Home Part 1

         Lainey Levinson sighed sadly as she sat in the aisle seat on a United Lines airplane headed for Des Moines, Iowa. She could hardly believe that it had only been three weeks ago that she had been sitting in her New York City apartment with her parents, playing Scrabble and laughing aloud. To her, it seemed like eons ago.
         She could see the interested eye that a cute boy across the aisle was giving her, and wearily she turned toward the window. She wished that she could go back to the days when she had her family...

         "Are you sure you don't want to go to the play with us, Lainey?" Lainey's mother, Helena, tried once again to persuade her daughter to go to Broadway with them, to no avail.
         "No, Mom, I'm fine. I think I'll just stay in tonight and order some Chinese food," Lainey replied. "Besides, I've already seen The Lion King."
         "Suit yourself, honey," Jeff Levinson, Lainey's father, said. Gently grasping his lovely wife by the elbow, he prodded her along, convincing her that her makeup was fine and that they were going to be late if she didn't hurry up. Finally, Helena called out, "'Bye Lainey! We'll see you later, honey!"
         "'Bye Mom! 'Bye Dad! I love you!" she shouted back as they closed the door behind them and never looked back--

         The pilot's voice effectively blasted through Lainey's flashback as he announced, "Attention, all passengers. We are now landing in Des Moines, Iowa. Please keep your seatbelts on until the plane has come to a complete stop. Thank you."
         Lainey heaved yet another sigh as she stood up, stretching her lithe body as her chestnut brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, drawing admiring glances from some male passengers. Unaware of the eyes on her, Lainey gracefully hoisted her carry-on bag more securely on her shoulder and exited the plane.
         She scanned the sea of people apparently waiting for newly arrived travelers, looking for the familiar faces of her Aunt Ellie and Uncle Bill. Discourteous people shoved her from all directions, but Lainey's trademark aloof countenance never slipped from her delicate face.
         After what seemed like ten hours to her exhausted mind, Lainey finally found her aunt and uncle, along with her cousin Chandra. As she sauntered to where they are clustered, she damned the God-forsaken, overcrowded airport. She was beginning to think that airports were the spawn of all that was stupid when she heard a vaguely familiar voice.
         "Lainey! Lainey! Over here!" Ellie shouted to her only niece, her warm smile beckoning to Lainey like a lighthouse.
         "Aunt Ellie, Uncle Bill, Chandra," Lainey said monotonously, her usually fiery green eyes dead as she regarded her relatives.
         "Hey, Lainey! Wow, it's been so long since I've seen you! I just know that you are going to love it in Maynard! Most of the kids there are really nice, and--" began Chandra, her cousin.
         "Can we get going, please?" Lainey rudely interrupted, causing Chandra to turn the rather unflattering shade of a tomato.
         Lainey's eyes softened once she saw how her curtness had affected Chandra. After all, it wasn't Chandra's fault that her life was in shambles. "I'm sorry," Lainey replied quietly. "I didn't mean to be so rude to you. It's just that I'm anxious to see my new town." She refused to think of her aunt and uncle's home as her own. She would never be home again. They found Bill and Ellie's car among the ocean of other vehicles in the parking lot after what seemed like a millenium. After getting all of her luggage crammed into the trunk, they began the hour-long drive to their house.
         Ellie and Bill lived in Maynard, Iowa, population 1,628. The locals actually said that like they were proud of it. Lainey rolled her eyes as she saw all that the town had to offer: wheat fields, corn stalks, barns, sheep, cows. How the hell was she supposed to live here? There wasn't even a dance club or a movie theater! And the school was thirty minutes away, on the outskirts of Des Moines. Lainey didn't have a car, so she would either have to hitch a ride with Chandra or take the bus. They happened to pass an old school bus then, and Lainey figured she would be choosing the former. Chandra's cell rang (Lainey was surprised they even had a semblance of service there). A flood of memories poured over Lainey at the sound, and they threatened to drown her...

         Lainey absolutely loved the movie The Wizard of Oz. After all, who didn't? She had just made herself some popcorn and called her friend Justin Dorrance over to the apartment to watch it with her when the telephone rang. She figured that it would be Justin affirming his visit, but it wasn't. It wasn't anything even remotely close...

         "We're here! We're home!" Bill's strong voice shouted, much to Lainey's relief. She hated the part that followed, but she never could tear herself out of her memories. Getting out of the car, Lainey admitted that the house and its surroundings had a distinct charm. A hillbilly charm, she quickly amended as she pulled her luggage from the car.
         The Levinson home was a largish slate gray two-story with a navy door and shutters. In the distance, Lainey could see dairy cows grazing the wide fields, and she could see the corn stalks, their vibrant color bright against the equally vibrant azure sky. Lainey stared in awe at the beauty of it. This was a different type of beauty than the stark attractiveness of the angular, jutting buildings in New York City. Yes, this was natural beauty, where one thing blended seamlessly into another, their perfect harmony singing sweet lyrics to their admirers. Deeply troubled by the automatic camaraderie that she felt with this place, Lainey hurried in the house, hoping that she would be able to find something that she didn't like about it.
