Chapter EIGHT
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Darkness had me surrounded and I was alone. I couldn't see anything in front of me and I clutched the gun in my hand tightly. I could feel his eyes on me. He lured me away from my family, he wanted me weak. Weak and alone.
I felt a rush of wind around me and a large heavy force knocking the gun from my hand and to the ground. Quickly I dropped to my knees in search for the only thing that would keep me alive. A dark and threatening growl could be heard above me and I felt his warm breath fan my skin as the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
"Shane." I whisper as I tried to crawl away from him, "Please."
The wolf growled and swiped my face. I let out a loud scream of pain as I clutched the right side of my face that was beginning to bleed profusely. I heard a popping sound and then I felt Shane's hands on mine. I screamed in pain when he pressed his fingers into the cuts deeper, making the pain double, he was going to kill me.
But I was wrong. He was going to have his fun first. His hands were everywhere and I kept screaming and crying. It hurt so much. Shane had been my best friend, my boyfriend. I had trusted him and he was taking something I didn't want to give him. He was raping me.
I thrashed and screamed for him to stop, I pleaded but the pleads fell on deaf ears. Or I thought. He laughed as he pressed on my cuts to keep the blood flowing, never allowing the pain to cease and the screams coming. I screamed over and over but I lost so much blood I felt like this was it. I was dying. And when I closed my eyes, I didn't think I was ever going to open them again.
"Kat?" A voice asked franticly, "Kat!"
I was instantly cold, like ice water had been dumped on me as my eyes flew open, "No!" I shouted and my mother was staring at me with worried eyes.
"They haven't stopped, have they?" She asked and I shook my head, seeking comfort in her.
"Is she okay?" I heard his voice ask and I gripped my mother tighter. What was he doing here? I peered around my mom to see that my entire family was staring at me along with Tommy's group of friends, Colin included, and everyone had a worried look on their faces.
"She going to be fine." My dad told them, sternly. "I'm sorry to do this boys but I think it's time for you guys to head on home."
No one argued but Colin stared at me longer than anyone else and was the last to leave the room. I found myself wishing that he hadn't left.
I just had the most embarrassing moment of my life and all the guys were there to see it, Colin was there to see it. My face grew red, they'd never come near me again. But was that such a bad thing?
"I'm fine." I assured everyone after a few minutes. "Bad dream."
"It's okay," My mother held me to her chest, "You don't need to be strong, don't push us away baby."
She was onto me so I try to sound confident as I say, "I'm not. Really, I'm fine."
"Kat." She sighs, "Don't try to make us leave if you're not ready."
Nodding I took a deep breath and allowed my family to stay by my side. Another ten minutes passed and I'm sure this time, I want to read and forget for a while. "I'm good now. Swear, I just want to read." I tell them.
Chris gives me a grin, "There you go Kat."
Tommy smiled too, "If you need us, we'll be just downstairs or in our rooms across the hall. Call if you need us."
Hannah and Chris nod confirming Tommy's statement. My dad kissed my forehead and my mother gave me one last squeeze before I'm left alone again. Sighing I grab the book on my side table and dive in.
Hours later I shift positions to keep myself awake, which is when I hear a soft rapping on my window. Turning to look over I almost let out a scream as a face stared back at me. I slowly and carefully got out of my bed, I don't want to scream. I don't want to raise another alarm to my family but I can't clearly see the face at my window, all I know is there is one.
They knocked again and the person shifted their head a little so the light caught his handsome features and I let out a relieved breath and quickly rush to the window. If he makes any more noise my family will wake up, which I don't need.
"What-?" I started as he began to climb through the window and into my room.
"I had to make sure you were okay but I also had to wait for your family to go to sleep." He brushed off invisible dirt on his pants before he looked up at me. "You are okay, right?"
He came back. My stomach knotted and I found the tears hard to hold, he cared whether or not I was okay. I nodded, "I'm okay, Colin. I've got my books." I gestured over my shoulder and understanding crossed his features.
"You read to escape." He whispered and then looked to my shelves, wincing he turned back to face me. "That bad?"
I nodded, "But I'm good. Who needs sleep anyway?" I asked quietly as I shifted my footing.
Colin shook his head and quickly wrapped me in his arms. I froze, unprepared for what he had done. He noticed and let me go instantly, his hand going to the back of his neck. "Sorry Kat." he whispered.
"It's fine," I told him honestly, "I was just caught off guard honestly, I don't mind your hugs." As I said it out loud my face turned red.
He grinned, "Can I sit with you?"
I bit my lip, for whatever reason I felt okay with him but I was still nervous. I still had walls. Walls I didn't want to let down, not with anyone.
