chapter 15
It was already after nine when we returned. My parents immediately left to go up and play cards with the Medlers, so I took the opportunity to find Travis. I walked up toward the main building to use the bathroom, and saw Travis and the guys playing basketball on the court. Maggie and Amber were off to the side chatting, but Britney and Ashley were nowhere around.
“Hey Paige!” Travis called as I walked by. His greeting in front of everyone caught me by surprise, but showed that his guard was already coming down. Ashley now being with Scott was probably making it seem more probable that we could come forward and be open about our feelings for one another. I could tell that the guys were fully engrossed in the game though, so I used the restroom and headed back to my campsite.
As I was coming down the road, I heard some rustling in the woods near the path to the lake. It made me nervous at first that there might be a large bear or some kind of animal, so I picked up my pace. When I was just about to go into the RV, I heard a yelp followed by what sounded like a girl yelling “No.” I quickly rushed back to the spot where I heard the noise, and found Ashley struggling with someone. It was dark so I was having a hard time making out the guy, but when I got closer I saw that it was Corey. I knew that they were friends, so I wasn’t sure whether they were just having an argument or whether something else was going on. So in order to spare myself the embarrassment of sticking my nose in someone else’s business, I stayed hidden behind a tree to survey the scene and make sure Ashley was okay.
Corey reached out grabbing Ashley’s arm. “You’ll do. I don’t mind doing Brit’s best friend,” he said.
“Corey stop. You’re drunk. Get your hands off of me!” she protested. It seemed as though Corey must have mistaken Ashley for Britney, but was now pressing his suit and making unwelcome advances. So far Ashley was holding her own, but there was no way I was going to leave her alone. I would wait to see if I needed to intervene and make sure Ashley made her way back out of the woods safely.
“Why put up the fight Ash, you know you’ve been eyeing me for the last two summers.”
“Get off Corey. I am not doing anything with you,” Ashley firmly stated, pulling away and stepping back away from him.
“Yes, you will. Now, are you going to come willingly, or am I going to have to force you? Because believe me, I am going to make…you… come…” The words oozed out of his mouth in such a revolting way, that I couldn’t hold back any longer. I decided on a plan and quickly typed Travis a text before I implemented it.
Me: 911 my place.
“Ashley, hey Ash!” I called, coming out from behind the trees and making my way in her direction. “Hey Ash! I thought I heard your voice out here. Are we still going to my place to watch the movie?” I asked, reaching out to squeeze her hand so that she would understand I had a plan and was there to help.
“Hey! Sexy Paige, even better,” Corey slurred, stumbling in my direction. Ashley hesitated still in shock from the entire situation.
“Yeah, I…Uh, I was just on my way to your place. Corey stopped me on the path, but I think he mistook me for someone else,” she said, confused by the situation.
“Corey, alcohol goggles are blinding you, this is not Britney,” I reasoned, trying to keep Corey calm. He was such a big guy, that he could knock one of us unconscious and have his way with the other if he wanted. So I didn’t want to push any buttons.
“I don’t want Britney. Been there, done that,” he said harshly. Regardless of the alcohol, the guy was a pure a*shole. Ashley looked at me uncertain of what we should do. “I want you Paige, or you Ash, or how about the both of you,” he said, moving closer to the two of us. I shook my head at Ashley so she would let me do the talking.
“I think you need to sober up Corey. Come on Ash, let’s go watch the movie.” I took her hand and briskly pulled her backward so that we could start making our way out of the woods.
“I think mommy and daddy liked me Paige,” Corey said stepping forward. “I don’t think they’ll mind if I join you two.”
We stepped back a few more paces, and I whispered, “Now.”
The two of us turned and took off running towards my campsite. I could hear Corey’s footsteps behind us but then heard him stumble. “Ouch, shit. Damn trees.” His misstep gave us just enough time to get away. We rounded the bend and I saw Travis and Scott standing outside of my RV.
“Ash, Paige what’s wrong? Did you see a bear or something?” Travis asked.
“You didn’t go pick a fight with Paige, did you Ashley?” Scott asked.
“No, Corey…,” she gasped, trying to catch her breath. She collapsed on the ground, clearly dealing with the shock of what had just happened and I had to fill in the blank.
“Corey is drunk,” I said, trying to catch my breath too. “He was forcefully trying to convince Ashley to sleep with him when I showed up.”
“That bastard!” Scott yelled.
Scott knelt down to Ashley to comfort her. “Are you okay baby?” he asked, holding her tightly.
“I’m fine. At first,” she paused, still trying to find her breath. “At first, he thought I was Paige, but then when he realized it was me, said that he had rights to sleep with Britney’s best friend and I needed to give it up. Paige came over just at the right time; he was starting to get out of control and was grabbing my arm. But we got away. He was following us up the path, but tripped.” Ashley spoke with tears now flowing down her cheeks. She was finally releasing her emotions and I could see how vulnerable she was. I was just thankful that I found her in time.
“He thought you were Paige?” Travis asked with anger seeping through his voice. I was surprised by the fact, although remembering the way the jerk eye f*cked me on the river, I really shouldn’t have been.
