Where We Left Off (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 2 of the HunTia Trilogy)

Chapter Five

*THREE MONTHS LATER*

TIA'S POV:

"NO, I DON'T WANT GOOD, AND I DON'T WANT GOOD ENOUGH,
I WANT CAN'T SLEEP, CAN'T BREATHE WITHOUT YOUR LOVE,
FRONT PORCH AND ONE MORE KISS,
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ANYBODY ELSE,
WHO CARE IF YO-"
"Mmph," I groan, waking up to a warm spring morning. The new phone that Hunter got me "for my safety" as he put it, was ringing on the bedside table. Rolling over to get it, I manage to fall off the bed and land on the floor. The phone was undamaged, thank god.
"Hello?"
"Hey Tee!"
"Pey?" I ask. I didn't even known Peyton had my number.
"Just checking that we're still coming over for lunch today. I'll take it that Lynette and Leo are coming as well?" She sounds kind of nervous.
"Yep. How's Trey?" Peyton and Trey got married in February, and they're as happy as anything. Peyton's dress was absolutely beautiful, and they looked perfect together. As a joke, Trey told the cake decorators to write "Mr Peyton Williams and Mrs Trey Johnson" on the cake, which made Peyton laugh. Once I marry Hunter, that's the last of the Williams bloodline from Papa's side.
"He's great, he's fine. Oh, crap! Tee, I gotta go," she says, speaking in a rush.
"Um, sure. See you in the afternoon!" I try to say, but she cuts the call before I can finish.
Well, that was weird.
Hunter's starting to get more calls for interviews, gigs, meet and greets, all sorts of things. He's regularly going interstate now, and I know how much he hates it when he can't be with me all the time, but Nat's been a great friend, who did all but sleep over when it came to staying with me. Although, Hunter'll be here at around noon today, to help me make lunch.
That reminds me. I need to go grocery shopping.
I take a quick shower, singing random Ed Sheeran lyrics, although I'm sure I got them wrong. Getting changed into a yellow knit top with my favourite skinny jeans, I grab my purse before I lock the door. I call up a cab and wait. I really need to get Hunter to teach me how to drive.
A few minutes later, I'm at the local Walmart, and out of the corner of my eye, I see a group of men watching me. I try not to be nervous. Chances are, these men are perfectly nice people who like puppy dogs, and just happen to be dressed like creepy people.
Hopefully.
After paying for all the fruits and vegetables that I bought for lunch, I walk outside, and the men follow me.
I gulp, and walk faster. They keep following me, and I keep trying to make little twists and turns all over the place, trying to lose them. It gets to the point where I have no idea where I am anymore. Taking out my phone, I text the first person on my contact list.
I just hope Hunter has his cell on him.
"Hey sweetheart," calls one of them. I have no choice. I start running, but they catch up, and pull me into an alleyway.
"What're you doing, trying to get away from us?" asks one of the men, who was sweaty and smelled horrible. His black hair was gelled back with what smelled like elbow grease. He puts one disgusting hand on my shoulder, and I slap it away.
"Don't touch me," I warn them, trying not to let my voice shake.
"Oh baby, don't be like that! We just want you."
"What for?"
"We wanna have a little fun."
It takes me a heartbeat to understand. Oh crap, what the hell am I going to do?
"Stay away from me. I'll-I'll hit you!"
"Hold her down, says the black haired man to his mates. Two of them grab my arms and push me into a wall. "Now, let's have some fun."
"HELP!" I scream, hoping that someone, anyone, will hear me. "PLEASE HE-" The man punches me in the jaw, and I taste blood.
"No," he growls. "If you keep screaming, I'll kill you."
"You wouldn't," I snarl, trying to keep him distracted. The more time he wastes, the more time I get to get someone's help.
"You don't know me very well, do you?" he asks, putting two large hands around my throat. He tightens his hold, and I start choking. He suddenly stops, and I gasp for air, dry retching.
"Don't you dare question me again," he says. His blue eyes roam my body, and they're full of lust and longing.
"Don't touch her," I hear, before the black haired man is thrown off his feet. The other two men let me go, and I scramble away from the inevitable fight. I couldn't make out who my hero was, although I tell myself that whoever he is, I owe him my life.
The man trying to save me is, as far as I can tell, doing karate, making the three men drop like flies. Pushing his brown hair out of his eyes, I suddenly recognise him.
"Trey," I gasp. "Trey, how did you-"
"Tia?" he asks, suddenly running towards me. He starts frantically looking over my arms and legs. "Did they touch you? What happened?" he asks, urgently.
"They followed me out of Walmart. Trey, they were going to-"
"I know," he says. "Hunter's on his way," he adds, checking his phone. I realise how long I had been trying to evade the men. It must be noon, Hunter must be home.
I start sobbing, and Trey hugs me. I'm comforted slightly by the fact that he was the one to save me instead of some random stranger, but right now, I only want Hunter.
"Tia!" he cries, finding us in the alleyway. He looks like he's been running for a long time.
"Hunter," I say, and I see him take a step towards me before I black out in Trey's arms.

