Behind the Mask

By Harper Ray

For five years, I've stayed away. I've hidden myself away like I was asked, abided by the threats that came my way and kept my mouth shut.

 

I'm done hiding.

 

Returning to my childhood town after so long wasn't an easy decision but I needed to move on from the past, take my life by the horns and make it my own again; scars and all. Yet, moving on isn't so easy when the man who stole your heart as a child turns up at your parents' house and with a shiny, new fiancé hanging on his arm.

 

Between balancing the skeletons stashed away in my closet and my forbidden feelings that still lingered for Axel, I was sure my life couldn't possibly get any more overwhelming.

 

That was, until the threats began to pour in again and this time with a very deadly promise attached.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Warrioress Publishing
• Release date: Sep 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223459125

Book preview

Prologue

His baby blue eyes bore into mine. Don’t do this to me, Liv.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I shook my head. I have to go. My heart constricted as the words left my chapped lips.

He grabbed my hand, pulling me against his firm chest. His gaze hardened. If you leave, I’m done. I’ve waited for you, loved you, cherished you, and if you go, I’m not going to wait around, he paused. This was killing him. It had to be. Is that what you want? Each syllable dropped from his lips like a vicious warning.

My breath caught as he kneaded his hands in my hair and tilted my head back slightly. His lips hovered over mine. "Can you live knowing that my heart will belong to someone else?"

I whimpered before he pressed his lips against mine. The kiss was…everything. It was strong and fierce as if he was determined to keep me here. His tongue demanded entrance, and once I succumbed, he dominated me. My back hit the car door as he pressed his hardened cock against my abdomen.

I would miss him. I would miss the way he held me, and the way he made me feel like I was the only one in the world for him. But I had to leave. I wasn’t safe, and my family wasn’t either.

I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t risk him. It was a sacrifice I had to make.

From the very beginning, I knew he would become famous and leave this pitiful town behind. The more talented he had become, the more his light grew and mine faded. It was only a matter of time before he left me behind.

One of his biggest dreams was for us to get married and grow old together, but I was damaged. I’d kept a nasty secret that he would never forgive me for, so my only choice was to leave and shatter my own heart in the process.

A stream of tears fell from my eyes as the kiss intensified. Memories of our time together raced through my mind. I’d give anything for it to be different, for me to stay. I would do anything to get rid of the heart-wrenching fear that surfaced every time I was alone. It killed me knowing that I wouldn’t be able to tussle his soft blonde hair with my fingertips or be able to kiss his lips with every last breath I had.

I moaned into his mouth, indulging in his kiss and his touch for the last time. My hands threaded into his hair, drawing him closer. The salt from my tears meshed with our mouths. He owned me solely and completely, and no one else could ever claim me like he had.

From the time we were in diapers, he was my weakness. I never knew how agonizing it would be to walk away from him. A sob escaped my throat as I pushed him back. I ran, my sneakers smacking against the pavement at each grueling step. I never turned back.

I left home that night, not knowing what ramifications would await.

Chapter One

Olivia

My hands curled tight around the steering wheel as I passed the sign that said ten miles left to Galena . It was a small town where everyone knew everyone, and it was almost impossible to keep secrets. The people were nosy, and I couldn’t risk being exposed. That’s partly why I left. I knew my decision had hurt my parents, and I knew it had hurt him .

I pursed my lips. It didn’t matter anymore. He wasn’t here, anyway. I watched the news. He had been drafted as a first-round pick to the Texas Rangers baseball team. He was a million miles away, and he took what was left of my heart along with him.

As I drove through town, orange and brown leaves fell from the trees. The sun was setting behind the old buildings, and the fall colors mixed in with the grass. While familiar places blurred past, feelings of nostalgia slammed into me.

I pulled into the gravel driveway that wound up to a white house that held so many memories. Some were happy and some devastating. My knuckles turned pale as I glanced at the golden, two-story house in the rear-view mirror. It appeared to be hollow and vacant, a far cry from what it used to be. My heart thumped hard in my chest. I took a shaky breath and opened the door. I had just grabbed my bags from the back seat when Mom came barreling out the door.

Olivia! She hurried to me and gathered me in her arms. Tears soaked my shirt as I rubbed her back. "It’s been too long! I can’t believe you’ve finally come back to us." She pulled away, with glistening tears in her pale blue eyes. She reached for the bag in my hand, and I let her take it into the house.

I sighed and glanced at the house that harbored memories of him. Axel’s family had moved a few years ago. Mom told me that when he was drafted, he moved them to Texas along with him. I remembered the pain in her voice when she told me the news.

Honey, I have something I need to tell you.

My heart lurched at her words. Something was wrong. Her voice was small and fragile. What’s wrong, Mom? Did something happen to Dad? Why do you sound so devastated?

She sighed through the phone, and I heard a hiccuped sob come through the speaker. They left!

My eyebrows scrunched together. Who…who left?

My best friend… she whispered and instantly a light bulb went off.

The room spun around me as I sat down in the chair behind me. Are you sure?

