The Game Has Changed

by D. L. Wu

  When he got to the end of the alley and the door of the Ladies' room, only then did he realize what was happening. He could hear a faint struggling behind the door as well as the resonance of lustful teenage boys. He could also hear Jaime crying. An angry surge of adrenaline overwhelmed him completely. Without hesitation, he tried the door in a panic, jiggling the locked doorknob forcefully. His efforts were futile.

  “Jaime!” he screamed at the top of his lungs.

  Jaime's heart raced upon hearing Evan's powerful voice. Her eyes showed her tremendous relief as she lay upon the floor.

  “Who's he?” the leader demanded of her. He sounded scared momentarily, but then his cockiness returned just as quickly. “Your boyfriend? Tell him to wait his turn. He's probably fucked you enough anyway!”

  She heard Evan kicking and pounding relentlessly at the door. She prayed silently that he would reach her in time because time was running out. One of the boy's trousers was down and she didn't want to lose her virginity to these hooligans. She wanted Evan to be the one to take it from her instead.

  “Don't you touch her!” Evan screamed at the exact moment she deliberated about her endangered virginity.

  His anger makes him sound so strong and brave and wonderful! she thought.

  “Go away!” one of the other boys shouted back at Evan as he held down one of her legs.

  The lady inside of the shop ran out to see what was going on at the sound of Evan’s screaming. “It's those boys again, ain't it?” she asked Evan. “They been doing this before. I thought they . . .”

  “Do you have a key?” Evan interrupted her, his voice full of anguish.

  “I gave it to her!” she replied, anxious.

  “A master! You must have a master key!” Evan looked and sounded so desperate. He was afraid for Jaime. So much so, that the woman was touched.

  “Yes, a master!” she cried, running back the way she’d come.

  As the woman hurried back to the shop, Evan continued to pound his fists against the door as he screamed and threatened the boys within. His knuckles were becoming bloodied and his voice was hoarse.

  “I'm gonna kill you!” he shouted. “You touch her and I'll kill you!”

  Jaime was comforted by the sound of Evan's voice as well as his words and the desperation they contained. Despite everything, it wasn't keeping the boy from doing what he was about to attempt. She couldn't see, but she could definitely feel something near her. She cried out for Evan when the boy’s hand slipped momentarily and set her mouth free.

  “Evan!” she shrilled. “Help me! Please, help me!”

  Evan’s heart filled with trepidation. He knew that was a sign that things were taking a sordid turn. His anger was bursting to overflowing and he didn't care that the skin of his knuckles were raw as he pounded against the door even harder. “Don't touch her!” he roared.

  The main predator was now angry about the fact that she’d cried for help. He struck her face violently. She cried out with pain and fright, struggling to set herself free, but three other boys held her down.

  The woman appeared with the other key within her hand. Handing it to Evan, she said, “I called the police, too!”

  Evan failed to hear her. The door flew inward with such tremendous force that it knocked two of the boys holding down Jaime's legs flat. They crumpled into a heap against the wall nearby. With unexpected strength, Evan ripped the main attacker off of Jaime and threw him against the farthest wall. He cried out with pain as he hit the wall hard and collapsed to the floor.

  The fourth boy ran at him from behind, but Evan sent him flying over his head with ease where he fell on top of the other boy. The other two boys scurried out the door while the boy he’d flung over his head pulled himself to his feet and charged once more, delivering a punch to Evan's nose that was accompanied by an unpleasant cracking sound.

  Jaime sat huddled against the far wall, away from the fighting. She squealed with anguish when she saw Evan's head jerk back from the force of the punch. She admired Evan's prowess. He shoved his knee into the boy's stomach with such force that he flew backwards to crash into his friend. Through it all, Jaime felt overwhelmed by what Evan had just done for her.

  It wasn’t long before two policemen arrived on the scene. They grabbed hold of Evan's arms to keep him from further attacking the boy. Evan struggled against their hold, fury still evident within every inch of his body.

