But when I finally reach a familiar-looking trail, I almost weep with joy at the sight of the Monster Maze decorations. Pushing aside towering cornstalks, I whip out my phone, Val’s number on speed dial, and walk straight into a hard chest.
“Sorry!” I squeak, stepping back. A strong hand grips my arm tightly before I can move away.
Familiar mocking laughter fills my ears. “Cute costume, Charlie. A pure little angel, aren’t you?”
Jake sneers down at me, his features contorted in disgust. I can’t believe I used to think this guy was handsome. Don’t get me wrong, he’s conventionally attractive, but when he looks at me like I’m dog poop stuck to the bottom of his shoe, the true ugliness of his soul is glaringly obvious.
He’s dressed in a shitty Batman costume complete with a cheap-looking cape. Not for the first time in my life, I curse theheight Mom passed down because Jake towers over me. I could be crushed like an ant, and nobody would know.
“Let me go.” I hate the way my voice trembles and hate it even more when he lets out a sharp bark of laughter.
“Guess who I just saw? Quinn and Gigi. And you know what, Charlie? They called me a piece of shit.” His grip tightens, and I wince as pain twinges up my arm. “My own friends, who I introduced you to, berating me for ‘how much I hurt you’.”
“Stop—stop yelling.”
He knows how much I hate it. How much it reminds me of my old stepdad, before Mom finally had enough and left his sorry ass in the dust. My stomach twists into knots, and I jerk my arm back, wanting nothing more than to escape from this nightmare.
Tears prickle my eyes. Damn it. I need to be strong.
Jake grunts. “Did you tell them how I saved you from complete obscurity, Charlie? Without me, you’d be a nobody. You’re pathetic. I haven’t even said anything, and you’re already crying like a bitch.”
The worst part is that he’s right. Except for Val, I’ve spent the past four years of college life basically friendless. Jake’s the kind of guy who everyone knows; on the baseball team, easy and outgoing, friends with everyone on Greek row. He’s the only reason my pool of people known expanded from one to a comfortable group size that I’m beyond grateful for.
Despite that, it isn’t my fault that his friends like me better.
“Shut up,” I mumble. My lower lip wobbles like the traitor it is.
“What was that, angel?”
“I saidshut up, Jake.”
He laughs, brittle and mocking. “That’s not very angelic of you. I think somebody needs to teach you manners.”
Oh, God. I have no idea how to fight. It’s not something I learned between memorizing every Lana Del Rey lyric andbinging Netflix shows. Plus, Jake is huge. One punch from him will knock me clean out.
I don’t know anyone as big as him. Well, nobody except that man with the horns. My heart clenches, an overwhelming yearning flooding my body. I wish he were here. For some reason, I know he’d never allow Jake to hurt me. He’d sweep me up in his big arms and carry me far away from here. Maybe touch me some more.
I shake my head, trying to dislodge the fantasy. After running away like that, he probably thinks I want nothing to do with him.
“Eyes on me, little angel.” My arm twinges under his grip. “I want you lucid for this one.”
He pulls his fist back. I flinch and reach my free hand up to protect my face, bracing for pain… but it never comes. A thundering growl rumbles through the corn, and then Jake is torn off me. He crashes to the ground with a pained groan.
“What the fuck?”
But my attention isn’t on Jake.
The horned man stands over him like a sexy god, his face contorted in thunderous rage, shining hair swaying in the breeze. I swallow past the lump in my throat, gratitude flooding me in huge, shuddering waves.
He came back for me.
I want to throw my arms around him and bury my face into his chest, soak up more of that earthy harvest scent of him. Sink to my knees and suck his cock right here in front of Jake.
With a grunt, the man picks him up by the scruff with one hand. For a moment, I’m scared that he’ll snap Jake’s neck. Instead, he sets him on his feet and kicks him in the back, towards the direction of the maze entrance.
Jake glances between me and the horned man, his eyes pulled wide in fear. If he feels remorse about leaving me here with a guywho could kill me if he wanted to, he doesn’t show it. He turns on his heel and runs without a look back.
“Coward.”
