Page 30 of Quiet Rage
Tapping my foot against the floor, I stare at the door until it finally opens. Kellen’s enormous body appears, and all the air whooshes from my lungs. He spots me right away, his eyes zeroing in on me like the predator he is.
He stalks towards me. Tension builds in my body with every step he takes. He walks around the table, sliding off his backpack before taking the seat next to me. Unzipping his bag, he pulls out a textbook and some papers.
I should be relieved, but I still feel on edge. Scanning the library again, I look for any sign of Tiana and her friends.
“Expecting someone else?” Kellen asks.
“I don’t know. You tell me.”
“It’s just us, as far as I know.”
I nod, still apprehensive.
Kellen opens his textbooks and starts telling me his ideas for the project. I try my best to listen to his words, but it’s so hard to concentrate when he sits so close.
“Are you even listening?” he suddenly questions, giving me a hard look.
“Yes… I mean, I’m trying to,” I explain.
“What’s the distraction?”
You.
“Nothing. I’m fine,” I manage to say in an even tone. “I like your ideas. We can go with it.”
He gives me a pinched look, as if he is not believing me. He nods, regardless, and continues telling me how we can divide work. He is so nonchalant about it, like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
This didn't mean anything.His words from the other morning ring in my ears.
Memories flood my mind, and I have to force them down. I can’t think about this right now, not with him inches away.
We work on the project for a while, and I try my best to keep it together.
By the time Kellen closes his textbook and puts his pen down, it’s nearly dark outside. I gather my things quickly, ready to get away from him.
“How are you getting home?” he asks curiously.
“Walking,” I answer, hoping he will just let me go.
No such luck. “I’ll drive you.”
“I would rather walk,” I say honestly, getting up from my chair.
“I’ll take you,” he argues, standing up as well. “You can walk to my car, or I can carry you.”
Knowing that he is not bluffing, I give in and walk out of the library. Like a lost puppy, I follow him to his car and get into the passenger side. He gets behind the wheel and starts the engine. I buckle up and sink back into the seat with my stomach in knots.
Kellen pulls out of the parking lot and makes his way off campus. But when we get to the main road, he turns left instead of right. My heart sinks.
“Where are you going?” I ask, unsure if I even want to know.
“Just a little pit stop,” is all he reveals.
Frantically, I look around the car for a way out. Of course, there is none. Unless he gets stopped by a traffic light, we are going too fast for me to jump out.
Before I know it, we are driving out of town. My breathing grows erratic, and my pulse races. Where the hell is he taking me? What cruel thing has he planned now?
He pulls onto a dirt road, and I really start panicking.
