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attention like any girl would do. When the captain of both the football and baseball teams asked her out, of course she'd agreed. She knew Bud had a reputation among the girls, but he'd asked her and her ego couldn't resist accepting. Right away, she knew it was a mistake; he put a lot of pressure on her to have sex. She kept saying no, but he got more and more insistent and belligerent as they dated. Why she'd stuck with him so long, she didn't rightly know. Maybe she'd believed he'd learn to respect her over time. Maybe she wanted to one-up the other girls by having Bud "The Stud" panting after her. Her motives hadn't been noble, and she wasn't proud of them, but she'd been a teenager and hadn't known any better.
    Prom night was a huge disaster. She'd had to call her father to come get her from the lake after Bud had left her there alone after the dance. She'd said no to him for the final time and he'd dumped her out of his pickup truck and drove away. There she was in her fancy, taffeta prom dress, dirty from falling on her knees from the truck, and both mad and tearful when Leo Journey showed up.
    He'd given her a stern look and then helped her up into his truck in his usual taciturn way. S he explained what happened and he'd listened without interrupting, his knuckles getting whiter on the steering wheel as she talked.
    "I tole you he was a shit , Jackie," he'd reminded her.
    "I know, Daddy. I'm sorry I didn't listen."
    "You got away lucky this time."
    "Yes, sir."
    He shot her a frowning look, but his voice said a lot more. "I'm proud of you for stickin' to your guns, l'il girl."
    As she dried her eyes a warm sense of comfort stole over her. Her daddy was proud of her. She'd done the right thing.
    Now, four years later, she was confronted with her own bad behavior and Bud's derision for the decisions she'd made late in the game. Some poor choices never quite let go.
    Jackie turned away from Bud again. "I ain't got nothin' to say to you, Bud."
    His voice was right at her ear when he spoke next. "It's mine, you know, Jackie-honey. You just been waitin' for the right moment to give it to me. Bet you regret that you didn't do it sooner and so now you're feelin' like you gotta make a show of it."
    She shied away from him, rubbing her ear, trying to get the smell of him out of her hair on that side. "Fuck off, Bud. I mean it."
    He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Aw come on now, Jackie. You don't need to be coy with The Stud here."
    She bristled and tried to pull away. The warm buzz of the bourbon had turned to acid in her stomach. Bud hummed a new song in her ear and she wanted to throw up.
    Maybe, if she handled this right, she could get away from him without a fight. He was a lot bigger than she was and if it came down to a physical altercation, she wouldn't put it past him to slap her silly. Thinking quickly, she made herself relax in his arms, melting against him.
    "You're right, Bud. I been reluctant to admit it."
    "There ya go, sweetheart. I understand. Gimme a kiss and come over and sit with me and the boys. After I have a little Cuervo, we can go have us a good time."
    "I need to use the bathroom, Bud. Then I'll come sit with y'all."
    He pulled away only long enough to move a big hand to the back of her head and yank her toward his face for the promised kiss. H er gorge r o se dangerously , but she broke free in time to hold herself together . She couldn't force another smile, though; she could barely resist rubbing the back of her hand across her lips.
    "Okay. Don't dawdle, now, or touch yourself down there. That's my territory now."
    Jackie shuddered and scooted off the barstool. As she walked away, she heard him hooting with his friends at the table. Once he was seated, she quickly turned and walked as fast as she could toward the door. She hoped to race by him before he had a chance to stand and snag her back.
    Bud shouted behind her as she made it to the door. She thought she'd escaped, but he caught her by