The thick arm circling my waist tightens to an almost painful grip. The gasp that wants to leave me gets trapped behind that big hand, and my eyes go wide with shock and horror.
What…Oh, my God!
I struggle, thrashing and twisting in my captor’s arms. But his hold is too strong: I can’t move more than a millimeter in any direction. My brain is mush, unable to remember any basic self-defense methods from the class my sorority took at the campus gym a year ago.
“Don’t. Move.” The quiet whisper in my ear is cold and hard, the coolest edge of a wintry wind.
I shiver, so different from the delicious tremors caused by Ace’s voice. This one is tinged in slithering fear. My breaths are loud as I take in air quickly through my nose. I want to bite his hand, but then he might hit me.
Oh, God. What does he want?
The question I thought was silent must have left me in a whimper because he replies.
“You saw something you shouldn’t have the other night, didn’t you?”
Just the sound of my rapid breaths and the heaving of my chest.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
“Not talking, princess?” A hiss. “We can make you talk. We can make you scream.”
Another whimper. I shake my head fast and frantic.
Please, please, please, please. Please!
“So, lemme ask again. You see anything?”
I shake my head again.
“Good girl. And what about your friend, the wanna-be shark? Think it’s probably a good idea you two stay away from each other, yeah? Wouldn’t want you to get any ideas about sharing stories.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. Terror and rage are warring inside me. They want me to stay away from Ace? My vision blurs when hot tears fill my eyes. The tree line in the backyard nearly disappears, and my chest feels close to bursting with bottled-up emotions.
The arm previously circling my waist moves up to squeeze my neck. My eyes bulge, now desert-dry. The pain in my windpipe scares me into nodding my head in agreement to whatever he asks.
“There. That wasn’t so bad was it? Now, close those pretty brown eyes.”
My eyes squeeze tightly shut., but the pressure doesn’t lesson on my throat. Silence ensues, my heartbeat shouting in my ears, the pressure on my throat excruciating.
“Count to ten. Slowly. If you open them before that, I’ll shoot you.”
His words are so jarring, so nightmarish, that my knees wobble. He releases me and I collapse to my knees. The soreness in my throat is the first sensation I register, but I’m doing as he asks. I’m counting in my head.
When I reach the number ten, my eyes fly open against my will. I stare around me, my eyes roving the yard. My phone, on the stone patio floor, catches my attention and I scramble to pick it up, my legs to shaky to stand. Two missed texts from Ace.
There’s a ragged, gasping sound in the air and I search the area around me until I realize it’s my own panicked breathing.
Rising to my bare knees on the cold patio stone, I close my eyes again and allow the sobs to take me over.
Seventeen
NAIMA
I don’t know how long I crouch there, my knees biting into the sharp stone, but I don’t glance up when the French doors open. My heartbeat might never slow; my breathing continues at such a rapid pace my head spins every few minutes.
I was just attacked. Again.
So is this my life now?
“Hey, there you are. We’ve been wondering…” Noah’s voice trails off. I don’t look up, but I hear his feet approaching. “Ny?”
He lowers himself down beside me, bringing his face into my line of vision. He reaches out, touches my shoulder, and it’s like his hand prods a crack that was already there. I crumble into a thousand pieces right there in the fraternity house backyard.
Noah pulls me into his arms. Through the tears, I take in gulps of air. His scent is the only thing registering right now, and because it’s familiar, I curl into him and try to make myself as small, as invisible, as non-existent as possible.
“Ny. Ny!” Noah’s voice is a little frantic. He’s rubbing my back and calling my name over and over again, but there’s nothing I can do. There’s nothing I can say.
I’m not a crier. I know I’m freaking him out, but the feelings of fear and helplessness and fury have washed over me so completely it’s the only thing I can do.
And I cling to Noah because he’s there for me to hold onto.
He must have left the patio door open, because I hear Bryn’s voice next.
“Oh, my God! What’s wrong with her?” She kneels down beside Noah and me, pulling me so that my head is leaning on her shoulder instead of his.
“Bryn…” I suck in a deep breath, determined to get myself together so that I can speak. “It’s okay…I’m okay…”
“You are not.” Her eyes narrow as they take in Noah’s presence. “What did you do to her?”
Noah throws both hands up in front of him. His eyes dart to me before meeting Bryn’s. “Nothing! I found her like this! Ny, babe…what happened to you?”
Bryn brushes my hair out of my face, revealing what I’m sure must be swollen, puffy eyes and rivulets of black mascara running down my face.
Bryn gasps. “Ny? Why is your neck so red?” She turns murderous eyes on Noah, who is staring at my neck with shocked intensity.
“I swear to God, Noah…” she begins, but my hand on her arm stops her short.
“No, B…wasn’t…Noah.” Talking hurts. It really freaking hurts. I rub at my tender throat, and wince at the pain that follows. “There was...someone out here.”
Bryn rears back, now searching the yard with big eyes. “What?” She frowns. “Who?”
Noah stands, moving to the edge of the patio, staring out around the yard. His board shoulders are accentuated by the tight polo shirt he wears. Right now, his presence here makes me feel safe and