Yes! He left and then decided to take them along with him! He came back and moved them down there this weekend. The house is empty…they’re gone.

My bottom lip trembled. This was all my fault. I left him, and he in turn couldn’t stand being there anymore, so he left and took them with him.

I lost my daughter, and now I’ve lost my best friend? What do I do, Olivia? What should I do? I pulled the phone away from my ear as her sobs grew louder. Her sadness ricocheted off the walls, and it made my chest hurt. By hurting Axel, I had hurt Mom. By hurting him, I had hurt everyone around me. I slid from the chair, pressed the end button, and threw my phone against the wall, hearing it shatter. I rocked back and forth on the smelly carpet, letting the despair once again take me away.

I rubbed the small ache that formed in my chest, thinking of that night. A chill ran deep down to my bones as I stared at the yellow house. I gripped my bag tighter, turned around, and headed into the house.

When I walked through the front door, the sweet smell of peanut butter filled my nose. Ah, Mom’s famous peanut butter cookies. Somehow, the smell made me feel safe and at home. A shout drifted from the living room and I made my way towards the man who was yelling at the television.

Stan! Don’t you see who just walked through the door? Turn the damn TV off! Mom scolded him.

I chuckled when Dad mumbled something under his breath before he turned off the television. His amber eyes twinkled when he saw me. He got to his feet and engulfed me in a bear hug. Took you too damn long to get here, baby girl. Your momma and I have missed you so much.

He pressed a soft kiss to my head. His woodsy scent brought hot tears to my eyes as I remembered just how much I missed him. He pulled back, ruffled my hair, and gave me a cheeky grin. His once-black hair was now gray, and his face had more wrinkles. But he still looked like Dad.

Honey, Mom paused as she regarded me. Why don’t you take your bags to the room and freshen up? I’m sure you’ve had a long drive.

I yawned and nodded. It was a very long drive. About eighteen hours. I had only stopped for gas, restrooms, and food breaks. While it was very unsafe to do, I found myself pulled over at gas stations resting my eyes. I bent down and grabbed the bags.

I turned to head towards the stairs when a hand was gently placed on my shoulder. I glanced over and Mom was standing there with her bottom lip trembling. She looked ready to crumble. I’m so glad you’re home.

I swallowed and dropped my bags. I turned around and took her in my arms. Tears trickled from my eyes as I thought about all the hugs I had previously missed. There was something about a mother’s hug that could soothe any heartache. In the distance, I heard the TV turn back on. I guessed Dad had given us some privacy. I pulled away and wiped the tears with the sleeve of my shirt.

I reached for my bags once more and ventured into my old room. I stopped just outside the door. It was still intact as if I’d never left. The walls were a light gray and the white furniture fit in well against it. The two nightstands that sat on each side of the bed had two white lamps with a light purple shade. The queen-sized bed had a beautiful floral comforter that brought out the purple in the room. My favorite part of the room, though, was the bay window.

I sighed in relief, knowing I was finally home. That feeling disappeared when my eyes drifted toward the picture on the nightstand. I walked over and snatched up the photo. I traced the outlines of his perfect face. At eighteen, he was undeniably gorgeous, and completely mine. Up until I high-tailed it out of town without him. Quickly, I placed the frame face down. I couldn’t hold in the pain with his smiling face staring back at me.

I took out my ponytail holder and allowed my dirty blonde hair to tumble down my shoulders. I bee-lined into the bathroom and started the shower, stripped my clothes, and soaked up the water’s heat. As the rough pellets continued to beat down my back, I flinched. The raised scars had once again made themselves known. A sob escaped. Terror seeped into my bones and took hold of me.

I lifted my wrist and stared down at the raised scars. My fingers hovered before they delicately traced each scar. I kept them hidden by wearing long-sleeved shirts. People thought I was weird for wearing long-sleeved shirts in the summer heat, but luckily it was fall and I could get away with it.

I finished washing up and wrapped a towel around myself. I used my hand to wipe away the steam in the mirror. You can do this, I whispered to myself. I sighed and padded to the dresser. Another yawn escaped; I really was tired. I searched through the drawers and found that Mom kept most of my clothes. I grabbed a loose shirt and some yoga pants.

Olivia! It’s time for dinner! Her voice carried up the stairs. I hurried through getting dressed, ignoring how sore my body was from the drive. I threw my dirty clothes in the hamper, removed the suitcase from the bed, and wandered down the stairs. As I descended, there was a new set of voices. My brows scrunched inward. A voice sounded oddly familiar, but I was too tired to depict who it came from.

I went into the kitchen and froze. Standing there in all of his glory was the man I never thought I’d see again. I swallowed the lump in my throat when his eyes met mine. I couldn’t seem to get my body to move. It was stuck in a phase of limbo. When someone’s throat cleared, my eyes averted to the beautiful, tall brunette that stood beside him. She linked arms with him, and instantly, my heart dropped. She wore a solid diamond ring and a breathtaking smile.

Chapter Two

Olivia

Five years ago…

My phone buzzed again. He was doing everything he could to get a hold of me. He called and texted about twenty times a day. He wanted