Rule 18 - Domino
"Idon"t know what I"m supposed to do here." Swayze brushed his hair back and leaned back in the driver"s seat.
I sniffled and turned toward the window. "There"s nothing for you to do. Just take me back to camp." My lower lip trembled at those last words. It was dark now. I"d stayed with Johnny after his surgery until they told me visiting hours were over.I hated leaving him there.
"Are you sure? We could probably stretch this a few more hours."
Where would we go? I snorted. If he had it his way, he"d take us to a hotel. He"d made his interest in me clear, and I made my non-interest just as clear. Now, paired with the sadness of having to leave one of my oldest and closest friends, I was just annoyed.
"Just take me back to that fucking camp, please," I muttered.
"You got it."
I closed my eyes, riding the wave of exhaustion. I awoke later to Swayze opening my door and pulling me out before I could protest. He carried me bridal style back to my cabin and set me in bed. I groggily thanked him.
"I appreciate you driving me around these last few days. I know my family doesn"t trust me not to run. There could have been worse company." I gave him a lazy smile and stood. Georgie was at my feet wagging his tail. "I need to take him for his night walk."
"Let me come with you," he said sharply. Something about the tone in his voice and the look of panic in his eyes woke me right up.
"Why?" I grabbed Georgie"s leash and snapped it on his collar. Swayze didn"t answer but still followed me out. There was a party going on, but that was nothing new. Every night at Camp Frisky was a party. We were heading toward the path Georgie and I took daily through the woods when someone called my name. I turned to see who it was.
"Domino! Hold up!" A girl I didn"t recognize rushed over.
Swayze stepped closer to me and put his arm around my waist, pulling me to him. I glanced up but didn"t fight it.
"Grace." He nodded to her. "What do you want?" His voice was so cold it chilled me to the bone.
"Ugh, Swayze. Found your next victim? Taking her into the woods, kind of obvious, don"t you think?" The pretty brunette brushed her long, shiny hair behind her shoulder. "Domino, you should come hang with us. If you"re not too busy." She looked between us. My face flamed, and I opened my mouth to argue against her insinuations, but Swayze tightened his grasp on me and spoke.
"We are busy. You can go back to your friends, Grace."
Alarm bells were going off, but I wasn"t sure why. Was it Grace or Swayze who was making me uneasy?
Her face fell and then turned to irritation. "Well, when you"re done, the invitation is still open. Maybe you"ll be up to socializing once your more basic urges are settled."
Georgie barked with impatience. She looked down in disgust. "You"re bringing the dog? Jesus, Swayze, you"re depraved." She spun around and hurried back to her friends.
He held onto me until she reached the bonfire.
"Who is that? She looks familiar."
"That"s Grace, Dennis"s little sister. Come on," he urged me into the woods. Guilt flooded me for not recognizing her right away. I remembered her now. We were in the same grade. She"d been nice to me.
"Should I say something about her brother?" I asked.
"No," Swayze said firmly. "Don"t trust her. I"m not sure why she"s even here."
"She seemed nice."
"She"s not. None of them are. You shouldn"t trust any of them, Domino."
I rolled my eyes.
"Only you, right?" I asked dryly.
"Me and Koi, yeah."
Georgie took care of his business, and I walked him back to the cabin. Swayze stood at the door with his arms crossed as I filled Georgie"s water bowl.
"What?" I stood up straight. I took him in for the first time alone. Everything about him oozed "stay away" but my brain was ignoring all of that and pleading for me to take him up on his offer.
What had his offer been exactly? To be shared between him and Koi? I breathed, pushing the inappropriate thoughts from my mind.
"You can stop undressing me with your eyes and just do it with your hands if you want. I don"t mind." He snickered.
I jerked my head away from him. "What? I wasn"t?—"
"Don"t lie. You"re shit at it." He laughed and came into the cabin, shutting the door behind him. My heart sped up with every thump of his boots on the wood floor.
I wanted to laugh at his words. It was the fact that I could lie that kept me here. If my family knew the truth of why I left, their worlds would crumble. It was lies that kept me alive.
"I think I came on too strong earlier. I want to apologize. Usually, the straightforward thing works with girls."
"Nothing you say is going to work with me." I sighed.
"Okay, fine." Swayze"s rainwater eyes hardened, and he stormed over. I froze as he ripped his sweater and shirt over his head, and without stopping, he reached me and cupped my cheeks, raising my head. An instant later, he dipped down and our lips collided.
He pressed his naked chest into me. I opened my eyes and stared at him with curiosity. His eyes were closed tight as he seemed to put everything into this kiss. I wasn"t sure how to respond, but then his lips shifted and mine parted just enough to kiss him back.
Oh... Oh no.
My belly fluttered with fuzzy feelings as his hands dropped to my waist, pulling me tightly to his hard, muscled body. He pulled back and grinned.
"You said nothing I said was going to work. So, I"m done talking. I like you, do you like me?"
"Yes." The word came out in a whisper.
"Then stop fighting me so fucking hard. Let me do this."
"Do what?" My words were still barely audible. I wasn"t sure if I was saying them at all. I"d just had my first kiss. This was huge. This was monumental. This was... good.
And he had no idea what he"d just done.
"This." He grinned and kissed me again. I closed my eyes and let myself relax in his arms. My lips parted, and my heart went haywire as his tongue slid into my mouth, searching for mine. I felt dizzy and the world began to spin. A small gasp escaped my lips. A low chuckle came from his throat, vibrating against my lips and it was my undoing.
"Oh." The word came out as more of a surprise than excitement. But it was excitement, unfamiliar excitement.
"Oh?"
"Oh." I gulped.
"Good oh, or..." He scratched his head and laughed nervously.
This was all so new to me. Not just the kiss, but the desire for another kiss. The desire for him. For anyone, but mostly... him.
"Domino—"
"I"m sorry. I need to go." I brushed past Swayze, leaving him in my cabin.
"Domino, wait!" he called. The thump of his boots as he tried to follow me made me spin around at the door.
"Let me go. Please don"t follow me. Stay with... Georgie." I hurried off, past the picnic tables, the bonfires, the random campers wandering around, and rushed off toward the woods. My brain took me to the path I knew, but I paused. Swayze wasn"t one to listen to anyone, let alone me. I turned and opted for the trees with no path.
I was used to the unfamiliar. In the past, I looked forward to it. I craved trying new things, exploring uncertain places, and meeting new people, but kissing Swayze was terrifying. I felt something new, something different, something good. My breathing was laborious but not from stumbling on roots and fallen tree branches. I was struggling with my feelings, and finally, I collapsed and let the tears come.
I"d gone years pushing the crushes I had on them deep down inside me. I was content thinking I'd never see them again, and that I wasn't interested in these feelings with them or anyone else, and yet, in Swayze"s arms, with our lips and tongues exploring each other, suddenly everything went out the window.
Those absurd adolescent infatuations were back, and my entire world view was changing. I liked them both, and… they both wanted me? How would that even work?
I sat pensively, staring into the darkness for longer than I should have until a branch snapping made me blink and snap out of my thoughts. I turned my head toward the sound and froze.
A towering figure stood a few feet away, wearing a hockey mask and staring dead at me.