Inevitable (Book One)

Chapter 46

Shawn

My tires screech as I slam the brakes and slide into a parking spot in front of the apartment building. I grab my phone and see its almost six thirty. I managed to make the drive in four hours, thankfully I didn't run into any police cruisers. I run into the front entry of the building and of course the internal doors are locked as I yank on them. I scan the keypad and have no fucking clue with Rachel's last name is as I sigh frustrated by the barrier when I am finally so close to Lyla. I don't have Rachel's number so I dial Lyla's again hoping someone pickups. Rachel does and says she will buzz me right up.

It seems like minutes pass before I hear the buzz and yank open the door then head for the stairs and start running up them three at a time until I reach the fourth floor. I race down the hallway glancing at the numbers on the doors until I find 412. I take a breath and try to knock as nicely as I can on the door even though I really want to kick it down. The door opens and Rachel and Paige are standing there.

"Where is she?" I ask as I step into the apartment, not waiting for an invitation but Rachel doesn't seem to mind.

"She's in my bedroom, she finally fell asleep about two hours ago," she says softly with sympathetic eyes. I glance around the living area and see two guys on the couch I'm assuming are Lyla's cousins. Everyone in the room looks exhausted, both physically and emotional.

"I need to see her," I plead with Rachel, my voice desperate and cracking at the end. I can feel myself growing seconds away from crying in front of everyone and I try to gather myself with a deep breath. I still have no idea what happened, but judging by the solemn mood of the everyone in the room I know it can't be good.

"My rooms just this way," Rachel tells me as I nod in response and follow her as she walks down the hallway and stops at the second door on the right. She opens the door slowly and gestures for me to go ahead of her into the room. I step in and see the back of Lyla's head poking out at the top of the covers on the bed. She laying on her side facing away from me. I force myself to walk slowly towards the other side of the bed as quietly as I can. When I round the edge of the bed and see her I can feel my legs start to give out and I catch myself on the edge of the bed. I use what control I have left to lower myself to my knees on the floor then scoot closer to her so I'm kneeling right in front of her.

Even in her sleep I can see her face is tense. Her cheeks and chin are tear stained. Her eyes are puffy and I find myself thankful that they aren't open to really be able to see my broken girl, I don't think I could handle it right now. I reach out slowly and brush my thumb across her cheek softly. I'm careful not to wake her. All I want to do is climb into the bed next to her and hold her in my arms, but I don't want to wake her yet and I also need to hear what the fuck happened to her.

When I feel like my legs are no longer jello, I stand up and back out of the room closing the door behind me and find Rachel waiting in the hallway. She offers me a sympathetic smile as she walks back down the hallway and I follow her. She takes a seat on the couch in between the two guys and I sit in an arm chair opposite them.

"What the hell happened?" My voice is low but still carries all the anger boiling inside of me. I watch as they exchange looks with each other, almost trying to decide who has to be the one to tell the story.

"We don't know the whole story," Rachel starts off as she glances across the room at me, "but we found her in the back hallway at the bar by the washrooms with Connor." I lean forward in my chair clenching my fists and resting them on legs, waiting for her to continue. "He had her pinned up against the wall and it was hard to see because the hallway was dark but she was trying to get away from him. Justin and Bryce pulled him off her and then Paige and I got her out of there and brought her back here. She wouldn't say anything about what happened she just cried and looked like she was in shock or something..." She trails off at the end as she watches my reaction.