Chapter 5
Jane / Alchera
While I grab my bag and hurry out of the house, it hits me that Ryan and I’ve been friends for a week already.
It’s still hard to believe, but with every passing day things become more and more comfortable between us.
The rumors at school haven’t died down one bit, and even though I try not to let them get to me, I can’t help but feel annoyed. I wish everyone would focus more on their own lives than mine.
When I rush out of the front door, Molly yells from the top of the stairs, “Remember to tell Ryan about the party!”
“Okay.” Reaching the truck, I open the passenger door and climb in. “Morning.”
“Morning. How was your night?” Ryan asks as he pulls away from the curb.
“Same old. Yours?”
“Nothing exciting.”
For some reason, I’ll never understand, Ryan’s latched onto me, and he doesn’t care about befriending anyone else.
I’m not going to lie. It makes me feel real damn special.
Before I forget again, I say, “Molly is having a party this Friday. You’re invited. ”
His eyes flick to my face. “Will you be there?”
“Unfortunately, yes, seeing as we live in the same house,” I grumble.
“Then I’ll be there.”
A smile starts to form on my face. “Yeah?”
“Sure. We can hang out and watch a movie or something,” he says as he slows the truck down to turn into the parking area of the school.
“Now that sounds more like my kind of party,” I chuckle.
He brings the truck to a stop in his regular spot, and leaning toward me, he grabs his bag that’s lying by my feet. I get a whiff of his delicious cologne and try to ignore the fluttering in my stomach.
I’ve somehow managed to keep my growing feelings for Ryan a secret so he doesn’t notice, and I plan on keeping it that way.
You can feel the change in the atmosphere when we get to school on Friday morning. Everyone’s excited about the party later today.
Even I’m looking forward to it because I’ll get to spend more time with Ryan.
Yep, I’m crushing hard on my friend, but just being around him is enough for me.
The day takes its sweet time, and when the final bell rings, everyone rushes out of the building to get to their cars.
“We need to hurry,” I tell Ryan. “I forgot to lock my bedroom door.”
I grab his hand and practically drag him toward the parking area.
“Why are we rushing?” he asks as I climb into the truck.
“I don’t want some horny couple making out on my bed,” I mutter.
He shuts my door, then jogs around the front of the vehicle. As always, my eyes follow him, and I drink in the sight of every hot inch of his body.
He slides behind the steering wheel and soon we’re heading home.
I glance at his strong hands gripping the steering wheel and let out a dreamy sigh.
I love the way he drives.
Scratch that. I love everything he does .
Ugh, I’m so screwed.
Within minutes, he parks the truck in front of the house because the driveway is already packed with cars.
Damn, I won’t be held responsible for what I’ll do if I find someone in my room.
Grabbing our bags, we quickly get out and hurry into the house that’s crowded with partygoers. I rush upstairs, and when I open my door and find the room empty, I let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank God.”
“Now you can relax,” Ryan says as he places his hands on my shoulders, rubbing them as he pushes me into the room. “Let me see what your bedroom looks like.”
He steps around me and walks toward my dresser.
Crap, not the dresser!
My diary is sprawled open on the piece I wrote about how dreamy he is.
I dart forward and grab the book, squashing it against my chest.
The corner of his mouth lifts in a mischievous grin. “Hmm…what are you hiding there?”
I try to play it off as nothing. “Just a book.”
“Oh.” With one hand casually in his pocket, he walks closer. “Just a book? Why are you clinging to it if it’s just a book?”
“It’s my diary,” I admit. “You’re not seeing it, Ryan.”
His eyes lock on mine, and I feel the intensity of his stare deep in my heart.
“So if I want to know all your secrets, then that’s the book I should read.”
“Read it and die,” I warn him.
I shut the book, and walking to my closet, I shove it beneath my underwear before closing the door so he can’t see my haphazardly packed clothes.
Ryan glances around the room while walking to the window. He stands there in silence for a good few seconds before glancing in my direction .
“You have a nice room,” he murmurs. “It feels like you.”
I shrug as I glance around my private space.
It might be my room, but it’s never felt like home.
Suddenly, he asks, “When’s your birthday?”
A frown forms on my forehead. “Huh? Why?”
“Just curious.” He turns his body to face me and leans his shoulder against the wall.
“I don’t know when it is, but I celebrate it on the day I was found at the waterfall.”
“Next week,” he says, catching me completely off guard.
“How did you know?”
His eyes widen slightly. “You told me.”
I don’t remember telling him, but I shrug it off. “When’s your birthday?”
A hot-as-hell smile curves his lips. “December nineteenth.”
“So you’re only a month older than me.”
He stares at me for a moment it feels like he knows something I don’t.
Maybe he doesn’t like birthdays.
Changing the subject, I ask, “Want to get something to eat and drink?”
“Sure.” He pushes away from the wall, and when we leave my room and head down the stairs, he throws his arm around my shoulders. “What are you feeding me today?”
“Hot dogs?”
“Sounds good.”
A drunk girl staggers into our way, and we have to sidestep her.
“Damn, she didn’t waste any time getting trashed,” I mutter.
