Welcome to New Haven (103 page)

“Two can play at
that
game.” He said in a low, husky voice and he felt Holly quiver against his thighs.
 

He sat up with her still straddling him, and he lifted his hands to caress up her back as he lightly pressed a trail of kisses up and down her neck.
 

Holly threaded her fingers in his hair and gripped around his shoulders with her other hand.
 

Alex felt her breathing increase in speed, along with her pulse, just like his, and her legs shifted so they were wrapped around his hips. This brought her centre close to his and he felt a lightening bolt zip through him.
 

It felt fucking amazing.
 

His erection flinched, and Alex knew Holly felt it when she took a sharp breath and her legs tightened around him. He cupped her face when he drew back from her neck and brought her mouth to his, tasting her.
 

“Stay very still.” He said quietly between catching his breath and kissing her again.
 

Holly nodded in understanding as Alex gripped her hips to stop them from moving about. Their bodies were pressed together, and he could feel her perfect; soft breasts pressed against his chest. He longed for there to be no barriers between them.
 

Just skin-on-skin.

Holly moaned as Alex sucked on her lower lip. He released it and then quickly turned them both so she was on her back and he was above her. He looked into her eyes and what she saw turned her on further.
 

He ran his fingers from her chin, down her throat, and her chest, slowly in-between her breasts, his touch leaving a fire trail behind them in their wake.
 

Holly’s core was hot, pulsing and painful, and she was unsure that going out in public was a good idea after all.
 

Alex’s fingers continued stroking down her stomach, stopping at the waistband of her pants, before lightly tracing the edge next to her bare skin. Electricity shooting through her when his skin touched hers.
 

Holly gasped as he ran his fingers across her skin and stopped above the button on her pants.

Holly looked down and saw that his hand was shaking, and she could
hear
the shaking in her own breath. Alex groaned and moved off her, rolling to his back. He put an arm across his eyes, and Holly looked down his body and saw the huge bulge in the front of his jeans. She pulled her lip between her teeth, and she smiled.
 

Alex turned his head and saw her looking. Holly’s face flushed.
 

“You’re too sexy; I can barely contain myself.” He said to her.
 

“You too. I can’t think straight when you touch me like that.” She replied.
 

It was true.

Her rational thoughts left her, and all she could think about was how he made her feel. Hot, tingling and in pain. The good kind.
 

Alex sat up and moved his legs out and patted the blanket for Holly to sit in the gap. She sat with her back to his front, his arms around her tight, hers holding his. She rested her head back on Alex’s shoulder, and they watched out over the lake as the sun began to set. Alex kissed her temple and then rested his cheek on her head.
 

I could stay like this all night
.

Holly felt so natural, so perfect, so right in Alex’s arms. Like she was made just for him. ‘His missing piece’ as his Dad had said.

They sat and watched the sun go down. The night casting a warm orange glow on the surface of the water and the surrounding plant life.

They talked for a while, about their families and growing up with them. Swapping funny stories about them and laughing.

A short time after the sun had gone down; they knew it was time to go. They cleared everything up and headed back to Alex’s house. Alex could already feel the tension in his chest because they would be leaving each other soon.

Just a few hours until the morning
.
 

They pulled up outside his house, and Holly got out to walk him to his door.
 

Her phone beeped as she received a text message from her Mum, and she replied.

H: Won’t be long. Just got back to Alex’s. X

Alex held her face and she gripped his T-shirt.

Holly didn’t want to go. She wanted to stay with him.

No school tomorrow. No classes to interrupt our day.
 

She felt a little happier knowing that, but she was still sad that they would be parting.
 

“Buenos noches, mi chica preciosa. Te amo.” He whispered, lovingly.
 

Holly understood what he had said to her and she smiled up at him.
 

“Buenos noches mi chico especial. Te amo.” She replied, and he grinned before gently kissing her lips, pulling her tight one more time before he had to let her go.
 

“Text me as soon as you get back, ok?”
 

