THE HEAVY BASS bled through the seam of the bathroom door, sounds of loud voices and laughter sprinkled throughout the mixture. It seemed the rest of the party was unaware of the shit storm brewing.
Damon in the house with all of the people intent on protecting me.
Angered by the cut to his ego after seeing his fiancée affected by another man.
Watching me—the person who he thought he owned a possessive hold over—outwardly with her boyfriend . . .
All of it was a recipe for the perfect storm.
Drew worried me most of all. I needed to find him and warn him, plead with him to stand back and let me handle it. A final swipe of a Q-tip under Abby’s eye had her looking much better. “There.” I smiled.
She poked her fingers into her hair, looking at herself in the mirror. “Thanks, Eves.”
“No problem.” I sucked in a lock of air, dragging it into my lungs to suppress the nerves I felt about leaving the room. “Come on. Let’s go make things better.” I tucked Abby’s arm into my own.
Music pounded through the door as the seam split, my heart scurrying in my chest. Descending the stairs, I squinted my eyes and scanned the crowd from a bird’s eye view for any sign of the guys.
There.
Blake.
Eric.
Damon.
Blake was wearing a big smile, which I knew was a forced effort to make light of an uncomfortable situation and try to get the other two to play nice. Thankfully, Eric and Damon didn’t look heated anymore. Both just existed beside one another as Blake poured shots from a metal canister.
I drew in a fortifying breath, my arm instinctively tightening around Abby’s to aid in calming my raging nerves and convince myself that maybe this would all turn out okay. Remembering that Drew was still out there somewhere, my eyes raked the crowd in swift sweeps, trying to hide the desperation I felt at finding him. Blake lifted an arm above the crowd, calling out to someone with a smile and waving them over.
My eyes dragged to the focus of his attention. To the sandy-blond hair and broad, muscled shoulders making his way through the crowd, his hand trailing behind him, locked with Victoria’s. To the only other person in the house who knew what had happened to me and who had done it.
Drew.
I should have moved quicker, but my feet stopped, shock numbing their ability to do what they were designed for.
Abby tugged at my arm as my sudden loss of movement knocked her off kilter. “Eva?”
My mouth dried, not allowing a response. Each squeeze past a new person in the crowd brought Drew one step closer to being face-to-face with the one person he would love to extinguish. One step closer to outing my secret to an entire house of people in a harsh manner and from foreign lips.
One step closer to Blake.
Fresh air bombarded my lungs as they gasped me back to reality and the stair I was rooted to.
“Earth to Eva. Come on!” Abby pulled again.
I snapped my eyes back to hers. “Hang on tight. When I get you to Damon, you know what to do.” And I took off down the remaining steps. I would need him as distracted as possible.
Once I hit the floor, I dissolved into the crowd. Tiny in comparison to everybody else, I kept my entire body as erect as possible, craning my neck to see as far over the people as I could. Tightening my hold on Abby, I shouldered my way, bodies parting with laughs and smiles, not realizing the turmoil whipping through me.
In glimpses through swaying figures, I witnessed the next few moments like a series of clicks on a childhood View-Master, each image spinning on the tick of the reel.
Blake’s dimple.
His jovial, glistening eyes.
Drew’s returned smile.
The gap between them diminishing.
Then disappearing.
The movement of Blake’s full lips.
The gesture of his hand in Damon’s direction.
The smile melting from Drew’s face.
Blood draining from the rosy apples of his cheeks, revealing a new shade of pale.
The gulp of his Adam’s apple pushing new blood to the surface, a vibrant red overtaking his cheekbones as his eyebrows pulled down.
His shoulders squared as he turned his focus back to Blake, his lip pulling back over his teeth as though a profanity were about to slip past them when—
Slam!
My chest hit Drew’s, sending him stumbling back on his feet and simultaneously spilling what remained of his drink between the two of us.
Drew’s eyes flashed something I couldn’t quite pinpoint. Taken abruptly from his moment of rage, he seemed uncertain of whether he should shove me and swing or pull me close and run. I implored him without words, silently pleading for him to read the panic I meant for only him to see, while trying to portray to the outside world the clumsy stumble of a drunken girl. As if trying to catch myself, I fell forward toward his shoulder, fisting his shirt and pushing my knuckles into his chest while moving quickly to his ear with a whisper.
“Please.”
His chest bunched to a rock beneath my balled hands and I searched his eyes once more, begging. His jaw set, nostrils flared, but the look in his eyes contradicted all of it. Right there, I saw something he’d never shown me before—pity.
I sucked the disappointment of that inside, knowing I didn’t have a lot of time and continued with my act. “I’m so sorry! I must’ve tripped on all these big feet.”
Blake rushed to my side, scooping up my arm. “You all right?”
“Yeah, I’m good. Clumsy.” I smiled and rose to my tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek. Blake’s posture melted and his smile slowly reappeared.
