Chapter 5

POV Noralyn

I should have never come. I walk out of the warehouse, my heart beating fast in my chest as if it could sense the danger following, I know that this night is gonna be one where my nightmares come back again to haunt me. I might still be powerless against my demons, however those four jerks that are following me I can handle them. I pretend not to notice that they are after me and engage in a dark alley that has no exit then when I turn around to retrace my steps, there they are waiting for me.

“I told you we’d meet again soon, didn’t I?” The tallest of them walks forward leaving his friends behind. He probably thinks that his big muscles are enough to intimidate me.

“And I told you that this second encounter wouldn’t go well for you.”

He laughs at what I said just like he did back there at the warehouse, his three friends do the same. He looks at me with a disgusting interest in his eyes. I’ve seen this kind of look before and back then I was young and powerless but things have changed now.

“You’re cute.” He says with a mocking voice as he gets closer to me. “I like my girls fierce just like you are.” Then he has the audacity to lean against my ear. “Your kind screams louder in bed.”

“You’re the one who’s gonna be screaming, bastard.” I answer through gritted teeth as I grab his neck to yank his face away from me. I throw a punch at his throat that makes him stagger backward while cutting his breath.

“What the heck?” I hear one of his friends exclaim.

“That bitch is crazy!”Another one adds.

Ha. They haven’t seen anything yet. I’m not even using any of the martial art techniques that I know.

As he’s gasping for air I don’t give him time to recover and throw my foot between his legs, he squeals like an animal caught in a deadly trap and I achieve him with another punch against his jaw that pushes him on the dirty ground. He miserably curls himself into a ball with his hands holding his private parts, groaning in pain.

I crouch next to his body and warn him, “Don’t you ever come near me again.”

Now time to deal with the other three. When I stand up to gauge their reaction, they mostly look worried about their friend instead of looking like they want to attack me. Suddenly, someone appears from behind them and I recognize his voice before I see his face.

“What’s going on here?”

They all turn around and my eyes meet Rio.

“That crazy bitch attacked us for no reason,” one idiot says.

“That crazy bitch," I retort, "Was being harassed by this coward who's biting the dirt."

Rio's eyes land on him before he says, “I’m calling the cops.”

The three others immediately start panicking.

“Shit!”

“Let’s get out of here!”

"Come on, let's go!"

They run away leaving their friend behind. I had parked my car somewhere not so far away so I walk in that direction. I hear Rio’s footsteps as he catches up to me.

“They did something to you?” He asks.

“No. I wouldn't have given them the chance.

“You’re going to the police station?”

I think it over for a few seconds. “I don’t think it will be necessary but if they come at me again, I’ll do that.”

We keep walking in an awkward silence as I look for my car. There are way too many cars parked around. I don’t know why Rio keeps following me when earlier he said that my existence was bothering him. Maybe he’s looking for his own car, but I was wrong. When I find mine and unlock it, Rio is still standing behind me as I open the door to the point that I’m forced to turn around and look at him.

“You’re okay?” he asks before I open my mouth to say anything.

He’s looking at me with an impassive look as if he’s not really caring about the answer but he still followed me to my car.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

He nods then walks away without any further conversation.

On my way back home I park my car near a service station then turn off the engine. I remain like this for a few minutes, sitting in the silence, staring out the windshield. My hands are clasped around the wheel and my breathing is getting more feverish. I try to force myself to calm down until I remember what my therapist used to tell me. Sometimes it's better to let it all out.

I close my eyes and start screaming. 

I scream for Jace.

For the three people who died because of him.

And for what happened to me when I was 15.

I scream until my throat hurts and tears fall down my face as my fist pounds against the wheel. Then when all the rage subsides to leave the place to pain my forehead leans on wheel. I'm empty now, though I don't stop crying.

***

The next day at school for lunch Kline gestures for me to come sit next to him at a table and I make my way toward him.

"I thought your favorite spot for lunch was outside under that tree," I say as I sit down.

"In fact that was a lie," he offers an apologetic smile. "I just wanted to talk to the new girl, we don't get many new students around here. 

"Oh..." 

I can't think of anything further to say and start eating my food. 

"You left early last night, I looked for you everywhere after the skateboard show."

He looked for me? Then that means Rio didn't tell him about our little encounter outside the warehouse. I wonder why.

"I'm sorry I left without notifying you. I was feeling kind of dizzy so I went out to get some fresh air then I just decided to go home."

"Ah, that probably happened because of the crowd," he says with concern. "Hope you had a good night's rest."

I nod. "I did, thank you." 

I stopped feeling guilty about lying a while ago when I had to hide how broken I was to Jace so he would stop feeling guilty about what happened to me. Turns out my lying didn't prevent his own demons from catching up to him. 

"Hey Rio what's up?"

I freeze upon hearing Kline's friendly greeting. When I lift my head, Rio is sitting in a chair next to Kline, he doesn't turn his head toward me not even once. He acts as if I wasn't there at all.

"You mind telling me why you have a phone if you're not picking up any calls?" He's clearly upset and Keelan starts looking for his phone, checking his pockets in a hurry.

"Argh the battery's dead I didn't notice. What's wrong?"

"Davis wants me to pick up something for him outside of town tonight but I need a truck from your Dad's rental company."

"Then why doesn't Davis just go to Dad's company and rent one?"

Rio lets out a frustrated noise. "Can you help me out or not?"

"Jeez no need to get all worked up. Of course I can help."

"Later, then."

Rio stands up and leaves without casting a glance in my direction. I don't take it personally. I'd hate me too if I were him. 

"I apologize for his bad manners," Kline says. 

"It's okay."

But I can't help this weird feeling inside my chest. Suddenly I notice Kline squirm in his seat and he's blushing violently. When I turn my head toward the direction he's looking at, I notice the girl with violet bangs who questioned me about Rio yesterday. I think her name was Jade. 

I can't help but tease Kline, "Looks like someone's got a crush."

His attention comes back to me. "Is it that obvious?"

I smile at his shocked expression. "Way too much."

"I've been asking her out since freshman year but she kept rejecting me. Then when Rio started attending our school last year she told me that she was interested in him and that I should stop wasting my time."

Ouch.

"Aw, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about me. Unrequited love adds a certain spiciness to my boring life."

We both laugh at his overdramatic tone. My phone starts ringing and when I take it out of my pocket my heart drops when I see the contact name.

"Excuse me," I say to Kline while I stand up and he nods as he continues eating. 

I go stand in a corner where there isn't any table nearby so I can have some privacy then I answer the call.

"I think I made myself pretty clear the last time we talked, Keelan."

Receiving a call from my ex is the last thing I need when I'm trying, in vain apparently, to get away from the ghosts of my past.

For a moment I don't hear anything on the other line, then a heart wrenching sob resonates in the speaker.

"Keelan?" I ask, panic rising inside of me. "Keelan, what's going on?"

"Nora," he answers in a weak voice. "If you don't come right now, I'll jump off this building."