“Yes,” Ashley affirmed.
“I’m so sorry Ashley.” I turned to her to apologize.
“Why are you sorry Paige? You didn’t do anything wrong,” Travis reminded me.
“I know, but he made the attack thinking it was me. So, I feel bad that Ashley found herself caught in a near awful situation.”
“Paige, it wasn’t your fault. It’s actually good that it wasn’t you, because realizing it was me made him question his moves for a moment. At first, when he thought I was you, he grabbed me pinning me to a tree. I yelled ‘No’ which made him release me. It took him by surprise, allowing me the opportunity to step away while he thought it over a second before he continued. That must have been when you showed up.”
I realized it was Ashley yelling “No,” that had made me come back over, so I had missed everything before that.
Travis was fuming. Both he and Scott had a vested interest and were obviously anxious to get their revenge. Travis came to my side while Scott was comforting Ashley on the ground. He wrapped his arms around me then whispered in my ear, “Are you okay?” I nodded my response and squeezed him tightly before stepping away. He didn’t release my hand, which brought me comfort.
“Come on Scott, we need to go take care of this before any of the other girls get hurt. Call the guys.” I was nervous about what they were going to do, I didn’t want anyone getting hurt, nor did I want four guys beating the living pulp out of Corey and finding themselves in jail.
“What are you going to do?” I asked, expressing my concern.
“We are going to take Corey to his Dad’s place.” Travis spoke calmly and I wasn’t sure what I was missing.
“Yeah,” Scott chuckled as he stood.
“His dad is the local Sherriff and very much a law abiding citizen. He’ll get Corey under control,” Ashley explained. All of them chuckled at the fact, so clearly they knew it would be a severe enough consequence.
“Oh,” I said, still unsure about the situation.
“Paige, you and Ashley hang out here until we get back. We’ll come and get you when we return,” Travis directed. Ashley and I took our orders and went inside.
“Do you think Corey will learn from this? Is taking him to his Dad enough of a punishment?” I asked.
“Oh Yeah. You don’t know Sherriff Clark. He’s definitely not one you want to mess with. He’s probably also the reason why Corey is such a jerk. But he’ll take care of it. He threw Corey in jail one year for pulling some stupid prank in town and Corey learned his lesson. Apparently, he needs a reminder of how to behave though, so we’ll see what his Dad decides for his punishment. I’m sure Britney will find out and let us know,” Ashley said, rolling her eyes.
“Where is Britney anyway?” I asked.
“She is out for the night with her parents. They will be back in the morning. I can’t wait to tell Britney what happened, maybe this will finally show her what a jerk Corey is.” It was obvious by Ashley’s statement that she felt similar to Travis’s mom about Corey and Britney being a couple. “She keeps hanging on even though he treats her like dirt, but maybe this will be the proof she needs to finally cut the ties. It sucks that it had to take this to do it, but thankfully, nothing worse happened. Man, how can she stand to date the guy? I know he’s good looking, but looks only go so far,” she said and I whole-heartedly agreed with her comment.
“Paige, I need to apologize,” Ashley spoke and her voice softened, “because for a moment in the woods, I actually questioned whether there was something between you and Corey, and that you were trying to cover it up. It wasn’t until I saw the fear on your face that I realized that wasn’t the case. So, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for assuming the worst. I’m also sorry for the way I’ve treated you since you arrived. I know I’ve been a complete bitch,” she confessed and I could hear the regret in her voice. “It’s not a good reason for the way I behaved Paige, but I thought Scott liked you. He made a few comments to Travis saying ‘Take a look at her’, and ‘She’s hot man!’ that I started to become insecure. I’ve had a crush on him for the last year, and was nervous that you were about to win his affections, so I tried to keep you away. I am truly sorry Paige. And by the way, I washed your sarong and will give it back to you tomorrow. You really saved me that day and I didn’t thank you properly. So, thank you.” Ashley made her amends and I held absolutely no grudges. If she felt for Scott, anywhere near what I felt for Travis, then I could completely understand the motive behind her behavior. Besides, we had both been at fault for making wrong assumptions.
Ashley filled me in on all of the crummy things Corey had said and done over the last couple of years, and I couldn’t fathom anyone having such a low self-esteem that they would put up with it. “Wow, how could Britney get past any of that?” I asked, wondering what would be her reasoning.
“Well, Corey can be charming when he wants to be, but there is also some personal stuff that Britney has dealt with making her doubt her self-worth. So, between those two factors it was just a bad combination,” Ashley explained. I did not pry further because what ever Britney had been through was personal and none of my business. I also admired Ashley for holding Britney’s secrets as sacred and for not sharing them with me. It was a sign that she was a good friend.
There was a knock on the door a while later when Travis and Scott returned. Ashley and I had been talking the entire time, so I had no idea how much time had passed.
“How’d it go?” Ashley asked the boys.
“We escorted him to his Dad’s place. He actually passed out in the car before we got him over there, but we filled his dad in on everything. I have a feeling he’s going to be waking up in hell in the morning,” Travis stated, now seeming calm.
