Falling Down (sequel to The Game of Chance)

Chapter 16

Taylor's Perspective

The dark room threw my heart into a frenzied panic and I reached out beside me, feeling my hand brush up against a warm surface. I felt myself beginning to relax and I blew out a breath of relief, turning my head to eye the person beside me. Feeling the person shift on the bed, I could faintly make out him sitting up and turning around to face me. My eyes widened and a large lump formed in my throat as my heart staggered at the sight of those strikingly familiar green eyes.

I shook my head, sliding away from him, but I wasn't fast enough as he launched himself at me, his hands quickly gripping at my thighs. I whimpered as they dug deeply into my skin, pulling me closer to his body. I lifted my hands to swat at him, but he merely grunted and climbed on top of me, pressing my legs to the mattress and grabbing my wrists in his hands. He tightened his grip around them as I turned my head, pushing the side of my face into the mattress to keep myself from looking at him. He chuckled in amusement, using one hand to hold my wrists in place while his other slid up my bare thighs, his fingertips rough as they slid over my skin.

Feeling a pair of hands grip tightly at my shoulders, my bottom lip trembled in fear when I realized there were two of them. Not allowing my eyes to flutter open to see who the person was, I screamed out at the pain in my stomach as a knee was slammed against it. Luke growled above me, his hands going around my neck and clamping harshly around it. I gasped for breath as he squeezed, struggling to break free from him. After a few moments, his hands fell away and all that was left were the hands on my shoulders that were shaking me violently. Shaking my head, I swung my arm out in front of me, a loud slapping sound echoing around the room as I continued to cry and scream for the person to let me go.

The person instantly fell away from me and I blinked my eyes open at the sound of him hissing. My heart sunk into my stomach at the sight of Nathan a few feet from me, cradling his cheek in his hands and his eyes pinned tightly together.

The bedroom door banged open, Jay and Max appearing in the doorway. They looked between the two of us, questions flying from them as to what had happened. I shifted my gaze back to Nathan, my bottom lip still trembling as I whimpered, “I'm sorry Nathan, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, please. I'm sorry.”

He shook his head quickly, waving a hand at me before slipping off the bed and running from the room, mumbling to himself, “I'm so fucking stupid.”

Burying my face in my hands, I couldn't control the sobs that were clawing at my throat as my body began to quake. I could still feel the way Luke's hands dug into me, pressing imprints along my skin.

I barely felt a hand slip hesitantly over my shoulder and I instantly leaned into the person's touch, easily being able to tell the difference between this person's hands and Luke's. He sighed, sitting down next to me and pulling me against his chest.

-

Jay's Perspective

I let my eyes slide closed as Taylor ducked her head into the crook of my neck, her arm circling around me and her hand gripping tightly at my shirt. I swallowed roughly as I hugged her tightly to me, opening my eyes to exchange a look with Max. He frowned and nodded toward the door before backing slowly out of the room, most likely to go check on Nathan. I pursed my lips, grimacing at the way Taylor's body shook so violently against mine. It killed me to see her like this, but it killed me even more to see her and Nath's relationship suffering.

-

Max's Perspective

Lingering outside the bathroom door, I closed my eyes tightly at the sound of Nathan's cries on the other side. He was a good lad and I was finding it a lot harder than I imagined to step through the door to comfort him. I knew whatever I would find on the other side would kill me.