You're My Home (completed)

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

A cold feeling passed over Rachel, settling in her stomach. Goosebumps pricked her arms, even though her upper half was concealed by her leather jacket. She recognized this feeling as something she'd felt before. It was the feeling she had right before something bad happened. She'd felt the same ice prickling right before she was punched by a high school enemy, which broke her nose for the first time. When her college professor locked the classroom door, she'd felt it, too.

Rachel braced herself for whatever was coming. She thought about running back inside and mentally checked her legs. They were stiff and felt rubbery as adrenaline began to shoot through her. Her mind trailed away from the scene, away from Mike and the eerie silence. She was trying to remember self-defense moves, but in her current state of stress, she came up blank.

A scream was building in her lungs. She felt like she was choking on her own throat. An invisible barrier kept the scream lodged in place. Her hands were oddly steady as she removed them from the coat pockets.

"There she is!" Mike slurred too loudly. "I've been waiting for you."

Rachel clenched her jaw. She didn't like the hunger she saw in his eyes. He was getting closer. Now was her chance. She needed to run. Her mind absorbed that idea, but no action came. In fact, she couldn't feel her legs anymore.

Rachel tried the alternative and opened her mouth to scream. Nothing. She couldn't even let out the breath she was holding. How do you breathe? Her cheeks started swimming with blood, the veins in her neck protruding. She became uncomfortably hot and there was a tightness in her chest that seemed to be grabbing her heart. Tunnel vision. That's the last thing Rachel fully processed.

Mike closed in, and she caught the unmistakable scent of alcohol on his breath. "I texted you," he was saying, invading her personal space. "I called. I left voice mails. I came to visit you at that..." he waved a dismissive hand and made a face, "that stupid medieval thing. I want you back, Ray."

His fingers touched her cheek, triggering the instinct to jerk away. This triggered reaction reminded her to breathe. Rachel slowly drew in the much needed breath. The redness in her cheeks lessened, but she was still sweating. She could practically hear the professor's voice telling her to take her clothes off. She could feel his touch and his mouth on hers. It made her sick.

"You should go," said a voice that promised security.

Rachel turned her head in its direction. Collin was there. With his hair pulled away from his face, she saw the dim outline of hard set features and a challenging arch in his brow. He exuded both safety and possessive aggression.

Mike straightened to his full height as he took in Collin. The alpha male of the two was obvious, but that didn't stop Mike from trying. "Of course you show up," Mike said, the word 'you' harsh on his tongue.

Collin took a step forward and the sky rumbled.

Rachel felt the comfort of his hand through her jacket sleeve. She needed him near her, but he moved between her and Mike and a new hand met her arm. Willow tugged Rachel away, leading her back to Nigel's. Other spectators heard the stirring of thunder and, as if God Himself gave them the command, they all scurried to their cars.

At the same time, Willow said, "We need to leave."

Collin was saying to Mike, "You may have fooled Rachel's parents, but you can't fool me. Behind those button-up shirts you wore to impress them, you were a drug user who pulled Rachel into that lifestyle."

Mike clenched his jaw. "Rachel made her own choices. I never forced her into anything. I was good for her."

"Oh, and I suppose an open relationship, drugs, getting drunk every weekend, and all night parties were good for her?"