         Her efforts, however, were in vain. As she stepped into the spacious blue living room, she was amazed by the comfort she felt there.
         "Come on, Lainey, I'll show you to your room," Chandra offered, leading the way up the staircase. "You have a great room!"
         Somewhat revitalized by Chandra's boundless energy, Lainey followed up the stairs with a flutter of excitement in her chest. Chandra led her to a medium-sized room with lavender walls and plush, dark-violet carpeting. Lainey's electronic amenities had already been set up in the room. Lainey's bed, her dresser, and her desk were all there, having been shipped two weeks earlier. The room even had an air conditioner and its own bathroom! Lainey figured that her aunt and uncle were a lot better off financially than she'd previously believed. Somewhat naively, she had believed that farmers were poor.
         "Do you like it?" Chandra inquired of her cousin.
         "Very much so," Lainey responded, setting her things down on her bed.
         "Good. If you feel up to it, maybe later we can go swimming. I've already invited a few friends over, and you can meet them if you want."
         Despite Lainey's earlier foul mood, she found herself looking forward to getting to know people in Maynard. She always was an extrovert.
         For the next three hours, Lainey busied herself with the daunting chore of unpacking all of her belongings from her luggage and organizing her new bedroom. Tiny rivulets of sweat ran from her temples, giving her skin a healthy glow. Splashing and shouting drew Lainey's attention to the backyard, where she saw the in-ground pool that she hadn't noticed before. Chandra and a few of her friends were frolicking in the water.
         Lainey decided to go swimming. After all, it was pretty hot outside. She retrieved her bathing suit from her newly organized dresser. It was modest; a simple black one-piece suit she'd gotten for her seventeenth birthday. She slid into it, noting that the suit had become a little tighter than it had been the last time that she'd worn it. She attributed this to the fact that she liked to eat junk food, sit and watch TV, and smoke cigarettes whenever she got sad or depressed. And Lord knows that she'd been sad enough lately.
         "Oh, well," she sighed softly to herself, "It'll have to do. I'm not wearing that thing out there," she said, thinking of the lime-green string bikini she'd bought on an impulse at Dolce & Gabbana. Lainey piled her hair haphazardly on her head and put on her Ray-ban sunglasses. Shoving her feet into her purple flipflops, she began to jog down the stairs, not really paying attention to where she was going. She was duly startled when she felt herself collide with something.
         "Ooofff!" Chandra said as she fell on her bottom, the impact of the collision knocking both her and Lainey to the floor. "Oh, hey Laine," Chandra said, speaking so quickly that Lainey almost couldn't understand what she was saying. "Oh, good, you're going swimming. I was just about to go upstairs and ask you if you wanted to. Come on, I'll introduce you to some people I know."
         Chandra led Lainey through the kitchen and out the back door where her friends were splashing one another in the pool. Lainey found that her hands were shaking and tried to cover up the fact by clasping her towel more tightly in her fists. She was actually nervous about meeting these people.
         Four pairs of curious eyes followed Lainey's progress from the back door over to the edge of the pool, inside of which all of the horseplay, laughter--in fact, any sounds at all--had ceased. The guests just stared up at Lainey like she'd just come from a distant, faraway planet. Inwardly, Lainey fretted over her appearance. She knew that she should have worn a pair of shorts over her bathing suit!
         "Okay, everyone, I can see that we have you attention," Chandra said jokingly, "so I guess I can introduce you to my cousin. Everyone, this is Lainey Levinson. She just got here today from New York. Lainey, the girl is Cristina Adams, the guy with the black hair is Jake Hollister, the one with the brown hair is Nick Baines, and the blonde guy is Luke Clay."
         Glancing uncomfortably at the group, Lainey said "Hi, everybody."
         Luke Clay stared in wonder at the Venus standing before him. Chandra had been talking about her cousin coming to live with her family from New York City for a few weeks, and he'd been expecting some emaciated goth girl with long black hair and about eighty body piercings. Instead, he got a curvy brunette angel with long legs and green eyes.
         The impact that Lainey felt when she met Luke's brown eyes was staggering. She'd never felt anything like the jolt she felt when their gazes had collided. Quickly, she averted her eyes and dove perfectly into the swimming pool with a splash worthy of an Olympic diver. The men's eyes all followed her body into the water.
         When Luke spied Jake swimming toward Lainey, Luke decided to beat him to the punch. He easily outraced Jake to where Lainey emerged from the water, looking like a siren.
