The song fades away as it ends and I turn to head off and grab a drink, until the D.J. starts the next song, Animals by Martin Garrix, and I’m pulled back onto the dance floor.
Melanie begins to dance, “Oh no, you’re not getting away that easy. We are going to dance most of the night, Duke.”
The crowd goes wild as the song blasts and all I see are fists pumping in the air, including mine. I hear a few people shout, “Jersey Fist Pump!” and I laugh as I hold Melanie close with one arm and pump with the other.
After about five songs, I whisper to Melanie that I need a rest and head to the table to get a drink and sit for a bit. She stays on the dance floor and grabs Taylor as her new partner. After a moment of rest and a bathroom break, I look around to see if I can find Rob, and as always, he’s nowhere in sight. I pull my phone from my pocket and send him a quick text.
Me: You on your way? You’re an hour late.
Five minutes pass without a response so I figure he decided to skip prom; I don’t blame him. I put my phone back into my pocket and decide to find Melanie. I know I’ll have to talk to her soon but I won’t ruin her prom. I’m not that cruel, am I?
I see her dancing along with her girlfriends and notice sweat dripping down her face. Damn, that girl loves to dance. I grab a napkin and stick it in my pocket as I make my way back to the dance floor. The current song comes to an end as I see the D.J. going through his next set list and starts to play, Just Hold On, We’re Going Home by Drake.
Taylor is staring at something across the hallway near the entrance, “Hey, man. What’s going on?”
Taylor nods his head toward the hallway entrance, “Rob’s here,” and he walks away and heads to the back of the ballroom. I turn to look at Rob at the entrance, but suddenly, I stop dead in my tracks and my breath catches. Raya is here with Rob.
Even though they are a few feet away, I can see her perfectly clear and she’s breathtakingly exquisite in that dress. It’s a long, elegant lavender dress that touches the floor. The bottoms fluffs out like a princess’s gown and the sequined, strapless top curves around her petite chest. Her dark hair curls perfectly along her shoulder blades and flows down her smooth and exposed back.
She and Rob catch my eye and approach me; still stunned in place. As they close the distance, I see her dazzling smile and I smile in response. I hear Drake’s song continue to play throughout the room and suddenly wonder if this is it. Is this the girl that’s meant for me?
Rob bumps my arm, awakening me from my trance, “Hey, bro. I made it!”
I look at Raya, “What are you doing here? I thought you couldn’t come.”
She shakes her head, “My mom took care of it and surprised me with a dress. So I called Rob to come get me and here we are.”
Her face lights up with pure happiness, I can’t help but pull her close and hug her deeply. I whisper into her ear, “I’m glad you’re here. You look magnificent in that dress.”
She reaches up to give me a quick kiss on the cheek, “Thank you. You’re lookin’ good yourself, Duke.”
Melanie squeals from behind me and I let go of Raya just as she runs up, “You made it!!! I can’t believe you’re here. I thought you weren’t coming.”
“Yeah, my mother surprised me! I didn’t believe her at first. But I’m here!”
Melanie claps her hands in approval and grabs Raya to pull her onto the dance floor, “Let’s dance, girl. Show me your moves.”
As Melanie pulls her onto the floor, Raya turns to look at me and all I say is, “Have fun. You deserve it.”
She smiles and follows Melanie onto the floor just as Take Me Home by Cash Cash begins to play. The two girls dance along to the music and allow the melody to take over their movements. Their dresses wave against their bodies and their arms swing in the air as the music blasts. I see Rob stroll up behind them, spin them both around to face him, and the three of them bop, whirl, and bounce to the beats of the song. Raya’s jubilant smile glows through the crowd and captivates my full attention. After a few minutes, I catch myself staring at her and force myself to look away. I head back to the table to grab a seat and see Taylor, slumped in his chair.
“You alright, Taylor?”
He grunts in response; ignoring the question. I stand up and walk over him to find out what his problem is.
“Look, man. I don’t get the attitude, but it’s a mood killer. Take it outside.”