I looked down to the wet stain sliced down the front of my dress that matched the one dripped down the center of Drew’s shirt and saw my only out from this ticking time-bomb. “Look what I did.” I moved from Blake’s hold toward Drew. “Here, let’s go clean you off.” Looping my arm with his, I urged him to follow me, stopping only to reassure Blake with a smile. “Be right back.”
Drew nearly tripped over his feet looking behind him as I dragged him off, then I stuffed him into the closest bathroom. When the lock was securely fastened, I turned and pressed my back against it, sucking in a sigh and closing my eyes.
What the hell am I going to do?
Little flakes of tension began to peel away, having survived two close encounters already, and my body sagged forward, crumbling from the pressure. My palms pushed into my knees as I collected myself, replaying all that had happened on a quickly spinning loop.
“Please tell me your boyfriend did not just introduce me to your fucking rapist.” Drew’s voice spliced through the images, causing them to fizzle out before me. I stood up sharply, having momentarily forgotten I wasn’t alone.
His red Solo cup landed with a clank into the sink, the remnants of liquid splattering on the mirror as he approached. With nowhere else to go, I squished my back to the door as he closed the distance—fists balled so tight the whites of his knuckles bled into the red surrounding them. His body jolted and vibrated as though the raging fire building within him was clawing its way out, looking for any available opening to combust through.
One hand landed with a smack against the door to the right side of my head, and I flinched to the left only to have his other hand fist the knob on that side. “Move out of my god damned way, Eva.” The hazel eyes that I’d grown to adore, that were always so intense but always in a good way, were now orbs of danger. I didn’t know where my friend had gone, but in these eyes, I could picture the anger-filled teenager on a mission to destroy anyone who had ever hurt him or someone he loved.
My mind raced with how I could possibly control him and step him back long enough for him to listen to me. Then I paused. I know this boy.
On instinct, I did the only thing I knew how to do when it came to him. The only thing I knew he would respond to. With a screeching roar through clenched teeth, I fisted his shirt and pushed harder than I’d ever pushed anything, bearing into him to shove him backward. He came to a stumbling skid about five feet from where I stood, my own fists balled, anger bubbling up my neck in crackling whipping fireworks.
“Listen to me!”
Movement ceased, the air becoming stagnant but for the sharp sounds of our breaths wheezing in and out of our heaving chests. I stepped forward.
“I need your word.”
Drew’s eyebrows pulled in, relaxing the hard edge to his jaw as he tried to find my meaning. I softened my approach a little, but not all the way. I wouldn’t let my guard down on the pit bull I was locked in the cage with.
“Your word, Drew. You can’t do or say anything.”
“You’re out of your fucking mind.” Drew took two elongated steps, attempting to barrel past me. I slammed my palm into his chest and threw him back once more, his stumble only bringing him back a couple of feet this time. “You won’t get one more of those, Eva. I think you know that.”
“Just listen to me!”
Drew stepped in, cutting me off once again. “How could he? What kind of guy allows the girl he loves rapist into his house? Drinking with him like it’s no big deal. Just another day.” He cackled a sarcastic laugh. “And you . . . I thought you had a stronger backbone—”
“He doesn’t know.” I cut him off.
Drew narrowed his eyes at me. “Excuse me?”
I lowered my voice and dropped my hands. “It’s not Blake’s fault. He still doesn’t know.” My shoulders lost the sharpness that held them erect. “Neither does Abby. That’s why you can’t do anything. They can’t find out this way.”
“You’ve got to be shitting me. What’s the matter with you, Eva?” The desperation in his tone was unmasked. “I thought since you guys were back together that you were going to get rid of all the secrets and open up to him already.”
“I tried. But we were focusing on us.” I shrugged, seeing now how ignorant that had been. This was always part of us. “Anyway, I’ve already planned to talk to them both this week. It’s all going to be over. So please, please, just cool it for now. Okay?” I begged.
Drew let out a puff of air with so much force the hair that lay over my left shoulder blew to the side. He fisted his hips and looked down at our feet. “I can’t believe you’re asking me of all people to do this.”
“Please, you have to. For me. This is my story to tell.” I stared at him, though he didn’t return my gaze.
Drew emptied what remained in his lungs, weakening further. Then he dragged his line of sight to my eyes. “I’m not happy about this, but I’ll do it . . . for you. I’m gonna be watching, though. That fucker steps out of line once, and I swear to God, Eva, he won’t live to talk about it.”
I placed a hand on his arm, relieved. “Thank you.” I exhaled. “Don’t worry, I got this. I had a good coach.” I sent him a sarcastic smirk to belie my nerves.
Drew closed the small gap, his nose so close to mine I could smell the mint on his breath. He grabbed my shoulders. “Remember it all, Eva. Remember all that I taught you. Every word I fucking said, and every time I made your back hit those mats. Remember it and harness it. Do not let this motherfucker own you. Not anymore. This is your life. Your house. Your rules. You got it?”