HUNTER'S POV:

"So what exactly happened?" asks Trey, while Natasha checks Tia's pulse. She's still out cold.
"I was in the middle of an interview, and my cell beeped. It was a message from Tia, and it only said 'Help'. It didn't say where she was, what was happening, she just wrote 'Help'. I started panicking, and I immediately called Natasha, who went to see where Tia was." I'm staring at Tia the whole time, holding her hand and squeezing it occasionally.
"Then I came over, found that she wasn't here, and called you to tell you. Then what?"
"Trey found her." I look up at him. "I can't thank you enough. But why were you in the area?"
"I was doing a show nearby," he says. "I saw her, she was looking really nervous, and she kept looking behind her. I saw the men, they were following her."
"So then?"
"They dragged her into an alleyway. I couldn't hear what the men were saying, but I heard her scream for help. They punched her in the mouth, and then one of them strangled her. I only managed to get into the alleyway after that."
"Oh, Tia, my poor darling," I murmur. "What did they want with her? Were they trying to mug her?"
Trey gulps. "I think that... I think they were going to rape her."
I stop breathing. My heart stops beating.
"Did they get her?" I ask, sounding urgent, even to myself.
"No."
My breathing starts again, but I can still feel a tight knot in my stomach.
"Mmm..." sighs Tia, stirring.
"Tee?" I say, gripping her hand tightly.
"Hunt..."
"I'm here, baby."
"Strangest dream..."
"It's okay."
She opens her eyes, and she looks surprised to be back home.
"What's going on?" she asks croakily, before clutching her throat. I remember Trey telling me that one of them strangled her.
"What do you remember?" I question her softly.
"The men... those men... they... oh my God." She looks up at me. "Did it happen? Did it really happen?"
I close my eyes. "I wish I could say no."
She gives a great shuddering gasp, and starts crying.
"Hunter," she sobs. "Hunter, they were so close. They would've gotten me." She looks at Trey. "Thank you. Thank you so much," she whispers. "I owe you so much."
"I was doing what was right," replies Trey.
"Where did you learn to fight like that?" she asks.
"I was bullied for a while in school, and my parents put me into karate classes. I became a black belt. I haven't fought for a while, but I think I did okay."
"You did wonderfully," I assure him. "Thanks for saving her."
He smiles. "Peyton doesn't know what happened yet. I'll go back, and I'll tell her lunch is off."
I hesitate. "Tee, do you reckon you'll be okay by dinnertime?"
"Yeah," she croaks.
"We'll have dinner together, the whole family."
"Oh okay," he agrees. "I'll see you later."
He and Natasha leave.
"Hunter?" I look at Tia.
"Yeah, honey?"
"Why does everything happen to us?"
I sigh. "Honestly, Tee, I have no clue."