  ***

  Anguish overcame her as Jaime became aware of her surroundings. Evan was being held aside by the two policemen. If they noticed the gun under his jacket . . . if they recognized him from an APB, she realized it was the end of the line for him. It would also be the end of her time with him. Truth be told, she didn't want that to happen. Her heart pounded and her sobs increased. Those on the scene assumed it was because of her ordeal.

  “It was those four boys!” the shopkeeper cried in Evan’s defense. “You know them, Officers. They've tried this many times!”

  One of the officers nodded at her as they continued to subdue a heavy breathing and angry Evan. “Settle down now,” he ordered.

  Evan took a deep, nervous breath. He made eye contact with Jaime as she pressed herself against the wall. She told him with her eyes how scared she was for him. His own told her not to worry. Soon enough, the policemen let him go.

  She sighed with relief. Evan didn’t waste any more time and hurried to her side. She was so enamored of him and thankful that she didn’t notice that some of her clothes were missing. Nor did she care that he saw her in the state she was in. She slid into his tight, comforting embrace. He held her against him as if he never wanted to let her go ever again. This ended up being her undoing and she cried with utter happiness.

  “He was just protecting his woman,” they heard the shopkeeper say in response to the questions the policeman put past her when he inquired about the couple on the floor. The woman was defending Evan's violent actions against the boys.

  “Okay, Mrs. Wright,” another officer assured her. “I know we've had lots of complaints against these kids. We'll take these two in.” He directed his attention toward Jaime and Evan as they sat upon the floor comforting each other. He took note of the fact that Evan’s head was buried against Jaime’s chest and that she was gently caressing his hair. He cleared his throat in order to gain their attention. “You'll have to come into the station, too, Ma'am, Sir. You'll need to file a report to press charges and have the lady checked for any injuries.”

  Evan lifted his head and gently whispered into Jaime’s ear. “Did he?”

  She shivered and understood. At that moment, she felt so incredibly and spiritually close to him that she thought she would burst. It was absolutely the best feeling she had ever experienced. She shook her head. “He didn't,” she whispered. “You saved me!”

  He nodded and she could see his tender smile of relief. “Where are your clothes, Luv?” he asked, looking around.

  “He ripped them,” she breathed, shuddering at the memory of what had happened not too long ago.

  Jaime saw him prepare to remove his leather jacket in order to cover her up with it. He was about to sacrifice his freedom once again in order to protect her. That she could not allow.

  “No,” she whispered, her hand sliding underneath his jacket to rest against his gun to remind him that they couldn't see it. She wouldn't let him leave her now and refused to let him be taken away because of such a small act of chivalry on his part.

  “But Jaime . . .” he moaned.

  She shook her head. “The car's not that far. I won't let you leave me,” she added desperately and he knew she meant that she wouldn't let him be taken away by the policemen hovering nearby.

  “Sir?” the officer repeated, drawing Evan's attention.

  “Um . . .” Evan replied in a shaky voice. “We . . . we won't press charges. She said he didn't get that far.”

  “Well, you should still take her to a hospital to be checked out, none-the-less,” the oth
er policeman suggested. “Would you like us to drive you?”

  “No, I can find it. Thank you so much, Sir,” Evan said politely.

  To Jaime's complete surprise and elation, Evan lifted her up into his arms. Holding her tightly to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her out of the restroom. He hurried down the alleyway toward the car that was still sitting at the gas pump.

  A group of onlookers had gathered and were now wondering as to why a police car was sitting in the parking lot with its lights flashing. They gasped with surprise and whispered amongst themselves when they caught sight of Evan as he carried a half-naked Jaime over to the waiting Acura.

  He opened the car’s back door and gently set her down inside. Closing the door, he rushed around to the driver's side. He hopped into the driver’s seat and peeled out of the gas station, causing several people to jump out of his way as he recklessly drove away.

