I came back to the group mentally preparing to feel as small as I did that night a year ago and Hunter had disappeared. Everyone seemed confused as to what happened and looked to me for answers - not Oliver or Caden. I was confused wondering where he went and why he gave up so easy.
B suddenly volunteered, "It's her ex from home. He's an asshole."
Everyone finally looked somewhere else but were desperate for more details from the source.
Oliver sat on the edge of couch as he turned all the way around only to glare at her statement. It wasn't a true statement but I'm sure she thought it smoothed things over from being awkward to understandable.
But it didn't explain Caden and Oliver's behavior. How they knew Hunter seemingly so well.
I felt Oliver's eyes dig into me silently questioning if I actually dated him. I could feel him questioning even that night with Hunter.
I could only assume what he was thinking, that I was some love sick girl who didn't get her way so I made up something degrading to ruin his reputation.
They were all looking at me to explain but no words were coming out.
Hayley snapped clearly aggravated with waiting for some sort of explanation, "Earth to Layla... Anyone in there... What's up with the asshole boyfriend?"
I stood up overwhelmed. My chest felt heavy and I couldn't think straight any more. He wouldn't be here if Oliver didn't seek him out.
He stood up just to tell Hayley, "Shut up Hayley. You're acting like a bitch."
I swallowed hard saying too quickly, "I have to go."
I hadn't ever left an uncomfortable situation so quickly. Oliver stood up shouting my name but it wasn't enough from someone who ignored me after lecturing me on how "special" giving myself to him would be.
I turned around slightly, angry about him finally speaking to me now or all times, "I don't need you protecting me Oliver."
The air outside was crisp, worlds apart from the heavily sair inside. I was thankful Oliver didn't follow me. I walked further from the building without any sense of direction. No one was allowed to smoke inside, not even their loyal customer Oliver. The outside was polluted with clouds of smoke hanging in the air from everyone going between smoking and smoke-free.
It smelled like cigarettes burning at one end but it was really marijuana. I saw the boots blend in with the night but the ambient white gave him away.
It wasn't surprising he'd be the only one smoking something strong then cigarettes. In high school he carried a faint pot scent and everyone was aware he was who you went to for a connection to drugs.
I froze again. Just like when I saw him a year later in Adrian's hallways before I left. I wondered when this feeling would fade. When would I be okay seeing my attacker without these debilitating effects. I backed up slowly, unexpectedly hitting the brick holding the cold.
Maybe it would be easier if he wasn't alone but the boys he arrived with weren't anywhere to be found.
He was always hunting me. Always trapping me.
He was silent longer than I expected as he took long drags for the thicker cigarette shape. I didn't know what he would say when he finally did speak. All I knew for sure was he didn't let people talk down to him or gain an upper hand.
Back in high school he was always getting suspended for fighting everyone - security on campus, football players, other students, teachers.
Oliver may think all he's done, all the mistakes, added up to some bad reputation but Hunter was the conservator of his decisions. Specifically collecting bad decisions, mistakes, and fault to make a complete collection.
"So you got some tough guy boyfriend now?"
I was shocked he choose to say that, "He's not my boyfriend."
I felt safe this far apart and my back against the bricks, "Oh Layla, still so innocent. No one drives three hours to hit someone over a nobody."
I hadn't contemplated how far he went to solely give Hunter a piece of his mind. He was right, I wouldn't had done that for just anyone.
Another band started and you could hear the building trying to contain the noise but the bass escaped. Least it wasn't only our voices echoing behind the building now.
I told him, hoping he'd find Oliver not worth his time, "He's with the dark haired girl, Elizabeth. They have history."
Hunter moves lazily forward, towards me. He closed in on me enough to make me press my shoulder blades back into the brick. I felt his hand reach around me pushing my lower back into him.
I felt his hot breathe against my neck, "You're a horrible liar Layla."
I could feel my mouth go dry and my hard swallow of stale air almost hurt. I stayed silent hoping he'd get bored.
A smirk took over his face knowing the hunter caught his prey. He whispered, leaning further in and his lips pressed against my ear, "Round two? We both know you won't do anything with tough guy inside. You're a good girl."
I didn't have the balls to tell him off or even correct him without feeling foolish. Oliver and I did have sex but he ignored me for days and days too. Doesn't seem like much of a jab.
I would be playing right into his games.
