Free The Unloved by Jennifer Snyder Page B

and so did Vincent’s car.
    “Get in!” I heard him laugh, and through the sheet of rain pounding down on me, I noticed he’d already leaned across the car and slung the passenger door open.
    “Fine.” I rolled my eyes and hopped in.
    “Damn, you’re soaked. Are you cold?” he asked and reached to turn the heat on.
    “Not really.” I shifted to glance out the window and wiped the rain from my face.
    “Okay.” He grinned. “You wanna drive to Bell Park and smoke a joint with me?”
    “No, I just want to go home.” It wasn’t true. I never wanted to go home, but I didn’t want to hang out with Vincent either. Or smoke a joint with him.
    “Fine, suit yourself,” he said, sounding annoyed like I’d given him unnecessary attitude or something.
    We pulled into my driveway and I reached for the handle to get out, but Vincent leaned over me and locked the door. I glanced at him, thinking I was about to get a lecture regarding my knee to his groin finally.
    “I gave you a ride…don’t I get anything in return for that?” he asked, his face inches from mine.
    I should have known he couldn’t just be nice. He was scum. What the hell did I ever see in him? “I thought you said you were trying to be nice; I didn’t know I would be indebted to you.”
    “You never asked.” His lips crushed against mine, hard and fast.
    I pushed on his chest, digging my palms into him as hard as I could to try and force him off me, but he didn’t budge. He had more strength than his physical appearance gave him credit for.
    “Come on, Julie. I’ve seen how you’ve stared at me those times I’ve been leaving from your house. You want me again, admit it.” He breathed heavily.
    Hello? Had he not noticed my knee to his balls the last time he touched me unwanted?
    “ Want you? That’s not want, that’s disgust! ” I shouted. “Obviously you’ve confused the two.”
    I turned my head and reached for the lock, but Vincent stopped my arm with his firm grip and pulled at my sweater, sliding his hand up the front. Panic made my heart pound in my chest. I struggled and brought my knee up to push against him. Jerking one arm free, I was finally able to pull the lock up, but that was as far as I got before Vincent grabbed it again and pinned it to my side, his lips sloppily grazing my neck. My door opened as I continued to struggle free and arms reached in to tear me out. It was Cole, his face constricted into a mask of pure rage.
    “What the fuck are you doing to my sister?” he demanded.
    “Nothing we haven’t done before.” Vincent smiled.
    “Yeah well, didn’t look like she was enjoying it this time, jerk-off.”
    “Nah, she was. I think I’m finally figuring out that she likes it rough,” Vincent muttered. A menacing tone leaked into his voice that creeped me out completely. Reaching across the seat I’d been trapped in, he slammed his car door shut.
    My legs trembled beneath me as Vincent darted out of the driveway and squealed tires before barreling down the street. The smell of burnt rubber clung to the air surrounding me, and I thought I might vomit from the adrenaline and fast-paced rate of my heart. Cole picked up his skateboard and turned to face me.
    “You all right?” he asked, concern flashing in his eyes.
    I nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”
    A tiny flicker of relief flashed in the deep blues of his eyes just before anger churned in, taking over its place quickly. “God, what the hell were you thinking? I swear you and mom share that fucking loser like a damn hairbrush.” He shook his head and started toward the house.
    “What?! You saw what was happening! You saw what he was doing!” I shouted after him, my voice shaking.
    I wrapped my arms around myself. How could Cole think that about me? He was just as bad as mom. Just like him, she always thought the things that happened to me were my fault no matter what, too.
    “He’s your ex and now he’s sleeping with mom! He’s a jackass loser! You should