Always You (35 page)

It wasn't Clay. It was Blake.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me forward clamping his hand over my mouth before I even had a chance to scream. There was a fire exit just off to the left out by the bathrooms so he pushed the bar down to release the door and shoved us both through it slamming it shut behind him.

He let go of me, I immediately stepped back away from him and looked back to the door to see it was one of those that only opened from the inside, there wasn't a handle or anything from this side. He was standing off to one side, and that was the way back to the front of the restaurant, so I would have to walk past him to get back to the front door. No one was around, we were just out the back of the restaurant by the trash cans in the middle of a little dark alleyway. There was no way I could run, and no one around to help.

Oh shit, what the hell do I do? How do I get hold of Clay to come and help me? I patted my pocket hoping that my cell phone was in there, even as I was doing it I knew it was hopeless, my cell phone was in my purse which was back in the restaurant where I was sitting. Damn it I'm so freaking stupid!

I took all of this in within a couple of seconds even though it felt like forever that I'd been standing here thinking of ways to escape. Blake was just standing there smiling at me, a nice smile too, playful even. Wow he is seriously bi-polar or something. Has he forgotten he's not allowed to be near me and that I'm with Clay?

"Hey jailbait." he chirped stepping closer to me. I whimpered and stepped back bumping into the chain-link fence behind me. "Don't look so scared of me, I won't hurt you again I promise." he murmured stepping closer to me.

I could smell alcohol on his breath again, he actually looked a little rough, he wasn't clean shaven like normal he had a couple of days growth there. The clothes he was wearing were rumpled and creased like he'd had them on for a couple of days or slept in them or something.

"Blake, this isn't allowed. You're not supposed to be near me. Why did you follow me here?" I said breathlessly as I started to panic.

I just needed to stay calm and keep him talking or something. Clay would come to the bathrooms looking for me in a minute or two and when he realized I wasn't there waiting for him he'd check outside. Right? He'd try the fire door and look for me, wouldn't he? Oh please Clay help me I begged silently. Why the hell didn't I take my purse to the bathroom? I could have called him or something!
Stupid stupid Riley
, I scolded myself. 

"I didn't follow you, I was here first." he smirked at me as he brushed his hand down the side of my face. I shrank back away from his hand and a look of hurt crossed his face. "Why are you so scared of me still? I told you I won't hurt you again." he mumbled looking at me apologetically.

"The last time I saw you I got slapped in the face twice and the time before that you broke my arm! How can I not be scared of you?" I asked acidly. Shit what on earth am I doing provoking him? I should just be talking to him calmly until Clay comes out for me. I needed to keep him talking, calm down Riley! My heart was crashing in my chest and my breath coming out in little shallow gasps making me feel slightly light-headed.

"And I apologized for that, are you going to hold it against me forever?" he asked cocking his head to the side giving me the innocent little boy look.

"Blake, it's just that we shouldn't be talking." I said looking around, where the hell is Clay? 

"I just wanted to say hi seeing as you don't like to talk to me on the phone anymore." he pouted slightly as he pressed his body against mine, he linked his fingers through the fence either side of my body so I was now pinned against the fence with no way of getting past him at all.

"I just....we.....you." I stuttered trying not to cry.

He smiled, "I'm here having dinner with my sister and her boyfriend. They're a little worried about me apparently. I told them there was nothing to worry about that I was just missing my girlfriend." he said quietly.

I groaned internally, what the hell is he thinking? "Why are they worried about you?" I asked trying to buy some time and keep him talking so he wouldn't hit me again or kiss me. Hell maybe he'd even try for rape this time, we were down a deserted alley this was the perfect chance for him to do it.

"I'm not sleeping very well and I've been drinking a little lately, it's only to keep my mind off of you. I can't stop thinking about you jailbait, I've never wanted any girl as much as I want you." he said one of his fingers trailing up my hip and hooking in the belt loop of my jeans.