He immediately gets up from his chair and steps so close that our faces are inches from each other. His eyes are red and sweat is beading on his forehead.
“Fuck you, Duke. Don’t act like you don’t know what’s going on. Because of you, I never had a chance with her.”
My jaw drops, “What? I told her to go out with you.”
Taylor shakes his head, “You don’t even see it, man. She’s in love with you and you’re too fuckin’ stupid to even notice it. She’s always loved you. You think she came for me? Think again.” He walks away and avoids me for the rest of the night.
I peek at the dance floor and still see Melanie, Raya, and Rob dancing together. As the song ends, Melanie whispers to Raya and then circles to head to the restroom. Rob’s ego finds him the nearest slut, leaving Raya alone on the dance floor; but not for long.
Duke
I stroll up to Raya, grab her hand, and twirl her around to face me. “Care to dance?”
She giggles, “Of course, I’d love to.”
The crowd fills the dance floor just as Suit & Tie from Justin Timberlake starts to play and Raya screams, “I love this song!”
I agree and grab her hips as we swing and groove to the smooth sensations of Timberlake and Jay-Z. I glance around the dance floor to see couples grouped together, dancing wildly as one. Raya’s arms wrap around my neck and my hands move along her bare back and I feel sweat start to drip down my forehead. Before I know it, we have danced through four songs straight. With her, the world around us disappears and all I see is her. Having her in my arms is the greatest feeling in the world and I will do anything to keep her there. I need to find Melanie.
Once the song ends, I let go of Raya’s hands and whisper, “I need to talk to Melanie. I’ll be back.”
A small smile appears, “Okay, I need a break anyway.”
I give her a quick hug and head off to find Melanie and see her talking to Rob. Walking up to them, I nod to Rob. Melanie turns to face me and tears fill her eyes. Shit, she knows.
Rob downs the rest of his drink and pats my shoulder. “Good luck,” he says and stalks off to find his next conquest. I breathe deep while running my hands through my hair and place my hand on her back to guide her out into the halls.
Her tears threaten to spill down her cheeks, but she catches them with her finger just in time.
I mumble, “How long have you known?”
She turns to face me, “I’ve seen the way you look at her ever since she arrived at school. Honestly, I think I’ve known all along. I was just hoping that you’d pick me.”
“Mel, I never meant to hurt you. You know that, right?”
She laughs it off, “Well, you did. But, you know what the funny thing is…I’m not even mad at you.”
My breath catches, “You’re not? Why?”
She lets out a deep breath and stares out at the marina, “I know you may have struggled with your feelings for her. I know you’ve always cared for her and I’m glad she opened up to you. She needs you, Duke, and you need her. I won’t stand in the way of that.” She turns back to me and hugs me lovingly, “I will always love you, Duke, but I’m not the one for you and I think you know that.”
She gives me a quick peck on the lips and I wipe a tear off her face, “Thank you, Melanie.”
She laughs and nods her head over to the table where Raya is sitting, “You still have to get the girl.” We laugh together and walk back into the ballroom. Melanie sits next to Raya and whispers into her ear. Raya’s face fills with shock
as she gasps. Melanie then pulls her into a hug and I see tears fill her eyes once more. They let go of each other as Melanie gets up and heads off to the bathroom.
I sit down next to Raya, “What did Melanie tell you?”
Her beautiful, bright blue eyes sparkle, “She said to make you happy.”
I grin widely and take her hand in mine, “Well then, the only way to make me happy at this moment, is to dance with me for the rest of the night.”
She hesitates, “You’re not tired?”
I chuckle softly and pull her to stand, “Raya, I will never be tired of you.”
The next song, Latch by Disclosure, starts to blast from the speakers and I pull her onto the dance floor. I whisper in her ear, “This song is perfect for us.” She giggles against my chest and I pull her in closer. My arm reaches down to grab her hand and my other arm embraces her hip as we sway and grind to the song. With our bodies tangled around one another—her dress waving and her hair flowing—everything feels amazing.
