CHAPTER 17
CHANEL

Even though Rhett wanted to stick by my side in Curaçao, I waved him off. I wanted to have some time with Ana, even with the looming threat over my head. Having Rhett there would only serve to worry me more about the letters, and I wanted a chance to forget about them, to explore the beautiful port, take in the sights, and enjoy the snorkeling adventure Ana and I were going to take. Ana promised that she would never leave my side and that we would stay close to other people and not wander anywhere off the beaten path.

The tropical island was beautiful. It was surrounded by crystal clear waters and powdery, sandy beaches. The sand was almost white, making it look like a winter wonderland in the middle of the summer. Palm trees rose up from the ground, and brush lined the cobblestone streets. Every time I took in a deep breath of air, the saltiness of it relaxed me as it whipped through my hair.

Ana and I dipped into shops and looked at all the beautiful sights. Their jewelry shops had pearl earrings and necklaces made from the beautiful stone found naturally all along the coast. We feasted on fresh seafood cooked in kiosks on the side of the streets. It was the most succulent thing I had ever tasted in my life, and the letters quickly receded from my mind.

Until Ana tapped me on the arm.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“I don’t mean to be the party pooper, but we have a visitor,” she said.

She pointed her finger, and I followed her gaze. Luke was walking around with a couple of guys I recognized from our football team, but his eyes were staring straight at us. I sighed and rolled my eyes as I hooked my arm in Ana's. Then, I pulled her across the road and into the next shop. It was a quaint little store with summer dresses and tiered skirts the locals wore on a regular basis. I tried to distract myself with trying on ridiculous outfits, making Ana laugh whenever I came out of the dressing room.

But when we emerged from the shop, Luke was standing on the corner.

“Seriously?” I asked. “He never used to be this creepy. What the hell happened to him, Ana? Did all that success go to his head?”

Ana shook her head. “Beats the shit out of me, but I don’t want him anywhere near you. Let’s go check out the stores on the other side.”

We threw away our food and made our way out to the main road. We dipped into one of the shops selling alcoholic drinks and emerged with pineapple shells filled with alcoholic spiked pineapple slushies. We were sipping on them as we strolled around the area, taking in the beautiful rays of the sun. Anna and I chatted about nonsense as we window-shopped, looking at the cute little trinkets made from shark teeth and animal bones that were native to the island.

Halfway through our journey to the other side of the island, I turned my head to look over my shoulder. I sighed with relief when I didn't see Luke. Maybe he hadn’t been following us at all. Maybe I had been projecting those feelings onto him because he was overly affectionate, and I wasn’t interested.

The sun was bright, and without sunglasses, it was hard to see. I allowed everything to drift from my mind again as I fell into a rhythm with Ana. She was going on and on about Tommy, wondering what he was doing and where “the boys” were heading for the day. I shook my head as I listened to her drone on, trying to bite my tongue against any snarky comments.

I was having fun exploring the island with my best friend, thankful for the distraction, but it didn’t last long. We turned a corner to get to a local shoe shop that was advertised a few shops back, and Luke was standing there.

His eyes trained right on us.

“There any way he could’ve beaten us here?” I asked.

“Not unless that bitch ran, and he doesn’t look sweaty to me,” Ana said.

“What time is our snorkeling adventure?” I asked as I turned us around.

“In an hour. Ready to head back for the bus? Because this shit’s getting weird, and I’m over it,” she said.

“Yep. Let’s head back and wait for the bus.”

Ana and I linked arms again and started walking in the direction of the bus that would take us to the snorkeling spot. I fought the urge to look over my shoulder again to see if he was following us. I wanted to stay as far away from him as possible, but I also didn’t want to give him the satisfaction that he was frightening me. I didn’t want him to have that power over me.

The two of us made our way back to the bus stop to wait for our transportation to the beach. I was sitting there with Ana watching the clock tick down, but I found myself looking out for Luke, despite my best efforts to ignore him. Ana was droning on about something Tommy had said when she’d seen him earlier, but I was only half listening. I was too wrapped up in my own stupid drama. First, my reconnecting with Rhett and what it might possibly mean, and now all this scary shit with Luke.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” I said.

“Want me to go with you?” Ana asked.

“Nah. It’ll be quick. I know the bus’ll be here soon. I’ll be right back.”

The truth was, I was feeling sick. I wanted to get to a bathroom, so I could splash some water on my face. I jogged across the road, darted into the public restroom, and then made my way to a sink. The cool water on my face felt fantastic, and I resisted the urge to drink some from the faucet before I looked up into the mirror.

My breath caught in my throat, and my eyes widened when I saw Luke behind me.

His arm came across my neck before I even registered what was happening, and he threw me into one of the stalls. I braced myself against the toilet, opening my mouth to scream, but his hand clamped down around my lips, rendering me silent before he pinned my back to the stall door with his body.

