Part 18 (1/2)

'You sanctimonious p.r.i.c.k! Im onto you! I know what youre trying to pull with my parents! I told them!

'What! His eyes narrowed and his mouth pulled into a firm hard line. Why had I ever thought he was good-looking?

'And I told them about Macey! Yes! I know about that too!

His face whitened for a moment but it was only a moment. And then he smiled. A slow, sly smile. Superior. 'And I take it from the fact that youre here and they arent that they didnt believe you, right? His smile broadened. 'Poor Willow. Just a poor little rich girl with no one to love her; no one to believe her . . .

Okay, he knew how to fight dirty; it couldnt have hurt more if hed physically slapped me. But I stood firm; I wasnt going to let him get to me. I wasnt . . . 'Theyll work it out, Simon. Theyre not stupid. I know you think they are, but- He moved in closer. And laughed. 'Are you kidding me? Those two have their heads so far up their a.s.ses they couldnt spot a scam if it came at them gift-wrapped. Get used to it, Willow Im going to be in your life for a long time. He smirked. 'Well, at least till the money runs out.

Hed reached me, only inches from my body. Instinct told me to back away, but I didnt want him to see that he was getting to me. Too late I realised my mistake. His hands clamped around my arms and he dragged me against him. 'But that doesnt mean Im not here for a good time as well.

'Let me go! You rotten, slimy b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Let me g- His lips were on mine. I pushed as hard as I could, I kicked and squirmed. His lips felt hot and slimy, his hands so creepy I thought I might vomit but he held tight. My one thought was to get free to get away. But his hands were everywhere, blocking every move. I clawed and kicked, but he was bigger; stronger. My head crashed against his shoulder and as his lips released mine, I opened my mouth and bared my teeth. But he was faster and a hand clamped around my throat . . . He squeezed . . . Oh G.o.d . . . My breathing was getting shallower maybe I was going to pa.s.s out. Oh G.o.d, dont let me pa.s.s out! Please . . .

Then over his shoulder, I saw it: JoJo. Her one precious stiletto poised; her eyes boring into Simons head as she took aim.

And thats all it took.

Somehow I did it . . . I pushed . . . With one last thrust I pushed at him and then let out the scream of my life.

It worked in the sense that it stunned him. He didnt let go, but he lost focus for a moment. It was all I needed; I jerked back to free myself, but even as I felt his grip tighten again all h.e.l.l broke loose.

It was the shrill screech of a banshee. A wild woman. And it was coming from behind me.

And then there was a blur a tangle of bodies, screeching and crying and someone screaming for it all to stop.

Was it me? Was I the one screeching? Only seconds had pa.s.sed, but my mind was a haze. My head thumped; my throat burned. I looked down. I was free of Simon and I didnt think I was screaming but he was on the floor with a mad woman on top of him trying to scratch his eyes out. He was the one screaming for help.

She was fighting for me? My mother was fighting for me? The screeches were from her. What if she got hurt? I dived to drag her off but my hands were shaking so badly . . . Then Dad was there; his roar was guttural as he dragged Simon to his feet and pushed him up against a wall. Dad was shaking. His voice came from far away. 'You low b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Dont you ever, ever lay a finger on my daughter again! Do you hear? I ought to beat you senseless!

Like I was watching from a distance, I saw Simons eyes widen. 'What do you mean? I told you what she and Macey were like! She barged in here and came on to me!

'I . . . N . . .! Words wouldnt come; my mouth wouldnt work.

Mimi grabbed my arms and made me look into her face. 'Willow? Go to your room. Do you hear me? Go to your room.

My eyes felt huge, my body shook. My breaths were gasps.

My legs barely carried me, but I made it to the bed, crawling under the covers that I somehow pulled up over my head.

Through the night I heard voices, felt a cool washer bathing my face. I obliged when asked to 'open up; remembered the sticky sweet medicine sliding down my bruised throat . . .

