Chapter 26 #2
There’s no one here today, not like on the weekends, and it’s so peaceful and serene. The rich autumn colors remind me of home, and I take a moment to appreciate the sight.
When I reach the other side of the bridge, I hear what sounds like footsteps behind me.
Probably the wind rustling through the trees, I muse.
I turn around, and no one’s there.
See? It’s nothing.
I keep walking, but I hear it again, footsteps and the crunch of leaves.
This time, when I look around, there’s someone standing a few feet behind me. They’re wearing a black hoodie pulled down low, so I can’t see who it is.
“You fucking cunt.”
Oh, shit.
Renner pushes his hood back as he stalks toward me. His expression is furious.
We’re out here alone and… I think I might throw up.
I back up so fast that I trip over myself and almost fall on my ass.
“I’ve got nothing to say to you,” I state as calmly as I can, even though my heart is beating like a jackhammer. “Leave me alone.”
“How dare you report me to the school?!” he roars. “You can’t just walk away from me and ruin everything!”
I pull out my phone, but my hands shake so hard that I nearly fumble it. Somehow I manage to tap my camera app to record. I need to dial campus security too, even though, technically, I’m not on campus right now. Fuck.
“Don’t make things worse, Ren. Go away, please,” I urge. “Walk away.”
“How can things be any worse, you stupid bitch? I’m suspended from school and they’re charging me with vandalism!”
“So you did break into the boatshed?”
“I should’ve broken your face instead.”
I flinch at his threat, but I continue to back away slowly. Renner’s a snake and any sudden movement might cause him to strike.
“Why?”
The question rolls out of me before I can stop it.
“Because I felt like it. Because I was pissed. Because I needed your fucking attention and you never listen to me!” he screams.
There’s no reasoning with him, but I make one last attempt.
“This is only going to make things worse,” I insist. “Walk away from me right now or I’m calling the police.”
If that doesn’t work, I’ll scream my goddamn head off. Only, if we’re alone out here, who’s going to hear me?
“You don’t get it, do you? You don’t get to walk away from me like I’m nothing,” Renner snarls. “Not after what you’ve done, you goddamn cunt. You hurt me, and now I’m going to hurt you.”
Run.
If I cut through the trail, I’m five minutes away from a main road. I have a split second to decide.
Run.
Do it now.
I burst into action, running as fast as I can. Renner calls after me, but I don’t turn around. I don’t look, I don’t hesitate. I keep running and running and thank fuck I’m an athlete because I’ve never sprinted so fast in my entire life. I don’t even pause when I hear the noise of a car engine.
I’m close to Main Street. Keep going.
When I finally get off the trail and hit pavement, I bolt for the nearest shop in town.
It turns out to be Boots n’ Burgers.
Oh God, please let them be open at this hour.
I knock frantically on the door and look over my shoulder to see Renner emerging from the woods, looking around for me.
Shit, I don’t have any more time…
The door of the pub swings opens and Phoenix, the owner, stands there staring at me.
“Jett? Are you okay?”
“No,” I gasp. “I need to call the police.”
Phoenix quickly ushers me inside the restaurant and locks the door.
“What’s going on?”
“My ex is harassing me,” I pant. “I hadn’t seen him in weeks, and then today… he followed me from school… he… shit, he’s really angry.”
“Sit down. Do you need anything? Water?”
I shake my head. I can’t breathe. The room starts to spin. Shit, I’m hyperventilating.
“I can’t… breathe.”
Phoenix grabs a chair and motions for me to sit.
“Head between your legs. Slow, deep breaths. You’re safe, everything’s okay,” Phoenix urges. “You’re safe.”
I can hear his words, but everything sounds muffled. I lean over and do as Phoenix says, inhaling slowly and exhaling the same, and eventually I calm down.
As soon as I feel able to speak, I call Ethan.
Hearing his voice makes me shudder with relief, but I’m still so distraught that I can barely get any words out.
I give my phone to Phoenix with a shaky hand.
Phoenix calmly tells Ethan what’s going on, passes the phone back to me, then offers me a glass of water.
I take a cautious sip, worried I might puke.