“Molly’s parents allow alcohol at the party?” Ryan asks.
“No, but it doesn’t stop people from bringing their own.”
Walking into the kitchen, I quickly make the hot dogs and place them all on one plate.
I hand our food to Ryan. “Guard it with your life.”
He lets out a chuckle as he picks up a hot dog and takes a big bite.
Heading outside, we find a spot on the lawn where we sit down and watch as some people swim while others dance .
The music is turned up louder as more people arrive, and I wonder how long it will take before the neighbors call the cops.
Mayor Calder will lose his shit if the cops are called on us.
I take another bite of my hotdog and watch as Molly argues with Robert about the volume of the music before she turns it down a little.
One minute, I’m swallowing my last bite of my food, and the next, everything blurs.
“A pillow? Really?” I hear someone asking, his tone sounding incredulous.
“Yep, without it, I won’t get any sleep,” a girl answers.
“Did I say to bring one?”
It has to be Ryan. Only he sounds older.
“No, but it counts as an essential item in my books.”
“This is an essential item.” I can’t make out the man’s face as he gestures in the opposite direction of a waterfall. “By the way, if you need to go, head out there.”
“There’s toilets?” the girl asks.
A burst of laughter escapes him, then he shakes his head. “You dig a hole.”
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“The expression on your face is priceless,” he admits while I try hard to make out his features. “Let’s help them get the fire going.”
“Jane?” I hear Ryan’s voice, worry tensing his tone.
Slowly, my sight returns, and I’m met with Ryan’s concerned eyes flicking over my face.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
I suck in a deep breath before letting it out slowly.“Yeah.”
Ryan climbs to his feet, and taking my hand, he pulls me up until I’m standing in front of him.
He tilts his head to catch my eyes. “You sure you’re okay?”
I nod, my tongue darting out to wet my lips.
He steps closer, and lifting his hand to the back of my neck, he pulls me against his chest before wrapping his other arm around me.
Ryan’s holding me.
Holy crap.
My entire body explodes with tingles while my stomach’s overwhelmed with an intense fluttering sensation .
Not wasting a second of this amazing moment, I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him as tightly as I can because I don’t know when I’ll get the chance again.
“Was it another dream?” he asks, his tone low and serious.
I nod, my cheek rubbing against his shirt.
“Want to talk about it?”
Reluctantly, I pull back and shake my head as I mutter, “It was about a stupid pillow and didn’t make any sense.”
“Let’s go inside,” he says. “It’s noisy out here.”
It’s a mission and a half making our way through the crowd of partygoers, but when we get back to the room, I realize we didn’t bring anything to drink.
“Damn, we forgot something to drink. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” Ryan says while looking at the pictures I’ve drawn that are stuck to my wall.
I hurry back to the kitchen and grab two sodas. While heading to the stairs, I’m deep in thought about the weird dreams I’ve been having lately and the amazing hug I got from Ryan.
Just as I reach the top of the stairs, I’m suddenly grabbed from behind and hauled into Molly’s room.
“What the hell?” I gasp, my heart instantly beating faster from the shock.
Dropping the sodas, I try to pull away, but there’s no budging as the person instantly tightens his grip around my neck.
Panic flares hot through my veins when I realize I’m alone in Molly’s room with some guy.
“Let me go!” I hiss, trying to glance over my shoulder.
“Oh, come on, sweetling. How long are you going to keep up the act? After all, we’re almost family.”
Robert. Yuck.
I smell alcohol on his breath as it wafts into my hair and sticks to my skin. He’s the last person I want to deal with right now.
Robert spins me around and shoves me forcefully against the wall. I hit the back of my head, and the pain is sharp for a second .
“Asshole!” As I lift my hand to my head, the bastard grabs my wrists and pins them to the wall.
“Dammit, Robert,” I growl, in no mood to be bullied tonight. “Get your hands off me.”
“What if I say no?” he sneers.
He pulls me slightly away from the wall, only to slam me back against it. It hurts even more the second time around. I’m sure there are going to be bruises.
“Come on, sweetling. Show me the goods that have Ryan eating out of your hand.”
I swallow a whimper back, determined not to be weak in front of him, and I try twisting my wrists free from his brutal hold.
“I’ll t-tell Molly if you d-don’t let go of me.”
No! Why do I have to stutter in front of him? I haven’t stuttered in months.
“I’ll t-t-t-tell Molly,” he mimics me. “Tell Molly what, exactly?” His hot, sticky, drunken breath fills my nose, making my stomach turn.
He starts to force my hands above my head, and I fight back, trying to twist out of his grip. He’s too strong for me, and he pins both my hands with one of his above my head. The plaster digs into my skin from the force he’s using.
I squirm and try to yank free of his hold, but nothing helps. It only seems to excite him more.
“Stop!” I shout. His other hand moves down to my left hip, and I freeze as panic claws at my chest.
What the hell is he doing?
Then he starts feeling his way toward my chest.
“No!” I buck wildly, trying to twist my body out of his reach, but it only makes things worse. He steps closer, pinning my body to the wall with his own.
Oh, God, no!
“Robert, no!” I try kicking him, but that doesn’t work either because he’s standing too close.
