The Seven Devils (YA "New Adult" Romance) (4 page)

My heart went mad from his touch and I smiled. I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eye as I said, “Nothing, I’m just a little nervous.”

“Why are you nervous?” Neil asked.

If it’s possible, I turned even brighter red. I snuck a peak at Neil and his eyes were so warm and kind. I realized that he seemed to be much more at ease than when we first arrived. I tried to follow suit and relax as well. “Now don’t laugh,” I began, “but I haven’t spent much time alone with a guy before.”

Neil smiled and said, “Why would I laugh? That’s good news for me. It means there is no slew of ex-boyfriends to be jealous of.” I smiled and tried to loosen up. “I don’t want you to be nervous,” he added, his eyes poring over me. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Stop being so cute!” I thought to myself and smiled. “You kind of… stare,” I said. “It makes me really self-conscious.”

Neil chuckled and turned a little pink. “I apologize. You’re just so beautiful.”

I stared at him and my heart jerked inside my chest. I wanted to believe him, but how could I? If I were even slightly pretty, why hadn’t anyone in Akron even given me a second look?

Neil saw the perplexed look on my face and moved in closer to me. “Myra Ellen,” he began, and ran his fingers through my hair, “trust me. You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met.”

I giggled and said, “Please don’t call me that!” Neil then angled my face up towards his and kissed me softly on the lips. My heart beat like mad and I was so lost in the moment that I didn’t hear my brother open the front door and enter the room.

Chapter 4

“What in the Hell are you doing?” Austin yelled. The sudden outburst scared me half to death and I leapt up from my seat.

“Austin!” I cried, too startled to say more. Suddenly the boy who had asked me out in the lunch line for the amusement of his friends walked in behind him.

“Austin. Derrick,” Neil said, nodding to each as he stood up. “What’s happening?”

“I’ve just gotten through telling Austin here all about you and why he should keep his poor little innocent sister away from you,” Derrick said, smirking and strolling closer to me. Neil subtly moved himself between us.

“I thought you would be smart enough to stay away from guys like him,” Austin said, glaring at me.

My brows furrowed and I shook my head slightly. “I don’t know what you mean,” I said simply.

“Do you even know him at all?” Austin asked, exasperated. “It’s all over the school… everyone knows he has a history of manipulating girls,” he shouted.

Tears filled my eyes. I wasn’t used to fighting with my brother. It’s true that he usually avoided me and he occasionally embarrassed me in front of his friends, but he had never actually shouted at me like this before. I looked away from him and put a hand on Neil’s back. Neil’s face remained rigid, but his clenched fists loosened and I felt him take a long breath as I touched him. I looked back to my brother and said, “Austin, I can make my own decisions about who to trust.”

“So you give it away to any loser on the street, just like mom, is that right?” Austin said, clearly disgusted with me.

That was too much for Neil and he took several quick steps towards Austin when we were suddenly startled by the door swinging open. My mother burst into the room, laden down with countless grocery bags. “I’m home!” she shouted. We all stood in our places, and I glared at Austin, praying he wouldn’t start in with this nonsense about Neil in front of her.

Mom entered the room and her wide smile quickly fell as she observed the situation. “Austin!” she said in a scolding tone. “You and your friends aren’t picking on Ellen, are you?”

I wanted to curl up and die as I heard those words leave her lips. My face burned and I stared at the floor, too embarrassed to say anything. The fact that she didn’t think for even a second that Neil could be there with me hurt so much.

“Actually,” Neil said, stepping back towards me and placing his arm around my waist, “I am here with Ellen. I thought it would be nice to walk her home.”

“Oh!” my mother said, not bothering to hide her surprise. “How nice.”

Another woman appeared at the door and called, “I got the rest of them Jill!” as she set more grocery bags inside the doorway. It took me several seconds to recognize her as my Aunt Dorothy, the owner of the house we were living in. “Good Lord!” she cried, seeing Austin and I. “You two are so big! I must be so old!” she cried, running up and hugging first Austin and then me.

“Hi Aunt Dorothy,” I said, trying to feign excitement.

“Oh please, call me Dot!” she cried. I had to stop myself from laughing aloud. I had nearly forgotten that she preferred to be called Dot. Dorothy is, of course, a pretty awful name, but how anyone could want to be called Dot is beyond me. “Everyone congratulate your mama!” she shouted. “She got herself a job today! It’s time to celebrate!”

“You found a job already?” Austin asked.

“Yes, at the Dannon yogurt factory,” my mom replied cheerfully. “I start tomorrow, at the butt crack of dawn!”

“Congratulations Mom,” I said. “That’s great!”

Aunt Dot was rummaging through a couple of the grocery bags and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels and a six pack of Budweiser. She tossed a bottle of Bud to Austin and another to Derrick and cried, “Let’s get this party started right!”

I grimaced, not understanding how my family could continue to drink as they did when it was plain to see what it had done to my father. Neil took my hand and asked quietly, “Would you like to take a little walk?”

I nodded gratefully and called to my mom, “I’ll be back soon. Neil and I are taking a walk.” She waved at me distractedly and laughed at a something Austin was saying. Derrick glared in our direction and looked as though he was going to object to our leaving when we ducked out the door.

Neil led me through the backyard and into the woods. I was an emotional mess and was happy to walk in silence. Neil held my hand and stroked it softly with his thumb as he led the way. After a few minutes we entered a slight clearing I had not come across before, and we sat down together in a patch of shady cool grass.

I put my head in my hands and closed my eyes. “I’m sorry, but can I just have a minute here,” I asked. “I just need to try to calm down for a second.”