  Jaime gathered her wits about herself and hastily pulled several items out of the Wal-Mart bags. She had picked up another pair of blue jeans and a few shirts, but soon realized that she no longer had any shoes. Changing into her new clothes, she climbed back into the front passenger seat. Her heart raced as she noticed how fast Evan was driving. If she didn’t know any better, he was driving over seventy miles-an-hour.

  Her eyes widened with horror as she took note of the blood that was gushing down Evan's face. She had heard the cracking of his nose when the boy had hit him, but hadn’t realized, at the time, that it most likely meant that his nose had been broken.

  “Evan!” she squealed. “You're bleeding badly!”

  While it was certain that he already knew, he seemed oblivious to her presence at that given moment. He was driving like a maniac and he appeared to be incredibly focused on the task at hand.

  “Please! Pull over now!” He ignored her plea as the speedometer hovered close to eighty.

  “Evan, please!” she beseeched him. “Pull over so that I can stop the bleeding for you!”

  “I'm not pulling over!” he shouted with reckless determination.

  “Then let me drive for a while so that you can put pressure on it.”

  “I'm okay!”

  “You're not okay!” she argued. “The blood is pouring out of you!”

  “I'll stop when we're far away from here.”

  “And bleed to death in the meantime? Evan, it looks really bad. Please, let me help you!”

  “I don't want them to suddenly remember they have a warrant on me!” he blurted out fearfully.

  “They don't know anything!” Jaime moaned. “Please, please, let me help!”

  Evan sighed with frustration. “All right,” he whispered and haphazardly veered onto the first country road that crossed the two-lane highway.

  CHAPTER 11

  As he tore down a dirt road into the middle of nowhere, Jaime reached into the bag of supplies sitting on the back seat to find something that she could use to put pressure on his nose with. The only things she found within the bag were several items of clothing and some snacks. She had no other choice but to take one of the brand new tee shirts that she had bought for herself.

  Once Evan pulled the car onto the side of the road and killed the engine, she scrunched up the tee shirt and tenderly pressed it against his bleeding nose, carefully tilting his head back at the same time. She grasped the back of his neck with her other hand to help keep his head steady as she applied gentle force.

  It was quiet for a long time as silence fell between them, interspersed with the sound of deep gasping and mouth breathing that came from Evan as she tenderly squeezed his nose. It was obvious that he was in dire pain and was having difficulty breathing. She gazed at him with both longing and pity, something he took no notice of as he had his eyes closed and submitted to her care.

  He took a deep breath, every once in a while. It frightened her every time he did so and could not help but to feel sorry for him. She felt indebted to him, too, for what he had done and what he now endured for her honor and safety.

  After a moment of contemplation, an idea formed within Jaime's mind. She cradled his head between her hands as she became a tad overwhelmed. Allowing the sudden impulse to claim her, she very gently kissed his forehead. His eyes opened wide with surprise as he felt her lips press against his flesh. He jerked into a sitting position, causing her to pull her hands away and drop the blood-soaked tee shirt.

  Embarrassment filled her as she acknowledged her impetuous act of affection. The look he gave her caused the embarrassment to dissipate as several chills coursed through her entire body. His eyes were saying so much to her. She wanted so badly to tell him how much she loved him. Tenderness, appreciation, gentleness – all of these emotions were written across his face. It was almost as if he doted on her. Yet she found that she couldn't say the words. At least, not yet.

  Instead, she dismissed her impulsiveness by giving him a shy smile. “It's slowed down now. How do you feel?” she asked lovingly.

  “To hell with me,” he said softly, sounding nasally because of his injury. “How are you doing?”

  “I wasn't really hurt,” she murmured with consideration. “You were hurt very badly. I'm so sorry for that.” She paused a second to take a deep, courageous breath. “Thank you. For doing that . . . for me.” Several grateful tears streamed down her red cheeks.

  Evan silently regarded her. “You're welcome,” he whispered and reached to wipe the tears from her cheeks. His action only caused the tears to fall even more. Yet she felt comforted by his presence.

