Chapter 4 #2
However, I couldn’t not say anything. “What about what you want?” I asked.
“Doesn’t that count for anything?” For the first time in my life, I felt like I’d found someone I really understood.
My parents had certain expectations of me that seemed restrictive and confining.
I’d never had a friend who got that and could offer advice.
“I agree with Laney,” Danielle said. “You can’t only think about others. You have to do what’s best for you.”
“We’re not saying to discount your parents entirely,” I said. “Just to factor yourself into the equation.”
“Oh, that’s not what I’m saying,” Danielle said. “I think you should do what you want. Screw your parents.”
Emily chuckled. “While I appreciate the both of you, enough about me. It’s too depressing.”
“Austin just finished his gig,” Danielle said, looking at her phone. “I’m going to head to his place tonight.”
“Is he any good in bed?” Emily asked. “I can’t figure out if he’s all talk, or if he actually knows what he’s doing.”
I almost choked on my own spit. “Why would you ask that?”
“I’m curious,” Emily said. “The way Austin holds his microphone and sings to the crowd makes it seem like you’d want him to fuck you into oblivion. But sometimes it’s the guys who make you think those things who really suck in bed.”
I suddenly felt young since I had no experience with guys. Now that I was here at college, I’d have to change that.
Danielle’s lips pulled into a devious smile. “He was a little rough in the beginning, and not in a good way, but I’ve trained him to do exactly what I want.”
I really wanted to know if Emily and Rowan had sex, but I didn’t have the guts to ask.
Since they’d been together a long time, I assumed they had.
The thought of them being intimate made me physically sick in a way I didn’t understand.
I’d been attracted to plenty of guys through the years but never had a physical reaction like this before.
“Oh good, a gas station,” Emily said, pulling into it. “I’m getting low.”
I pulled out twenty dollars and handed it to her. “Thank you for driving.”
“You’re welcome.” She got out of the car.
“I’m going to grab a bottle of water,” I said as I opened the car door, still parched from dancing. “Do either of you want anything?”
They both declined.
I went into the small convenience store, suddenly tired from the long week I’d had. Overall, I couldn’t complain, though. One full week of classes, several new friends, and my mom hadn’t shown up unannounced once. All in all, a solid win.
I walked down one of the aisles that led to the refrigerated section along the back wall. Once I located the beverages, I grabbed a bottle of water and turned to head toward the cashier to pay for it.
A tall, imposing man wearing jeans, a leather jacket, and thick black boots stood blocking the aisle.
I hadn’t even heard him approach. He was so large that he took up almost the entire width of the aisle.
I stared at him, not sure what to do. He appeared to be in his thirties and had dark brown hair that was mussed, heavy stubble on his face, and tanned skin. He looked like a biker dude.
He sniffed the air.
I remained frozen, afraid to ask him to move or dodge around him.
The guy sniffed again, and his eyes suddenly changed, shifting from regular brown into something else. Something not human. The irises expanded as the color began to glow.
Terror filled me, and I took a step back, away from him. I glanced to my left, looking through the window. I spotted Emily closing the gas cap on her car, the hose already back in its holder.
Without overthinking it, I turned and ran to the next aisle, sprinting along it. I heard the guy’s boots pounding on the floor as he ran after me. When I opened the door, I chucked my water bottle behind me, hoping to hit him with it, and I kept on running.
Emily must have noticed me hauling ass toward the car because she jumped in and started the engine. I threw the car door open and dove in just as Emily peeled out of the gas station.
“What the hell was that all about?” Danielle screeched as she locked the doors. “Did you steal something?”
“No, I didn’t steal anything. Didn’t you see the huge ass man coming after me?” With shaking hands, I put my seat belt on, then peered behind us, half expecting the guy to be chasing after the car.
“Wait, seriously?” Danielle said, twisting around to look at me. “Are you okay?”
No, I was not okay. That incident had freaked me the hell out. “I don’t understand. There wasn’t another car at the gas station. Where’d the guy come from?” I was pretty sure he didn’t work there based on his clothing.
“I noticed a motorcycle at the far pump,” Emily said. “Laney, I need you to be one hundred percent honest with me right now.” She looked at me in the rearview mirror, sending a tingle of dread through me. “Do you know who that guy is?”
“Why would she be running from someone she knew?”
“Shut up, Danielle,” Emily said, her eyes never leaving mine in the mirror. “I’m talking to Laney.”
I prayed we didn’t crash. “No, I’ve never seen him before in my life.”
“Do you swear?”
“Yes, I’m telling you the truth.” I had no idea why she thought I might know the crazy dude.
“Then why did you run?” she asked.
I thought back to the incident. “I don’t know. There was just something scary about him.” And when I ran, he chased me, so that had to mean he was up to no good.
“Did he say something to you?” Emily asked.
“Why are you giving her the third degree?” Danielle said. “The guy was probably a freak. Better safe than sorry.”
“No, he didn’t say anything,” I answered. “He just scared me.”
Danielle twisted to look at me again. “He didn’t try to touch you or anything, did he?”
“No.” I went through the encounter in my mind, sifting through the details. “I didn’t know he was there until I turned to go pay for my water. He was blocking my way and…”
“And what?” Emily demanded. She’d make a great detective with how emotionless she was being right now. However, her no-nonsense attitude was helping me keep it together.
“He sniffed the air. It was creepy.” I’d probably overreacted.
