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  “Now, I don’t have all day,” her mom yelled back up the stairs.

  Julie laughed as she rushed down the stairs, wondering if her dad had finished the attic off for her to have a bedroom, or to give her mom a good excuse to get her screaming out. It really didn’t matter to her either way. Being upstairs, alone, kept them out of her business. Not to totally sound like a brat, she really loved her parents and had a close relationship with them. Well, as close as an eighteen-year-old would have. Deep down, Julie had always been jealous of her mom. Ellen Emison was everything Julie wasn’t: beautiful, charming, and charismatic. Their similarities were almost a slap in Julie’s face. They both had blond, curly hair, deep green eyes, were about the same height and, even with the age difference, weight. Yes, Julie looked like her mom, but lacked all the best qualities. Julie felt duller and less appealing than Ellen.

  Julie inwardly laughed at herself. Even after the endless prodding to get up, Julie found her mom getting ready. After all, how could you possibly do yard work not fully made up? Maybe she and her mom were not as much alike as she thought.

  “Where’s Dad?” Julie asked, leaning onto the frame around the bathroom door.

  “Working,” Ellen answered. “As always.”

  That was a sore subject with Julie. She was tired of her poor parents working two or three jobs and still never knowing where their next meal was coming from.

  “I’ll meet you outside.” Julie rolled her eyes before turning her back on her mom.

  Sprawled out in the front yard, Julie listened to the crickets and the rustling of leaves. It was in that tranquil state that she saw Trucker’s car being driven by her house. It was a red sports car with dark tinted windows. She had seen it numerous times, but now knew whom it belonged to. I wonder why he is coming by here. I wonder if he noticed me. She couldn’t let her mind go there. She wanted a life free of drama, if that was possible. Her fingers started fidgeting with a hole in her old shirt. Get over it. I’m sure me laying out in the front yard did nothing for him.

  She wandered aimlessly to the shed to gather the garden tools and headed to the front flowerbed. Ellen was meticulous when it came to the house. She had drilled it into Julie’s head; take pride in your home whether it’s a mansion or a shack. Julie knelt down and started to pull weeds. Her thoughts drifted to Trucker, and she couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing driving by her house. Hearing someone walk up behind her, she leaped up and was relieved to see her mom.

  They had spent countless days together in the past, so Julie was confused as to why they both were on edge. Usually, Ellen was full of laughs and Julie would make one snarky remark after another at each of Ellen’s corny jokes. However, on that day there was a raw energy around them. A feeling of depravity swirled in the air.

  Ellen threw down her shovel. “I’ve had enough. I’m going in.”

  “Why?” Julie asked, wondering if Ellen could sense the sensation of evil encircling them.

  “I keep feeling like someone is watching us.”

  Julie glanced around at the woods on the backside of the house. It startled her to think she was being watched.

  “Come in, baby,” her mom yelled from the front door. Julie started to get up when she looked back at the woods and saw a large figure walking in the trees. Surrounded by a sudden loneliness, she jumped up and went in, leaving the garden tools scattered over the yard.

  Before getting into bed that night, Julie checked her Space-book page and discovered a couple of private messages.

  Guess who I ran into today. TRUCKER!!!!!! He was off and short tempered but still heavenly. :-) He said to tell you hi!! Tori

  OMG!! Tori and I ran into Trucker today. He seemed into you. He couldn’t stop asking about you!! Tori is in love, as if any of us stands a chance with a guy like him. Tiffany

  Julie slammed her computer shut and crawled into bed. The thought of her two best friends talking to him left her unsettled. On one hand, she often daydreamed about Trucker and her together. Them riding down a back road taking in the scenery. Then his eyes would pop into her head, and she worried about where a trip with him would take her. It didn’t matter anyway, Tiffany was correct - none of them stood a chance with him. Though out of the three, Julie was the least likely to attract a guy like him. Tori was the beauty of the group. She was petite, perky, and very athletic. She had long blond hair and was very tan; a perfect Barbie for an unbelievable Ken. Tiffany was the sweetest of the three. She had dark brown perfectly wavy hair, unlike Julie’s that was one big mound of curls. Tiffany also had the cutest, round face, that a smile was always plastered onto.

