Dance In The Rain

~35~ What If She Would Have Died?

As I'm walking across the bridge, I can see only a few people down on the beach, one of whom is the guy who gave me the shell. There isn't as much beach as there normally is, and the water is crashing onto the shore like crazy, almost knocking the guy over.

Don't take all the good shells!

I'm just about to reach the edge of the bridge when a  hand clamps down on my bicep and scares me so bad, I yelp.

I don't even have time to turn around when the person is dragging me in the opposite direction roughly, and I lose my footing and start to fall.

"LET ME GO!!" I scream, and before my butt can hit the wood, the person catches me and stands me upright.

"WHAT THE HELL?!?" Holden's voice demands as he continues dragging me so hard I almost drop my Conch shell.

"Holden, stop!"

Holden can't even talk as he shakes his head and picks up the pace.

I'm obviously not walking fast enough for him, because he finally just picks me up and slings me over his shoulder, running so fast that it's jostling me all around.

"What are you doing?" I rasp out, clinging tighter to my shell as he rounds the corner and the hotel entrance comes in sight.

Somehow he runs even faster, and when we get to the entrance he swiftly puts me down and pulls me inside.

When I look up at him, he is visibly shaking and fumbling with his phone. "I've got her.....I'll meet you in the room," he says stiffly, and when he puts his phone in his pocket and turns dark eyes to me, I flinch.

He's mad

"You...." He bites his lip and shakes his head, when suddenly the wind starts screaming and the rain falls so hard I can't see outside anymore.

"We will keep track of the second half of this hurricane, and if we sound the alarms, everyone needs to get to the shelter," a man at the counter announces while several worried tourists hold tightly to one another.

"I don't understand...The storm was over," I say to Holden, who looks at me again and shakes his head. "You were in the damn eye, Julianne," he snaps in such a shaky voice, I'm trying to decide if he's about to cry.

"All the people at the beach.............." I get out as I hold onto my shell.

"The damn tourists who don't know shit? They're probably dead," Holden says loudly, causing several people to stare at him, offended and horrified.

A crash takes Holden's attention, and I think it looks like a tree just fell, but I'm not positive. Holden grabs my arm again and pulls me out of the lobby and down the hall to our room.

When we get inside, Tate says nothing as he barrels over and pulls me into a hug. "Where the hell have you been?" He asks in a voice that matched Holden's earlier, and when he pulls away, he stiffens when he sees Holden.

"Stay away from her, Holden!" He spits as he puts me behind his back.

Nico looks at Holden, and puts a hand on his shoulder. "She's alive and safe. Cool yourself off, T."

Holden simply nods as he takes a big breath. "Did I or did I not tell you that NO ONE was to go outside until I gave the okay?" He almost whispers as he walks closer to Tate until he can see me.

At my silence, Holden pinches the bridge of his nose and sits on his bed, hanging his head and slumping his shoulders.

Nico clears his throat and looks at Tate. "You and the girls take my room. Watch some TV, and shut the door. Don't you's go nowhere. If the alarms go off, we're all stickin' together."