The heavy metal door opened hard, hitting the brick hard enough to scare me as I looked to see who it was. I was meantally hoping it wasn't Oliver. I just needed to endure this until he forgot whatever motivation he conquered up to come here.
Oliver appeared alone without Caden. Great. His cigarette in his mouth clearly spoke volumes, he was here for a smoke not to save the day.
He seemed instantly pissed off witnessing Hunter pushing himself into me and his hands acting as if he owned me.
He looked at me and sternly shouting, "Layla go inside. Now."
Hunter grabbed my arm, "I think she's gonna stay -especially if you aren't her boyfriend."
Oliver's fists clenched painfully by his side as he repeated himself even more harshly, "Go. Inside. Now."
Hunter's grip didn't loosen one bit around my wrist as he leaned into Oliver almost whispering, "Piece of advise? She doesn't response to bossy. I've tried that."
Oliver didn't skip a beat, "By bossy do you really mean rape? Because no one responds to rape."
Hunter turned towards he possessed, "So that's why he hit me Layla. You're telling people I raped you."
Oliver was no long a priority to Hunter as he directed all his anger towards me, "How many times do we have to go over this? We were both drunk, you were all over me Layla - telling me how no one else was you're type at our school. We fooled around but you never said no. All you kept whispering was that we weren't suppose to be up stairs in this innocent way right against my neck. Right here."
He was doing a victory lap but spouting off the details trying to make one of us react.
Seeing them together made their differences stand out. Hunter's uniform was that broken in leather jacket, those boots, skin a blank canvas without one drop of ink, a gold watch, and not a look of being unamused but a corruption.
I whispered wondering what Oliver was thinking. I never gave him details and he never asked, "Okay... Hunter I'm sorry, okay?"
He turn towards Oliver who was struggling to control his temper, "Dude we're having a private moment. You don't have to play the protective fake boyfriend act."
Oliver swiftly moved closer getting in Hunter's face. I knew what was coming and I braced myself against the bricks knowing I was in the way.
Hunter would hit him but Oliver would return the favor. Hunter even decided to put on a show by slipping his jacket off and letting it fall gracefully. He needed a better range of movement.
It became obvious Hunter was a skilled fighter. He had been fighting his whole life.
I crumbled not standing up straight anymore as I watched Hunter have the upper hand. It wasn't until Caden and Aspen appeared looking for Oliver that my grasp on reality seemed tighter.
Both of the boys help restrain Oliver from hitting Hunter. His arms reaching out, his eyes wild, and his hair disheveled.
Hunter was hunched over with his hands on his knees laughing, "Okay. Okay, you're scrappy. I get it but is she really with it? You don't even know what you're fighting for."
I watched Caden simply let go of Oliver's arm showing how offended he was by the statement. Oliver pushes Aspen off almost easy. I quickly wondered how he was before the accident. It seemed like an unlikely friendship.
Oliver only needed one shot. We all heard Hunter scream, "Fuck," as he clutched his nose.
Oliver kneeling over his body snarled, "I didn't have to rape her to get her in bed."
Caden laughed in a way that he seemed like he was enjoying watching. Aspen tried to pull him off all by himself and wasn't successful.
I didn't notice when the girls appeared or even hear the heavy door. All I heard was a clear gasp from Elizabeth drawing in everyone's attention.
Hayley didn't seem shocked at all, "Had to be on the one night I'm hosting something huh Ollie?"
She had grown up with him. She must have seen him at his lowest, deepest, darkest point to not be shaken. Elizabeth had caught him with drugs but even that seemed trivial compared to her mortified expression now.
Oliver stood up from hovering above Hunter resembling an end scene of some action film where the heroine wins. His knuckles were bloody. His flannel shirt fallen off of one shoulder. His hair no longer perfectly pushed back off his face. He now spotted a swollen lip and some blood wound near his eyebrow.
I still didn't move from against the brick wall.
Hunter got in his face one last time pointing to Elizabeth, "Why don't you tell the girl you have history with why you're starting fights with me."
Oliver looked at Elizabeth with such regret before speaking. It was hard to look at him, I could see his heart break. I interrupted him before he could form any words telling Hunter to drive me back to the dorms. I didn't want to be alone with him but seeing Oliver weighted down by disappointing her more motivated me to be strong.
Hunter pushed his hand out forcing me to take his. Oliver wasn't looking at me, only Elizabeth. I couldn't be that girl. The one who killed their hope.