He’s like a pile of crap, clinging to me like glue.
His heavy breaths mingle with mine. It’s disgusting, making me feel sick to my stomach.
Don’t let my first kiss be with Robert. Please.
“Get off me, Robert!” I scream, hoping someone will hear me.
He shoves himself against me, and I feel his hard-on. My stomach protests as bile begins to rise, burning its way up to my throat. His hand grips my wrists so tightly I’m sure he’s going to leave imprints on my skin.
“You know you want me,” he hisses.
“You’re insane! G-get…off!” I plead, close to tears.
I can’t believe this is happening to me. I can’t believe he’s taking it this far.
He starts to laugh, clearly enjoying my fear and panic.
“Are you scared of me?” he whispers. “Imagine the fun we can have together.” He takes a deep breath of me as if he’s sniffing me like a dog. “I can teach you a few things that will make Ryan one happy man.”
Panic slams so hard into my gut that all I can think of is Ryan still waiting in my room.
“Ryan!”
It feels as if my soul is calling out to his.
When Robert’s hand fumbles to get under my shirt, I forget about being strong and start to cry.
This is too much for me to handle.
Suddenly, Ryan growls, “Get your hands off of her!”
He grabs hold of Robert’s shoulder and rips him away from me before his fist connects with Robert’s face.
Blood spurts like a fountain from Robert’s nose, and he covers it with his hands while looking shocked.
“Jesus, man. You broke my nose,” Robert whines.
Ryan grabs hold of my arm and pulls me in behind him.
My legs go numb, and as his scent envelops me, surrounding me like a mist, a sob escapes me. I grab hold of his sweater and cling to him as if he’s my lifeline.
Tears keep spilling over my cheeks, and I bury my face against his back.
I’m so thankful he came to look for me.
Relief floods every inch of my trembling body.
“I didn’t know she was taken, man. Sorry,” Robert says in his cocky way.
“She is taken. Stay away from her, or I’ll end you.” Ryan’s voice is nothing but a low growl, promising misery and pain.
I peek around Ryan’s arm and see a glimmer of fear on Robert’s face while he tries to wipe the blood away from his face with his shirt.
The sight fills me with some satisfaction.
“Jesus. It was nothing,” Robert mutters before he walks to the doorway. “She asked for it.”
The coward quickly leaves the room, and Ryan turns around to face me. When I look up into his smoldering eyes, they’re so alive with anger it sends a shiver down my spine.
My frantically beating heart beats even faster, and my nerves feel frail.
A second later, I’m flooded with embarrassment because of the awful situation Ryan had to rescue me from.
He lifts his hand to my face, and his fingers brush over my cheek, wiping the tears away.
A breath shudders from deep within me.
He takes hold of my chin and nudges my face up to his, but I keep my eyes down. I can’t make eye contact with him right now.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his tone still brimming with anger.
I let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.”
I shake my head. “You didn’t know.”
I do my best to regain control over my chaotic emotions, and walking out of Molly’s room, I pick up the sodas before heading to my bedroom.
As I set the bottles down on the dressing table, I hear Ryan shut the door behind us.
“Th-thanks for helping me,” I say.
God, I hope this didn’t bring the stuttering back. It’s something that started after I was found at the waterfall, and it took four years to get rid of it. The doctors couldn’t explain why it came and went like that.
A lost sob shudders through me, and I hate that I cried in front of Robert. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry again, and I wipe angrily over my eyes.
“I should’ve given him the beating of his life,” Ryan mutters. He takes hold of my shoulder and turns me around so I’ll face him.
“I’m so sorry. I d-didn’t mean f-for you to get caught up in this mess.”
“Don’t apologize.” He pulls me against his chest, his arms wrapping tightly around me.
I snuggle against him, and it feels so good to have his arms around me after what just happened.
“None of this is your fault. You did nothing wrong. He’s the animal.”
After the shock passes a little, I pull away and gesture at my bed. “Want to sit down?”
“Sure.”
Once we’re sitting on the covers, I clear my throat and dare a glance at Ryan’s face. He still looks pissed as hell.
He shakes his head, and taking hold of my arm, he pulls me to his side as he lies down and presses my head to his chest.
When I feel him kiss my hair, I close my eyes and let the warmth from his touch spread through me.
“Want to hear a story?” he asks.
I nod while closing my eyes.
“There’s a place not far from Earth called Vaalbara, where a race called immortalis lives. They’re waiting for one of their own to return. She’s been gone for far too long and is very important to them. Once she returns, there won’t be any time for celebrations. She’ll have to prepare for training in combat and learn the ways of her people.”
“Hold on.” My head darts up, and I frown at him. “After all those years of being gone, this poor girl gets combat training for a welcome home present?” I poke at his chest. “You, my friend, suck at telling stories.”
His chest shakes as he chuckles.
“Be patient,” he mutters. “It gets better. After her vigorous training she becomes the best of all the trainees. Then, the whole village throws a huge celebration for her return. Happy now, you little story killer?”
“Yeah, that’s much better.” I smile as I snuggle against him, feeling much better after the incident with Robert.