Holly knew he wouldn’t rest until she texted him. Letting him know that she was safe. She was the same way about him.
 

“I will, babe. Don’t worry. I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.”
 

“I love you too.”
 

Alex watched Holly walk away and get in her car. She waved as she pulled away, and he turned to go into the house.
 

The empty feeling in his chest and a churning in his stomach.

Holly was driving down the road where Alex and Dev lived, and her eyes filled with tears. She wiped them away quickly so she could see the road. She felt so happy and loved in Alex’s arms. There wasn’t anywhere she’d rather be than with him.
 

“I love him so much.” Holly said out loud to herself.
 

“I see that” a bitter voice spat from the back seat and Holly screamed.

She looked in the rear view mirror as Stacey rose to sit up in the back seat.
 

“Hello, bitch. Look who got out! Now keep driving the fucking car until I tell you where to go.” She said as she lifted a gun into view.
 

Holly stopped breathing.

Don’t panic! Please don’t panic!

Babe, breathe for me.
 

Holly could hear Alex’s voice, just like he’d told her before.
 

She took a deep breath.
 

“How…when did you get in here?” she asked. She was terrified that her dream would come true, with Stacey killing someone.

Alex is safe. He’s not here. He’s safe.

Holly
felt better knowing that he wouldn’t be hurt.

“You stupid cunt!” Stacey snapped. “I waited for you outside, and I got in the back when you were tongue fucking
my
property!”
 

“Stacey, he’s not, and never will be yours. You need help, you’re sick” Holly said, calmly trying not to sound aggressive when all she wanted to do was hit her.

“Shut the fuck
up
!” Stacey screamed, and Holly winced at the painful pitch in her voice. “You sound like
them
.
I
know what I want.
I
know they want
me
. Why can’t any of
you
see that?” Stacey cackled maniacally. “But…you’re good. I’ll give you that. Getting him to give in to you. Tell me this, though, British pig. Is he a good fuck?
Have
you even fucked him yet? Oh. My. God. You haven’t!” Stacey howled with laughter. “Oh…Oh. That’s
so
much sweeter for me. I’ll pop his cherry like the others. Even
if
he wants
you
, it’ll be
me
that’s fucking him.”
 

Holly wanted to tear Stacey apart.

She gripped the steering wheel tight. She had to stay calm… for Alex, for her parents. She didn’t want to do anything to cause Stacey to shoot.
 

“Oh and don’t think about crashing the car. I’ve seen the movies and I’ll fucking shoot you if you try.” Stacey spat.

Holly took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

“When did you get released?” she asked with a calm voice. She was trying not to lose it. She couldn’t risk giving Stacey an excuse to shoot her.
 

“Oh my dear, sweet, Virgin Mary white socks. They released me two days ago” Stacey said in a sweet voice as if in sympathy for Holly, whilst tapping the gum barrel on the side of the headrest. “They put a tag on me and told me it would go off if I left the house. They placed my
mother
in control of me. Put me in
her
care. Ha! All she had to do was make sure I stayed in and didn’t contact anybody.” Stacey burst out laughing. “Like
that
worked!” she continued to guffaw, wiping tears from her cheeks. As her laughter subsided, she cocked her head to the side. “I bet you’re dying to know how I got out aren’t ya?
Aren’t ya
?!” She asked, crazy eyed, and unhinged.
 

“Well…” Stacey put her hand to the side of her mouth as if telling a secret. “I slipped her a little su’m su’m from my medicine cabinet.” Stacey giggled to herself. “She’ll wake up…Hmmm…tomorrow night? Dumbass kept her keys in her pocket! All I had to do was get to the car, and I’d be away. The tag…well…the guy who put in on told me they would know, immediately, if I tampered with it so I had only a short amount of time to get away before they showed up.” Stacey laughed again. “Oh, and this is the
best
bit!” She said, practically bouncing in her seat with excitement. It was like watching a child talk about their ‘best day ever’.
 