“I just decided to trust my intuition and ran.” Then I remembered the part of the encounter that really freaked me out.
“Oh, and he had to be on drugs or something because his eyes were funky.” I shivered just remembering the way the color and shape had changed.
“You’re probably right,” Emily said. “Let’s just chalk it up to that.” She pulled out her phone and sent a text.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to ruin our night.”
“You didn’t ruin it,” Emily insisted.
“You just added some drama,” Danielle said. “You’re my kind of friend.”
It warmed me knowing these two girls weren’t upset with how I handled the situation. I enjoyed spending time with them and didn’t want to freak either of them out with my weirdness.
When we got back to campus, Danielle said that Austin was at her dorm waiting for her.
Emily pulled into the parking lot closest to Danielle’s dorm. “We’ll wait here until you’re inside.” She took out her phone and sent a text.
“Em, thanks for driving. I hope you get some tonight with that hunky boyfriend of yours. Laney, thanks for the excitement.” Danielle got out of the car and ran to the entrance of her dorm.
Rowan’s name popped up on the dashboard alerting Emily that she had a response to her text. She glanced at her phone.
After Danielle was safely inside, Emily headed toward my dorm on the other side of campus. I tried not to think about her going to Rowan’s place after she dropped me off. I needed to get over this weird attraction and borderline obsession that I had with him. He was taken.
She pulled into the lot and parked before sending another text. “I’m going to wait here for Rowan.”
“You’re not going to his place?” I asked as I got out of the car, not really wanting the details but forcing myself to hear them so I could confront the reality of the situation. Rowan was not mine to pine after.
“There are too many guys in his house. My dorm is better.”
I swallowed the bile that rose from hearing that. “Where’s your dorm?” I forced myself to ask.
“I’m in Hedgemore, right next to yours.”
“Thanks again for tonight.” I needed to get out of here before Rowan showed up.
Emily’s brows pulled together as she watched me. I swear her nostrils flared ever so slightly. Maybe I smelled from dancing. That had to be it. The guy from the gas station had probably stopped dead in his tracks because he’d sniffed my foul odor. Then I’d gone and overreacted.
At least I could go and shower now. I closed the car door, then headed along the sidewalk to Blackwall dorm. The light up ahead was out, causing the area to be cloaked in an eerie darkness. Goosebumps covered my exposed legs and arms from the cool breeze.
As I rounded the pathway, something slammed into me with a bone-jarring force, sending me flying sideways.
I smacked the ground, my head hitting a tree trunk, pain exploding through my skull.
I groaned, rolling onto my back, wondering what in the hell had just happened.
Reaching my hand up, I gingerly touched my forehead. My fingers came away covered in blood.
A low, vibrating growl cut through the night.
I blinked, fighting dizziness. My stomach dropped when I spotted an enormous dog headed my way. Except that it seemed too large to be a dog, and it moved with purpose as it came straight toward me.
Shit. I had to get up.
My vision blurred, darkness closing in. I was going to black out.
I couldn’t die like this. My mom was going to be so pissed.
A furious scream split the air.
Something slammed into the creature before me, sending it skidding sideways. The two shapes tore apart and began circling each other. The second one looked human, but something about him seemed wrong.
Then the man was on top of the creature, pinning it to the ground. I heard the deep timbre of his voice, low and deadly, though I couldn’t make out the words. A moment later, he shoved the animal back.
It scrambled to its feet and limped away into the trees.
The man turned toward me. He walked closer, his features sharpening as my vision swam.
“Laney?” he said. “Can you hear me?”
My world went black.
“Laney,” a voice called my name, sounding far away. “Laney, please be okay.” This time closer. Familiar.
I blinked my eyes open and heaved. The person holding me twisted my body just in time, so I didn’t vomit all over myself.
He held my hair back, rubbing between my shoulder blades. “Besides your head, are you hurt anywhere else? Did he…it…bite you?”
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again. “I’m fine. The dog didn’t bite me.”
“Can you stand?”
Without looking, I knew the voice belonged to Rowan. He must have been at Emily’s car when I was attacked.
“I think so.”
He took my elbow and helped me to my feet, but my legs gave out. In one fell swoop, he lifted me in his arms and warmth washed through me, taking away some of the pain.
I finally allowed myself to look at him. A scratch stretched across his neck, and the top of his shirt was torn. “You fought the dog?”
“I didn’t have a choice,” he said. “It’s not like I could call campus security and wait for them to arrive. I just ran at it and scared it off. It’s no big deal.” He glanced down at me, his brow creased with worry.
His eyes were too bright, and the shape looked odd. He blinked, and they seemed to return to normal.
“Where are you going?” Emily asked, coming to his side.
“I’m taking her to her room.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Emily said.
“I should go to campus security or a hospital,” I mumbled, letting my head rest against Rowan’s strong chest. I breathed in his smell, and a feeling of safety inundated me.
He stopped walking and turned toward Emily. “Did you do what I asked?”
“Yeah, I texted Danny.”
My eyes started to drift closed.
“Someone has to watch over her tonight,” Emily said. “She could have a concussion.”
“That’s why I’m taking her to her room. Her roommate can watch her.”
“Sarah’s not coming home tonight.”
Rowan rolled his head from side to side. “Fine. I’ll take her to your place.”
“I have training in the morning,” Emily said. “And a roommate. You need to take her to your place.”