Page 50 of Forever Yours

“Dude, you are not going to leave me hanging. The girls are doing it.”

“No way in hell am I getting up there and singing,” I protested even as Ash hauled my ass up from my seat.

“You don’t have to sing. You can stand there and look pretty.”

What was the point, then? I’d look even stupider just standing there.

“I’ve got to pee.”

“No, you don’t.”

When he had pulled me far enough that I could twist out of his grip and race down the hall where the restrooms were located, I took off.

“Aw, come on, man!”

I threw up my hand and wiggled my fingers bye just as I slipped inside the men’s room and headed straight for the double sinks. Taking a very long time, I meticulously washed and dried my hands, much to the weird glances I got from the other guy taking a piss at one of the wall urinals. I scowled at his back when he left without washing his hands. That was just nasty.

As soon as the dryer turned off, the melody for “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls started playing, and I could pick out Ash’s voice, clear as day.

Extremely grateful I escaped that embarrassing hell I’d never live down, I decided to wash my hands again until the song ended. Exiting the restroom, my feet stopped dead in their tracks when “Stand by Your Man” began to play. Who in the hell was choosing the music?

Taking out my phone, I sent a quick text to Julien.

Me: Be glad you aren’t here.

I recorded a few seconds of Ash and the girls singing and attached it to the text message.

Me: I’m hiding out near the bathrooms until it’s over.

The messages went unread, and when I didn’t see the three dots bounce alerting me of his reply, I pocketed my phone… and slammed into a hard wall of muscle when I turned around.

“Shit. Sorry—”

I never got the chance to finish.

One second, I was standing out in the hall, and the next, I was roughly shoved back inside the bathroom. My feet tripped over themselves, and I crashed hip-first into the counter.Motherfucker. That would leave a bruise.

The motion sensor triggered, the overhead lights flickered on, and before I could open my mouth to bitch out the asshole who pushed me, a fist connected with my face, and another punch pummeled my gut, doubling me over.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t breathe.

Vomit rolled up my esophagus as my lungs tried to saw in desperately needed oxygen.Unable to talk and eyes blurred with tears, I held a hand up for mercy. I didn’t understand what was happening. A wave of dizziness hit me hard, and I braced my arm on the lip of the counter to hold myself steady. It had been a while since I’d been hit like that, but fuck did it hurt worse than I remembered.

Behind me, a man’s heavy breathing turned into a breathless chuckle, but he didn’t say anything. Holding on to the sink for dear life so I wouldn’t fall to the ground in a useless heap, I tried to lift my head enough to catch a glimpse of the man’s face in the mirror. Any small detail. Anything I could see in order to describe him to the police.

Fight back, Elijah. Get your ass in gear and fight.

“He said you were a pathetic pussy.”

Who said?

Pain bloomed like wildfire when my attacker kicked at my right knee, and I crashed to the dirty concrete floor when my leg buckled under me. In my hazy periphery, I saw his tennis shoe rear back, and I threw up my arms to shield my face. Pain exploded in my stomach at the force of his kick. Curled into a ball, choking gags racked my body.

Oh god. Oh god.

Why was this happening? Why?

Help me.Someone would come in. It was a public bathroom. Someone would be here soon.Hold on.

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