Neil replied, “Of course.”

I hoped he didn’t think I was a nut, but I felt like I was going to lose it. I quickly ran over my day up until that point. The mean girls, the lunch line, Neil being so nice, Erin and Melanie’s warning about him, my first kiss, and then Austin and Derrick’s reaction to finding me alone with him. It was all just too much. I thought Neil seemed great, but everyone says to stay away from him. I didn’t like Derrick but he seemed to be the most popular guy at the school. Was I wrong, or was the rest of the school? I seemed to have gotten myself into a mess already on my first day. And here I was in the middle of the woods with a guy I didn’t know very well and whom everyone warned me about.

I let out a small sigh. “I’m so embarrassed,” I said softly. “I’m sorry for everything Austin said about you, about me. I don’t know what that Derrick guy could have said to him. Austin usually just ignores me… I’ve never had him yell at me like that.”

“You already met his friend?” Neil asked.

“Derrick? Yes. He made a fool of me in front of his friends in the lunch line,” I responded.

“He likes you,” Neil said. “I could see it in the way he was looking at you.”

I shook my head and said, “You should have seen them laugh at me earlier today. He made me feel so stupid.”

Neil smiled. “You’re going to have to trust me on this one. He’s the type who sets his mind on something and won’t rest until he has it. The fact that you’re hanging around someone he detests is really going to get his blood boiling and make him try even harder.”

“Are you telling me I should keep away from him?”

Neil looked uncomfortable for a moment. “No, I don’t want to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. I just don’t trust him. He never has anyone’s best interests in mind other than his own.”

Each boy warned me about the other. I was beginning to think holing up in my room for the next year sounded like a great plan.

Neil gazed out into the woods for a moment and then took my hand. “Ellen, there’s something I want to say to you, but I don’t want it to seem strange or make you uncomfortable.”

I was almost afraid to ask. “Go ahead.”

He looked down at my hand in his for a moment and then met my eyes. “Something happened to you, Ellen. I won’t pry. I won’t ask you about it at all. But,” he stalled for a moment and just gazed at me. He lifted a hand very slowly and moved it towards my neck. I tensed and nearly cried out, but something in his face made me trust him. His fingers grazed the area where my neck was bruised so lightly that I almost couldn’t feel it at all. “But something happened to you that shouldn’t happen to anyone,” he continued. “And I just want you to know that you’re not alone. You don’t have to deal with this by yourself.”

My whole body shook. “How did you know?”

Neil shrugged. “I notice the little things others overlook.”

I pulled my hand from Neil’s and wrapped my arms around myself. I wanted to trust him so badly. Could he truly be gorgeous and sensitive and completely understanding of who I am and all the baggage I come with? I didn’t think it was possible. All of those people told me not to trust Neil. Austin specifically said he manipulates people. I looked up into Neil’s eyes and didn’t know what to think. I felt so lost.

A crease had formed between Neil’s eyes and he shook his head slightly. “I’m sorry Ellen. I didn’t mean to upset you. I shouldn’t have said that.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “I shouldn’t have touched you like that.”

“Everything is just happening so fast,” I said, rocking back and forth slightly. “I’m just so overwhelmed.

Neil nodded. “I’m sorry if I’m rushing you in any way. I’m new at this too. I haven’t been close to anyone in so long, but I look at you and feel this connection. I can’t explain it.”

I was embarrassed to feel my throat tighten and tears form in my eyes. “I think I’d just like to go home now.”

“Of course,” Neil said, standing. He offered me a hand getting up and led me back to the house. I started to apologize to him when we reached my back porch, sure I was at the very minimum being rude in several ways, but he stopped me. “You have nothing to be sorry about. You’ve had a day like I can’t imagine, and I’ve only made it worse. Try to get some sleep, and I hope you’ll give me another chance tomorrow.”

I nodded and smiled. “Thank you Neil. See you tomorrow.”

Inside I found that Dot had gone, but Mom and Austin were still sitting around and drinking in the living room.

I made a sandwich quickly in the kitchen and then headed for the stairs to my room. Derrick suddenly stopped me in the hall. I hadn’t known he was still in our house, and gasped in surprise.

“You keep yourself far away from that freak,” he said ominously, “or I’ll keep you away.”

Derrick moved towards me and I instinctively took a step back, bumping into the wall behind me. He moved in closer until his face was only a few inches from mine and said, “If you’re looking for someone to keep you warm at night, you can always come to me.” He then put his hands on my hips and pulled my body up against his.

His breath was rank with alcohol and I was suddenly so overcome with fear that I couldn’t move or call out for help. The sandwich fell from my hand and a soft whimper of fear escaped my lips. He grinded his crotch against mine and ran his hands through my hair. I tried to scream but found myself gasping for air instead. I couldn’t catch my breath. Finally, the sensation of his lips on my throat brought me back to life. I pushed at him with all my might and managed to slip past him. I fled up the stairs to my room and locked the door securely behind me, checking it to be sure it would hold.

I ran to my bed and huddled under the covers like a child hiding from a monster.

***

A short time later I fell asleep and found my wolf pacing through the woods. “Are you okay?” the deep voice thundered in my head, “Did something happen?”

I sat and put my head in my hands. “This boy, Derrick, he scared me.”

The wolf stood directly in front of me and stared into my eyes for several long moments. He seemed to be growing in size and a deep growl resonated from deep inside his body. “I’ll kill him,” the voice rumbled in my head and suddenly the wolf was gone and I was left alone in the woods. I lay on my side and wrapped my arms around myself, trying not to fear the darkness surrounding me.