Colin stayed for hours, reading on the computer chair with me on the bed. I looked up at him when I heard him yawn three times in five minutes. "Tired?" I asked.
He shook his head, "No, no. I'm fine." He yawned again.
"It's okay," I told him sincerely. "I'm really fine, honest." I felt like I've been saying that all night.
"If you're..." yawn, "sure." He smiled and folded his book. "Goodnight Kitty Kat."
"Goodnight Colin."
The morning seemed to come fast with having company all night, which was oddly a nice surprise.
"Good morning." My mother smiled as she shuffled around in the kitchen, I nodded to her and took my place at the table. Hannah had her nose in a book as she slowly made her way into the kitchen with Tommy behind her.
"What is this?" Tommy asked, moving around her slow frame. "Since when do you read Hannah?"
She gave him a glare over the book, "For your information I'm researching about mates."
"Mates?" Tommy raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah." She nodded, looking back at the pages, "I'm trying to figure out if it's worth pursuing someone I think is my mate only to be crushed if we're not. I'm trying to figure out the early signs."
Tommy didn't say anything to this instead he nodded with a shrug and spoke to me. "Sleep well Kat?"
I felt everyone freeze at the question, eyes piercing the sides of my face. "Yeah." I lied, "It was..peaceful." I told them as I remembered the silence and tranquility of last night with Colin.
"Good." Tommy nodded and I noticed everyone picking up where they had left off. Chris walked in with his backpack, setting it beside him he pulled two waffles to his plate. "I'm going to have the guys over today, is that okay?" Tommy asked.
My parents agreed as they were going out today anyway. "Don't make a mess Thomas." My mother told him sternly before taking my father's hand and going outside.
Chris shoved his plate aside and took out the books from his backpack, "Since you're leaving for a week, I figured you could help me with my homework." He smirked as I gave him a blank expressionless look. "Great."
With a sigh I helped Chris finish his homework. About halfway through Hannah brought hers out as well.
I was checking over Hannah's work when they walked in. I heard Spencer's annoying voice and loud laughing first as they walked through the house to get to the basement.
"Hey." Colin said as he pulled out a chair at the table. "If I knew you were going to be doing homework, I would have brought mine too." He laughed.
"I'm just getting help from Kat before she leaves." Hannah gave him a grin.
I handed the paper back to her, "You got the bottom row all wrong." I told her a little annoyed and turned to Chris. "You got every question right but this one, you forgot to add the sum and then divide by the square root of 7 to find the answer."
Feeling Colin's eyes on me I faced him. He was smirking, "If I knew you tutored I would have asked you sooner. I'm absolutely dreadful in all my classes."
"She doesn't tutor." Chris growled, "She's pointing me in the right direction." I rolled my eyes, I didn't mind helping. It gave me something to do, plus I liked doing school work.
"If you bring your homework over, I would help." Hannah laughed, she hadn't done any work since he got here. She can barely concentrate.
Chris and Colin busted out laughing and Hannah blushed. "You can't even do your own work. What makes you think you can do his?" Chris asked between laughing fits.
"Well..I guess." Hannah trailed off.
Colin grabbed her hand, "It's okay Hannah. Really. Thanks for the offer though."
Hannah beamed at him, her eyes trained on Colin's. Colin was grinning back at her but not nearly as intense as Hannah. Pushing away from the table I stood up.
"I almost forgot." I muttered, walking out of the room in a fast pace. I felt the eyes of everyone at the table follow me out but I just walked out of the room muttering to myself in an attempt to make it look like I had to do something that couldn't wait. Which wasn't true, I just didn't want to be in there anymore.
"Kat!" Hannah followed after me, looking slightly shaken. She followed me half way up the stairs before she whispered, "Kat, I wasn't hanging out with him we were just talking, that doesn't count, right?" She gave me a worried look.
"Hannah, I told you before." I whispered back at her, "I don't care if you want to pursue him. I don't have a right to say who you can or can't talk too. Please just.." I started and Hannah stared at me, her eyes wide, she was hanging off my every word. "Just don't worry about me, it's fine." Another lie.
She gave me a sad look before she turned on the stair she'd been standing on and walked back down them. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. If I was giving my sister permission to go after who she wanted, then I couldn't be upset at them.
Walking slowly into my room, I heard laughter ringing from downstairs and I got a hollow feeling in my chest. I was alone again. I was always going be alone.
My eyes leaked the tears that I'd been trying to keep at bay. The hurt I was feeling was so strong I had to grip my shirt in order to help stop the pain from spreading. It did nothing.