         "Hi," Luke said to Lainey, trying his best not to stare at her full breasts. He really wanted to sound welcoming and kind. Chandra had never divulged the reason that Lainey came to stay, but he guessed that it was because of something terrible.
         She looked into his eyes nervously. There was that zap of electricity again! Lainey damned herself for ever agreeing to go swimming with Chandra's friends. Just looking into those chocolatey eyes made her feel weak-kneed! "Hi," she replied, desperately hoping she came off sounding confident and in control. She wanted her appearance to directly contrast what she was feeling. The last thing she needed right now was an interested guy. And what if you were interested in him, too? a little voice in the back of her head demanded. Too disconcerted by the question to answer it, she continued speaking to Luke. "How are you?" she inquired of him.
         Luke was an expert at reading people, and her body language inadvertently told him that she was nervous. He yearned to make her feel at ease in her new and unfamiliar surroundings. "Fine," he answered, flashing her a thousand-watt smile. "How about you?"
         "Oh, just peachy," Lainey replied sardonically. Luke wished he could see inside of her and know what was haunting her. This is ridiculous! he scoffed at himself, there's no reason why you should be so taken with this girl. You only met five minutes ago!
         So what? he silently countered. She intrigues me, and I want to know what is going on behind that beautiful face of hers.
         Luke could see that he no longer had Lainey's attention. She was looking at something behind him. Turning around, he met the icy blue gaze of Brittany Coleridge, his ex-girlfriend.
         Lainey gawked at the newcomer. Her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders and back, and her blue eyes shot frigid sparks at Luke. The blonde was petitely built; she was several inches shorter than Lainey was and at least three sizes smaller. She was very beautiful, in a cold sort of way.
         "Well, I'm here to meet your cousin, Chandra," the girl announced, and Lainey almost covered her ears at the grating sound of her voice. It resembled the sound of nails screeching down a chalkboard. "So, let's get it over with. I've better things to do than hang out here all day."
         Anger curled up inside of Lainey. This girl was a bitch, plain and simple. Arising from the water, Lainey walked over to the girl and stood mere inches away from her. Looking disgustedly down on Brittany, Lainey said, "I'm Chandra's cousin, and my name isn't important, since we'll never be friends anyway. I don't care nor do I wish to know who you are, but I will tell you this. If you are ever openly rude to my cousin like that again, I swear to God I'll hit you so hard that you'll feel it all the way down to your pedicured little toes. Oh, and by the way, that nail polish isn't for you. It makes you look even more orange than you already appear with that fake tan." And with that final dig, Lainey sauntered confidently into the house, unaware of Luke watching the provocative sway of her hips.
         Brittany stood at the edge of the pool, fuming. "Chandra, does your cousin have any idea who she is dealing with?? Ugh, I'm leaving. I don't have to take this."
         Lainey snickered from just inside the doorway. She held a huge water balloon in her hands. Grinning evilly, she remorselessly threw it at Brittany. Panicking in her efforts to avoid it, Brittany stumbled backwards and fell into the pool, Steve Madden pumps and all.
         The rest of the guests laughed uproariously at Brittany, who struggled to save a vestige of her shredded dignity as she arose furiously from the pool and stalked toward her car.
         "And don't let the gate door hit you on the way out!" Lainey shouted just before Brittany's car door slammed and she sped out of the driveway.
         Luke stared at Lainey in awe. He'd never seem anyone stand up to Brittany in his whole life. Lainey wasn't like anyone he'd ever known before. Her eyes met his, and he knew that he had to get to know her better.
         The smile ran away from Lainey's face. The intensity of Luke's gaze had scared it. Feeling uncomfortable under his scrutinizing stare, Lainey cleared her throat and walked into the kitchen to soothe her suddenly dry throat. She hadn't counted on Luke following her into the kitchen, but he did.
         "Lainey?"
         Her heart gave a tiny flutter as she answered, "Yes?"
         "The way that you stood up to Brittany outside was amazing. I've never seen anyone tell her off, let alone knock her into a pool with a water balloon. Everyone around here has known her for all their lives, and you know her for five minutes and make a bigger fool of her than any of us ever has."
         "Well, she has to know that she can't walk all over people who've done nothing to her. I abhor rudeness."
         Luke had to agree with Lainey. Brittany was an ordinary person, and if she was rude to someone, she had to be told about it. But Luke feared that Lainey had just made an enemy of Brittany Coleridge, and he knew just how vindictive she could be when she wanted to.
         Luke studied Lainey with interest as she poured herself a glass of juice. He wasn't sure exactly what it was that fueled this lust for her. He'd never felt the compulsive need to touch someone like he did for Lainey.
         Lainey quickly turned around and caught Luke staring at her. He cleared his throat and averted his eyes to the pool in the backyard. He never heard Lainey leave the room, but she must've sashayed out while he was trying so hard not to pay attention to her because she was gone when he looked again. Sighing, Luke went outside to rejoin his friends.
