Acting On Temptation (Temptations) Page 2

  “Earth to Russ!” Cade is waving his hand in front of my face.

  “What dickhead?”

  “Just wondering if you could stop daydreaming about Anna long enough to come to football practice with us.”

  “Shut up man, I wasn’t daydreaming about Anna. I was thinking about my class load.”

  We started walking out of the kitchen and I heard Linc mumble something about my class load not being the load I was thinking about.

  *****

  Football practice had been a great distraction. Getting the shit knocked out of me was the perfect distraction. Once we were back home and had raided the freshly stocked kitchen, I took my time in the shower, letting the warm water soothe my aching body. I finally step out of the shower and wrap my towel around me wiping off the mirror so I can shave; the bathroom is still so steamy I open the bathroom door to let some of the steam out. I start shaving and at that same time the bathroom door opens the rest of the way and a light scream comes out of Anna’s mouth startling me.

  “Fuck!” I drop the razor in the sink.

  She looks at me, “Damn I’m so sorry Russ, I didn’t mean to bust in here on you. I thought since the door was open you were out. Are you okay? You cut yourself.”

  I put some tissue on my face, “its okay just a little cut.”

  She walks over and places her soft hand on my face and the fact that I’m only in a towel hasn’t escaped my mind. If I don’t get her hand off of me, she is going to know quickly how she affects me. “Its okay, give me a minute and I’ll be finished and you can have the bathroom.”

  She looks wounded; “Um sorry…”She ducked her head and went to step out. I reached and grabbed her arm.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be short with you. I just didn’t figure you were comfortable with me standing here in just a towel.”

  She gives an almost rehearsed laughed, “Oh okay.”

  I finished up in the bathroom and made sure the door was open so that Anna would know she was in the clear to go in. I went to my bedroom and got dressed, looked over some plays, got on Facebook, listened to some music and all together tried to avoid going out into the rest of the house and running into Anna. Why does she have this effect on my? I have never had a girl in my head like this? Well I did one time but that was a long time ago and after that time I knew I wasn’t good enough for a girl like Anna. Girls like Anna deserved someone more like Linc, they normally always picked Linc. Screw all of this I’m going to sleep.

  *****

  I’m startled awake by the sound of someone crying and what sounds like fighting. I jump up and step out in the hallway in my boxers to see what’s going on. The sound is coming from Anna’s room, no one else seems to have heard it…which our rooms are on the opposite end of the hall from the others. I step closer to the door; I can’t stand to hear her cry. I tap on the door and whisper, “Anna.” She says nothing. I gently open the door and I realize she is thrashing around in the middle of a bad dream. I walk over to her bed and touch her arm, “Anna.” She jerks and sits straight up. I switch on the bedside lamp, “You were having a nightmare.”

  She adjusts herself in the bed, “Oh sorry I woke you.”

  “Its okay, is something bothering you Anna? I mean you’ve been so jumpy and now you’re having bad dreams.”

  She stood up to go the bathroom, “No I’m fine.”

  As she was walking out of the room he stopped her, “Anna, what happened here?” She hadn’t thought about her upper back showing.

  She tried to walk around me, “Nothing, move I have to go to the bathroom.”

  “Anna stop or I will wake up this entire house.”

  “Why? Because I have some bruises from where I fell on the curb at work.”

  “Anna, those damn bruises are not from a little fall on the curb…that is why you’re lip was busted when you got here. Who did this Anna?”

  She shifted back and forth, “Look Russ don’t worry about it okay…I’m fine.”

  I grabbed her pulling her into me, “Anna you are not fine, you were still in pain earlier today and you were having a nightmare. Now fucking tell me who did this or I’ll go get Cade and Gabby and we will all get to the bottom of it.”

  She sat on the edge of her bed and had tears rolling down her face, staring off distant, “Jack attacked me in the parking lot of my work the night before I came here.”

