We hear shot after shot, each time followed by deafening screams. Jayce holds me still, his hand covering my mouth as I shake staring at the door. There's not a lock or anywhere to hide in here.
Dad always told me in these types of situations you are supposed to put as much space as you can between you and the shooter but I'm not even sure where he is. Are we safer here? There's no reason for anyone to come into this hallway, maybe we could sneak out and get outside.
Oh my god. Milo. May. What if he goes to the disco next?
“Jayce... Milo.” I whisper through his hand and his body tenses. There are hundreds of kids in the junior hall, he could get trampled or left behind. We have to go get him, and May, before we run.
He nods at me, understanding my meaning.
“Do you trust me Lee? Do you trust me?” The one question I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to answer yes too again from him but right now I've never trusted anyone more.
“Yes.”
He takes my head in his hands as he whispers looking into my tear soaked eyes. “Then please stay here, I’ll come back for you. Just let me get them.”
My heart is pounding as Jayce steadies himself, his hand holding the handle of the door before hesitating as he glances back at me. “I'll be right back, don't open this door for anyone but me. Do you understand?”
No. Don't go. I try to grab hold of him and pull him back.
Jayce pushes me into the corner of the cupboard, forcing my body as far in as it will go. My shaking limbs make it feel like the cold wall flush behind me is vibrating.
I've felt panic before, I've felt my body under the control of something other than my conscious mind but nothing like this. This is fear. Pure fear.
Jayce’s hand is shaking as he holds my face in them. “Lee I will never forgive myself if something happens to you. I will get them and I will come back for you. Stay here, no-one knows about us coming in here, it's safe.”
I nod. Right now his protective instincts are in overdrive, he needs to get his family out of here and I would only slow him down. The junior hall is minutes from where I am, he can get them and get back to me before anyone even sees him, he's more likely to be seen or distracted if I'm with him.
He turns the handle slowly, not making a sound, before edging open the door and peering out into the hallway through the crack.
“It's empty.” He looks back to me. “Stay here. I love you.” Before he steps out and pulls the door behind him, leaving me alone in the dark.
One. Two. Three. Four. Just keep counting Aleah. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. That's it, he'll be back before you...
BANG!
*screams*
BANG!
*screams*
BANG!
*silence*
I can't... I can't... every shot is getting closer.
I throw my hands over my ears to block out the deafening silence. Brie. Kallie. Harley. Josh. They're all in the room behind me, the direction all the noise was coming from but now there's nothing. No sound.
I imagine Brie bleeding out onto the floor crying out for me, the blood seeping from her open wounds and my legs fall out from under me until I hit the floor. I should never have left her.
A screeching pierces the silence as the fire-doors to the hallway outside are pulled open and I hug my knees onto my chest, my teeth biting into the flesh of my leg to stop any noise as I force myself to stop rocking back and forth, remaining perfectly still.
I hear the scraping of metal on metal, someone dragging something along the doors of the lockers. It bounces from one to the next and each jolt forces my body to jump with it. The footsteps getting closer.. closer..
The metal on metal sound ends as they come to the last locker, instead I hear whatever he's dragging move to the wall next to me, running across every brick until it meets the wood of the door behind which I sit. Nothing else to protect me.
I know what he was dragging along the lockers now. Something hard and metal. Paused on the other side of that door is someone holding a gun, an unlocked handle all that stands between me and discovery.
I hold my breath, don't move. I refuse to breathe, I can't make a sound. One sound Aleah, one sound and they'll find you.
My mind starts to cloud, my burning lungs cry out for oxygen I cannot give them. I look to the slither of light coming under the door and I see a dark shadow in the middle.
Don't breathe Aleah. Do. Not. Breathe.
My eyes start to flood in silent tears as I clench my stomach to force myself from moving, a trickle pouring down my leg into a puddle at my feet in absolute terror. Every second my heart beats faster, so loud now I want to force my hand into my chest and hold it still.
I have to breathe, I have to take one breath or I'm going to pass out. I try to open my mouth but my jaw is locked tight.
Finally the shadow begins to move again, further down the hall. Oh god Jayce, please don't come back here. I pray to every God I can think of to keep him away from me.
I hear the screech of the fire-doors opening again as the footsteps pause.
"JOSH! Have you seen Josh?!"
The voice approaches towards the cupboard, a voice I know. A pair of fast footsteps rushing to outside where I am and I want to scream at him to run away. “Hey sweetheart, you need to get out of here. There’s a mad man with a gu-.”
*BANG!*
A thud hits the wood.
My hands grip over my mouth as the tears now run down over them like a river. I hear his body slide down to the floor and the sickening scent of copper hits my nose as blood starts to pool from under the door in front of me. I pull my dress back to wrap around me as the crimson liquid scurries closer too where I sit.
The heavy footsteps I'd heard before appear to walk further into the distance until the doors at the end of the hall open and slam shut again.
He’s gone.
I have to know if he’s okay, I could still save him. I hesitate as I try to force my body to rise, Jayce's words echoing in my mind - 'Don't open this door for anyone but me.' - The blood floods the floor at my feet and I know I can't just leave him out there to die.
I wasn’t expecting the weight against the door as I attempt to pry it open slowly but it just swings out of my control hittig the wall with a crash.
His head falls at my blood soaked feet, his beautiful eyes still open.
Oh god no.
Kneeling down, I try to pull him into my lap, my quivering fingers search desperately for a pulse I know I’ll never find. His once beautiful blue suit now smothered in his blood.
The pain is too much, I cry out as I gently place my fingertips on his lids and close his sparkling eyes for the final time.
Gently kissing his head I feel the light within him has already left, the joy he has always brought no longer present as his body lays limp and lifeless.
“I’m so sorry.. Harley.”
My heart shatters as I have to lay his head back down against the floor. I can’t leave him here, I don’t want to leave him here. I'll pull him back into the cupboard with me and Jayce will carry him. I'll-
“I’ve been looking for you.”
My body freezes, every drop of blood turned to ice in my veins at the sound of that voice. I turn my head and look directly into the eyes of Harley’s killer.
I know him...
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YOU ARE READING
My Future Stepbrother
Romance**BOOK ONE OF THE FORBIDDEN LUST SERIES** "How am I supposed to become your brother when all I want to do is f**k you senseless?!" Aleah just wanted everything back the way it was. The way it was when her mum was still alive. She didn't want this...
