Chapter 4

Walking into my house has a different feeling at this point. I can hear Hayden talking above the others, and I think they might be playing cards. There is absolutely no telling.

Cash glances in my direction. “I love you, Char-coal.”

“I love you more, Cash Money,” I say as he wraps his arm around my waist.

We head into the kitchen where everyone is sitting with a few cards, but Dad is stuck with about one hundred. Bless him. They aren’t going to let him win.

“Charley, glad y’all made it in. Whatcha got there?” Mama asks while peering at the box.

“Um… well… I think we need to talk, but first I need to get Cash some ice.”

Everyone’s eyes fall on Cash’s hand as he removes it from behind me.

“Boy, what the hell happened? Hope whoever you got in a fight with looks worse than you do,” Dad states.

Setting the box onto the counter, I go to the freezer, and grab an icepack for Cash. Once I’ve placed the icepack on his hand, I pick the box back up, and we make our way to the table.

Mama looks at Dad, and the Kluft girls look around, unsure if they should stay or go. Tori begins to stand, but I shake my head no. I want them here. Everyone needs to know the entire truth.

“Char, I think it would be better if you talked to your parents alone first,” Tori says.

“I understand that, but I only want to tell this once.”

“Well, if you want us to leave at any time, just say the word.”

My mama’s face is white as a ghost. She has known deep in her heart for a long time that something was going on, but I’ve never been brave enough to tell the details.

As we approach the table, everyone scoots in, and we take our seat with Cash by my side, as usual. Gradually, I move the box onto the table.

All eyes are on me, but before I open the box, I speak to my parents. “Mama and Dad, there are some things you don’t know about me, Dylan, Cash, and pretty much everyone at this table. I’ve kept a secret, but it’s time to tell. Please let me say everything I need to before you jump to conclusions, and once I say what I have to, things will change… but how I want them to. Okay?”

Dad doesn’t say a word, but sits there with his arms crossed. Mama looks at me for direction.

“Remember when y’all had to go to that sale in Athens and left me at home?” They both nod. “Well, something bad happened that night. Dylan put something in my drink, and let’s just say he took advantage of me.” I can tell that my parents are putting the pieces together and are dying to speak. I lift my finger to tell them to just let me talk. Tears begin to roll down my mama’s cheeks.

“Mama, don’t cry. I’m all right. Cash saved me that night. Besides Dylan, he’s the only one that knows the entire story. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what would have happened to me. I did the only thing I knew how to do; I pushed everyone away—the team, my friends, and y’all. I just survived. Yes, I’m different, but I’m okay.” As I take a breath, it gives my mama a chance to speak.

Anger begins to rise in her eyes. “Charley, you mean to tell me that Dylan Sloan raped you, and you went out with him again? He was in this house this week. What the hell was that about?”

My mama never cusses.

“I’m telling you there is more to this story. I’ve dealt with what happened to me thanks to Tessa, Cash, and my friends. Going to Southern was the best choice I could have made. What I didn’t know was how Dylan wasn’t going to let me go. He’s been keeping tabs on me since I went to school by taking pictures, sending messages to Joe, and even having Joe work for him.” As soon as those words come out of my mouth, my dad is standing from his chair and holding Joe by his collar.

“Son, you better explain real quick, or I’ll be serving your ass to the hogs!”

I jump up and make my way to Dad and Joe. “Dad! Put him down! He’s not like Dylan. He just got caught up in trying to be his friend. I promise!”

“Charley, if I let go of him and he’s done something to hurt my girl, he better run like hell.”

“Dad, I promise. He’s a good guy.”

Dad lets Joe go. He walks cautiously to his side of the table again and sits, but never removes his eyes from Joe.

“Joe met Dylan during Senior Week at Myrtle Beach. They kept in contact, and when Dylan heard I was going to Southern, he asked Joe to keep an eye on me. Joe didn’t realize that we were broken up. He just thought he was being a good friend to Dylan. Within twenty-four hours of meeting me, he knew that something was off, but continued to do what Dylan asked. He knew nothing about Dylan drugging me, and when I confessed everything to him, he was in complete shock. He was too deep in lies to tell the truth until Study Day. He told me that Dylan was the one behind it all, but that was really to protect me. Dylan had pictures taken of me at school. He even had pictures of Piper at school. I still can’t put my finger on that, but I know that if Joe hadn’t told me he was involved that night, I might not be alive today.”

