Page 73 of Boys Like You

“Here.” He hands me a key. “Use the one in my room, up the stairs, last door on the left, pull the door shut behind you.” I nod and make my way through the crowd.

I bump into Sherie; she’s been on the makeshift dance floor most of the night. I tell her I will join her soon, then escape before she convinces me to dance with her.

Walking up the steps, I bump into a familiar face. The girl that Maximus was playing video games with at Rocky’s birthday. She doesn’t talk to me, just continues down the stairs. I keep going up the stairs using the railing to pull myself up. The alcohol has gone to my head.

Mac’s room isn’t hard to find. I brace my free hand against his door, using my right to try and line up the key to the hole.

“It must be my lucky night.” The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. Two arms come either side of me, a large body trapping me between the door and a chest. I know the voice. I try to compose myself, the tightness sits in my chest.

“What do you want, Saul?”

“You,” he says into my ear, the smell of beer on his breath.

“Not interested.” I stop trying to open the door, a room that locks behind itself is not a good place to be alone with a strange guy.

“Come on, let me have one up on that fucker. He has fucked with me for years, and since you have shown your pretty face, he is different.”

The first flash happens when he presses his body closer to mine; I’m pushing a door closed, and someone pushes against it, I scream. I can’t tell if it’s me screaming in the present or in the flashback. Everything gets jumbled, and I hear shouting. I see Rory’s face smiling at me. I wave and blow a kiss. Then suddenly I’m getting kicked. I curl my body into a ball as the pain ripples through me. Someone picks me up, and I lash out with everything I have.

“It’s Mac.”

But it’s like we are in a tunnel. I’m so confused. Mac is here? I try to remember where I am.

“Just dump her by the water.”

It’s so dark. I try to scream as my lifeless body hangs over someone’s shoulder.

“Not before I take something I deserve.” I feel my dress being ripped off.

“Beating was one thing but rape? I’m out… Someone’s coming, just dump her already. There is no way they will suspect it’s you, she loves you.”

I hit the ground and everything around me fades.

***

A light is switched on. The fogginess in my head lifts as I gasp for air. I sit up, looking around to see where I am. I’m in a room, not on the beach. I lift my arms, expecting to see bruises, but there’s nothing.

“She’s awake.”

I turn to see my guys all standing side by side, visibly shaken. Mac is also standing with them except he has a black eye. I look straight to Mercer, seeking the comfort he can give me.

“What happened?” I keep my eyes on him.

“You blacked out,” he says, taking a step forward. I hold out my hand to stop him.

“That part I know. What happened to Mac? I think he helped me.”

“He did, he beat the shit out of Saul. It was impressive.” Mercer ignores my arm and pushes it out of the way to sit next to me, all the guys do, except Mac who stands beside the bed.

“What happened, JD? You scared the shit out of me,” Mac says.

“I don’t know. I was going to use your toilet like you said, and then Saul cornered me and I panicked.” I don’t tell him I had flashbacks; he doesn’t know my past. I keep seeing the flash of Rory telling me he loves me and me waving. I don’t understand what it means, but then I remember,“There is no way they will suspect it’s you, she loves you.”

Suddenly the air escapes my lungs at what that could mean.

The guys ask Mac to give us a minute. When he closes the door, they all look at me with concern. Levi is the first to ask questions.

“What really happened? And don’t tell me you panicked.”

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