In the Stillness(25)

“Julia? Hello?”

She sniffed, and my heart leaped through my throat. I was dizzy and felt like all my nerves were buzzing on high voltage.

“Julia, what happened? You’re scaring me.” People slowed a little as they walked by me, staring for a second before going about their lives, as mine was seconds away from falling apart.

“It’s Lucas—” sobs cut her voice short.

You can feel relief and horror at the same time. It’s awful. A rabbit hole for which there is no bottom.

“Oh my god . . . no.” I put my head on my knees and started openly sobbing.

Her voice broke through my tears. “I don’t know all of the details, but there was some firefight. Ryker pulled him out—it was too late—Ryker was shot, too, Natalie.”

“What?” I was loud. A woman knelt next to me, placed her hand on my back, and asked if I was okay. She stayed next to me while I listened to Julia.

“He’s on his way to Germany, I think. His dad’s been on the phone all day trying to get details. He asked if I’d call you. From what we know so far, he’s okay, Natalie. He’s going to be okay.”

“Okay. What do I . . .” Words were useless. Nothing touched what I was questioning, what I was feeling.

Did she say Lucas was dead?

“I’ll let Bill know that I called you. He’ll call you with more information.”

“I’m so sorry, Julia.” I managed to get it together enough to recognize I was speaking with the mother of a boy who was shot.

I clicked “End” and let the phone slide out of my hands. As it tumbled down the stairs, I wailed. I wonder how many people saw me that day, and what they thought.

I still don’t know how Tosha got to me. Maybe I told that woman her name, and she went through my phone and called the last number I dialed. Either way, Tosha lifted me off those stairs an hour later and drove me back to our dorm room.

When we got to my room she got out my pajamas.

“You’ll be more comfortable in these,” she said as she walked back to my bed. I don’t remember telling her about Ryker or Lucas, but I must have.

I was staring through space as she helped me take off my shirt. I don’t think I’d blinked in a half hour. Suddenly, Tosha’s hand was around my left arm. I slowly raised my eyes to hers—she looked horrified as she stared at faded red cuts. Some of them would be scars. I couldn’t stop after that last phone call with Ryker. I tried. But I couldn’t. Now, I couldn’t hide it.

“Jesus, Natalie, what the hell happened?”

I bawled my eyes out as I released the last several months of my internal hell onto Tosha. She held my head against her shoulder as I cried; recounting the first time I cut all the way through to the last time.

“Do you want me to call someone?” she asked. “Do you need help?”

I sat up and shook my head. “No. Ryker’s on his way home. Everything will be fine, now. Please don’t tell anyone, especially him. It’ll all be good, now . . .”

Stupid girl.

*

Running through the parking garage connected to Thorne’s, I find my car, get in, and race home. It’s after seven. Shit. I didn’t intend on staying out this late, I hope Eric isn’t mad.

“Hey,” I whisper as I walk into the apartment. Luckily, he got the boys to bed on time.

“Hey you.” He smiles and walks over to me, grabbing my face and hitting me with a passionate kiss.

“Mmm,” I moan onto his lips. Everything else aside, this man is one hell of a kisser.

I back him onto the couch, where I straddle him as he sits. I keep our lips together; it keeps the past at bay.

“Oh, Natalie . . .” he whispers as I grind onto him, forcing my tongue into his mouth a second later.

His hands reach for the waistband of my skirt, but I bat them away. Instead, I slip off my panties and unzip his jeans, keeping my skirt on. Covering my legs.

He finds this hot. I find it necessary.

I kiss his ear as I whisper, “I love you, Eric. I’m so proud of you.” I grab him, steadying his movements as I slide effortlessly onto him.

“Jesus, Nat, you feel amazing.”

Don’t call me Nat.

It does feel good to have him inside me. To be outside of my head for five damn minutes of the day. I can’t pretend, though. I can’t push these suddenly ever present images of Ryker and the future I never got to have out of my head. I close my eyes tighter, begging Ryker to leave my brain. When I open them again, I find Eric staring at me with fear in his eyes. When I wasn’t paying attention he ran his hands up my thighs, lifting my skirt over my hips. Exposing everything.

I pull my skirt down, slide off him, and try to run to the bedroom. He grabs my wrist and forces me back onto the couch.

“What the f*ck is that.” He tries to lift my skirt again, but I slap his hand.

“Nothing, Eric. Leave it alone.” I’m caught. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I’m caught.

Eric leans forward and smashes the heels of his hands into his eyes. “How could I be so stupid,” he whispers to himself.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you went to Lucas’s grave, out drinking with Tosha without telling me . . . are you seeing that Ryker guy behind my back? Is he why you’re doing this?”