind him. He put her over his shoulder and carried her upstairs.

  "Just relax," he said, laying her down on the bed. "I'm gonna get you some water."

  Brandi closed her eyes and nodded. Eric came back a minute later with water, and she managed to drink some of it. "Jesus, you look awful," Eric said. She smiled weakly. "Thanks. The water made me feel a little better. I think I just need to sleep."

  "Ok," he said, rubbing her back. "Do you want me to stay?"

  She shook her head. "I'll be fine. What time is it?"

  Eric checked his phone. "It's only nine."

  "Mom and Ben will be home in a few hours. You need to bring Kyle's car back anyway. Just lock the door after you."

  Eric smiled and stroked her hair. "Alright. But call me if you need anything, ok?"

  "Mm hmm. Goodnight, Eric."

  "Night, Brandi," he said, kissing her forehead and turning off her light.

  Brandi heard Eric leave and closed her eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.

  Can't Take It Anymore

  Brandi woke up to the smell of smoke. She gasped, trying to sit up. She immediately got dizzy and laid back down. Was the house on fire? No, it wasn't that kind of smoke. It was cigarette smoke. Oh God. Her heart plummeted to her stomach as she saw the head of the cigarette light up and the sound of a loud exhale. Her light flicked on and Zack stood over her. "Hey Brandi."

  She tried to sit up but fell back down. Tears formed in her eyes. "No," she whispered, trying to move her arms. She pulled at the ropes that held her hands over her head. "Get away from me."

  Zack laughed and sat next to her. "Why don't you try to make me, Brandi?" He took another drag of his cigarette and blew it out, bringing his face next to hers. "Make me, you stupid slut."

  Brandi tried to head butt him but he moved back. He smiled at her. "What did you do to me?" She asked.

  He sat up, watching her. "Nothing compared to what I'm about to do to you. But really, you did it to yourself. I told you not to wear makeup."

  Brandi closed her eyes. "You drugged my lipstick?"

  "Genius, Brandi. You're a fucking genius."

  "Why?" She asked, tears falling down her cheeks.

  He dropped his cigarette on the floor and stomped it out. "Because you ruined my life, Brandi. Do you even realize what you did?"

  She opened her eyes, willing herself to focus.

  "You were fucking hi
m the whole time, huh? The whole time you tried to convince me that I was crazy for thinking there was something going on with you and Eric fucking Kellen. And to think I almost felt bad about punishing you for it. I saw you all over him down there." He sat back down and rubbed his hand on her leg.

  Brandi’s blood ran cold when she realized that he had been in the basement. "I didn't have sex with him. I never did. I didn't even start dating him until a few weeks ago. I swear."

  "Mm hmm," he said, running his hands up her thighs. "You're a bad liar, Brandi. But I forgive you. You know why?"

  She didn't answer. She stared at him helplessly as he reached up and ripped the straps of her dress off.

  "Because you're never gonna see him again."

  Brandi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Are you going to kill me?"

  Zack laughed. "No, baby. I'm gonna fuck you. Then I'm taking you with me."

  "With you where?" She whispered.

  He shrugged. "Wherever I want. Far away from this shit town."

  "I'm not going with you," she said. "You're crazy."

  He burst out laughing. "Yes, you fucking are coming with me. You owe me, Brandi. I've been hiding for two fucking months because of you. Because you couldn't keep your legs closed. You're coming with me whether you want to or not."

  "They'll find me. They'll come after me."

  Zack laughed again. "God, you're stupid. They won't come after you because you're going to write a note. That you can't take it anymore and need to get our of here. Being watched 24/7 is too much for you. You've done it before, Brandi. Nobody is going to be surprised."

  Brandi wanted to say that the smell of cigarettes would give him away, but she kept her mouth shut. She looked into his dark, glittering eyes. "Ok," she whispered.

  Zack grinned at her. "Good girl. We need to pack you a bag."

  She shifted uncomfortably. "Can you untie me? I'm not feeling so good. I think I'm gonna throw up."