☾☆

Melaine

When I made it down the end of the driveway, I could feel the tears starting to fall. I quickly realized that I had no idea where I was on campus or how to get back. I decided to turn right and just see where that would take me.

As I walked down frat row I passed other large houses with drunk people scattered throughout the lawn and could hear the different music blaring. It was now around midnight, and all I wanted to do was get as much distance as possible from Hunter.

I walked for about five minutes when I saw a guy walking toward me, clearly very intoxicated. I began to panic, thinking back to home when my father would walk through the door late at night in a similar fashion.

I tried my best to walk past the guy without him speaking to me, but soon realized that he wasn't going to let me pass so easily. "Hey you pretty thing," he slurred as he stood directly in my path. I made a move to get past him, but failed as he stepped in front of me once again.

"I think we could have some fun," He said as he got closer, the smell of alcohol on his breath becoming very strong. He put his hand around my waist causing me to flinch. "I'm sure you would that, you little slut."

The words made me feel disgusting, and I knew I had to get away quickly. I kicked him in the shin, causing him to stumble backward and let go of me. I turned to run away while he was distracted with his now bruised leg, but I didn't get too far before I felt his hand wrap around my arm and pull me back.

He was mad now, clear by the look he was giving me. He pushed me against a tree with his hand around my throat. "You shouldn't have done that you dirty whore," He spit in my face.

The feelings I was experiencing were all too familiar, and I felt myself freeze up just as I had always done in these situations. It was how I survived for years, and I found myself reverting back to those ways as an instinct.

"I'm going to have to give you a few bruises to return the favor," He said with a sick grin on his face. Before I even know what was happening, I felt his knee ram into my stomach causing the wind to be knocked out of me. I was a pro at hiding my pain from my years of practice, and remained in the same position as before.

He clearly did not like my lack of a reaction to his violent action, and moved to hit me again. I closed my eyes to prepare myself for the hit that was bound to come, but I never felt the pain. Instead, I opened my eyes to find the drunken asshole being pulled off of me.

The guy who came to my rescue had his back to me, as he pushed the drunk to the ground and began to throw punches at his face, screaming at him to stay away from me. Throughout this whole event, I remained frozen against the tree, unable to move or even speak.

I wanted to scream stop because I was afraid the guy trying to save me was going to end up killing him but no words came out. Eventually, he did stop and stood to face me. When he turned around my eyes were met with Hunter's.

He made his way to me in two long steps and stopped right in front of me. "I am so sorry baby, this is all my fault." He reached up to rest his hand on my face, but the action made me jerk away from him, another instinct that I had developed after years.

The action seemed to wake me up, and I finally felt like I could speak for the first time since it started. "Please stay away from me," It came out as a pathetic whisper.

He sighed and looked down at the ground before he met my eyes again, this time with tears forming in his, "Please at least let me take you back to my house and make sure you are okay. I can't leave you."

I knew that walking alone was a bad idea, but I also knew that I shouldn't go with him after what he had done. Regardless, of what I should do, I found myself drawn to him again. All I wanted to do was have him hold me. I after a long silence, the side of me that didn't want to be away from him won and I agreed to let him walk me home.