  Dear Diary,

  Hey!! Yes, I am still thinking about him. Going through every possibility in my weak, feeble mind. He asked about me today, but do I really want him asking at all? At least tomorrow is the beginning of my college days. Tiffany, whose mom works in the local community college’s attendance office, checked, and no new student by the name of Trucker had registered. Which I completely understood. Who would want to start backwoods’ junior college? I’m sure a state party school is more his speed.

  “Julie, you might want to turn in early. I can’t believe you start college tomorrow,” Dan, her dad, said, interrupting her thoughts. “I wished we could afford to send you to state.” He walked up behind her and kissed the top of her head.

  “Love you, Daddy. Let me finish up with this.” Julie held up and shook her diary.

  Dan’s slouch was getting more pronounced. Julie’s heart ached as he walked away. Where she went to college was the least of her concerns. Her dad was going to die a young man if he didn’t stop working so hard and start taking care of himself. The thought was too much for her. If something were to happen to either of her parents, it would kill her.

  Here’s to a great year. Something tells me this year will be different than I even imagined.

  Julie Danielle Emison

  Chapter 2

  I feel like a sick, rabid wolf stalking a sweet, unsuspecting kitten. No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop myself. A simple touch, an unprovoked smile, the sweet smell of her blood, all keeps me coming back for more. I’m so tired of hurting. I’m especially tired of hurting the ones I love. I know what I need. I need her, the sweet and angelic Julie. Until I can have her, I will try to hold onto the last piece of humanity I have. Truck

  Trucker’s already oversensitive nerves had been in hyper drive the last few weeks. He had been unable to leave Julie alone. Each time he was near her, his yearning for her grew. Watching her fears heighten every moment they were together, he started following her from a distance. He had to make sure she was safe. He was always out of her earshot and eyesight, but she was always well in his. He wasn’t stalking her, exactly. Being near her was the only thing keeping him together.

  Julie was always with the same three people. She kept her shield up to the world but let it slip in their presence. He loved watching her hang with them. Every time she let out one of her heavenly laughs; he couldn’t help but wonder if she thought of him. He dreamed of making her happy, seeing her smile, and knowing that smile was meant for him. Damn, he loved that laugh. Trucker shook his head, knowing he didn’t make her happy and doubted he even could. That fact kept him up at night.

  I’ve watched her every day. My black soul basks in her virtuous light. I sometimes can’t believe how many changes one smile can make, but Julie’s smile has changed me completely. My sweet angel loves to sit out in the yard and read. I feel guilty for spying on her, but I need to be around her. She is the only hold I have on my sanity. I have the capability to simply take her. But it would be immoral to coerce her into my life. I have to believe she will willingly come to me one day. Even if she’ll never touch me again when she learns who I really am. A few days with her is worth everything to me. Truck

  *******

  As he had every year since kindergarten, Dan carried out the tradition of cooking a big breakfast. Julie plugged her IPhone into a set of speakers. Th
e music blared as Dan slid a plate across the table. Turning the volume down on the speakers, he motioned for Julie to have a seat.

  “What’s up?” Julie asked, flopping down on a barstool. Noticing how Dan had an extra sparkle in his eyes, Julie beamed as she haphazardly smeared grape jelly over a homemade biscuit. The years hadn’t been good to Dan, and there was no one Julie loved more. She would have done anything to see the smile he flashed at her.

  “I got a new job. A good one.”

  Dan had to quit school to work and take care of his family. A high school drop-out had a hard time finding a decent job in a down economy.

  “Yeah, what?”