“Yep, sucks to be him,” Scott added, shaking his head. “Can I take you back to your place Ash?” Scott asked, grabbing her hand.
“Yes, that would be great. Listen, thanks Paige, for everything. Hey, we all talked about going on the boat and for a hike tomorrow, do you want to join us?” I was thrilled by the invitation and knew that the barrier was now gone.
“I would love to,” I replied and glanced over to see Travis’s reaction. He was smiling sweetly at me and gave me a wink. It probably wouldn’t be long now before he and I could tell everyone we were a couple. But after what happened earlier tonight, it definitely wasn’t the appropriate time.
Travis stayed behind after Ashley and Scott left, making the excuse that he needed details for a grounds report. He told Ashley he would get her statement in the morning. Once they were gone, he turned and held me tight. “I am so sorry that you went through that tonight. The guy would be dead if he had done anything to you,” He declared and I could hear the anger that he felt in his voice. “Thanks for sticking up for Ash by the way. Anybody else who had suffered her wrath might have turned a blind eye, but you didn’t. You really are a sweetheart, Paige,” he said and then lightly placed a kiss under my eye. “It looks like you and Ashley are friends now?” he said, pulling me to the couch to sit down.
“Yes, I think I have finally been accepted into the club,” I teased.
He chuckled slightly but then his demeanor became more serious. His fingers started stroking the side of my face and he pulled me in for a kiss. “I am very thankful that you are okay. I wasn’t kidding when I said the guy would be dead if he had hurt you. The second Ashley said Corey thought it was you out in the woods I saw red. Paige,” he stopped for a second and then looked me in the eyes, “I’m…in love with you.” I practically leaped into Travis’s lap molding my lips to his after he spoke the words. My heart burst and I couldn’t have been happier. “Wow, so does that mean you feel the same?” he asked when I finally let him up for air.
“Maybe?” I teased, trying to play coy. But I couldn’t hold out for another second without sharing my feelings. I said, “Yes. I do love you Travis.”
Our bodies reacted without hesitation, and the next thing I knew we were in a full make-out session. Travis’s hand was down my pants when I heard my parents’ voices through the open window. We quickly scurried apart and were on opposite ends of the couch by the time they had the door open.
“Travis,” my dad said, surprised to find him with me.
“Mr. Rice, Mrs. Rice,” Travis greeted them formally.
“Hi Travis,” my mom said, winking at me from behind.
“We just came from your parents’ place, what have you all been up to this evening?” my dad inquired, taking on an overprotective tone.
“Well sir, there was an incident earlier that I’m sure Paige will fill you in on. So, I was just here making sure that Paige was all right and taking her statement.”
Panic struck my Dad’s face and he immediately turned to me. “Pixie, what happened?”
“Everything is fine dad, don’t go ballistic. Some boy stopped by to visit his girlfriend earlier, he was drunk and bothering Ashley in the woods, so I stepped in to help her out. Travis and the other guys took him to the Sheriff’s office, so everything is fine,” I said. I left out most of the details because I was worried that my dad might go to extremes and think that we needed to leave knowing that his daughter was almost raped. Either that or he would never let me out alone at night again; therefore I would never see Travis.
Travis nodded at me, seeming to understand the reasoning behind my judicious explanation of the events. He spent the next ten minutes answering my dad’s questions and reassuring him that everyone was safe and that we would not be seeing Corey on the grounds ever again. My dad felt so relieved by Travis’s answers that he actually asked him to make sure I never went anywhere at night without him. I was internally cheering for joy that my father had just asked my secret boyfriend to chaperone me, which meant I would have more freedom to see him. My mom giggled in the back room, obviously finding amusement in my dad’s request. She clearly had not filled my dad in on my relationship, which I truly appreciated. It underscored the fact that I could tell my mom anything, and she’d share it only if I wanted her to. When my dad was finished, I escorted Travis outside to thank him and say goodnight. “So, you won my dad over,” I said as we walked a bit away from the site to gain some privacy.
“I know. I get to babysit my baby now,” Travis said, chuckling at the idea.
“Yes, you do,” I said, leaning up to give him a kiss.
“I’m sorry that we didn’t get to finish things, but I promise to make it up to you tomorrow,” he said, referring to our sexually heated moment. I smiled at the memory, and tingles returned to the spot.
“I’ll look forward to it,” I said.
“I love you Paige. Sleep well, and text if you need anything. I doubt I’m going to get much sleep tonight, so I’ll be up.”
The idea of Travis being alone in the woods suddenly upset me. I was worried for his safety on the off chance Corey came back for revenge. “I don’t want you sleeping alone in the woods. What if Corey comes back?” I asked nervously, holding on to him.
“He won’t. He was out cold, and definitely won’t be conscious until tomorrow afternoon. Besides, he doesn’t know where I stay, so I’ll be fine. Thanks for being concerned though,” he reassured me.
“I love you Travis and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Nothing will. I love you too. You better get back inside because I know your dad still wants to grill you about what happened, so you may not get much sleep tonight either,” he said. We left each other with an incredible kiss that made my body hot, and my knees weak, and then I went back inside to face the firing squad.