Collide Series Box Set

by J. C. Hannigan

  Iain paused. I could feel his lips frowning against my neck. Then he sighed.

  "You're right." He stepped back, running a hand through his tousled hair. It was getting even longer. He still hadn't gotten it cut. I rather liked it that way.

  "I don't want to get you in trouble," I almost whispered. I tentatively reached out a hand, touching the side of his face.

  Iain nodded, his jaw clenching under my fingers. I assumed he was angry at me, so I took an unconscious step back.

  "I'm not mad at you," Iain said, sighing. "I just…I'd love to make it known that you're mine. I'd love to take you out, show you off…"

  "But we can't do that," I finished.

  "Nope." Iain sighed again, deeper this time. He smiled as he grabbed my hand, his blue eyes alight with an idea. "At least…not in this town…"

  "What do you mean, not in this town?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. He gently led me to the living room sofa. We sat down, his hand still clasping mine and his eyes still lit up with excitement.

  "I want to take you to Niagara Falls," he said sincerely, looking right into my eyes. "The weekend of November fifteenth. We'll leave on the Friday and be back on Sunday."

  "Why Niagara Falls?" I asked, a little surprised that he already had a place in mind.

  "It's far enough away from here that we can go out in public and don't run the risk of people recognizing us. And it's...I don't know, touristy."

  I nibbled my lip, thoughtful. It did sound extremely appealing. I'd never been to Niagara Falls, and I was a little tired of feeling like a mistress, although I wouldn't trade any time I got to spend with Iain. Even if we were holed up inside his house, eating Chinese take-out and watching terrible B-movies.

  "Okay," I said, hesitating a bit as I thought about the entire weekend in shifts I would miss out on. Iain would more than make up for it.

  "Great." Iain grinned, kissing me slowly and softly.

  "Oh!" I said suddenly, breaking away from Iain slightly. "I told Jenna about your suggestion—adoption." Although I'd interrupted our make-out session to tell him this, Iain didn't look the least bit frustrated. He pulled away slightly, looking intrigued and concerned.

  "What did she think about that?" he asked.

  "Well…she's not sold on the idea yet. She doesn't understand why someone would want a…'rape baby,' as she called it."

  "Ahh." Iain flinched; the same reaction I had.

  "It's still early," I reminded him. "She's still processing the actual rape…so. I can understand her thought process. But I think she'll eventually warm up to the idea."

  "That's good." Iain nodded. "Adoption agencies have counselors that can help process all that for perspective birth parents."

  "Oh, that's good to know," I said, making a mental note to tell Jenna. "And…I know we said we'd hang out on Halloween, and we will, but Jenna asked if I'd go over there first." I said this as I twisted my hair around in my fingers nervously. I wasn't really sure why I felt nervous. I guess I was worried about disappointing him.

  Iain's fingers gently touched my chin, directing my face so that I was looking at his face. "That's totally fine. Sounds like Jenna could use a good friend like you."

  "I wouldn't call myself a good friend," I countered. Iain rolled his eyes, kissing me gently on the nose.

  "You're too harsh on yourself," he told me. I nodded, not really believing him. I personally didn't think I was harsh enough on myself. I still had a lot of self blame. My boyfriend had been the one to kill Lauren, and I hadn't even noticed he was high. I should have noticed, and I should have stopped it. What kind of friend doesn't notice something like that?

  "Whatever you're thinking, you're wrong," Iain whispered, frowning at the look on my face. My eyes started to water, and I willed myself not to cry in front of him.

  "Okay, change of subject," I demanded, leaning toward him and pressing my lips to his. I focused on the lust welling in my lower belly and ignored everything else. I teased his lips with my tongue, smiling at his increased breathing as my hand roamed the outside of his jeans. Smilingly seductively—all traces of my formal depressive mood gone—I crawled up on his lap and straddled him, kissing him deeply and intently. Iain's hand gripped the hair at the back of my neck as he kissed me back with the skilled expertise that always made me moan.

  "One more thing," I muttered, almost out of breath. He looked at me, his eyes saying he'd give me anything. "Try to avoid my work if you can. I can only control myself so much."