  I sit down beside her and pull her into my side, “Anna why didn’t you tell someone or call the cops…he could’ve killed you. It’s been a couple of weeks now and you still have bruises, which means you took one hell of a beating. Why didn’t you tell your parents?”

  She rolls her eyes, “Really tell my Mother that Mr. Wonderful beat the ever living shit out of me in a parking lot because I was moving off to college? A college she didn’t want me to go to…a guy she would never believe did this to me. No, not a chance, plus if I would’ve called the police it would’ve meant staying there longer and I just wanted to get here as soon as I could.”

  I brush my hand down the side of her face, “Anna…I…you need to tell Gabby at least.”

  “No.”

  “If you don’t I will.”

  She throws her hands up, “Fine…in the morning.”

  “Okay are you going to be okay going back to sleep?”

  “Y…Y…yeah sure.”

  I see her shoulders drop, “Anna please don’t lie to me. Do you want me to lay here with you and just sleep so you aren’t alone?”

  She looks up at me with her doe eyes, “Will you? I’ve never had a nightmare about it before.”

  I nod, “Yeah, scoot over.” I get under the covers with her and she lays her head on my chest. I catch the scent of her hair and my body starts to go stiff…baseball…full metal jacket…getting kicked in the balls…with spikes…whew that worked. It amazes me how quickly she doses back off and not long after so do I.

  Chapter 3Anna

  The light that comes in my bedroom window in the morning is awful, that’s it I’m buying black curtains today. Why do I feel like I can’t move? Oh yeah, Russ is wrapped around me.

  I tap his arm, “Hey Russ wake up.”

  He groans, “Hmm.”

  “Get up, I need to get ready.”

  He stretches, “Okay I’m up. Are you going to talk to Gabby before you leave?”

  I sigh, “Yeah.”

  “I’m serious, if you don’t I will.”

  About that time my bedroom door opens, “Hey when- Russ, what are you doing in my sister’s room?”

  He rubs the back of his neck and looks at me, “She had a bad dream. I just slept in here so she wouldn’t be alone.”

  Russ passes her going out the door and Gabby sits down on my bed and looks at me, “So Anna what’s going on? Were you really having a bad dream or was that just bs you and Russ cooked up?”

  I stand up and look at her. I lift my tank top up most of the way to show the bruises, “This, is what the dreams are about.”

  “WHAT THE HELL? Anna who did this to you? When did this happen?” She’s crying, “Why am I just now seeing this?”

  I sit down beside her, “It happened the night before I moved here. Jack attacked me after work. He was pissed because he found out I was moving up here. I didn’t tell anyone, because I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to deal with it anymore. Last night I was having a bad dream and it woke Russ up. So he came in here and when he woke me he saw the edge of one of the bruises and kept on pushing me until he got the story. Then he told me if I didn’t tell you he would.”

  “Holy Shit, you’re damn right someone better have told me. So you didn’t fall after work in the parking lot…well you did just not by yourself.”

  “Right…I knew there was no point in telling Mom and she wouldn’t let Dad do anything. If I called the cops it would’ve delayed me coming here and I was just ready to leave it all behind.”

  “I understand that, but that asshole really needs to pay for this.”

&
nbsp; “Just leave it alone Gab.”

  “No you have to be crazy to think I’m going to let that piece of shit hit you and get away with it. Please tell me that it was the first time he attacked you.”

  “Yes and no.” She looks at me with bulging eyes and I stop her, “He never went crazy on me like he did that night, but yes he shoved me around sometimes and stayed angry with me for not having sex with him. The only time I ever told him off was over the phone the week that we broke up and I came up here for Cade’s game.”

  She still has tears rolling from her eyes and I know she’s thinking about when that crazy ass professor attacked her last year. “Anna…I’m not going to make you call the cops, but you will call Mom and Dad and tell them. I’ll be with you when you tell them and if Mom gets bitchy I can’t be held responsible for what I may say.”

  “Do you really think we need to?”