         Lainey began to peel off her wet swimsuit as soon as she entered the sanctuary of her bedroom. Thoughts of Luke raced around inside of her mind. Never before had she met anyone like him. She lit a cigarette as she got dressed and tried to think about her current predicament. She was stuck in the boondocks because her parents had died, and she had feelings for someone that she barely even knew. That was very unlike her. She prided herself on not being shallow, and here she was, like a dog in heat whenever she saw Luke, or sensed him, or felt his eyes on her body...
         Lainey fiercely shook her head, trying to rid herself of thoughts about Luke. I can't be falling for him, she thought. He's a hayseed farm boy, for crying out loud! She put out her cigarette and sat on her bed in disgust. She didn't like the way Luke made her feel. In fact, she detested it. She desperately wished that she could go home, back to New York, where she was happy and carefree. Here, all her troubles seemed to chase her until she gave up and they engulfed her. Upset by the intensity of what she was feeling, Lainey put on a pair of white cotton shorts and a blue tank top she usually wore to bed, then watched television for a while.
         "Where'd Lainey go?" asked Chandra as Luke made his way back to the pool.
         "I don't know. One minute I was standing in the kitchen talking to her, and the next..." he shrugged.
         "Oh, well. She probably needs to be alone right now. It's okay. We'll see if she wants to go to the club with us later."
         Luke secretly hoped that Lainey would want to go. Every Thursday and Friday night in the summer, the whole group of them went to Amnesia, a dance club in downtown Des Moines. They always had fun, and he hoped that Lainey would have fun, too. There was a sadness in her eyes that made him want to hold her and try to make her happy.
         Lainey was still watching TV when there was a knock on her door. "Come in!" she called out.
         "Lainey?" said Luke, once again in awe of her beauty.
         "Luke? What are you doing up here?"
         "Chandra asked me to ask you if you'd like to go to a dance club with her, Nick and I tonight. So, do you wanna go?"
         Lainey contemplated his offer. She figured that it was better than sitting around the house all night wallowing in self-pity. "All right," she agreed. "When are we leaving?"
         "We want to be there around nine," he answered, "so we'll have to leave here around eight. Does that give you enough time to get ready?"
         It gave her nearly an hour and a half. She figured that she'd only need an hour. "Yup," she answered, "that's fine."
         Luke smiled, the gesture showing off his dimples. "Good," he said. "I'll leave you to get ready, then. Bye, Laine."
         "Bye," she whispered as he shut the door and walked downstairs.
         Lainey released a shaky breath the moment she heard Luke begin to walk down the stairs. How could she be falling for him already? She had only known him for a half-hour at the most. He had an astounding effect on her. She had never wanted anyone with as much force as she wanted Luke. Resigning the matter for the moment, Lainey went into her new sea-themed bathroom to take a shower.
         7:45. That's what time the clock read when Luke left his house in his Explorer to pick up Lainey, Chandra, and Nick at the Levinson home. Never had he been so nervous going to Chandra's house. They had been friends for years, and he wasn't sure how she would take the news that he wanted to screw her cousin until he passed out on top of her.
         Lainey was putting the final touches on her hair when she heard the doorbell ring downstairs. She looked fantastic in a lime-green stretch tank top that she'd bought at Macy's on sale, low-rise Diesel jeans, and black Nine West stillettos. Her hair was in wild disarray around her face and cascading down her back, and her eyes looked huge and catlike because of how she had lined them with black Clinique liner.
         Lainey, however, thought she looked fat and was ready to find something more concealing. She let out a frustrated "Damn it" when she heard Chandra call her name and tell her it was time to go. Cramming her cigarettes into her purse, Lainey went down the stairs, being careful not to fall or to break her heel on anything.
         Luke's breath was literally taken away when he first saw Lainey. He had never seen anyone more beautiful. Her ample curves were shown to perfection by the outfit that she wore, and her scrunched hair perfectly framed her face. Lainey, in her attempts to fit the cigarette pack into the tiny purse, tripped over the last step and would have crashed to the ground if Luke hadn't caught her. One of his hands ended up on her bottom, the other on her waist. Sparks went off the instant Lainey felt Luke's hands on her body, and Luke held her just a moment more than necessary before moving away from her.
         "Cigarettes can kill, you know," he said wryly.
         "Very funny," Lainey replied, getting Luke's double-entendre. "Is everyone ready to go?"
         Three heads bobbed up and down.
         "Lainey?"
         Lainey spun around to face her cousin. "Yeah?"
         "Do you want to sit in the front with Luke or would you rather sit with me?"
         Lainey thought for a moment. "The front is fine."
         "Okay. Then let's go!"