But these were just fragments, because for the most part, I slept. Slept properly for the first time in what seemed to be forever.

Chapter Sixteen.

The next day was surreal. My whole body felt heavy; Id slept for sixteen hours and the minute Id woken my mind had offered up a blow-by-blow replay of the day before. Yet, even with these vivid images rolling over, it was still hard to fully comprehend. Had it all been real?

The cemetery scene had happened. Woolly-headed or not, there was no way my imagination could have created the hurt Id seen in Seths eyes; no way I would have imagined the pain that betrayal caused.

Or the heart-tearing horror of having my parents not believe me.

But the rest. Simon. My body shuddered and I gingerly ran my fingers over my throat. OMG, hed . . . My heart picked up speed . . . I couldnt go there.

My parents? Had my parents really fought Simon for me? Or had my emotionally overloaded brain flipped and Id conjured an alternate universe where I made things the way I wanted them to be?

But if that was the case, Id know almost instantly, because thered be no JoJo, and Macey and Seth would ring or appear any minute. And in my deepest of hearts I knew neither of those things were going to happen. Which meant it was probably all true.

I pressed my fingers against my temples; thinking hurt. Fragments of the night that had followed flittered in and out of my memory. Had my parents been here then? Or was that just a dream? A sickly, squeamish feeling curled around in my stomach. What was I supposed to do? Just barge on down there? But what if nothing had changed? And what if Simon was still here?

Simon. Oh G.o.d, I was going to have to think about it sometime. I remembered some of the attack. I remembered . . . JoJo? Hadnt JoJo . . .? I looked around the room she wasnt there. Had she gone? Was it over? Relief warred with guilt. I should have thanked her . . .

Gingerly I slid off the bed and pushed to my feet. No wooziness. In fact, I felt better than Id thought I was going to. I hit the bathroom first, and then the closet, where I found JoJo. Shed obviously been there a while, and evidence of a frenzied search sat in haphazard piles of clothes and shoes. Finding JoJo in my closet, and making a h.e.l.l of a mess, proved that this was no alternate universe, but didnt relieve my stress. 'JoJo?

She looked straight at me; her face was even more pale than ever. 'Nothings changed.

'I disagree. You were ready to help me yesterday.

'Momentary aberration. Im over it.

I shrugged. 'I suppose I can guess what youre doing?

'Well, they are one-off Christian Louboutin. She stopped and offered an impatient shrug. 'And I need the other one.

'Its not here, JoJo, I reminded her softly. 'Its never been here. You lost it at the accident. Remember?

'Oh . . . It was all she said. And Ill admit, it rocked me. For a week shed been spewing abuse and then all of a sudden it was just, 'Oh?

'Are you okay?

'Im dead, Willow. Remember? Am I okay? You work it out. But for the first time there was no real venom in her voice. Just resigned-but-bitter acceptance.

'Im sorry, JoJo. I picked up a couple of tops and shoved them back on the shelf. 'I . . . um . . . thanks for yesterday. She ignored me. 'Look, I kind of feel like I owe you . . . I dont suppose youve remembered anything else?

Shed moved up a shelf and was tossing handbags. 'Only that time is running out. And I have to help my father.

'But why? If I knew why, maybe Id be closer to finding an answer.

'And if I knew ”why” Id tell you! I gave you everything yesterday!

Rock-a-bye Baby. I studied her for a while. I knew it would be useless to ask her to stop wrecking my closet. 'JoJo, I asked slowly, 'do you remember why you chose that park to meet Kristie?

She frowned and stared back at me for a long time. 'Developers . . . she answered, still frowning. 'I remember going to see the developers for Dad . . .

It didnt help. But I noted the softening in her. 'Please, Willow. Im getting really scared for him.

Those words refused to leave me; they echoed in my head all through my shower and as I dressed, and they were still weighing heavily as I finally went downstairs. I was proving by the minute that I couldnt even save myself, let alone anyone else. But shed looked so afraid. And I knew what that felt like.