  “I'm getting my blood all over you,” he said with a sad laugh. “I'm sorry.”

  She offered him a watery smile. “It's okay.”

  Startled, Jaime noticed Evan’s beautiful brown eyes glaze over. Tears rolled down his bloodied cheeks. Her pity overwhelmed her. “Evan?” she cried softly.

  He shook his head, dismissing his tears and rubbing his cheeks dry with the edge of his jacket’s sleeve. She sensed that his masculine pride wouldn’t tolerate her dwelling on his momentary lapse of emotion. So, for his sake, she pulled back from him slightly and stared at his swollen, bruised nose.

  She smiled and gently touched his injured nose. “The bleeding's stopped now,” she announced. “It must really hurt.”

  “Hurt's like hell,” he groaned, lightly touching it. “It is swollen?”

  “Oh, yeah. And all purple in color. Looks like it could be broken, even.”

  He examined his face in the rear-view mirror. “Oh, bollocks,” he mumbled.

  His face was a complete mess because of his new injury and the nasty scar he sported across his forehead. He hadn't really thought about it before, but soon realized that the damage to his handsome features would put his job in serious jeopardy. Of course, it all depended on whether he would be able to keep his job and not be thrown in jail for the rest of his life. Being a stunt double required him to maintain his good looks and physique. This recent damage to his face was certainly threatening his livelihood.

  Jaime watched him intently as he stared at his own face in the mirror. In her eyes, he was still the most handsome man she had ever seen. He’d saved her life and had been hurt in the process. While it hurt to see him in such pain, she was grateful for what he’d done for her.

  She felt a little embarrassed as he caught her staring at him and quickly looked away. Yet, just as quickly, their eyes clashed as she looked back at him. There was no hesitation on her part as she gently suggested, “Why don't we just stop early somewhere tonight? We'll get some ice for your nose and you can get some rest. You could use some sleep, I think.”

  He nodded in agreement and smiled sweetly. “I think we should drive to the next town and find a shop again. I could really use another shirt,” he commented, pointing to the blood-stained tee shirt he wore.

  She giggled. “And I need some shoes,” she said, lifting up one of her bare feet in his direction.

  “Blimey,” he laughed. “We’re quite the pair, huh?�
�

  “Oh, yeah,” she agreed as he pulled the car back onto the two-lane highway and sped off toward their next destination at a reasonable speed.

  ***

  Silence fell between them for the better part of the journey. Evan glanced at Jaime and noticed that her head was pressed against the window as she gazed out of it with an air of melancholy surrounding her. He heard her sigh once in a while as if she were a little uncomfortable about something.

  “Hey,” he breathed. “You alright, Luv?”

  The sound of his voice startled her as it broke the silence.

  “Yeah,” she said softly as she looked at him.

  “I'd be very surprised if you were, Sweetheart,” he offered tenderly. “I'd be quite shook up after what you went through if I were you.”

  A shaky sigh slid past her lips. “Yeah,” she whispered in agreement, returning to her previous position.

  “He really didn't hurt you, right?” he insisted.

  “Well . . .” she said, her voice quavering. “He did strike me across my face.” She trembled as the memory surfaced. “And near my leg, I felt . . . I felt his . . . his . . .”

  He nodded with understanding.

  “But I don't think he . . .” she gasped, unable to finish her sentence. “I . . . don't know, though, but I think not . . .”

  Evan was sentient of her innocence and purity and said affectionately, “You would know. The first time would be painful for you. If it didn't hurt, then you're okay.”

  A tiny, frightened cry escaped her. In an unexpected display of both support and affection, Evan placed a hand on her thigh in hopes of reassuring her. Jaime gasped with surprise, causing him to draw back for a second or two. He suspected that she was assuming his doing so was a sexual move rather than a supportive one. She quickly placed her hand on his and guided his hand back so that it rested against her thigh once more.