         The four teenagers piled into Luke's Explorer and began the trip to Amnesia. Luke turned on the local country station and softly began to hum along. The only other audible sounds were that of Chandra and Nick whispering and giggling in the back seat. Soon, they were replaced by other sounds entirely. Lainey chanced a glance into the backseat via the rearview mirror and was surprised by what she saw. Nick and Chandra were kissing passionately, with Nick's one hand on Chandra's breast and his other on her derriere. Chandra, in turn, was cupping Nick's face and running her fingers over his broad chest. Lainey swallowed and looked away, her throat suddenly dry when she realized who she was sitting next to. For some inexplicable reason, Lainey wanted to feel Luke's hands on her body and his mouth on hers. She wanted to feel him, all of him, rubbing against and sliding over her body. Shocked by the unwanted direction her thoughts had taken, Lainey folded her hands in her lap to stop herself from reaching out and touching Luke.
         This has to stop, she said to herself. I can't go on thinking that I will die if I don't touch him. It's ridiculous! She heaved a heavy sigh and focused her stare out the window, doing her best to drown out the noises coming from behind her.
         Luke turned out to be her savior. "Will you two please quit going at it like animals in my vehicle?" he asked, real annoyance conveyed by his tone. "Lainey and I are in the car, too, you know."
         Chandra and Nick looked truly taken aback by Luke's tone. "Sorry," said Chandra softly as she moved back to her side of the backseat.
         Luke was really angry with them. He would not have normally minded them making out, but he had seen how Lainey had reacted next to him. She had looked more uncomfortable than he had thought she would. Her knuckles were white from her having clenched them so hard in her lap. But now that Chandra and Nick were behaving themselves, she seemed less tense to Luke. Her hands relaxed and she leaned back in the seat. At stop signs and red lights on the way to Des Moines, Luke would stare at the beautiful girl sitting beside him. He couldn't get enough of her. He didn't understand why she made him react this way. After all, he'd never really been in a serious relationship. Of course, he went with Brittany, but he knew that she was only using him for sex. He'd also been in relationships where his partner had been more interested in him than he was in them, but that wasn't his fault. Sometimes there was just chemistry, like what he felt with Lainey.
         Damn, why did everything come back to Lainey? What the hell was the matter with him? Why did--
         "Luke! What are you doing? You just passed off the exit!" yelled Nick.
         "There's no reason to yell! I just got a little distracted."
         "Whatever you say, Luke the Almighty!"
         "Will the both of you just shut up? God, let's just get this the hell over with!" shouted Lainey, becoming angry with the inane argument.
         There was silence for the rest of the ride, broken intermittently with whispers from Chandra and Nick. Finally, they arrived at Amnesia, and some of the tension hanging in the air drifted away. By the time they were actually admitted to the club, apologies had been given and accepted and everyone was jovial once again. That is, everyone except Lainey. She couldn't have said exactly why she was miserable, but she had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with Luke.
         Luke didn't seem to notice Lainey's depression. He immediately went to find someone to dance with. He knew it was rude of him, but if he had danced with Lainey at the time, he would've told her all about his ridiculous feelings for her. I'll dance with her later, he thought to himself as the leggy blonde he was with ground against him. Nothing she did could excite him, though. His thoughts were occupied with images of the curvy brunette eyeing him from across the room. Appearing disinterested in his and the blonde's escapades, Lainey turned away and stood up to get a drink. In the next instant, a dark-haired man walked over to her and began to speak to her, words that Luke wished he could hear. Lainey laughed, her smile lighting up her face from within, and the man with her chuckled along as well. Finally, Luke was pretty sure that the man had asked Lainey to dance. She shot Luke a quick glance, then accepted the man's proffered hand. She followed him out on the dance floor and looped her arms around his neck. Luke all but exploded with jealousy, despite the blonde's best efforts to take his mind off Lainey.
         "What's your name?" Lainey asked the tall man who had asked her to dance, looking into his brown eyes. Funny how even though his eyes were almost exactly the same shade as Luke's, Lainey couldn't get lost in them the way she did in Luke's. Sighing inwardly, she tried to force herself to pay attention to the poor man.
         "Remington Roberts. But everyone calls me Remy. How about you?" he asked Lainey, smiling at her, revealing perfectly straight white teeth and dimples that she would've found absolutely adorable had Luke not already poisoned her mind against other men.
         "Huh? Oh, my name. It's Lainey."
         "Well, Lainey, you have a beautiful smile. Where're you from?"
         "About an hour south of here. Maynard."
         "How interesting. A country girl."
         "Who? Me? A boring hillbilly? I don't think so. I was born and raised in the heart of Manhattan, mister."
         "Hey, I meant no disrespect. I have an idea. Why don't we go outside for some air and to get better acquainted?"
         Lainey hesitated. There was something inside that screamed at her to stay inside with all these people, in the huge crowd where nothing could happen to her. Then her eyes found Luke, who was now dancing with a slender Latino, holding her tightly against his body as they whispered and laughed. As chance would have it, however, as soon as Lainey looked away, Luke disengaged himself from Maria, his dancing partner. She was beginning to grate on his nerves.
