glanced up at me the second I appeared, his laughter fizzling out when his gaze darted over my shoulder and around the bar. Once his eyes met mine again, his brows were drawn together in confusion.
“Where’s Raine?” he asked nervously.
“Outside; she told me she’d follow me in a minute.”
Dustin sprang out of the seat in a second, his fist clenched on the table to push himself up. “You left her outside?”
“She told me to go.”
“Shit. How could you be so stupid?” he cried, barely controlling the volume of his voice. Taking a step forward, he attempted to push past me, but Dustin had never been the stronger one between us. I held him in place by the shoulder, stilling his movement without using all of my strength.
“What’s going on?”
“You need to get out of my way,” he growled. Faster than I expected, he broke my grip and charged through the crowd towards the door. I followed in the path he created, catching up to him as he paused on the pavement. His head darted wildly from side to side in his search for Raine.
The instant Dustin found her, he rushed in Raine’s direction.
It took me a second longer to spot her even though I knew where she’d been. Her tiny figure curled up on the ground had my heart bursting with worry. Tendrils of icy dread licked at my veins, chilling me to the core.
I reached them as Dustin crouched down beside her.
“Raine, it’s me, Dustin.” He placed a hand on her back but she didn’t respond. “Raine, can you look at me? I need you to lift your head for me, sweet girl.”
Stabs of panic attacked my heart when Dustin still got no response. He had his hands on her shoulders, yet she made no move to acknowledge him.
“Raindrop, please. What happened?” I begged, reaching out to touch her when Dustin’s hand intercepted me. He glared at me and shook his head then returned his attention to Raine. She was trembling, her hands white from how hard she clutched at her legs.
“I need to get her home,” Dustin said without looking at me. “I’m going to pick you up, Raine. I’ll get you home.”
There was still no response as Dustin slid his arms beneath her. Cradling her against his chest, finally she unfurled to throw her arms around his neck and bury her head in his body.
“I’ve got you, sweet girl. You’re safe.”
I swallowed back the guilt, but I couldn’t stop the sickness. My chest became unbearably tight, my heart beating too quickly. I didn’t understand what had happened in the space of a minute. She’d been fine when I left.
“What’s going on, Dustin?”
“Not now, Teo. I need to get her home.”
“I’m going with you.”
“Like hell you are, you’ve done enough. She wouldn’t want you seeing her like this.”
“Well tough shit. I’ve already seen it and I’m going with you.”
Dustin looked torn, yet the need to get Raine home was stronger. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. I haven’t seen her this bad in a while.”
When we got back to their flat, Dustin went straight into her room. I expected him to place her down on the bed. However, as if it was a practised gesture, he crawled on top of it and lay down with her. Spinning her body so she was nestled right against his side, he kept one arm around her while the other ran through her hair. I hadn’t noticed before, but she was still shaking, only the trembling was now caused by silent sobs. Tears trickled down her cheeks and onto Dustin’s shirt.
She looked so tiny curled up against him, too vulnerable. My heart broke watching her as Dustin whispered soothing things into her hair.
“They were there again, Dustin. They wouldn’t stop…No matter how much I begged, they…they wouldn’t stop,” Raine choked out, her voice fragile and haunted.
“You’re safe now, sweet girl. No one’s ever going to hurt you again. I promise.” Dustin continued to stroke her hair back and she curled further into his side, clutching at him like a toddler scared
“Where’s Raine?” he asked nervously.
“Outside; she told me she’d follow me in a minute.”
Dustin sprang out of the seat in a second, his fist clenched on the table to push himself up. “You left her outside?”
“She told me to go.”
“Shit. How could you be so stupid?” he cried, barely controlling the volume of his voice. Taking a step forward, he attempted to push past me, but Dustin had never been the stronger one between us. I held him in place by the shoulder, stilling his movement without using all of my strength.
“What’s going on?”
“You need to get out of my way,” he growled. Faster than I expected, he broke my grip and charged through the crowd towards the door. I followed in the path he created, catching up to him as he paused on the pavement. His head darted wildly from side to side in his search for Raine.
The instant Dustin found her, he rushed in Raine’s direction.
It took me a second longer to spot her even though I knew where she’d been. Her tiny figure curled up on the ground had my heart bursting with worry. Tendrils of icy dread licked at my veins, chilling me to the core.
I reached them as Dustin crouched down beside her.
“Raine, it’s me, Dustin.” He placed a hand on her back but she didn’t respond. “Raine, can you look at me? I need you to lift your head for me, sweet girl.”
Stabs of panic attacked my heart when Dustin still got no response. He had his hands on her shoulders, yet she made no move to acknowledge him.
“Raindrop, please. What happened?” I begged, reaching out to touch her when Dustin’s hand intercepted me. He glared at me and shook his head then returned his attention to Raine. She was trembling, her hands white from how hard she clutched at her legs.
“I need to get her home,” Dustin said without looking at me. “I’m going to pick you up, Raine. I’ll get you home.”
There was still no response as Dustin slid his arms beneath her. Cradling her against his chest, finally she unfurled to throw her arms around his neck and bury her head in his body.
“I’ve got you, sweet girl. You’re safe.”
I swallowed back the guilt, but I couldn’t stop the sickness. My chest became unbearably tight, my heart beating too quickly. I didn’t understand what had happened in the space of a minute. She’d been fine when I left.
“What’s going on, Dustin?”
“Not now, Teo. I need to get her home.”
“I’m going with you.”
“Like hell you are, you’ve done enough. She wouldn’t want you seeing her like this.”
“Well tough shit. I’ve already seen it and I’m going with you.”
Dustin looked torn, yet the need to get Raine home was stronger. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. I haven’t seen her this bad in a while.”
When we got back to their flat, Dustin went straight into her room. I expected him to place her down on the bed. However, as if it was a practised gesture, he crawled on top of it and lay down with her. Spinning her body so she was nestled right against his side, he kept one arm around her while the other ran through her hair. I hadn’t noticed before, but she was still shaking, only the trembling was now caused by silent sobs. Tears trickled down her cheeks and onto Dustin’s shirt.
She looked so tiny curled up against him, too vulnerable. My heart broke watching her as Dustin whispered soothing things into her hair.
“They were there again, Dustin. They wouldn’t stop…No matter how much I begged, they…they wouldn’t stop,” Raine choked out, her voice fragile and haunted.
“You’re safe now, sweet girl. No one’s ever going to hurt you again. I promise.” Dustin continued to stroke her hair back and she curled further into his side, clutching at him like a toddler scared
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