"Maybe you should see someone about it Blake." I mumbled. My voice was barely above a whisper, I kept my eyes glued on the fire door, someone must have realized I'm not back by now, right? How long had I been out here? It felt like forever, but had it even been a minute or two yet?

"I am seeing someone about it, I'm seeing you. A little time with you should do the trick." he smiled and inched his face closer to mine. I turned my head away and closed my eyes as I put my hands on his chest and tried desperately to push him away from me.

He almost growled as he grabbed my hands and moved them off of his chest pressing his body back to mine again. He linked his fingers through mine, he wasn't trying to hurt me, he was just holding my hands softly.

"What the hell is wrong with you jailbait?" he asked angrily.

I looked at him, he was frowning at me, clearly annoyed. I felt his fingers brush over my rings on my left hand. I swallowed loudly, "I just....Blake this needs to stop. I'm not your girlfriend." I mumbled nervously.

His fingers were still touching my wedding and engagement ring as he pulled my hand up to look at it, he frowned looking slightly confused. "These are pretty." he said ignoring my remark about me not being his girlfriend. It's like he has selective hearing and can only hear what he wants to.

"Yeah." I whispered. My heart was banging so loudly in my chest I'm surprised he couldn't hear it.

"Where did you get them? Have you always wore these?" he asked curiously.

Oh God I'm not going to lie about being married to Clay, even if he gets angry about it. I'd never deny my marriage, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

"They're wedding rings." I said watching as his face snapped up to mine his eyes turning hard.

"Wedding rings?"

I nodded, "Yeah I got married in Vegas last weekend."

His hold on my hand tightened almost crushing my fingers making me wince slightly, "You got married? Is this some fucking joke? Because if it is it's not funny." he growled looking at me warningly.

"It's not a joke." I said breathlessly whilst trying to pull my hand from his hold.

"You married him? Preston. We're talking about that fucking punk Preston again right?" he shouted shoving me against the fence harder as he slammed his hand against it level with my face, missing me by mere inches. I whimpered and tried my best to stay calm.

"Clay and I are married now Blake, so you need to leave me alone." I said trying to sound more confident than I felt, I actually felt sick and my legs were shaking slightly, I wasn't sure how much longer they would support me for.

He laughed and shook his head, "This is some sort of sick joke. You can't be married, you're not old enough." he rolled his eyes, his face softening slightly. Wow he thought I was joking, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

I heard the door open behind him but where he was standing so close I couldn't see Clay yet. I smiled gratefully and waited for Blake to be yanked off of me. He wasn't. Instead a woman spoke.

"Blake what on earth are you doing out here? We were waiting for you, the food's here."

He turned back and looked over his shoulder, I saw a pretty girl with black hair standing in the doorway looking at him like he was stupid or something. This must be his sister, they looked a little alike.

"Hey Michelle, yeah sorry I was just talking to Riley." Blake said wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me forward towards his sister.

"Oh really? You're Riley?" she smiled politely. Wow he obviously hadn't told her anything about the police or the restraining order. "It's nice to meet you finally, I've been hearing a lot about you from Blake. You're the first girl he's ever talked about." she smiled affectionately at her brother.

I put on a fake smile and pulled away from Blake towards his sister holding out my hand to her. "Nice to meet you Michelle."

She grinned and shook my hand looking at my cast a little bemused, I moved so I could step past her into the building putting her in-between Blake and I. The warmth of the restaurant surrounded me and my body started to relax because of how close Clay was. He was just in the other room, I could scream his name and he'd be here in an instant. My heart was returning to normal just at the thought of him alone.

"Maybe you could come over to the house for dinner one night." Michelle suggested.

Blake smiled happily, "She'd love to, right jailbait?"

I smiled weakly, "I've got to get back to my friends. They're going to think I fell in the toilet or something." I nodded towards the restaurant.

"Ok well arrange a day with Blake. I'm glad you're back from your holiday. He's been a real grouch without you." she said slapping Blake's shoulder but smiling happily at the same time. He told her I was on holiday? Seriously he is so deranged!

"Nice to meet you." I mumbled as I turned and walked off as fast as I could.

