Shadowed

85

Kaela

I stand alone the darkness pressing in around me. All I can hear is the sound of my own breath gasping from my lips as my heart drums in my chest. "Fuck" I gasp as my muscles tremble with the last vibrations of adrenaline. I wet my lips as I try to get a hold of my body which is still in shock of the events which just took place. My teeth clench as a shiver goes down my spine - I can still feel his breath on my neck and his hands pawing at my waist. Warm light from the hallway seeps through the cracks around my door and I can hear the breathing and twin heartbeats of the men who stand guard outside. My stomach churns uneasily and I slowly back away my feet sliding over the smooth cold floor. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to shake the horrible feeling that I have which is building inside me. It's Trent. I can still taste his scent upon my lips, feel the prickling heat of his body and hear his low purring voice. My hands slip to my head and my fingers curl into my hair. He's in my head. I want to shake him loose but I can't. My heart is racing as I tear towards the bathroom stumbling and nearly falling against the door frame. Blindly my hands flail out and one slaps hold of the sturdy marble counter gripping it tightly. My fingers find the tap and I slam on the cold water. I splash water vigorously on my face and I gasp in shock. The water is icy cold, and it fires back memories of the freezing water which ran from the mountains, my home where I'd hidden away so many months ago.

I push the plug down in the sink and let it fill with water. My face is plunging into the icy pool before I even realise what I'm doing. It closes over my head and fills my ears as my head pounds in shock. My eyes snap open as an uncontrolled scream rips from my mouth. I scream until I have no breath left inside me and I'm forced to break through the surface once more. The sound of water dripping off my face and back into the sink echoes off the walls of the bathroom. Each drip getting slower and slower as I remain hung over the sink listening to each drip and the soft whispers of my own breathing.

The circulation in my hands is cutting off as my fingers which grip the counter begin to tingle with numbness. I slowly raise my head and find my eyes luminous blue in the dark bathroom mirror. I watch them harden with resolve and a slow calming breath whistles through my lips. I couldn't fall after the first night, no way.

That night I crawled into the new freshly made bed with its silken black sheets and lay listening to the mouth breathers stood outside my room. I would keep opening my eyes and watching the golden glow beneath the door waiting for a fallen shadow and the creak of the handle. Every time I felt sleep about to embrace me in it's beckoning arms something would wake me, my whole body would stiffen and my eyes snap open as my heart throbs at the base of my throat. I refused to roll over, I didn't feel safe enough to have my back to the door. So I lay there stiff as a board again waiting for sleep as my eyelids grow heavier and heavier. As my eyes closed I feel a familiar tug within my heart, and I knew that somewhere perhaps thousands of miles away my other half was lying awake in bed thinking of me and unable to sleep. Kale.

Kale

As it became inevitable that there was nothing left in the building which would help us, I knew we had to leave. Frustration burned beneath my skin as we walked back out into the night air. My mind was now racing and I could feel a slow lump forming in my throat. Where was she? How could we have missed her by merely a couple of hours! I could feel my hand beginning to tremble and my jaw clenches. I couldn't make a bigger fool of myself and lose it in front of the guys. Ryan stayed further back away from me and even though they stayed away I could hear their soft voices murmuring between themselves. As we approached the cars Ryan jogged up to me, "Come on bro, throw us the keys." His hand rests on my shoulder and I grimace as I dig into my pocket and pass him my keys. Though I didn't say anything I was glad he wanted to drive. My mind is a drunken tornado and not fit for driving. On the way here I had nothing but a pinpointed focus on getting here as fast as I could. Now I felt uneasy and my mind was scrambling over what the next move was to get her back. As we drove through the city Adam's face emerged in my thoughts. He didn't lie...or did he? Whatever the case he was first on my list.