This girl has completely caught me off guard and I all I want to do is lock her in forever and never let go. Her embrace feels perfect and I’m so enamored; it’s hard to breathe. My heart slams against my chest and I suspect she can feel it. Her hands stroke my arms, causing my hairs to stand up, and I get goose bumps. The rhythm of the song intertwines us and I look deeply into her captivating blue eyes. My hand reaches up to embrace her cheek, while my other hand runs along her smooth and silky long hair.
The beats of the song continue to play as our bodies whirl. Her smile widens and it feels as if it’s touched my soul. The touch we share is electric, yet steady all at once. She has utterly enchanted me with this alluring pull as if I’m hypnotized. It’s just the two of us dancing, no one is near.
This is what I want. Her and only her.
The Mustang comes to life and I shift into reverse and pull off into the night. I look over into the passenger seat and see the most beautiful girl in the world sitting next to me.
I reach over to grab her hand, “Did you have a good time tonight?”
Her smiles shines, “Yes, I loved it. It was the best night of my life.”
My fingers curl into hers as we drive in a comfortable silence. All I think about is the past few hours—the music, the dancing, her body next to mine, her luscious pink lips—everything so fuckin’ perfect.
“Duke, you know my birthday is next week, right?”
I know where she’s going with this and I won’t have her ruin this moment. Nevertheless, my hand still tightly grips the wheel.
“You know I want you to stay; no need in discussing this right now. Let’s just enjoy this moment.”
She turns to look out the window, “I know, Duke. It’s just getting harder and harder to leave, that’s all.”
A feeling of hope enraptures me, “So, what are you saying?”
She turns to look at me and squeezes my hand, “I’m saying I might take your offer.”
My heart practically jumps out of my chest and a huge smile grows across my face, “You mean it?”
“Of course, Duke. I don’t want to leave. I just need your help to keep my mother safe.”
“Raya, I will do everything I can to protect you. We can go tomorrow to the police; the sooner the better.”
She breathes a sigh of relief, “Thank you.”
I pull her hand to my lips and kiss it, “Anything for you.”
We ride the rest of the drive in silence, holding hands and listening to the radio. Fifteen minutes later, I pull up to her house and see the lights are on.
Raya unbuckles her seatbelt and takes off my jacket, “Here, thanks for lending it to me.”
I take the jacket from her, get out of the car, and walk over to the passenger side so I can walk her to the front door. We walk up the steps in unison but I’m not ready for this night to be over. It’s okay, you’ll see her tomorrow. She fiddles with her keys and stands slightly away from me. I reach out to pull her into an embrace and hold on for what feels like forever. I have to force myself to let go. She looks up into my eyes, smiles, and strokes her hand along my cheek. Immediately, my breathing stops and a jolt of electricity flows through my body. Closing my eyes for a few seconds to gain composure, I open them and see waves of blue before me. I move my head closer to hers and she licks her soft lips. The tension between us accumulates as if it’s about to burst. As our lips come closer and closer to mere inches, I pause. I don’t want to rush this. Instead of gracing her lips with mine, they brush her cheek.
“Goodnight, Raya. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She smiles in return, “Goodnight, Duke.”
She turns to insert her house key into the lock, opening the front door. She waves as she steps inside and shuts the door behind her.
I head back to the car, mentally fist pumping, and a huge grin plasters itself across my face. I’m so fuckin’ happy right now. Everything is coming together and soon Raya and I will be together without any hassles.
I climb into the car, waking the Mustang to life, and hear it roar. There’s a dim light radiating off the passenger seat and I see Raya’s phone on the floor. Oh damn, she’ll need this. I turn off the car and head back to the front door, ringing the doorbell.
A few minutes pass with no answer, so I ring it again. The lights are still on in the house so I lean over to the window and peek inside. Hmmm, I don’t see anyone. I contemplate yelling her name, until I notice a parked car on the street. Fuck, that’s Craig’s car.
I turn and start banging on the door. “Raya!! Raya!!”
A feeling of dread and fear crawls through my skin and I run back to my car and dial 9-1-1. I give the operator the address and she says the cops should be here in a few minutes. Hanging up the phone, I run back to bang on the door.