  Iain laughed in my mouth, nodding as he unbuttoned my shirt and I allowed myself to lose control.

  The next week, I endured the relentless chatter about Riley's upcoming Halloween party, and about how anybody who was anybody would be there. On Friday, people were even louder about it. Jenna hadn't even bothered to show up; I figured she was tired of hearing about it too. I was feeling almost nauseated by it all, and I hadn't even gone through what Jenna had.

  At the end of the day, I made a final trip to my locker to get all the books I'd need over the weekend. I had a math test on Monday that I needed to study for, and yet another English paper due. I smiled thinking about Iain's homework assignment. Write about change. A time you changed, or something you want to change. His topic choice made me smile because there were so many options for me to write about, and I was rather excited about it. I loved writing for Iain now, mainly because he sang the highest phrase but also because I was always able to pour a little bit more of myself in my assignments. He got to learn about me a little more. My thoughts were interrupted when someone walked into me from behind.

  "Oops, sorry," Callie sneered, not sounding sorry at all. She stopped at her locker, which just so happened to be five down from mine. Tara leaned against the locker beside Callie's, blocking Callie nearly completely from my view. Not that I minded. I quickly grabbed my math textbook and shoved it into my book bag; I was suddenly in a hurry to get out of there.

  "I can't believe how bitchy Jenna's being lately!" Tara was ranting. "After you forgave her for hooking up with Andrew!"

  "I know," Callie said, shaking her head sadly. "She really can't see what good friends we've been."

  "Who are you kidding? You guys are horrible friends," I spat, unable to contain myself. I slammed my locker, glaring at them both. "You're both bitchy, two-faced, conceited assholes who back a rapist. But yeah, you're such good friends to Jenna."

  Callie and Tara stared at me in open-mouthed shock, but I didn't bother giving them a chance to reply. I spun around on my heel and stomped off, eager to get the hell out of the school.

  "I really need to get a car," I muttered, zipping up my coat and pulling my sweater over my head as the chilly air nipped at my exposed skin. I was supposed to be at work at three, and I had less than ten minutes to get there. Thankfully, the walk from school was a short ten minutes. The cold, fresh air also worked to calm my nerves. I regretted saying anything to Callie and Tara. For all they knew, the hook up was just a rumor that I had now pretty much confirmed, even if it wasn't a consensual thing.

  No point in worrying about it now, I told myself ruefully.

  * * *

  My shift was not helping my foul mood at all. For one, I wasn't working with Danielle. She had the evening off, so I was working with one of the middle-aged waitresses named Sally. While I generally enjoyed Danielle's company, Sally was a little harder to be around. She was a curvy woman in her mid-to-late forties who spent way too much time tanning. She also tried to dress and act younger than she was. She was extremely loud and her voice just grated on my nerves. She flirted relentlessly with anything with legs, and she told the grossest stories of her sexual encounters that nearly made me want to vomit. I tried to avoid talking to her at all costs, but sometimes it was unavoidable.

  Since it was Friday night, the diner was packed full of families and couples out on dates. I was constantly running around, and my feet were on fire. At fifteen to nine, Sally leaned across the cash register and turned on a ridiculous ve
rsion of puppy dog eyes. "Mind if I take off early, sugar?"

  I glanced around the diner; there were still five tables of customers finishing up their meals. We were supposed to close in fifteen minutes, but I couldn't shut everything down until all the customers had paid and left. Doing it alone would take a lot longer than having Sally there to help tackle some of the closing duties.

  "I have a hot date," she explained, as if that immediately meant she didn’t have to stay. I sighed in exasperation. I had two choices: stay a little later than I wanted to, or continue hearing all about Sally's hot date and the things she was planning on doing to him.

  "Fine," I sighed. "Have a good one."

  Sally grinned, bending over to grab her coat and purse. She was out the door before I could even say bye. Thankfully, the remaining customers ate quickly and paid within twenty minutes. I locked the door behind the last person to leave so that I could close my till.

