Hunter's Chance

s e v e n

When I pull myself up, my timing is impeccable as James fist connects with Matt's face. I turn myself around and tug on the door handle, it's still locked but with a push of the button, I'm tumbling out of the car and lying on the ground. I push myself up and make a beeline for the road ahead of me. I'm at the highest level of paranoia searching my surroundings.

I have no idea where I am and I only have myself to blame for that. I'm marching down a dark deserted dirt road with determination at hand. I'm pissed off at Matt, and James, but mostly I'm pissed off at myself. How could I be so stupid? I obviously don't know how to read people. Thinking that Matt was a decent guy was an amateur move.

My fists ball at the thought and my angry feet are moving faster than ever. I see streetlights in front of me and I finally have some sort of an idea of direction. I hear rocks kicking up as a car is driving down the gravel road behind me. I don't have to look to know that it's James.

"Raegan!" He shouts from behind me and I hear his truck door shut. I ignore him and continue walking, my feet moving even faster than before. I have to get out of here before I scream. "Raegan!" He repeats.

I hear his feet pick up and before I know it he is at my side. He reaches for my hand but I pull away and walk faster. The sound of his feet still, and then pick up again and he's back at my side.

"Rae," He whispers reaching for my arm.

"Don't you dare call me that!" I shout, my voice full of venom. "That name is saved for the people who are there when they say they will be! Where the hell were you?" I had no idea I was this mad, but my mouth moves before my mind has a moment to actually process what I'm saying.

"Listen, I'm sorry." He says stopping me and grabbing a hold of my shoulders and looking down into my eyes. "I'm here now, are you ok?" He whispers, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

I stare as he silently begs for my forgiveness. I have no words. I'm mad as hell, but somehow I feel calm with him here with me. But then I laugh to myself at the thought of him showing up like some knight in shining armor to save the day.

"You're bleeding!" He says looking down at my knee. I hadn't noticed the big gash that I got from falling out of the car until now. Blood is dripping down my leg and I'm too stubborn to acknowledge it. The adrenaline of the night must have made me numb to the pain, because even now, I feel nothing.

I'm pulled from my thoughts when James reaches his arms under my knees and picks me up. I want to kick, scream, and fight like hell, but I don't. Instead, I rest my head on his chest as he walks us back to his pickup. He sets me inside the truck and reaches into the glove box for some napkins and presses them to my cut and I whimper at the pressure. Now, it hurts.

"I have some band aids back at my place, I'll take you there and we can clean it up." Normally I would hesitate, but not this time. Instead, I just nod. He goes to shut the door, but just before he does, he leans in and presses his forehead to mine. "I'm sorry Raegan." He whispers just before reaching up and kissing my hair.

It sends some sort of comfort through my veins when he calls me by my name. I'm still mad as hell, but its hard to stay mad, or even remember why I'm mad to begin with when at the end of the day, he was there. He saved me from that asshole, and I think I can forgive him for that.

"How did you know?" I whisper as he starts up the truck. It takes him a moment to respond.

"I was there... at your house. I pulled up right before he did." He says glancing over at me as we chug along the dirt road. "I assumed he was there for your roommate, so I just waited in the car. Then you surprised me by being the one to walk out and leave with him. I should have stopped you then, but instead I left." He says looking down. "I was on my way home when I recognized his truck pulling down this abandoned road and I just knew something was off."