“Raya!!”
I hear a faint scream come from inside and I lose it. That’s it.
Reaching over to grab a flower pot off the porch, I throw it through the front window. Climbing in, I see an empty living room but hear Raya’s muffled screams coming from the basement. My heart races as I make my way down to save her.
Raya
I shut the door behind me and lock it up for the night. A smile creeps across my face as I recount the best night of my life. Walking into the living room, I place my purse on the end table and slip off my heels. I head into the kitchen to get a glass of water, but as I enter and turn the light on, I see Craig sitting at the table with a beer in his hand.
My voice squeaks, “Craig, what are you doing here?”
He quietly chuckles, “Well, funny that you ask, but the conference got rescheduled, so I came home early.” He sarcastically looks around, “The funnier thing is, I don’t recall giving you permission to go out tonight. Care to refresh my memory?”
My body trembles and I peek into the living room to see the house phone about twenty feet away from me. I’m terrified but I can’t let him see that, “Mom said I could go to prom. Besides, it’s none of your damn business anyway. I’m going to bed now, so if you’ll excuse me…”
He reaches out to grab my arm and pulls me closer to him. “Oh no you don’t. I’m not done with you.”
His breath reeks of alcohol and cigarettes and I struggle to push him away from me. He leans into me and smells my hair. “You clean up pretty well. How about you give me a little dance?”
I yank my arm out of his grasp and slap him across the face, “Fuck you!” Sprinting into the living room, I grab the phone but Craig takes it and throws it across the room, shattering it into pieces. He backhands me across the face and I fall to the floor. I slowly blink away the dizzy feeling and try to gather my thoughts. He then grabs a fist-full of my hair and drags me back into the kitchen toward the basement. His hand clasps around my mouth, smothering my screams of angst and fear. Flinging my arms with all of my might, I try and break free of his hold, I even try to knee him in the balls but can’t get a clear shot. Tears are flowing d
own my face as we are about to climb down to the dark and gloomy basement. Just as we are reaching the top of the stairs, the doorbell rings.
Craig stands at a sudden silence but steadily covers my mouth. My body thrashes against his but his hold is too strong. Duke, that has to be Duke!
Craig leans into me, “If you make one more sound I will kill your boyfriend.”
My body immediately stills as the tears pour down my face.
Craig whispers, “Good girl.”
A few minutes later, the doorbell rings again. With my muffled cries and my heavy breathing, the silent moments feel as though more time is elapsing than what truly is. I can sense Craig’s impatience and his temper rising. His hold on me grows stronger and stronger, making it difficult to breathe.
All of sudden, there is banging on the door and Duke screams my name. My instincts tell me to do everything I can to go to him, so I take my elbow and slam it into Craig’s stomach, causing him to heave over and gasp for air and lose his grip. I escape his arms and race for the door. Just as I’m about to get to it, Craig pulls on my dress, causing me to hit the floor, face-down.
He pulls me off the floor, “Come here, you little bitch.”
I screech and cry for help as my body thrashes about. Craig hauls me back into the kitchen, opens the door to the basement, and throws me down the stairs. I cry out as my body tumbles down the steps and my head slams into the cold basement floor. Feeling disoriented, I struggle to open my eyes and feel blood run down my face. Craig walks down the creaky wooden stairs and I quickly stagger away as fast as I can. My body screams in pain and I can’t move my arm. Shit, I think it’s broken.
I survey my surroundings to find a weapon, anything that I can use to fend him off. It’s completely dark except the dim light from the natural moonlight. Craig’s malicious laughs echo throughout the basement as he picks me up off the floor and slams me into the wall. I spit in his face and he immediately wipes it clean. His furious eyes burn into mine as he takes his hand and slams my head into the wall behind me. His right fist hooks across my face and hits my bottom lip, causing me to almost hit the ground, but he holds me up. At this moment, I taste blood on my lips and fear the worst. I’m going to die tonight.
Little Things Page 9