Raie immediately returned to her senses when she observed one of the guys trying to bring Tara upstairs with him. Tara was obviously inebriated and that set off alarms in Raie's head;
it was a situation that annoyed her greatly. She had always been protective of her friends, especially when they were vulnerable due to alcohol consumption.
Chad tapped his shoulder firmly to get the guy's attention. When he finally turned around, a look of displeasure was evident on his face. "Howdy partner," Chad said in an assertive voice, "I think she's just fine down here."
It was endearing how protective he was being of her.
"No it's okay I want to." Tara spoke up, her speech slurred enough that everyone in the room realized the situation - this man was taking advantage of her.
Though he had been polite and generous, Tara couldn't help but feel a little uneasy with his advances.
"See. She wants to," the douche said with a sneer, yanking Tara towards him with more force than necessary and causing her to stumble and fall.
Everyone around them seemed to stop in their tracks, eyes wide as they took in what was transpiring in front of them. Tara felt her cheeks flush bright red as she tried to regain her composure, but there was an unmistakable feeling of humiliation that she could not shake off.
Raie tensed as she tried to break away from Ethan and move forward, her every instinct telling her to get involved. But Ethan's grip was strong, not wanting her to put herself in any harm's way.
The quick motion left her head spinning, and it took all her strength not to be swept away with the crowd. She could feel a wave of nausea wash over her and she knew there was no avoiding it - she had to make a dash for the bathroom if she wanted any chance of not barfing then and there.
Ethan was quick to follow, immediately catching on to why she had been running. His heart sank when he saw her drop down in front of the toilet as her stomach emptied out the alcohol she had consumed. He instantly regretted not keeping a closer eye on her, but it was too late for that now.
He knealed behind her and cradled her head in his hands as he gently rubbed circles of comfort on her back. She had thrown up, and the smell was enough to make him nauseous. He had to strain himself not to be overwhelmed by it, but he managed to stay with her.
his own distaste for vomit was no match against his tenderness for her wellbeing. This was just another way he could show his love for her.
They sat there until she felt satisfied that she was finished, then he helped her up and offered her a cup of water from the sink in order to help clean out her mouth. As she looked down at her hands, she noticed the blood staining her formerly pristine palms.
A wave of guilt rushed over her, as if this wasn't enough suffering for one night - when would this nightmare end? She turned back to him, looking into his understanding eyes as if they knew all too well what was going on.