  “I’m the new paralegal for the district attorney. Actually, I’m more in charge of the dirty work.” He folded his arms across his chest. Julie gulped down a chunk of biscuit. Dan had always been a blue-collar worker at best; half the time, he was not much more than a temporary handyman.

  “How did you manage that?”

  She tried to keep her voice upbeat, but her stomach told her it was more than a lucky break.

  “The temp company I’m working for put in a good word,” Dan said and took a swig of coffee. He peeked at Julie over his mug. “You know his son, I think,” he said, sitting his mug down and glancing off into space.

  “Whose son?”

  Dan ran his fingers down the seam of his pants. “My boss’s.”

  “Really, what’s his name?”

  “Trucker,” he informed her.

  Julie’s fork slipped from her grasp and clattered against the wood floor. She sat motionless.

  “Julie?” he said, and then hesitated.

  Julie gnawed on her bottom lip. What is with this boy? Why is he slowly taking over everything?

  “Julie,” Dan said again. “You know him?”

  “Not really. I’ve seen him around.”

  “Well, his dad said he was quite fond of you.”

  Hearing the front door swing open, Julie jumped to her feet.

  “Hey, ready?” Tiffany, her best friend’s voice reached them before she did. Julie breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed her school supplies.

  “Bye, Dad,” she hollered over her shoulder and darted to the door. She was obviously nervous about the talk of Trucker. She just hoped Dan didn’t notice.

  “Hey, if you see him, be nice. I really need this job.”

  She froze. “I’m always nice.”

  “Be extra nice,” he warned.

  “Dad, I don’t want to be late. I might go home with Tiff after class. See you at supper.” Julie slammed the door, cutting off any further talk.

  “Chill, girl, what crawled up your ass this morning?” Tiffany bumped her shoulder before getting in the car.

  “Dad got a job working for Trucker’s dad. He was warning me to be nice,” Julie said and sighed.

  “Oh, I would love to be real nice to him,” Tiffany said and laughed.

  “I doubt him meant that nice.”

  “A girl can dream.”

  Motlow Community College had a grand total of one thousand, three hundred, and ninety-three students. That grand total covered everyone from the fresh-face, high school graduate to the retiree that was finally living out a lifelong dream. All the way there, the girls were silent. Whether it was the first day jitters or the dread of the unknown. When they pulled into the parking lot, it was already swarming with people. Julie unintentionally scanned the lot for Trucker’s car. When she didn’t see it, her heart sunk. She had already been warned he wasn’t starting there, but she still hoped against hope that he was.

  Julie slammed the door of Tiffany’s pintsize Volkswagen Beetle and meandered slowly toward the entrance of the school. She wanted to kick herself; she knew better then to worry about the likes of one Mr. Trucker Castleman. Nobody had ever affected her the way he had, and she couldn’t fathom why. Yes, he was beyond fine and richer than any other person in their hick town. But those are things Julie never cared about. She couldn’t understand her irrational reaction to him.

  Lost in thought, Julie was suddenly forced forward as someone crashed into the back of her. Simultaneously, several things happened. Her supplies spewed across the sidewalk, a large hand grabbed her from behind, pulling her flush against a hard muscular body, and a rush of girls raced by. She turned to peek up at the offender, and her mouth flew open as Trucker’s handsome face smiled down at her. He was a potent force. She felt an indescribable pull in her, causing her to shift on her feet, trying to break the hold he had over her.

  “Excuse me, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

  Julie was briefly paralyzed by the mere sound of his voice. Snapping out of her sudden frame of mind, she quickly knelt over and started picking up her supplies. Bending down to help, he handed her books back, his fingers brushing over hers, and their eyes met. Julie waited for the music to start. After all music always played in movies at times like these.

  “I’m sorry.” There was something in his voice that resonated with her. “I hope I can make it up to you.” Trucker reached over and softly touched her hair.

  Awareness of him crept across her skin. He wasn’t just gorgeous; he was mesmerizing.

