Anything For Rachel

Chapter Twenty Four.

It was almost like I could physically feel my entire world being shaken around me. I don't know why, but the moment I read the announcement on the TV I pictured myself in my house back in Nevada. I was standing in the middle of my own living room and everything was shaking. The pictures shook free from the walls, the glass shattering when it hit the floor. I could hear plates crashing out of the cabinets from the kitchen, and crack ran down my walls.

My knees felt like they were locked into place as I looked over to Calvin and Octavia whispering to each other in the doorway. Or maybe they weren't whispering, maybe the whooshing in my ears was just too loud for me to hear them over. Octavia's mouth was moving quickly, then Calvin covered his face with both hands before he suddenly shot away from Octavia over to the other side of the room where he threw his fist into the wall over and over, blood spurting out and spraying across his white shirt. I didn't know what was going on, but I knew it was bad. Bad enough to cause Calvin to lose it, and Octavia to look like she's seen a ghost, or just been told that her best friend is dead.

Dead.

Lexton.

The news said I'm the queen now, which means that something has to have happened to Lexton. I could feel my hands shaking at my sides. Something is wrong. Octavia mentioned Lexton, so she must be dead. Either she's dead, or she's told everyone the truth, or she's decided she doesn't want to play pretend anymore. The maybes and what ifs where driving me insane until I looked over at Calvin again.

The pain on his face broke me out of the fog and I ran across the room to him.

"Calvin!" I yelled. "Calvin, stop!" I tried again. He ignored me and continued to break the bones in his hands against the wall. I moved closer, trying to grab his arm, but he was moving too quickly and my hand almost got in the way of him and the wall but Octavia was the one who pulled me back in time. "Calvin! Please!"

I didn't know what to do when he still kept on, crimson blood going everywhere, even on my own white shirt now. I'd never seen Calvin ignore my pleas before and it only told me how bad things must be. Fear nearly crippled me when I looked into Octavia's eyes, a deep crease forming between her eyes and the same look of complete nothingness on her face.

"Give him a minute." She muttered to me but I looked at her in disbelief.

"No." I told her. "I won't watch him hurt himself, even if it will heal." I said reaching out for him again, but Octavia knocked me out of the way.

"He's going to hurt you if you don't give him some space." She snapped at me.

My face was hot and angry/panicked tears fought their way onto my cheeks. I just needed to stop him so I could know what Lexton had done. "Calvin would never hurt me." I told Octavia, then turned back to him.

He was suddenly away from the wall and in my face.

I thought I'd seen Calvin lose control before, but I hadn't. Not until now.

He'd lunged away from the wall and into my face, making me shrink away from him until I lost my footing on the rug and tripped into the floor. He just leaned down closer, his eyes black and the veins in his neck and the one on his forehead bulging madly. It was the first time I'd ever thought he looked like a monster, his lips pulled back far over his teeth, baring them at me fiercely where I was sprawled on the floor. "You think I won't hurt you?" He demanded, his voice booming with power. "Don't you see? All I can ever do is hurt you! I will be the death of you and everyone you love! Why can't you see that? Why are you so stupidly blind to see what is right in front of you?" He screamed at me and I leaned my face away from his, pressing my wet cheek against the ground, fear in me bubbling to the surface through my weak cries. I'd never feared this man before. "I'm a monster! I took something I never should have had! I ruined you! You will never be safe, you will never be happy! I can't protect you, or anyone else! All I will ever be able to do is hurt you!" He whispered menacingly. "I will hurt you." His cruel voice hushed, a promise.