Mark My Words

39 | Bait

"This kid doesn't like sex. He does it when he has to, and the longer he stays with Harper, the more she's going to try and convince him that it isn't right for him to not like sex. She's forced him to go along with it before, and she'll do it again."

    Rosalie opened her mouth to object, but the evidence came forward in the image of Jamie's bedroom where Lennie confessed to a small libido. Rosalie had overlooked it as something for her brain to permanently erase from her memory later—it was information she did not need—but... no one her age confessed to that sort of thing. They didn't talk about sex, or if they did, it was in hushed, nervous but eager voices gossiping about the latest drama in an unrelated clique. It mostly dealt with who slept with who over the weekend with smiles and laughter. It was what made Lennie's confession so odd and hard to erase.

    "Oh," Rosalie said, quietly. Her shoulders slumped at the realization that Harper was using this against him. Making Lennie think she was sleeping with other guys was supposed to get him to feel more obligated to do her bidding. But it was all rumor now, and Lennie had no solid proof. If he started making accusations at her, she'd blame it on him.

    "I'm about ready to pound Harper's face in," Ray said, slamming her fist into her hand. She pushed forward to stand up, but Joanna stopped her with a hand on the shoulder.

    "Give it another minute. Then we have a three-minute window to get Lennie upstairs. We need to confirm his suspicions, he'll get angry, have just enough confidence to tear her a new one, and come out a free man," Joanna said.

    As it turned out, Rosalie was the bait to get Lennie upstairs. With the brief encounter they had earlier, it didn't take long for Lennie to find her as he was already on the lookout. The instant Rosalie emerged from behind the bar and scanned the room, she caught the eyes of Lennie finding hers from across the room. Joanna shoved her from behind with a sharp, "Go! Third door on the left once you get to the second floor!"

    Rosalie staggered forward, shrieking as she saw Lennie ducking around people and twisting out of the way of dancers on his way across the dance floor. Rosalie spared a second to glower at Joanna and say, "Have I ever told you how much I hate you?"

    Joanna winked and sent her a kiss and a wave. Rosalie turned with a growl and headed for the stairs.

    When she reached the first floor, in view of the blood-red lighting around the grand piano, she heard hurried footsteps racing up the stairs after her. She jolted forward with a start, heart leaping in her throat. The terror of being caught was enough to take her to the second floor where she heard Lennie calling not far from below, "Rosalie, wait—"

    She leapt to the second floor, cowboy boots all but silent as she ran on the balls of her feet. She counted off the doors—1... 2...

    A hand clasped onto her wrist. She yelped and jerked to a halt, the muscles in her shoulder taunt as she turned to face Lennie. The hallway was dark, since this wasn't exactly part of the party atmosphere, but with the light from the windows on the stairs, she could make out the guilt etched on his forehead where his brow puckered, and his big, doe eyes studied hers.

    "I know I'm not supposed to be here," she said quickly, quietly. She looked to the third door, feeling her clammy hands start to sweat.

    Rosalie opened her mouth to say more, but all that came out was a pitiful squeak when Lennie moved into her line of vision and met her gaze. He smiled a little and said, "I was kinda hoping you'd show up anyways."

    Rosalie ducked her head, heat flushing to her face. She pulled her hand away from his and shook them out at her sides. Every part of her started tingling again, but before she could follow up with the plan, they were interrupted by the godawful, dreadful sound of a thump against the wall next to them.