When Our Worlds Collide (Our Worlds #1)(110)

Watching them is punishment. That’s what this is. It’s punishment for doing what I thought was best for him. This was him punishing me for the decisions I made. The decisions that were meant to protect him.

Amanda looks up at me from Graham’s neck that she’s just seconds away from kissing. With a grin on her face as if she won the biggest prize at the fair. She did win. I’m standing here loving the Graham that I thought that he was and she’s with the Graham that everyone believes him to be. Maybe he’s a little bit of both of them.

“Do you need something sweetheart?” Amanda cocks a perfectly manicured eyebrow at me trying to get a rise out of me. Graham turns to see who she’s addressing. His expression’s blank. There’s zero emotion in the eyes that I have spent many nights staring in to. His eyes are glossy and bloodshot.

“No, I don’t need anything…especially from either of you,” my voice was near a shout to prove my point. I can feel my shallow breaths going in and out on the verge of hyperventilating. All the emotions I think I have under control come crashing down.

Graham turns back around pushing Amanda’s hair away from her neck as if I’m not still standing here seeing his assault happen. Honestly, I don’t think he cares what I hear or what I see. He simply doesn’t care anymore. Perhaps he never did.

Pushing through the crowd that followed me into the kitchen, I make my way out onto the back deck. I lean against the railing resting my head in my hands trying to fight back the tears that keep threatening to fall. A few wiggle out through my attempt to keep them at bay. Angrily I wipe them from my cheeks.

I hate this Graham. The guy that just looked at me isn’t the one that I fell in love with. He isn’t in there anymore. That breaks my heart more than seeing Amanda wrapped around him.

“You are a fucking asshole,” Violet shouts from inside the house. My entire body straightens to attention.

“Violet, back the fuck off,” Amanda voice shouts back. “You’re not his mother. He can do what he wants. He’s a big boy.”

“Bitch, the only reason why he’s with you is because he’s mad at her. When he sobers up tomorrow he’ll realize what a big colossal mistake you were. Just like all the other guys you’ve been with.” Violet screams back.

God, I have the best friend in the whole world.

There are too many voices arguing from within the kitchen. I can barely understand where the argument is actually going. My headaches back. I need to get out of here, away from all of them, away from all of this.

Stepping down the steps, I walk along the outskirt of Dan’s woods that runs the backside of his property. I look back to see every light is on in the house. It’s bright enough to light my way, but there is still darkness that envelopes me. There’s a large green pull barn on the opposite end of the property. I turn quickly thinking I heard footsteps behind me. No one’s there. I keep making my way towards the barn where a large tractors sitting on a slab of concrete. This will be a good place to sit and think by myself for a few minutes until Violet comes searching for me.

My shoes hit the hard surface, that’s when I know someone’s behind me. I hear the light footsteps making their way towards me crunching over leaves. Call it intuition or just pure perceptiveness, but as a species I think we can just sense things. We have a way of knowing when something is going to happen or if we’re being watched. I hear the sticks breaking around me alerting my senses that I was right.

Violet’s checking on me. I’m sure excited to tell me how she gave Amanda and Graham a verbal bitch slap. A little time to be on my own would’ve been nice. When she catches up with me she’ll want me to talk about it. I’m not ready to relive that mess.

“I don’t feel like talking right now. Thanks for yelling at the skank for me though,” I say under my breath leaning my head against the tractor shuffling my shoes on the pebbles underneath me. My eyes are tightly shut. It hurts too bad, makes me feel too hard, to have them open.

“What skank would that be?” a deep familiar chilling voice says from behind me. My eyes spring open.

I turn to see the disturbed face that matches the bone rattling voice. He’s only a few strides away from me keeping a safe distance. As I go to shift to put space between us he closes in on me. I’m pinned against the back wheel of the tractor.

“What do you want Craig?” My voice is laced with fear. The lump in my throat as I try to swallow is impossible to ignore. I squeeze my eyelids shut hoping that it’s not real, hoping that it’s just a nightmare and tonight isn’t real.

“I think we both know what I want.” He pushes me hard against the tire causing a pain to shoot down my back from the unexpected contact. My first thought is to scream. I know it wouldn’t do any good if I do though. No one will hear me over the music and everyone milling around the house.

Graham isn’t here to protect me this time.

I’m alone.

You need to get away.

Run.

Do something.

Craig hand slides down my arm. His defensive stance is gone. This is my chance to run. As I do, I barely make it a few steps when he trips me. Falling on my elbows to catch the impact, the pain is excruciating. Nothing compares to what I know is coming next. I feel a weight on my back immobilizing me to the concrete.

“Bitch, stay down there. It’s where you belong. You prance around teasing me and now I’m going to take what’s mine.” Craig’s body is pressed up against mine leaving no room for me to move out from under him.