“Got it.” I stared back, confident that I was telling the truth, the ferocity in his words building the strength in my core.
“Good. Now . . .” He stepped back and flicked his chin to the air. “Hit me.”
“Get out of here.” I nudged his shoulder, bringing some playfulness back to us and feeling as though I could breathe a little again. My shove met an unmovable force, not one iota of budge in Drew’s stance. I gulped as my gaze rose to the tic in his jaw, causing the smile that felt so good to slide from my face. “He’s not going to do anything. Besides Abby and all these people are here. So, come on before someone comes looking for us.”
I tried to grab his hand, but as my fingertips brushed along the outside of his, he slapped it away. “Hit. Me.” In a move I’d seen him do more than a hundred times, Drew squatted slightly and held out his arms. “Now.”
“I can’t do this right now. Let’s go!” I yanked at his wrist, panic he would draw attention to us bubbling in my chest.
“I’m not budging.” The air was motionless, his stare constant and glaring as my pulse began to knock at scattering points in my body.
Then something else starting knocking.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
“Angel, you in there?” Blake’s concerned voice slipped through the cracks, floating on the beats of the music behind him.
“Drew, please, he’s going to hear us,” I whispered harshly, my eyebrows pulled so tightly in fright that I didn’t know how he wasn’t giving in. On shaking legs I approached him, reaching out to grab one of his hands again. A stab of pain whipped through me as he slapped my hand away for the second time.
Motherf—
“Drew!” I pleaded.
“Hit me!”
“Eva? You in there, baby?” Concern was rising in Blake’s tone.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
“Come on!” I was frantic now, blood whooshing through my veins on violent pumps of my heart, stealing my breath on each pound at the door.
“Hit me!” Drew yelled in my face.
Suddenly, all I saw was spatters of red, and I didn’t care who was at the fucking door. In quick jabs, I punched my fists.
Right—Left—Right—Left.
Only to have Drew block each one with an open-handed slap.
“More. GO!” he yelled, and I flurried faster.
Right—Left—Right—Left—Right—Left—Right.
My breaths raged against my rib cage, my teeth aching as they ground against their opposites, the pain in my knuckles burning. I flurried faster, flailing, wanting so bad to land a shot to his over-enthused, stubborn face.
“Angel!” Blake called through the door, but I wasn’t finished yet.
“Coming,” I called back with as calm of a voice as I could fake, trying to bide us a few more moments before Blake decided to bust down the damn door.
Drew grabbed both of my wrists and spun me around, locking my arms crossed in front of me while we both fought for a breath. I felt his air meet my ear in quick jabs, then his nose grazed along the rim. “I’ve got you now, beautiful. Now, what the fuck are you going to do about it?”
My world stood still as that word slithered along my skin, and I was paralyzed for the small moment that he had always warned me about. The moment you were most vulnerable. Where someone who knew you most would find the opportunity to attack. I saw the instant. Felt it curl around me in a threatening bubble.
Then . . . I demolished it.
“Fuck you!” I screamed through the pounding on the door, feeling each bang surge the blood in my veins. I locked Drew’s arms and bent forward quickly, causing his body to tumble over my own and freeing my hands in the process. Drew’s legs whisked over the countertop, crashing him down. He hopped back up, and I stepped back, using the opportunity of freedom to gain back an advantage. A smirk broke out on his face as he caught his breath.
“Eva, open the goddamn door!” Blake shouted.
“Good girl. Now you can go out there.” I regained use of my air while Drew added, “I’m not going to be far. He does one thing I don’t like, and I’ll be on him faster than you’ll know what to do. I was just making sure you were still on your game.” Drew reached behind himself without looking, freeing the lock.
Blake barged over the threshold like a rabid dog, his cheeks red, eyes wild. His hair fell disheveled, brushing along the corners of his eyes. “What the fuck is going on in here?” He looked back and forth between Drew and me.
I collected myself quickly. “Nothing, this jackass just thought now would be a great time for a sparring session.” I walked past Drew, biffing him on the head for effect. “Clean your own damn shirt.” Drew smirked, not lending a clue as to how serious our encounter was.
Blake’s breathing evened, the alarm in his eyes melting to comfort as he accepted the lack of threat between Drew and me. He laced his fingers with mine. “What’s with you two with that? Give it a rest already.”
“Hey.” I stopped just outside the door, something dangerous sparking to life with that rush of adrenaline. Leaning up on my toes, I fell forward, loving the dominating feel of Blake’s back bouncing off the wall behind him. I grabbed his face with both hands and forced his lips to mine, letting my tongue invade his mouth, dragging more of him into my system.
His strength.
His support.
His love.
That was all I needed. I dropped my forehead to his, focusing only on the matched rhythm of our breathing, loving the shock in his wide blue eyes. A smile crept across my face as my armor locked into place.
“Dance with me.”