As I got to the table I grabbed Clay's hand and pulled him to his feet, he looked at me guiltily. "I'm sorry Riley bear, I got caught sneaking into the girls toilets and the manager guy made me come back to my seat. What took you so long anyway?"

"We need to leave right now." I said stepping closer to him and pressing my face against his chest, I could feel the tears starting to build in my eyes.

"Riley, what's happened?" he asked hugging me tightly his voice sounding slightly panicked and stressed.

"Please we need to leave right now Clay, will you get my purse? We need to go." I said desperately. I was going to have a full blown meltdown any minute and I didn't want to do that here. I also didn't want Clay anywhere near Blake, I knew he would probably beat the crap out of him and he almost got into trouble with the police for that last time. I couldn't have him in trouble for defending me.

"Ok Riley bear." he pulled away from me and bent down under the table grabbing my purse from the floor. He pulled out twenty bucks and handed it to Tom, "Here pay for our food ok? We've got to go." he said quickly.

"Everything ok?" Tom asked sounding confused.

I kept my gaze firmly fixed on the floor trying to control my breathing as the tears started to fall down my face. "No idea, Riley wants to leave. I'll speak to you later." Clay said quietly probably so I couldn't hear what he was saying.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and I immediately turned for the door walking quickly with him at my side. When I got to his car the tears were rolling down my face, I swiped at the angrily, why the hell did I have to be so freaking weak and crying all the time? He waited by my door just watching me looking slightly pained as I climbed in the car. He shut the door after me and jogged round to his side. He climbed in and started the car.

"Riley is everything ok? Has there been an accident or something? Has someone been hurt?" he asked desperately.

I shook my head, "No nothing like that. We just need to leave here, I'll tell you in a minute. Drive east." I said nodding down the road.

He frowned looking even more confused. I glanced out of the windshield, I could see Blake's car parked a couple of spaces down from Reece's. How the hell did I not see that when we pulled up? I guess I was distracted by my friends and wasn't exactly looking for Blake's car in the parking lot.

I prayed that Clay didn't see his car, if he knew Blake was in there then he'd go back in after him and I couldn't have that. Luckily he didn't notice because he was too busy shooting me little worried glances as he drove down the road.

"What's happened Riley? You're scaring me." Clay said taking my hand as he drove.

"Don't freak out Clay ok? We need to go to the police station." I said swallowing my sobs.

"Why?" he asked his face hardening slightly. "Did he call you again?" his other hand tightened on the steering wheel.

I gulped and shook my head, "No, he was at the restaurant." I whispered. The car swerved on the road making me clutch at my seat as he slammed on the brakes.

"What the hell? He was at the restaurant? Did you see him there?" he shouted angrily.

"Please calm down! You can't just stay stopped here in the middle of the road." I said wincing as I looked over my shoulder at the couple of cars who also had to slam on their brakes and were stopped behind us, honking their horns angrily. One of the cars pulled around us, the driver shouting profanities as he drove past.

Clay frowned angrily and pulled over to the side of the road so the cars could get past, all of them glaring at us angrily on the way past. "He was there?" Clay asked again.

"Yes." I whispered.

"Why didn't you tell me I could have gone and sorted it out." Clay said looking at me annoyed.

"That was the exact reason I didn't tell you, you can't just go and confront him Clay you'll get in trouble!" I cried shaking my head fiercely. I couldn't even think about him getting into trouble or even worse than that, getting hurt.

"Did he see you?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, can we go to the police station and report it please?" I begged. I didn't want to talk about this to Clay, he was one step away from driving back to the restaurant I could tell by his face. I'd tell him once we got to the station.

"There's something to report?" Clay asked looking at me intently as if trying to drag the truth from my eyes. I squirmed in my seat, I hated to lie to him but I couldn't tell him yet. When he finds out he's going to go crazy and it would be better if Blake was in custody when Clay found out.

"Yes, can you drive us there without getting us killed?" I teased trying to lighten the mood in the car, you could literally cut the atmosphere with a knife he was so tense.