It’s only then that I realize the restaurant is empty.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were closed.”
“Don’t apologize. I’m glad I was here and heard you knock. Thank God I’m a workaholic who never leaves the premises.”
After another sip of water, I call campus security and the local police. I don’t know how much time passes, but after I’m done talking to them, I can’t move. I sit there and stare at my hands. Despite the warmth of the restaurant, and my jacket, I’m shivering.
There’s a knock at the door, and I startle. Phoenix motions for me to stay put as he walks over and looks out.
“It’s Ethan.”
How did he get here so fast? I don’t know and I don’t care.
Phoenix opens the door and Ethan rushes in.
“Baby, are you okay?”
I launch myself at him, burying my face in his wool jacket.
“Jett?”
“I’m fine. I’m okay. He didn’t hurt me.”
He was going to.
I push the thought away.
Ethan cups my head with one hand and hugs me tightly with the other. Both of us are shaking hard.
“Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“No,” I whisper. “He yelled and scared me, and then I ran because he was so angry. That’s all. He didn’t touch me.”
I don’t know how much time passes—a minute, ten, twenty.
There’s another knock at the door and it turns out to be the local police.
Phoenix lets them in, offers everyone a round of coffee, and leaves us to talk in private.
I give them my phone so they can listen to the recording, and then I send them the link and sign off on filing a restraining order against Renner.
Then a rep from campus security shows up, and I repeat the same information.
An hour later, I’m hoarse from talking and all I want is to head back home and crawl into bed.
Ethan’s my rock the entire time, but even though he appears calm, I sense a storm waiting to unleash. He’s pissed at Renner and frightened for me.
“Shit, I missed my biochem class,” I whisper. “And I need to call Archie and Hudson and—”
“We’ll send your prof a note later. I’ve already texted our friends to let them know what’s going on,” Ethan reassures me. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?”
“No, I’m fine. I’ll call my therapist tomorrow.”
“Alright, let’s go home.”
We thank Phoenix and step outside the restaurant. I’m still shivering, and Ethan clutches me close.
“Don’t worry. He’s suspended, and given what he did today, he’ll be charged. He’ll be gone for good and that’ll be that.”
“I tried to tell him to walk away. He wouldn’t listen.”
“You did everything you could, Jett. This is not on you. He’s the one with the problem.”
We walk back to Ethan’s, but every noise has me jumping and looking over my shoulder.
When we finally step inside the house, all our friends are here, including Ethan’s frat brothers, Gage and Marshall. I finally feel my nerves start to settle.
“Bud, are you alright?” Archie asks me.
I reach out to hug my friend tight.
“I’m fine. Everything’s okay.”
“It’s over,” Ethan snaps. “That prick is done.”
Ethan stalks off toward the kitchen, and I start to follow him, but Dane shakes his head at me.
“Let him go for now, Jett. In fact, if you’re okay here with Jackson and the rest of the guys, maybe Ethan and I could step out for a bit? Give him time to cool off?”
I worry my lower lip and nod.
“I think that’s a good idea. I don’t want him to go after Renner,” I admit.
“He was scared for you, Jett. I’ve never heard Ethan panic like that before.”
“He called you?”
“From Boots.”
My head is throbbing. I don’t remember that at all. I place a hand on my temple and rub gently.
“I guess I was busy talking to the police, so I didn’t notice.”
“That’s understandable. But don’t worry. Ethan won’t do anything to make the situation worse. He cares too much about you to let that happen.”
“I know.”
I know Ethan cares. But does that mean he loves me the way I love him? I’ve been wanting to tell him, but every time I go to speak the words, I freeze.
You’re worried he’s going to run. Which is funny considering that you were the one doing all the running at first.
“And we’re all here. We’ve got your back. Anything you need, anything, just ask.”
“Thanks, Dane.”
He offers a warm smile. “I’m gonna find your boyfriend, take him skating, or maybe to the gym, and bring him back here in an hour, alright?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“One other thing—” Dane starts, then pauses.
“Yes?”
“Don’t wait to tell him how you feel. I think he needs to hear it.”