  “Yes, maybe Mom will shut up about him if she knows. Plus, I don’t want her welcoming him into the house when you are home for one reason or another.”

  “Okay, when do you want to call them?”

  “Hell yesterday. Now the next thing is we have to tell Cade.”

  “NO!”

  “We are telling him. He’ll be pissed if he finds out from like Russ or something.”

  I drop my shoulders, “We might as well let Linc and Daria in on it too, if I’m going through this story again I’m only doing it once more in this house and then on the phone with Mom and Dad.”

  “Okay well let’s go tell them while everyone is still here. Maybe the boys can work out their anger on the football field and I can run some of mine out.”

  ***

  Thirty minutes later after fielding questions from everyone in the house with exception of Russ and Cade, I’m humiliated and embarrassed by what’s happened.

  All of a sudden Cade stands up knocking his chair backward, “I’m going to kill that bastard.”

  Gabby jumps up and meets him around the table, “No…you can’t, you’ll lose everything. He is definitely not worth that.”

  Cade is trembling, “So what are you going to do Anna?”

  I look up from picking at my finger nails, “I’m going to tell my parents and that’s it.”

  Cade slams his hands down on the table, “Fine…I really want his ass killed or locked up so he can be some big inmates little bitch, but I can’t tell you what to do. The only thing I can do is, if I find out he’s harassing you or contacting you here or at home…he will wish he was dead.”

  With that said the boys get up and leave for an early morning practice, Daria makes an excuse as to why she needs to leave. I know she’s only doing it so Gabby and I can call our parents.

  Gabby looks at me, “So are you ready to do this?”

  “No…not really.”

  ***

  After thirty minutes on the phone with my parents and Gabby, I was mentally spent. My Dad believed me and wanted to press charges. My Mother however refused to let him and basically told me that I’d asked for what happened. That I had “led Jack on” that he thought our relationship was more. Which is when Gabby let a string of cuss words loose on our Mom that I couldn’t believe, left Dad speechless and Mom crying. Gabby told her just how much of a crappy mother she’d been to both of us. Trying to make me into some step-ford wife, basically telling me I had to be with an asshole like Jack and not standing behind us when bad things happen. Finally my Dad broke in and asked us all to calm down. He was going to talk to Jack and let him know that he was to not have any contact with me at all. After that the lovely conversation was over.

  Gabby reaches over and hugs me, “Little sister, I’m proud of you. I love you and you are a lot stronger than you think.”

  I smile, “Thanks Gabby I love you too.”

  Chapter 4Russ

  Two Weeks Later…

  Today fall classes begin. Everyone has finally settled down with Anna, which is kinda good. She’s still had some bad dreams. Although, she doesn’t seem to have them when I’m with her. So I’ve just started sleeping in the bed with her most nights. Yes it’s weird and everyone in the house is either convinced we are having sex or thinks I’m a pussy, but it’s not about that. Don’t get me wrong if she said ‘go’ I’d be ready, but she’s not there yet. I know I can’t give her what she deserves. I’m not good enough for her. She’s supposed to be with someone like Linc a golden boy, one who can give her a nice house and a great life. She doesn’t need a guy who was lucky to get a football scholarship and grew up on the wrong side of the tracks with parents who worked their asses off to make ends meet.

  I stop at the coffee cart in front of the student union where Anna is getting her usual caramel… something …something ….something frappe something. I just shake my head, “I’ll have a hot chocolate.”

  She giggles, “Really Russ, hot chocolate? Are we gonna roast some marshmallows now with the rest of the boy scouts?”

  “Yes hot chocolate, I love hot chocolate, it’s never let me down and it’s not 7.50 a pop like your crazy ass coffee drink.”

  She nods, “I guess you have a point there. Where are you going now?”

  “I have a Bio class.”

  “Hey, me too.”

  I sigh, “Are you any good at it? I’m sure I’m going to need help…Science has never been my strong subject.”

  She chuckles, “I’m okay at it. The good thing is Gab had it last year with the same teacher so we should be Golden.”

