Chapter 45 Skye
SKYE
Ocean’s arms were around me, but they didn’t silence the disgusting voice that had seeped into my head. My chest felt tight, my stomach twisting into knots.
I could hear it again, the same voice I’d heard at that party, low and sickening, replaying in my mind like it had been waiting for this moment to surface.
I froze where I stood, the sound haunting, dragging me back years in an instant, like no time had passed at all.
I could feel everything again. The dim lights. The air thick and suffocating. And the cold, crushing weight of him holding me down.
My head swam as memory and reality blurred together, the past slamming into me like a punch straight to the gut.
“Stop being stubborn…open your legs,” I heard, faint but unmistakable, and my stomach turned so violently I thought I might vomit right there on the pavement.
I tried to blink it away, to shake my head, but the panic surged hotter, faster, like wildfire racing through my veins. My hands went to my head, clawing at my temples, and everything seemed to close in around me.
Then I felt Ocean’s hands on my cheeks.
Instantly, I flinched, recoiling as if he were the source of the storm itself.
My body jerked out of his grasp, and without thinking, I ran back into the club.
My heels smashed against the floor, my dress moving faster than my brain could process, and I dove into the nearest restroom like it was a lifeline.
Nyx was right behind me.
“Trace, don’t let anyone in here,” she demanded.
He nodded, then stepped back on the other side of the door.
I leaned against the wall, trying to breathe, trying to tell myself I was safe, but the memories wouldn’t stop. My throat tightened so much I could barely speak, my hands shaking uncontrollably.
Nyx crouched in front of me. “Skye…look at me. You’re okay. I’m right here. Tell me what’s wrong.”
I couldn’t respond. My voice had gone missing, stolen by the surge of panic that had consumed me. My body trembled, shoulders convulsing, as tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I wanted to run, to disappear, to erase all of it.
Finally, after what felt like hours in mere seconds, I managed to mutter, “I...I need to go. I need to go right now.”
Nyx’s expression softened. “Okay. I’ll get you out of here.”
She guided me to the door, supporting me like I weighed nothing at all, and I leaned on her, still trembling.
Somehow, the thought of getting out of the club, out of the suffocating walls, gave me just enough strength to stand on my own. Nyx’s presence was steady, her arm around my waist anchoring me to reality. We moved quickly, weaving past the crowd and through the back exit.
The Range Rover waited, and Nyx helped me inside.
She leaned toward the driver. “Take us to my apartment.”
The car rolled off, tires vibrating against the asphalt.
My phone buzzed in my lap, the screen lighting up with Ocean’s name. My heart jumped painfully, but I didn’t answer. I wasn’t ready. Not yet.
“Ocean’s calling,” Nyx said, placing a gentle hand on mine.
“I…I can’t,” I whispered. “Not now.”
She nodded.
Moments later, the phone rang again. This time, Nyx picked up, putting it on speaker. She spoke quickly, but gently. “Ocean, she’s okay. She just needs a second.”
“But what’s going on? Is it something I did? If it’s about me beating that nigga’s ass—”
“I wish I could tell you, but I don’t have an answer for you right now. I just know she had some kind of panic attack, and she needs a little space. I’m taking her back to my place. I’m sure she’ll call you tomorrow.”
I stayed silent, gripping Nyx’s arm. Her words were a shield, a buffer that kept me from panicking all over again.
“Alright,” I heard Ocean say, and there was a pause. “Just…keep her safe. I’ll wait to hear from her tomorrow.”
Nyx hung up, turning to me with a soft smile. “See? Everything’s going to be fine. Ocean’s going to be fine.”
The ride felt like hours, though it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes.
When we finally pulled up in front of her apartment, I felt a fragile sense of safety wash over me.
Before we went inside, she pulled me into another hug, squeezing me so tight it felt like she was trying to hold me together. “I got you.”
I nodded into her shoulder, grateful, exhausted, and more exposed than I had felt in years.
After a long moment, I forced myself to pull back just enough to meet her eyes. “Nyx…I was raped.”
My throat burned when I said it.
“What?” Her eyes widened in horror as her hands tightened around my arms. “When? Where?”
“Years ago,” I whispered. “At a party.”
Her face went pale, shock quickly giving way to something sharper, protective. “By who?” she asked, voice trembling with anger.
My stomach twisted. “I never knew his name,” I replied. “I barely even saw his face that night. But…” My voice faltered. “I would never forget his voice.”
Nyx frowned, confusion flickering across her features as she searched my face. “What do you mean?”
I swallowed hard, forcing the words out. “The guy Ocean was fighting outside the club…that was him.”
Her eyes went wide all over again, disbelief crashing into her expression. “What?” she breathed. “Are you serious?”
Tears burned behind my eyes as I nodded. “The second I came outside and heard him talking, I knew. I didn’t even have to see him.”
Nyx stared at me for a long moment, stunned into silence before she finally pulled me back into her arms, holding me even tighter than before.
“Oh my God,” she mumbled against my hair, her hand moving in slow, steady circles along my back. “Skye…”
I let out a shaky breath and stayed there in her embrace as I kept talking, finally beginning to fill her in on everything I’d kept from her for so long.