  Ryan waited for me, sprawled out in one of the booths and playing Angry Birds on his phone. I finished up quickly, giving a final glance around the diner to make sure everything was in place. Satisfied, Ryan waited for me outside the door while I armed the alarm system. I pulled the door shut, making sure that it was locked. I turned to face Ryan to tell him goodnight, when two figures jumped out and grabbed him. They started laying punches into him while I screamed. A large hand clasped over my mouth, cutting off my screaming. Frantically, I brought my hands to my mouth, trying to pull away the huge hand. It was useless; the person was much stronger than I was.

  "Got you, bitch," he hissed, his words full of hatred. It was Andrew. Of course it was Andrew.

  "Stop it," I tried to say, but his hand silenced my words. I looked at Ryan with wide eyes. He was curled up on the ground, trying to cover his head with his hands as Andrew's two friends delivered kick after kick into his ribs and stomach. There was no way I could turn my body to free myself. Andrew's grip was too strong. Hot tears poured down my cheeks and onto Andrew's hand, and I heard him chuckle.

  "Alright, boys, that's enough," Andrew ordered. Both guys immediately stepped back from Ryan. I couldn't tell if he was okay. I tried to go to him but Andrew yanked me back.

  "You and me? We're gonna go for a little drive," Andrew said, his lips too close to my ear. I shivered in disgust, desperately trying to think my way out of this situation. He started dragging me toward a truck that I hadn't noticed parked in the diner parking lot before. I tried to dig my heels into the asphalt, but it was useless. Andrew had to change his grasp on me to grab his keys from his pocket. I took that opportunity to shove at him as hard as I possibly could. Miraculously, I was able to loosen his hold on me and knee him hard. Unfortunately, Andrew was taller than me, and my knee collided with his thigh, not the tender spot I'd been aiming for. Still, it threw him off and his grip on me loosened ever so slightly.

  I didn't bother wasting my breath; I took off running as fast as I possibly could. I couldn't go back for Ryan. I wasn't strong enough to take on three males, and they seemed to lose interest in Ryan as they started chasing after me.

  Adrenalin pumped through my body, giving me more speed than I ever thought I possessed. I ran to the street, hoping that people would notice the guys chasing me and think it was odd enough to stop and offer help. Cars drove by, but nobody stopped. I didn't have time or breath to waste swearing, so I continued running. I raced down Iain's street, hearing footsteps in close pursuit behind me. Iain's place was still a couple houses down, and I knew I wasn't going to make it. A hand reached out from behind me and grabbed the hood of my jacket, yanking me back with force. I screamed as loud as I possibly could before Andrew's hand clasped over my mouth. This time, I bit down hard. Swearing, his hand dropped from my mouth. I heard the revving of an engine, and realized with a panic that not all three guys had chased me. One of them had gone for the truck.

  "What's going on out here?" Iain's voice was like a Godsend. Andrew instantly released my jacket and ran for the truck, too much of a coward. His friend following quickly behind them. By the time Iain reached my side, the truck had sped off down the street.

  "Ryan!" I said in a panic as Iain reached for my hand. I couldn't look at him yet. "They jumped Ryan outside the diner and beat him up pretty bad, I need to—"

  "Let's get in my car, Harlow," Iain said, his voice full of calm authority.

  I nodded, allowing him to lead me to his car. He started it and quickly pulled out of his driveway, speeding to the diner. I jumped out of the car before we even came to a full stop.

  I ran over to Ryan's crumpled body, falling to my knees beside him. I tried to wake him. He groaned, and I let out a sigh of relief.

  "We need to get him to a hospital," I told Iain, feeling his presence behind me.

  "We'll call an ambulance, Harlow," Iain replied. "I don't know where he's been injured. I don't want to move him."

  "That makes sense," I said, grabbing my cell phone from my jacket pocket. I dialed 911 and told them I needed an ambulance. While we waited for them, I looked at Iain with newfound worry.

  "You shouldn't be here," I whispered. "What if…" I trailed off, looking at Ryan quickly. He didn't appear to be awake, but I didn't know for sure if he could hear me.

  Iain frowned, seeing the direction of my thoughts. He nodded. "You're right." He hesitated. I knew he wanted to stay.