“I opened the door and pressed the fob to unlock the car. I used extra sharp scissors to cut through the strap and then threw it in the middle of the room, and I bolted out of there! I figured if they thought I was still in the house, they wouldn’t rush over. The guy said the straps were too difficult. He obviously didn’t count on me sharpening the scissors like a fucking scalpel! I dumped my Mom’s car and took a cab. Genius, huh?” Stacey laughed again at her own admission. Giving Holly a detailed account of how she escaped. “Just keep driving, bitch” she spat, back to her original mood. She was insane alright.
 

“Where are we going?” Holly asked, still calm. She didn’t know how she was doing it. Stacey had a gun pointed at her and making her drive to who knows where. All Holly could focus on was Alex’s voice in her mind.

Breathe, baby. I love you Holly.

“Piper’s Farm please driver!” Stacey chirped.
 

Holly’s stomach lurched.

Piper’s farm, about ten miles north of North Creek, was a derelict farmhouse in the middle of a huge area of land.

At one time, it had been a busy visiting farm. People used to go there to see and feed the animals, visit the café, restaurant, and the large children’s play park.
 

Now, all that stood was a couple of walls of the original building and a large brick storage shed.
 

Oli had told Holly the story of how a gas leak, in the kitchen, had caused an explosion that burned down the house and animal enclosures, which went up quickly because of the straw. The barns burned down to nothing except for the metal beams.
 

It was pure luck, or on purpose as some people thought, that the owner had let the animals loose in their grain pastures earlier in the day.

It had made Holly sad to think how a family had lost everything in the split second it took for the gas to ignite.
 

Now, she was close to that too. She didn’t know what Stacey had planned to do or whether she was going to be alive much longer.

Holly’s phone rang, and Stacey snatched her bag from the passenger seat. She had a strong feeling it was Alex. She’d been gone for almost fifteen minutes without a text saying she was home. She only lived about five minutes away. Her Mum knew she would’ve held on to Alex for as long as she could and would’ve given her thirty minutes, tops, before calling.

“Awww.” Said Stacey sarcastically. She answered the phone.
 

“Hey, babe. Are you ok?” Holly could hear Alex’s voice in the quiet of the car.
 

“Oh hi, babe” Stacey said in a sickly sweet voice.
 

“Who is this?”
 

“Aww, you forgot about me already baby cakes? Never mind, I’m sure I can jog your memory, Alex”
 

“Stacey!” Holly heard Alex yell.
 

“That’s right honey. Your one and only”
 

“
Alex!
” Holly screamed. She wanted him to hear her. To let him know she was alive, and she could hear him.
 

“Shut up or I’ll fucking
kill
you!” Stacey shouted.
 

“If you hurt one hair on her head
I’ll kill you
!” Alex screamed at Stacey.
 

“Don’t say that, my darling, it just upsets me. Now, don’t bother calling again, because you’re never. Going. To see. Holly. Again.” She spat.
 

“Holly!”
 

“Alex!” Holly screamed at the top of her lungs.
 

Stacey opened the window and threw out the phone.
 

“Ah. What a nice chat. I like him.” Stacey said with humour in her voice.
 

“You’re sick. You’re fucking sick! You’re not going to get away with it, Stacey.” Holly cried. The hot tears falling down her face and dripping from her jaw.
 

“Oh. I know” Stacey replied as-a-matter-of-factly. “But…Alex wants you.
That
way there are no more distractions for him. Oh, and anyway, if you hadn't had been there tonight, I would’ve killed
him
instead. You can die happy knowing you’ve saved his life.” Stacey cocked the gun. “Now just
fucking
drive and shut your
fucking
mouth.”

“Noooooo!!!
” Screamed Alex as he tried to call Holly’s phone again. It just rang out.
 

“Honey what’s wrong?” Evie asked, full of concern as she ran into his bedroom, seeing him on the floor, terrified tears running down his face.