Lindsay woke groggily, feeling disorientated. Her mouth was incredibly dry and her head hurt. She realized she was in a bed as soon as she realized she had no clothes on. Horror combined with sick dread to see Cameron at her side.
They were in his room. He was snoring loudly, his arm over his eyes. The first thing she realized with relief was that she didn’t feel physically violated. Some sense told her that hadn’t been her fate earlier. Cameron must have passed out before he could take advantage of her.
She eased slowly from his side and looked for her clothes, mortified and wanting to cry in denial. She couldn’t remember anything. She stiffened, recalling she had only a few sips of the schnapps before she forgot everything. The schnapps had to have had something laced in it. She struggled into her bra and found the rest of her clothes at the foot of the bed. Hurriedly she dressed, knowing her mother would be worried sick.
Lindsay tiptoed around looking for her purse. She realized Cameron was really passed out when his cell phone went off and he didn’t move. She breathed a sigh of relief. She turned on the desk lamp to look for her purse.
That was when she found the small black velvet box. It was sitting on his dresser out in the open. She covered her mouth as she picked it up and opened it. There, in a bed of velvet, was the ring Jace bought for her. It was old by the look of it. The gold was faded, but the round ruby surrounded by small diamonds glittered up at her. She put the ring in her pocket and snatched up her purse.
She tiptoed out of the house with her heart pounding so loud it was deafening in her ears. The sliding glass doors opened soundlessly as she slid out and went out the gate. Once she was clear of the driveway, she ran, not looking back. Tears blinded her as she then walked to the main gate.
It was a mile back into town. She walked down the highway with her heart bleeding to know Cam killed Jace. She accepted it like a certainty he planned to rape her in her drugged state. There was no other explanation and the pain of it made her stumble as she walked home. How else could he have the ring in his possession?
Once she got to Merriman’s lot, she breathed a sigh of relief. She took out her keys and let herself in; relieved her mother wasn’t waiting for her. She glanced at the microwave clock. It was nearly two-thirty in the morning. She breathed easier when she slipped into her room.
Sara was sleeping within. Lindsay got her pajamas off the end off her bed and slid out to the bathroom. She passed by her mother’s bedroom and the door was open. Moonlight showed Deborah’s bed was made and she was not in it. Her mother not being home this late was unusual, but her and Jack were now inseparable.
Obviously her mother was more than a little interested in Jack. She could almost bet she waited for Sara to go to bed before she snuck over to her boyfriend’s house. A smile tugged at her lips despite her ordeal tonight.
Tears of relief filled her eyes as she undressed and put on the pajamas. Her hands shook as she undressed, feeling repulsed and violated by the ones that removed her clothes earlier. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight off the hysteria creeping close to the surface.
Lindsay was safe now, but her eyes were tortured, red-rimmed and refused to focus too closely in the mirror. Her hair was a matted disaster. She pulled it into a ponytail. She washed her face and brushed her teeth. Sorrow-filled blue eyes avoided themselves. Of all the stupid things she could have ever done? Had the sheriff not warned her that Cam was dangerous?
She could have been raped tonight. No, Cam had been too wasted to finish what he started. Or he thought better of it at the last minute; she didn’t know. No, it was better to not think of it. Her mind shut out any further thoughts and questions. One thing was clear, she wasn’t going anywhere near him again.
She took the ring out of her jeans on the floor and put it on. Jace had chosen well. It fit perfect. Her hand shook as she stared down at it in wonder. It was beautiful and exactly what she would have wanted for an engagement ring. Streaming rivulets of hot tears slid down her cheeks to see the ruby and diamonds sparkle in the fluorescent lighting.
Gut-wrenching sobs escaped her lips then as she slid down the door to the floor and stared at it, too overwhelmed by the night to do more than cry. For the first time in three weeks she gave into what was lost. Her heart cried for Jace to hold her now and make the ugliness go away.