I HAD JUST FALLEN ASLEEP when I felt the bed dip. Before I could register what was going on a sweaty hand clamped down over my mouth as another pulled at my pajama pants. My arms and legs clawed and kicked, trying to get away as my eyes flew open. It was dark, but I could see his face. His dark eyes met mine as his fist collided with my stomach once. Twice. A third time. I screamed against his hand, crying, begging for help. The overwhelming smell of beer and musky, expensive cologne assaulted my nose causing my stomach to roll.
“Jillian’s loss is gonna be your gain,” he growled then dragged his hot tongue up my cheek. “I’ve always wondered how tight your pussy would feel around my cock.”
I brought my knee up and slammed it as hard as I could into his crotch, connecting to his balls.
“Fuuuuuuck. You bitch,” he bellowed as I shoved him off me. The room was pitch black except for a sliver of moonlight coming through the blinds from the window near the closet.
I tried to roll off the other side of the bed, but stopped when my head was ripped backwards by the roots of my hair. Julian’s sweaty hand wrapped around my throat, standing me up. “You’re just like all of these other little bitches. You know you want it.”
His hand tightened around my throat as I panicked and clawed at his hand. I couldn’t breathe. I swung my arms wildly, attempting to punch him in his face. The sting of his hand across my face caught me off guard, stunning me momentarily.
The grip on my neck loosened enough for me to gasp a few haggard breaths and renewed my fight. I screamed as loud as I could and was rewarded with another blow to the cheek. I hit the floor and scrambled toward the closet, remembering the softball bat that laid on the floor beneath Jillian’s shoes.
The music from the party vibrated through the house giving me little hope that anyone had heard my screams for help. Still early in the night, everyone was downstairs.
“Where do you think you’re goin?” he rasped, stalking after me. He reached me in two long strides. “The more you fight, the harder I’m gonna fuck that tight little cunt.”
His words distracted me from the foot that came my way. He kicked my ribs as if he were punting a football. All of the air left my lungs at once and I was sure my ribs were broken. The pain in my chest felt like nothing I had ever experienced.
I was not going to die. I pushed past the pain and terror and got to my knees as I heard him unzipping his shorts. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, renewing my energy.
“Fuck you,” I shouted, backing up toward the window.
Looking back at me were dark, soulless eyes. “I fully intend on it.” He lunged at me, but that time I moved faster. My ribs throbbed as I jumped out of the way, shoving him away as hard as I could. I screamed as I heard the glass shattering and saw him going through the window.
“Kinsley,” a voice shouted at me, shaking me. “Wake up. You’re safe.”
My eyes opened to Cooper kneeling on the bed next to me, his hands on my shoulders. Drenched in sweat, I sat up, my heart racing as the adrenaline coursed through my veins, pulling away. My chest still hurting and my throat raw, I cried in relief. A nightmare.
“You’re okay, baby. It was just a nightmare. I got you,” Cooper whispered, sitting down facing me. My arms wrapped around him as I sobbed into his shoulder. I held onto him like I might die if I let go. Cooper laid me back down, untangling himself from my desperate, clingy limbs. “Let me get a you a drink.”
“No,” I screamed, grabbing his wrist. “Don’t leave me.” My breaths were labored and heavy. My hands went to my throat then my chest. I felt the four small bandages from the laparoscopic surgery I had eight days ago. The panic slowly started to subside.
“I’m just going right here.” He pointed to the small cooler on the bedside table. Without breaking contact, he reached the cooler, flipped the lid, and pulled out a bottle of water. “Here, take a drink.”
Hesitantly, I took the cold water, twisted the cap off and took a few sips. The only light came from the hallway, which had a nightlight plugged in near the bathroom. I finally looked up at Cooper. Sitting back down, he faced me, wearing only a pair of basketball shorts. I thought I saw something when I looked into his eyes, but I had thought that before and was wrong.
“I’m really sorry I woke you up.” I had no idea of the time, but I felt bad. I knew staying there was a bad idea. “Oh, God. I hope I didn’t wake up Maria or Scott.”
“Babe,” Cooper cocked his head, but I couldn’t see his face very well, “you don’t need to apologize. You never need to apologize.” He repositioned himself, so he was next to me in the bed, sitting up against the wooden headboard. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his hard chest. “You wanna talk about it?”
Biting down on my bottom lip to keep it from trembling, I shook my head and draped my arm over his rippled abs. “Not yet. I just need a few minutes,” I whispered against the smooth skin of his taut chest. Being so close to him felt so natural, so right. My frazzled nerves calmed listening to the rhythmic beat of his heart.
“Okay. Why don’t you try to get some sleep? I’ll stay here until you fall asleep.”
I didn’t want to fall asleep. I was terrified my nightmare would come back for me. “I don’t think I can.”
“Do you want to watch TV?” His hand gently rubbed up and down my arm.
I pulled back and looked up at him, confused.
“It helps me when I have them,” Cooper explained.
“You have nightmares? About what?”
“You don’t wanna hear about that shit, Kins. My nightmares would give you new nightmares.” He closed his eyes and rested his head back.
I laid my head back down. “I get it. That’s how I feel.”
We laid there quietly, listening to each other breathe. My heart still pounded but had started to slow. The adrenaline crash after a nightmare was exhausting but I couldn’t go back to sleep.
“Could we try the TV?” I whispered.
Without a word, Cooper sat up, carefully slipped his arm under my legs, and lifted me out of the bed. He carried me out of Ashton’s bed, down the hall, and into his room. After gently placing me on his bed, he padded around the bed and slipped in beside me, pulling the solid navy down comforter up over us.
Holding up the remote, he asked, “What do you wanna watch?”
The large flat screen on top of his dresser came to life. “Anything is fine.”
“Hmm,” he mumbled, scrolling through the guide. NCIS popped up on USA.
“How about NCIS?”
“No,” he answered quickly but didn’t elaborate and I didn’t ask.
“Ooh. The Notebook. I love that movie.” Over the years, I had imagined that Cooper and I would be like that old couple someday.
“Isn’t that one of those sappy romance movies?” Cooper turned to eye me with a furrowed brow.
“Yeah, but it’s so good.” I pouted as he continued scrolling.
“No.” Cooper tucked his left arm behind his head. “How about The Breakfast Club?”
“Never watched it.” I shrugged.
“We’re definitely watching it.” He arrowed down with the remote and selected the movie. “I can’t believe you’ve never seen this movie. It’s a classic.”
Even though Cooper and Ash’s beds were the same size, it felt like Cooper was a football field away. I missed the warmth of his body; the hard plane of his chest under my cheek. I wanted to feel his arm wrapped around me again, but I didn’t dare move toward him. Instead, I laid there and watched the old, grainy movie.
Before long, my eyelids became too heavy to hold open anymore. I fought to keep them open, not wanting the moment to end; not wanting the nightmare to return.
I wasn’t sure which I was more terrified of.