Fall

Chapter 11: "I can't lose you forever"

Just as she wished to let his image disappear from her memory, Dylan’s voice caught her.

“What is she looking at? She misses me?” And that sound reminded her of his disgusting assault at the party. A shudder traveled through her skin. She wanted to get out of there.

“What is wrong with you?!” Justin’s voice whispered loudly with a thudding sound probably the lockers by that asshole’s face.

Catching her remaining breaths, Elena walked faster out of the scene. She could see a few eyes staring at her, and she didn’t even know why. It wasn’t like someone saw her enter the Janitor’s room with Justin.

A blond haired boy caught her attention right before the exit door. Even though she wasn’t able to handle him right now, she knew escaping reality was nowhere near helpful.

“I’m going home. Care for a ride?” Ryan asked her with a blank face.

Elena simply took a deep breath and nodded. His company couldn’t be as bad as Justin’s. Why was she even comparing him to Justin? And for a second she forgot he was her boyfriend.

~

Most of the car ride back to her dorms, they were both silent. Somehow, for a reason, and for the first time, she was thankful Ryan wasn’t speaking. The silence was helping her gather her thoughts. If he argued with her about leaving him the other night, she didn’t have the right comeback.

“Who the hell is that creep?” He finally asked ruining the storm in her head.

“What creep?”

“The one I saw Justin push. He was staring at you like he knows you.” The annoyance in his voice was feeding the tension in the car, Elena might not have been able to breathe anymore.

“He’s apparently Justin’s new best friend.” She looked out the window eating on her fingernails.

“You know him?”

“Yeah…”

“Why didn’t you tell me about him?” Ryan asked again, damn sure she was obliged to answer his continuous questions.

“I didn’t think it was important. It was a long time ago.” She snapped.

“How long?”

“What’s with the questions?” She turned to him frowning and irritated.

For her surprise, Ryan didn’t try to defend himself, or even snap back. He just chuckled heatedly.

“You didn’t hear it then.”

“Hear what?” Something in the back of her mind was begging her not to hear the answers.

“He said you had some fun the last party you attended. The word has been spreading around that a Dylan said that.”

“W-What?!” The painful memory was crawling back into her consciousness. The way Dylan touched her body by force. Her fist turned into a ball and she almost winced at the feeling of her fingernails digging through her flesh. “He tried to kiss me… And more. But Justin saved me.”

“What?!” Ryan screamed and lost control over the car for a second. The honking of other vehicles behind him disappeared as he parked by the dorms trying to calm himself down. She never thought she would see Ryan like this. He had always been the calm sweet guy. “That was two weeks ago Elena! Why didn’t you tell me?!”