  "Just go," I told him. "They won't be long, I'll…text you."

  "Keep your phone in your hand. If they come back, call me. I'll be nearby," Iain said, looking at me intently. I nodded. He leaned forward, brushing a strand of my messy hair out of my eyes. He looked as if he wanted to kiss me, but was startled by Ryan's soft groaning. He glanced down, thought better of it and stood up, giving me a wistful look that communicated how badly he wanted to stay. I watched him drive away, then focused my attention back on Ryan. His face was bruised and bloody, swollen in so many places. My heart hurt for him, and rage was boiling in the pit of my stomach.

  We didn't have to wait long for the ambulance. Soon, Ryan was being loaded up and I was accompanying him to the hospital since I'd been with him when he got jumped. Two policemen found me in the waiting room while a doctor and nurse assessed Ryan's damage.

  "Were you with him when the incident happened?" the first one, a middle-aged, seasoned cop asked, approaching me with a look of authority. His partner was a little younger, his chest puffed out proudly as he studied me with hard green eyes.

  "Yes, I was," I said, standing up and brushing back a strand of my hair. "He was jumped by three guys."

  "Did you happen to get a good look at them?" the first cop asked, exchanging an almost bored look with his partner.

  "Yeah, I did," I replied, my own eyes hardening slightly. "One of them was Andrew Cooper. I'm sure you know who that is."

  The older cop didn't look surprised, but the younger guy's eyes sparked with recognition and interest.

  "Who were the other guys?" the older cop asked, staring me down. I described them the best way I could, all while making occasional eye contact with the younger cop. He seemed more interested in what I had to say, while the older one seemed to be simply taking my statement out of routine. I glanced at the older cop. He had jotted down most of my statement on the incident, but didn't appear to write down Andrew Cooper's name or the detailed physical description of his accomplices.

  "Aren't you going to write down Andrew Cooper's name?" I demanded.

  The older cop moved the incident report from my view, and gave me a steady gaze. "I have, ma'am. Thank you for time. That'll be all," he said, giving me a challenging look. When I said nothing, he turned on his heel and left the waiting room, casting one glance at his partner with a raised brow.

  "Just a sec, Jim," the younger cop said. He waited until his partner, Jim, had shrugged and left our sight.

  "Give me a call if any more…incidents arise," the younger cop said, holding out his card with his name and number on it. I read it over then looked up to give my thanks, but he'd
already joined his partner in leaving. I was alone in the waiting room.

  I didn't get home until three o’clock and accidentally slept in the next morning. I woke up panicked, my heart racing from last night's near miss. I had waited an additional two hours in the hospital waiting room until a nice, elderly nurse came in to tell me that Ryan was awake and well. He had bruised ribs and a fractured cheekbone, but aside from that, he was alright.

  I hadn't gone in to personally check on him. His parents had been at his bed side almost immediately after they'd been called by the hospital, and it felt…wrong to intrude on that. Ryan and I weren't really friends and it was my fault that he'd been jumped – after all, Andrew had been looking for me.

  If I didn't hurry, I was going to be late for work, although work was the last place I wanted to be. I forced myself to shove the blankets off my body and get out of bed when all I wanted to do was hide there all day. I couldn't do that, not if I had any hopes of talking to Jenna about last night. I was supposed to hang out with her before I went over to Iain's. Talking to Jenna was essential. I couldn't shake the feeling that she'd change her mind if she heard what happened to Ryan, and to me. I hurried to the bathroom, trying to brush my hair and do my makeup in record time. Mom knocked tentatively on my bedroom door, offering a ride to work. I took her up on it, knowing that I would be late if I tried to walk.

  I made it through my shift. I had to work with Trixie, another middle-aged woman that I didn't particularly get along with. She harassed me the entire shift, demanding details on what happened to Ryan the night before. I told her the basics: that we'd gotten jumped by Andrew and his friends. She didn't seem to believe me at all.

  "That sweet boy? Really? Are you sure it wasn't someone that just looked like him?" she asked, demanding more and more information.

  "I really don't want to talk about it anymore, okay, Trixie?" I said, glaring at her.