         "Sure," said Lainey through gritted teeth, angry at just the thought of Luke with anyone else, and followed Remy outside. He led her to the side of the enormous brick structure. One would never guess that it was a trendy dance club inside, thought Lainey as she rhythmically took a cigarette from her purse and lit it. She took a deep drag and noted that Remy's eyes had never left her face. Somewhat unsettled, Lainey turned to face him, and as she did, he caught her jaw and kissed her hard on the mouth. She endured it for a moment, then she found herself struggling to get out of his grasp.
         "Remy, what do you think you're doing?" she shouted when she managed to wrestle herself away from him.
         Remy took the cigarette from her hand and threw it. "Oh, come on, Lainey. Don't give me that. You know you want it. Just look at you. A girl wouldn't dress like that if she wasn't looking to get laid." Suddenly Remy had her in his arms once more, and he forcibly kissed her. When she wouldn't open her mouth for the invasion of his tongue, he grabbed her wrist and began to twist with all his power. Lainey cried out in pain, and Remy took advantage of her parted lips to stab his tongue inside of her mouth.
         Panic took a hold of Lainey's body and held it in a viselike grip. No matter how much she twisted and writhed and wriggled to pull out of Remy's grasp, she just couldn't do it. He was nearly a foot taller than her 5' 5" frame, and was at least fifty pounds of solid muscle heavier than she was. She bit down hard on Remy's tongue, her only defense since he was holding her arms captive.
         "You little bitch!" he howled, pulling back, blood dripping from his mouth. Lainey turned and ran, but Remy easily caught up to her. He grabbed her and pulled her hair back so hard that it was almost ripped out of her head. She screamed in pain and frustration as she met his unwavering, incredibly cruel gaze. "You do anything like that again and you will regret it, you slut. Just do like I say and you don't have to get hurt. Do we have an understanding? I said, do we have an understanding?" he shouted when Lainey didn't answer.
         "Yes! Yes!" Lainey hollered into the night air.
         Remy growled with lust and violence, forcing his mouth on Lainey's and painfully squeezing one of her soft, vulnerable breasts. Completely and totally exhausted and defeated, Lainey began to cry, painful, heartwrenching sobs that shook her entire body.
         "Get your fucking hands off her!" a voice rang out through the night. Strong hands yanked Lainey away from Remy, and a fist hit Remy in square in the eye. He fell backward, holding his eye and cursing a blue streak. "You little whore! What the fuck, did you have a boyfriend? And you were rubbing yourself all over me and trying to get yourself a piece of a real fucking man? Stupid little sl--"
         The man who had become Lainey's savior let out a roar and leaped onto Remy. This time, his fist connected with Remy's jaw. Remy fell to the ground and the man who had saved her rushed to her side. Lainey was surprised to find that her hero was none other than the incredible Lucas Clay.
         Lainey's tortured eyes slowly rose and met Luke's. "Oh, baby, Laine, are you all right?" he whispered, looking over her body as he checked for injuries that asshole might have caused.
         "Luke..." she whispered before her tears became erratic and heavy. She clung to Luke like he was her lifeboat in a tumultuous sea. His hand went to cup the back of her head and hold her against him, but she cried out in pain and jerked away. "H-He pulled m-m-my hair, and...oh, Luke, my h-head hurts!" she sobbed, hugging herself for the comfort Luke would've gladly given had she asked.
         "Does it hurt anywhere else?" Luke asked softly, knowing that saying or doing the wrong thing would scare Lainey away from him forever.
         Lainey nodded. "My wrist is a little sore." Gently Luke took her hand and moved the wrist in a circle.
         "Does that hurt a lot?"
         "No."
         "Where else do you hurt?"
         "M-My breast hurts from where he grabbed me."
         Luke saw red. "He touched your breast?" Lainey nodded, and Luke swore, "I should've killed the bastard." Remy had long since got up and left the club.
         "Is it bruised?" Lainey whispered as she delicately lowered the neckline. Luke gulped as she gave him a generous glimpse of her soft, lush breasts. Luke lowered his head to get a better look at her, and he saw angry red marks spread out over the creamy skin of her breast.
         Tearing his eyes away from her enticing flesh, he met Lainey's gaze. "Yeah. That's going to be nasty in the morning. You should put some ice on it or something when you get home. I think we should go now."
         "I think so, too."
         "Let's go get the others."
         "Luke!" Lainey shouted, grabbing his arm. "Please don't tell them what happened! Please just tell them I don't feel well or something. I don't want them to know." Lainey beseeched him with panicked eyes.
         Luke broke down under her imploring gaze and agreed. "I won't say anything. That's up to you." Lainey took a hold of Luke's arm and wordlessly they went to find Chandra and Nick.
