A Moment in the Crowd

Chapter 30: Attacker

My eyes grow wide in horror and shock as Miles places his long fingers on my chest. He continues to speak to me as I struggle against the thick ropes.

"I know you like it. Don't pretend like you don't. Your boyfriend can't help you now can he? I bet you were so easy for him." His voice is soft but fails at the task of sounding seductive. He just sounds like a snake to me, and it makes me want to gag.

I can't help the tears that pool in my eyes before falling onto my cheeks.

"Ssh, baby don't cry. It'll be over soon don't worry. You're so sexy, it won't take that long." His words only cause the tears to come faster now. My panic is overwhelming and the struggling against the ropes has caused them to burn my skin. I give an exasperated scream against the rope in my mouth, then collapse into full-fledged sobs.

"Tell me when you're ready and you're not going to scream. I can't kiss you with that shit in your mouth." He says to me and goes to lean against the desk as he fiddles with his phone.

My mind is racing and I decide that if I can get him to take some of the ropes off, I can somehow get out of here. If he thinks I'll cooperate with this sick game then maybe I have a chance at escaping. I attempt to calm my heart beat and do everything in my power to stop the tears from flowing. It takes longer than I expected it to. I have to think of Harry in order to calm myself down, finally.

"That's better." Miles says with a wicked smile. "Now if I take the rope off of your mouth, will you scream?" I shudder but shake my head to signal that I won't, and it's true. I need him to trust me enough to remove the ropes from my hands and legs before I begin struggling against him again. 

Finally he removes the rope and I move my jaw to ease the pain. I can feel the heat from the rope that has rubbed against my soft skin. I don't say anything as Miles looks at me, deciphering whether or not to put the rope down. When I remain quiet, he does.

"Good girl." He flashes me another wicked smile before eyeing my body up and down with his eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" I manage to ask him, although the words come out so weakly they're almost a whisper.

"Because that asshole you call a boyfriend has everything. He can get every girl on the planet, and he really had to choose you? What if us normal people wanted a chance with you huh? But no, he had to fuck up everyone's lives and then beat me up for it." He shakes his head in obvious disgust. I didn't think jealousy could cause someone to do something so terrible.

"He is normal, Miles. Just because you don't see that doesn't mean - " But I'm cut off with Miles' hand being clapped on my mouth.

"Shut up." He says to me and I do exactly what he asks.

"I didn't ask for your fucking opinion on him." He snaps at me. Fear courses through every ounce of my blood, and I remember my plan. 

"Okay. Didn't you say you were going to kiss me?" I ask him in the most seductive tone I can manage under my current state. I'm shaking and disgusted and overwhelmed by panic, but I need to get out of here.

"Fuck." Miles says with the same disgusting smile.

He harshly presses his lips against mine and I force myself to kiss him back. Instead of causing butterflies to flutter in my stomach, the contents of my dinner threatens to emerge.

He wastes no time in lifting my t-shirt to expose my bra. I shiver at the lack of fabric on my stomach, panicking even more at the fact that my hands are tied to my headboard. He looks at my chest with greedy eyes and rubs his hands over my breasts. 

"Holy shit your tits are huge." He's still staring at me and I close my eyes, attempting not to cringe as far away from Miles as I possibly can. 

I take a breath before speaking again, attempting the most seductive voice I can.

"Aren't you going to take off these ropes? I can't touch you if I'm all tied  up." I say, and feel the bile rising in my throat. I swallow hard and this time allow myself to cringe at the foul taste.

"Fine, but don't even think about leaving." I stiffen as he begins to remove the ropes attached to my arms, and then does the same with my legs.

Now that I'm freed I need to attempt to knock him down so that he won't get up. I could try and hit his nose but that may just stun him for a second. I decide to aim for the groin the minute I can get my knee in the right position. 

Miles runs his fingers along my stomach and I stiffle the will to run as far away as I can from him. Once he tries to lift my shirt over my head, I take my chance and hit him with all my force straight in between his legs. I hear him cry out in pain but I'm already off the bed and running out into the dorm room hallway.

All I can think is to get as far away from Miles as possible and I find myself in the streets of the empty campus. I continue running and take the chance to look back at my residence when I feel myself slam into something solid. I fall backwards in a painful thump, and start rubbing my head.

Did I hit a wall?

"Holy shit are you okay?" A familiar voice sounds through my throbbing head. I look up through the dark to see Brandon hovering above me. He offers me his hand and I take it, still shaking.

"Lily right? What happened to you, are you alright? Where's Amy?" One look at my petrified face and he can tell something is off.

"I - ... she's. I don't know. She's... he -" I can't manage my own tongue and I burst into sobs right in front of him. He eyes me with panic stricken eyes and allows me to fold into him.

"Lily I need you to tell me where my sister is." Brandon says calmly but firmly.

"She's in there, in one of the guys' rooms. I don't know who, I'm not going back in there." I manage to tell him but the words fumble out of my mouth awkwardly.

"Stay here, I'm going to find her." He says and runs into the residence building that I just escaped from.

Through sobs I manage to make my way behind a tree, just in case Miles comes out to scan the area near the residence building. My thoughts can't catch up with my racing mind and I just sit behind the tree and allow my body to shake through violent sobbing.

What would he have done to me if I hadn't been able to stop him? Would he have taken it that far? I can't bare the thought of going anywhere near Miles, and I know I need to get him out of this school for me to sleep peacefully again. I don't care how I do it, it has to be done. 

I find myself searching for my phone to check the time but I realize that I left it in my bag back in the dorm room. I'm sure as hell not going back in there.

I hear footsteps approaching the tree and I risk a glance behind me to see who it is. My heart relaxes slightly when I see Brandon, carrying Amy in his arms. 

He places Amy next to me and I notice the same glacial expression that she held while standing in the room before Miles and his side-kick attacked me. What did they do to her?

"Stay here with Amy I'm going to press the emergency button okay? I'll be back in two seconds, it's right over there." He points to a blue light which I recognize as the pole where an emergency button is located. 

I nod and hold Amy next to me. She feels limp and almost lifeless.

"Amy, Amy talk to me what happened?" She shakes her head and more tears spill out of her eyes, but the dull expression never fades.

I rock her in my arms as I allow my own tears to spill onto the top of her head. She doesn't deserve this. I pray to god that Miles didn't do to her what I know he was going to do to me. 

"Here let me." Brandon says as he returns to Amy and I, gesturing to let him hold Amy.

She shudders in her brother's embrace and then finally begins sobbing into his chest. I can almost see Brandon's heart break as he holds his little sister tightly in his arms.