Devil's Lake (Bittersweet Hollow Book 1) by Aaron Paul Lazar Page B

pulling away, shrinking as far inside herself as she could.
    NO!
    His rough hands pulled back the clothes, and he lowered his face to her breasts, suckling her like the child she’d never have. He hurt her, with his none-too-gentle teeth biting her tender flesh. Twisting and turning beneath him, she cried and groaned, but he wouldn’t stop.
    When he lifted her skirt to touch between her legs, she let loose and screamed, because for some odd reason, today the duct tape had been removed from her mouth and she was gloriously, wondrously free to spew the terrified sound as loud and as far as possible.
    ***
    “Portia!” Grace shook her. “Wake up.”
    She woke in a cold sweat with fear clamped tightly around her heart, squeezing the breath from her. “Oh, God. It was him .” Tumbling into her sister’s arms, she sobbed against her, hearing her mother and father, Boone, and Anderson pounding up the stairs and queuing in the doorway.
    “What happened?” Dirk shouted.
    “Just a dream,” Grace said, stroking Portia’s back. “She’s okay. It was just a bad dream.”
    Portia didn’t open her eyes. She couldn’t. She heard the crowd of family and friends dissipate, and when they were alone again, she uttered one last huge sob against Grace’s chest, then pulled back, burrowing under the comforter.
    “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It was him . He was coming at me again.”
    Grace surprised her with the sweet ministrations she offered. She’d never seen this side of her sister, and told her so. “You’re so nice to me. Just like mom.” She raised a tear-stained face to her sister. “Thank you.”
    Grace’s face crumpled. “Well, after all I put you through in our childhood, I kinda owe you, Sis.”
    Portia shook her head. “Don’t be silly. Everybody does dumb stuff when they’re young. You weren’t much different from other kids your age.”
    “Yes, I was. I didn’t just dabble in drugs. I lived for drugs. I was…I am…an addict.”
    “Still?” Portia’s eyes widened.
    “Once an addict, always an addict,” she said. “I don’t use any more. But I always feel the pull. Especially when stuff goes wrong.”
    “You mean like when I was taken?”
    Grace nodded. “That. And any other reason. But to tell the truth, when I saw mom fall apart after you disappeared, it made me stronger. I had to be there for her. So I resisted, mostly.”
    “Mostly?”
    Grace hung her head. “Once in a while I screw up. I’ve done some bad things, Portia. I can’t seem to resist a hunky guy. It makes me all crazy inside.” She checked the doorway. “I’ve cheated on Anderson. Three times.”
    Portia tried not to show her surprise. What Grace didn’t need was a preachy older sister right now. “Does he know?”
    “I’m not sure. Maybe. We never talked about it. I just go away for a few days, then I finally come to my senses and call him.” A few tears glistened in her eyes. “He never asks questions, he just comes to get me. And we go home. As if everything is normal.”
    She glanced toward the door again. “But it’s not! I’m not normal, Portia. I’ve got issues. Serious fidelity issues.”
    It was Portia’s turn to comfort her sister now, and she stroked her hair, looking into Grace’s worried eyes. “Listen. Everybody’s got stuff they need to work on. But Anderson seems like an amazing man, like he has a heart of gold.”
    “I know. He loves me no matter what I do.”
    “Well, then. That’s the sign of true love, right? Unconditional love?”
    “Yeah.” Grace’s mouth trembled. “I guess we both have work to do, you and me. Huh?”
    “I guess.”  Portia reached for her sister again, cuddling against her. “Maybe we can help each other.”
    “Count on it, sis.”

Chapter 21
     
    P ortia woke the next morning after a restless night of playing tug-o-war with Grace and the comforter. She’d insisted on spending the night with her, and Portia hadn’t argued. It felt good to have her