         Lainey cried silently the whole way home. Nothing like that had ever happened to her back in New York City. She hurt all over, her head, her wrist, her breast. She just wanted to take a shower to wash Remy's filth away and go to sleep for a year. Chandra and Nick were surprisingly quiet. It seemed as though they sensed that something was wrong with Lainey, and they were doing their best to comfort her by not asking any nosy questions.
         Luke dropped Nick and Chandra off at Nick's house, and then it was just he and Lainey in the car. He glanced at her, hoping to catch her eyes, but she just stared out the window. He wanted to comfort her, to touch her and erase all of the fear that what's-his-name had impaled into her heart. Unable to resist the urge to touch her, Luke gently stroked Lainey's shoulder. She spun around in her seat, her eyes wide and panicky. Immediately Luke snatched his hand away. "I'm sorry, Laine, I just wanted to...comfort you."
         Lainey looked at him silently for a moment. His touch felt different than Remy's, so much more tender and gentle. "Thanks, Luke. I think that's just what I need." She didn't mention that his touch gave her the shivers and that she wanted to kiss him whenever their eyes met. She knew her lust for him was irrational, considering the ordeal she'd just been through, but she couldn't help it. He'd unwittingly wormed his way into her bloodstream.
         Luke's hand found its way back to her shoulder. "You know, Lainey, it's not your fault that that bastard tried to hurt you. You didn't deserve it."
         "Please, Luke, let's not talk about this," Lainey pleaded, closing her eyes and leaning back against the seat. "All I want to do is go home, take a shower, and go to sleep. That's it."
         "Okay. We don't have to talk about it."
         Lainey was silent for a moment. "Oh, Luke, he hurt me," Lainey said softly, her voice strangled by tears.
         "Lainey..."
         "No, I want to tell you what happened. I think it might be good for me to get it out. He had asked me to d-dance--" Lainey broke off, desperately trying to get a hold on her emotions.
         "Laine--"
         "No!" Lainey interrupted him once again. "So we began to dance, and then he asked me to go outside. I really didn't want to , but then I saw you dancing with that girl..." Lainey's voice trailed off, and she knew that she had said too much. Luke had noticed what she'd revealed, and inwardly, he gloated. But he showed no outward sign that anything was amiss.
         "Anyway," Lainey continued quickly, praying that Luke hadn't understood what her statement had shown about her feelings for him, "even though something told me to stay inside, I went out with him. I lit a cigarette, and I-I felt him staring at me. I got a l-little un-uncomfortable." Lainey took a deep breath. "Then, all of a sudden, he kissed me. I let him, for a minute, figuring he'd stop, but then I tried to get away, but he wouldn't let me. He t-tried to deepen the kiss, but I-I wouldn't open my m-mouth. That's wh-when he grabbed my wri-wrist and twisted. God, it hurt so badly I thought he was g-going to break it! I screamed, and he stuck h-his tongue into my mouth. S-So I bit it, and he p-pulled my hair r-really hard. He kissed me again and st-started to grab me. Th-That's when you came. Oh, Luke, I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't come!" Lainey cried, sobbing once again. She threw her arms around him and cried into his shoulder. Luke wrapped an arm around her waist, tears infiltrating his eyes. That was a horrible thing for any woman to have to endure, and he was almost sick just thinking about it. Five minutes later, they were at Lainey's house. She, however, didn't seem to be inclined to let go of Luke. Even though she wasn't crying anymore, she seemed to need the solid comfort of his body. He lost track of how long they sat out there in his Explorer, his arms wrapped around her, her face buried in his shoulder.
         Luke began to ache with the need to touch Lainey, which was precisely why he had to let go of her and leave. "Laine?" Luke whispered, his warm breath tickling and teasing her ear. Lainey felt things with Luke that she didn't want to feel, especially after what had just happened with Remy. Nonetheless, Lainey trembled against her will and her nipples hardened against Luke's chest. She knew he could feel them when he hissed in a breath and began to stroke her back. Abruptly, he stopped and let go of her.
         "I think I should go," Luke said, his voice husky.
         Lainey's eyes widened and she felt panic when she realized there would be no one to keep her company. She didn't think that she wanted her aunt and uncle to, at least not on her first night in their home. "Will you stay here with me tonight?" Lainey blurted out to Luke before she even knew the direction her thoughts were taking. But Lainey didn't rescind her offer because she knew deep-down that she really didn't want to be alone that night.
         "Lainey, I don't know-"
         "Please, Luke. I don't want to be alone."
         "I...guess I can. Where do you want me to sleep?"
         "You can sleep in my room on the bed."
         "No, you are going to sleep on the bed. I'll sleep on the floor."
         "Are you sure, Luke?"
         "Yeah. I just have to call my parents and tell them that I'm staying here." With that, Luke pulled out a cell phone and called his mother, who was a little grumpy about having been awakened at one in the morning, but didn't deny him.