“Have you read my letters?” he asked. “You shouldn’t have brushed me off at dinner.”

I felt my head swirling with a thousand different things as he pinned me to the door of the bathroom stall.

“You’re more beautiful than ever, Chanel. So delicate and fragile.”

I felt the world tumbling around me as his hands ripped at my clothes. His knee press in between my thighs, raising tears to my eyes. His free hand was tugging at me, pulling my dress down and freeing my breasts. Tears were cascading down my face as I tried to get away, my heels planting on the floor as his body weight held me to the door.

Then, he moved his hand from my mouth to his belt buckle, and I screamed.

“Help! Get off me! Somebody, please! Luke! Stop!”

I felt myself panicking as vomit rose up in my throat. How could the shy nerdy boy I’d once been friends with in school have turned into this raging lunatic? I opened my mouth to scream again, desperate for someone to hear me. Though Luke wasn’t a big guy, he was bigger than me, and his anger only seemed to make him stronger. He drew his hand back and cracked it across my cheek, rendering me silent as I heard his zipper open.

“You don’t know it now, but I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted. All you have to do is say the word,” Luke said.

I brought my hands up to push him off me, but all he did was slam the back of my head into the metal door behind me. The pain was blinding. It ricocheted up my back and sent more tears streaming down my face. I was choking on the bile rising from within, fear clenching my throat.

Suddenly, the door was ripped from its hinges and I stumbled back as Luke was yanked out of the stall.

Swallowing hard, I tried to move my legs and then heard a struggle going on in the center of the bathroom beyond the stall. I heard the stall doors slamming and a mirror shattered. I crawled over to the toilet and began to throw up as the sound of skin connecting with skin sounded out in the bathroom. I couldn’t stop trembling and crying, heaving and sweating. My thighs were aching, my back sore, and my head was throbbing.

I felt someone's hands slide onto my shoulders, and I kicked and cried out instinctively.

“Help! Somebody, please!”

“Shh, Chanel. It’s okay. It’s me. It’s just me.”

I heard Rhett's voice and whimpered as I spit the last of the bile into the toilet.

“Come here. I’ve got you. Just hang on,” he said.

I felt my body being lifted from the bathroom floor as Rhett’s arms cradled me. I leaned into his strong chest, closing my eyes as we left the bathroom. I had no idea where Luke was, and I didn't know what kind of condition he was in, but I didn't care. All I cared about was that Rhett had saved me.

He came after me, protected me, and saved me from my nightmare.

“Chanel! Holy shit! Rhett, what the fuck happened?”

“Luke happened. That’s what. I’ve got to get Chanel back to the ship,” Rhett said.

“I’m coming with you,” Ana said. “What did that fucker do to her?”

“Exactly what you think he tried to do. Come on,” Rhett said.

Rhett carried me all the way back to the ship. I closed my eyes and clung to his clothes, my body shaking as my mind swirled with what I’d barely escaped. Luke had openly tried to force himself on me. The geeky little kid I’d befriended in chemistry class in high school had been stalking me and had just tried to rape me.

How the fuck was that even possible?

I heard a door open before I was carried over the threshold. I felt my body descending onto something soft, and I looked around to see where I was. The beauty of the ocean was staring me in the face as I lay in my bed with Ana brushing her fingers through my hair. Rhett was sitting on the edge of the bed, his hand running up and down my calf.

I closed my eyes again and burrowed inside myself. I couldn’t believe what had happened, and I was trying to forget it, though I knew I would never be able to.

“Where is he now?” I heard Ana ask Rhett in a hushed voice.

“I’m not sure. I was pretty intent on beating the ever-loving fuck out of him, but I heard Chanel puking and crying and I just wanted to get to her and make sure she was okay. He ran as soon as I turn my back on him.”

“Tell me you at least got some good shots in?” Ana asked.

“Oh, he’s going to be hurting for a while,” Rhett said, but there was no hint of satisfaction in his voice.

“We have to go to the authorities,” Ana said.

“Who’s going to believe me?” I asked, turning my head toward them. “It’s my word against his.”

Ana shook her head, looking incredulous. Before she could say something though, Rhett spoke up.

“No, it’s our word,” he said. “I heard you scream and I saw what he was doing. Couple that with the letters, and you’ve got a solid case, Chanel. We are going to the authorities with this.”

I started to cry all over again, the weight of what had happened pressing fully down on me now. I knew they were right, but I was so damn tired and all I wanted to do right now was sleep. I opened my eyes and looked at Rhett, who was staring down at me with a determined intensity.

“What if he comes back and tries to hurt me again?” I asked.

“He’s going to have to go through me first,” he answered. “I promise you on my life Chanel, he is never going to hurt you again.”

I nodded my head and closed my eyes again. Ana curled up around me and held me close as I cried myself to sleep with Rhett standing sentry outside our door.