  We walk into Bio class and take a seat, I notice some of the guys from the team are in this class. I can also see them giving Anna the once over…they might as well forget it…I wouldn’t let them come within five feet of her. Especially that prick Skylar…he’s a prick, a self absorbed, spoiled ass momma’s boy who bitches if he gets hit on the football field and acts like the world owes him something. I mean seriously. What kind of douche bags name their son Skylar, let me rephrase that what kind of man lets his son be named Skylar?

  Anna whispers, “Russ, what’s wrong? You all of a sudden look like you may kill someone?”

  I shake my head, “Nothing, I was just thinking about this dickhead guy I know.”

  Yeah that asshole is certainly not the golden boy type I was thinking of.

  I spend the next hour trying not to glare at my football buddies as they look at Anna like eye candy. When class is over Anna looks at me, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  I nod, “Yeah.”

  “Hey you wanna grab lunch with me today? Gabby has a team meeting or something like that.”

  I throw my arm around her shoulder, “Yeah, is the food court okay?”

  She smiles, “Yep.”

  *****

  Once we are seated at the food court I see Skylar and a couple of his wannabe’s making their way to our table.

  He stops, “So Russ, you didn’t tell us you have a girl friend, that’s not normally your MO.”

  “Anna isn’t my girl friend, she’s a friend and a roommate. She’s also Gabby’s little sister, which means she’s like Cade’s sister, so if you’d like to keep your eyeballs I’d take them off of her.”

  Skylar puts his hands up looking like he’s defending himself, “Hey man, I just thought maybe someone had finally knocked the male whore off his game.” He sticks his hand out to Anna, “Hi Anna, I’m Skylar, this is Jeff and Austin. We are on the football team with Cade, Linc and this dipshit.”

  She looks at them, “It’s nice to meet you. But if you call Russ a dipshit again, I’ll tell every girl I come in contact with on this campus that you have a microscopic sized dick. Also, that the only people who have actually seen it are Jeff and Austin here.”

  I have to chuckle, maybe Gabby is rubbing off on her…that’s a good thing.

  He looks back at her, “Hey sorry princess, I like giving Russ here a hard time. He knows it was just good fun. But I have to say, you’ve intrigued me. What are you doing next Friday night?”

  She looks at him, “Umm don’
t know yet.”

  I can’t believe this asshole. I’m half tempted to bust his fucking nose.

  He gives her that shit ass grin, “Well, Gainer is having a kick off party. You wanna go with me?”

  She smiles, but I stop her, “She’s going with me and our friends.”

  He winks at her, “Hey that’s cool as long as you’ll be there. I’ll see you then princess.”

  I roll my eyes, “Anna don’t fall for that pricks shit lines.”

  She looks pissed, “I was fine Russ, and I don’t need you fighting my battles for me.”

  Now I’m getting pissed, “Well, I don’t need you fighting mine for me.”

  “Look, I’m just tired of everyone thinking they need to make decisions for me. I’ve had to deal with that my whole life. I wasn’t planning on going with him to that party, but you didn’t even give me the chance to answer.”

  “Well, I’m sorry. I’m just a little defensive of my friends. But, next time I’ll let you turn down your own invites. But for the record Cade and Gabby would shit if I let you go to that party with anyone but us.”

  “Well, I’m defensive over my friends too and Cade and Gabby are not my boss.” She stands up and storms off from the table throwing away her trash.

  Chapter 5

  Anna

  I storm from the food court. The door leading outside bounces off the wall behind it as I bust through it. Who in the hell does everyone here think they are? What gives them the right to dictate my life? I lived that way with my parents, but not now. I’m done living like that. I’m walking so fast I walk right into someone.

  “Whoa there.”

  I look up and see Skylar, “Oh I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention I guess.”

  “Its fine princess, how about I walk you to your next class? You know so you don’t run into any other unsuspecting people standing in the corridor minding their own business.”