         Lainey and Luke made their way into the Levinson home quietly, being careful not to awaken Lainey's aunt and uncle. Luke spent the night there with Chandra and Nick all the time, so he knew they wouldn't mind. Lainey tiptoed up the stairs, and Luke followed, hesitating outside her bedroom door. Lainey rummaged through her drawers and found pajamas. Finally, she noted that Luke hadn't yet come inside the bedroom. "Aren't you going to come in, Luke?" Lainey asked, facing him.
         Luke seemed to be in a daze out of which her voice had taken him. "Yeah, I'm coming," he replied, slowly walking into her room. His eyes scanned the surroundings, and he suddenly felt more uncomfortable than he had ever felt in his life.
         Lainey noticed his discomfort. "Luke, you really need to unwind. It's not really that big a deal that you're staying in my room. It's not like we're having a secret tryst in here or something, right? So please, for my sake, just relax. Okay?"
         Luke merely nodded. He plopped down on the floor, and Lainey tossed him the remote control. "I'm going to take a shower. I'll be out in about fifteen minutes. Make yourself at home." I never will, she thought to herself.
         As soon as Luke heard the spray of the water coming from the adjoining bathroom, he remembered the feel of Lainey's body pressed against his. Desire turned his blood thick and hot as he thought about Lainey. She was such an incredible being. Everything about her entranced him, from the way she walked to the way she said his name. Leaning back against her bed, Luke began to think about what she looked like in the shower. The very thought of her naked with rivulets of water streaming over her made him shiver with want. He heard the water turn off and abruptly, he sought to change the direction of his thoughts. He switched the television on and tried to concentrate on the mundane show on the screen. However, his attempts failed. The rustle of fabric behind the closed bathroom door caught his attention, and he decided that it would be best if he left for a few minutes, just to get a drink or something. "Lainey?"
         "Yeah?" came the muffled response.
         "I am going to go get a drink. You want anything?"
         "Yeah. Some milk, please?"
         "Will do. Be right back."
         Lainey shed the towel and quickly got dressed into the blue tank top and white shorts she'd worn earlier in the day, all the while praying to God that she didn't do anything stupid later on in the night, like confessing how much she wanted him. He filled her mind the whole time she was in the shower, and never had her body reacted to the mere thought of a man like it had tonight. She knew she was crazy, that she should be scared shitless of men after what had happened that night with Remy, and with any other guy she had no doubt that she'd be running. But with Luke, the only place she wanted to run was straight into his arms.
         Down, girl, she thought to herself. How could you possibly want him so badly? You've only known him for a few hours! But Lainey had never felt for anyone in her life the way she felt with Luke in that single day. Love at first sight? As quickly as the thought entered her mind, it was discarded. The only people Lainey had ever loved were dead, and she had vowed in New York that she would never love again. It was too painful. It's better to be numb, she thought forlornly, than to feel and get your heart broken when they leave you. Lighting a cigarette, Lainey sat on her bed and disinterestedly watched television until Luke returned a few minutes later with their drinks.
         "Thank you," Lainey said as Luke handed her her milk. Luke admired her as she tilted her head back to take a long drink. Her chestnut hair was wet and hung down her back, causing spots of moisture to show on the back of her top. He could smell her shampoo and recognized it as the scent she had on earlier. It reminded him of vanilla and wildflowers, and everything fresh and pure in the world. And that was how she looked at that moment. Devoid of any makeup, she was still undeniably the most beautiful woman that Luke had ever seen. Her eyes were of the clearest green, like grass on a summer day, and her skin was flawless and the color of peaches and cream. He finally realized that Lainey was staring back at him quizzically, wondering why he was looking at her like that. He forced his attention to the TV show that was on. He just got carried away whenever he saw Lainey. It was something he could neither control nor help.
         "Luke, do you mind if we turn off the television? I am kind of tired and I'd like to go to sleep," said Lainey, a huge yawn punctuating her words. Luke smiled at how childlike and innocent she looked at that moment.
         "Of course I don't mind. Do you have any extra pillows or blankets around here?"
         Lainey hesitated for a second, then tossed one of her pillows and her comforter down to him on the floor. "Will that be all right?" she asked, looking serious.
         "It's just fine, thanks. You know, Lainey, if you need me at any time later tonight, you can just wake me up. I won't mind."
         Unwanted tears began to pool in Lainey's eyes. She couldn't remember the last time that anyone had been so nice to her, excluding her family. "Thanks, Luke. I'll take you up on that if need be. I really appreciate all you have done for me today. You know, it's amazing. I never thought that I..." Suddenly Lainey trailed off, and Luke wondered what she had been about to say. But she never finished her statement. She simply turned off the TV and said, "Good night, Luke."
         "Good night, Lainey."

End of Part 1