“What do you mean ‘alive today’?” Mama questions.

“Dylan would have been at Whiskey River that night, the same place we were going. I don’t know if he would have tried the same stunt again or something worse. The truth is, when Joe ripped my heart apart that night, I thought it was the end of the world. It wasn’t until I was home for break that I found out the reason why.”

“I have one question for you, Charley.” Mama pauses. “Why did you fall all over Cash then push him away and go out with Dylan?” Nothing like Mama to just cut to the chase.

I look into Cash’s eyes as he wraps his arm around my shoulder.

“This happened over a year ago. I didn’t want the world to know, but I wanted it to stop. The only way for it to stop was for me to put the joke on him, which I did tonight, I might add, thanks to all of y’all. But I had to make you believe that Cash and I were through.”

Dad grins, and I wonder what he is thinking, especially with what I just unloaded on him.

“Charley, it was a good stunt, but your mama and I knew that it wasn’t over. Hell, it’s just beginning between y’all two. We just thought you were being a reckless teenager.”

Rolling my eyes, I focus back on the story. “I wanted to let everyone in Grassy Pond know what he did, make him fall for me, and make him famous in a small town… and not in a good way either. He fell for it hook, line, and sinker. There were a few glitches and surprises for both sides along the way, but we took him down tonight.”

“So, that explains this,” Mama says, pointing to Cash’s hand.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replies.

“Things didn’t go quite like I planned tonight, and he is still the same asshole he has always been, but he told on himself in front of God and everybody. I just wish someone had gotten it on video. My only concern now is what is going to happen to Cash. You know Dylan’s gonna file some assault charges or something.”

“Char-coal, I told you not to worry about that. If I have to do time, it will be well worth it.”

“Don’t talk like that! You aren’t going to jail. I won’t let them. Not after what he did to me.”

We sit in silence for a moment before I remove the lid from the box and pour the contents onto the table. Everyone’s eyes are enormous, and Piper begins to cry.

“Ohmygosh, Char! How? How did he do this? No one is at my school with me? How?”

I start to speak, but Joe interrupts me. “Pipe, Dylan is a piece of work. He has little spies everywhere. For example, I had nothing to do with these pictures either. I knew something was going on, but this one of Charley and me, I didn’t do it. I’m pretty sure who did, though. It's someone that I’m close to in living quarters, if you get my drift? Matt is always where we are, even if it's behind the scenes. I can’t prove it, but I’ll figure it out when I get back.”

“What do we do now?” Mama asks.

“Well, tonight, after Cash beat Dylan to a pulp, we left the party and went to the police. I knew that if I didn’t tell my side first, Cash wouldn’t stand a chance. I’ll be filing a restraining order for starters. That’s why we came to get the evidence. I don’t know if I want to file rape charges against him, though. It’s been over a year, no evidence, and my word against his. Personally, I just want his name and swimming career ruined and to get my life back and move on. I love Grassy Pond, but I know I’ll never be able to move back here with him haunting me.”

“Charley, I think you should take that to the station now. Don’t wait until the morning. I’ll go with you,” Dad says.

“Yes, sir, but what about Cash?”

We take a moment to let things soak in. This is it.

“Don’t worry about me, but I do need to talk to my parents. I’ll be glad to go back to the station with you.”

Oh my gosh! What are his parents going to think? They are going to know that I’m tainted in the worst way possible and have been a complete bitch to Cash in front of everyone in town, but yet, I love him. I didn’t think this plan through at all. The only thing I have going for me is that they know me.

“Cash, if you want to go, that is fine, but you need to call your mama before we leave. If the police come lookin’ for ya, they need to hear it from you first.”

“Yes, sir.” With that, Cash pulls out his phone and calls home.