  “You’re beautiful,” she whispered under her breath.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  She took in his perfect face. His eyes were striking but held so much . . . She wouldn’t go there, and looked away to reassemble her tangled thoughts.

  “Julie,” he whispered.

  “Oh, it’s nothing.”

  She took one more glance at his eyes. All the emotion in them was mind-boggling. She snatched the last book from his grasp and hopped up. Julie started to walk away but turned back instead. “Do you know where to go?”

  “Not really,” he spoke, softly. He looked up at her and smiled.

  “You can follow me; I’ll show you.”

  “I would love that.” He effortlessly bounced to his feet and followed her to the library.

  Tiffany, Tori, and half the girls there were on his heels, trying to gain an ounce of his attention. He was polite but really never shifted his eyes from Julie. Julie wanted to talk to him, but she was speechless. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at him. She flexed her fingers in an effort not to touch him; she was dying to see if the skin on his face was as soft as it appeared.

  “The library is through those double doors. That’s where you’ll get your class assignment.”

  “Thank you,” Trucker replied as she pointed over to a set of large glass doors.

  He glanced back at her before she snuck around the corner and into the restroom.

  Julie needed to catch her breath. After splashing water on her flustered face, she plopped to the floor. She had never been the most outgoing of girls, but she was no scaredy-cat either. She had never been scared of anything in her life, except Trucker’s eyes and the way he looked at her. He was a gorgeous man who knew exactly how to get what he wanted. Julie was horrified at what it was he did want. It sent not only butterflies, but also bats, off in her stomach. Why did she talk to him? The last thing she needed in her life was complications, and Trucker would definitely be a complication. She vowed to herself that would be their last exchange. Period.

  As Julie stood in line to get her class assignment, she noticed Trucker at the end of the long table and wished she hadn’t. He was studying her. She rounded her shoulders and firmed up her jaw so he wouldn’t know how much he affected her. Everyone flocked to him. Even the teachers were trying to get in his good graces. He seemed oblivious to everyone, everyone except Julie.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Julie heard come from a familiar voice and felt a friendly tickle on her shoulder. She turned to find Gene standing there. Gene had been in Julie’s life since preschool. He was a nerdy, redheaded guy that was covered in freckles, and was her favorite person in the world. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw him.

  “Nothing,” she said and peeked back over at Trucker. He
was picking up his schedule and a map of the school. Trucker glanced back at her, smiled, and mouthed, “Hey.” Julie eyed the poor girl that was explaining the map to him. She flirted unmercifully, but Trucker’s entire focus was firmly on Julie. Julie shuddered, grabbed Gene’s hand, and turned to leave.

  “Somebody seems to like what they see,” Gene whispered in Julie’s ear.

  She elbowed Gene in the side. What he would like to do with me is what I don’t understand.

  “Come on, we’re going to be late.” Julie pulled at Gene; she wanted out of that room and away from Trucker.

  Unexpectedly, Trucker appeared in front of them. Julie tried walking around him, but he stopped her with a firm hand on her belly. She closed her eyes as the smell that was only him surrounded her.

  “Stop running from me.” His tone was demanding, but there was a touch of melancholy to it.

  He stood mere inches from her. His eyes were suddenly a flinty steel blue. She tried to see kindness in them and not the sinister glare. He tipped her chin up with one finger and forcibly held her gaze. She tried to look away but found she couldn’t. He had a way of making her feel his demands. Julie had fought them off before and prayed that she could do it again.

  “I’m not running from you.” She somehow responded barely above a sigh.

  He leaned into her. She felt his breath on her face. “Yes, you are,” he softly murmured into her ear. “Stop running, Julie.”

  The sound of her name on his lips sent thrills through her. His voice was raspy and lyrical, making her name sound like some treasure, rather than silly and eccentric the way she’d always viewed it. She turned to Gene, wanting to run but couldn’t.