Don’t Leave…Please?

ANSEL

Alex and I decide to duck out of the party early. Alaric is still tied up with his “business,” so he and the twins will be coming home later.

Rain is too drunk to drive, so I take the wheel of her car while Alex sits with Riley in the back seat. The twins will drive his car home later.

As we pass her house, I notice it’s completely dark. It looks like no one is home. I can’t leave her alone in this state.

I don’t trust that Jeff guy one bit. I’ve never felt such a strong distrust for someone in all my eighteen years.

He clearly has an unhealthy obsession with his girlfriend’s daughter, and he doesn’t even try to hide it.

The way he looks at her when she doesn’t know—and the way he gets defensive when she’s around other guys—gives him away.

He’s got some serious issues, and her mom is too blind to see it. I worry about Rain. It must be tough for her to be in a situation like this.

“We’ll take them to our place. It looks like no one’s home,” I tell Alex.

He nods, barely able to mumble a response, he’s so sleepy.

I glance at Rain, and she’s fast asleep in the passenger seat. There’s something about her, something that piques my curiosity whenever I’m around her.

I can tell, just by looking into her deep amber eyes, that she hides more than she lets on.

***

Alex is having a hard time with Riley in his arms as he climbs the stairs. I try not to laugh at how funny he looks as I carry Rainey up behind him, hoping he doesn’t stumble and fall on us.

“Riley weighs a ton…,” he says, panting. “And she’s so small…”

I laugh as he balances on one leg to open our bedroom door. He bumps his shoulder into the doorframe as he goes in.

“Alex, keep it down. You’ll wake Mom and Dad,” I remind him.

He lays Riley on his bed, sighing with exhaustion. He rubs his back as he winces. “She’s small, but she’s lethal.” He grins. “That’s why I like her.”

I lay Rainey on my bed, propping her head up on my pillow. She doesn’t stir or make a sound, and I smile at how peaceful she looks.

Her eyelashes are long, and her lips are in a slight pout, making her look feisty even in her sleep. Before I know it, my smile has grown wider.

“I’m beat. I’m gonna crash in the twins’ room. Where are you gonna sleep?”

“I’ll just crash on the couch downstairs or something,” I tell him.

He nods. “Okay.”

He leaves the room quickly, like he can’t wait to get some sleep.

I’m about to do the same, but Rainey looks uncomfortable, so I sit on the edge of the bed, turning my back to her to take off her shoes.

I untie the thick laces and pull off the leather boots. Her black-painted toes peek out, and I smile at her small feet.

I start to get up, but two small arms wrap around my waist, stopping me. Rainey hugs me from behind, pressing her face into my back.

I freeze, turning my head to see if I can catch a glimpse of her, but all I can see is a bit of her dark hair.

I don’t think she means to hug me. She’s drunk, and I know that.

“Rain?”

“Don’t leave me…please?”

I swallow hard. I don’t think she means to say that either. I know that too.

I gently take her hands to unwrap them, but a wet sensation seeps through my T-shirt, stopping me. She sniffles, and I furrow my brow as I turn my head again.

“Are you crying, Rain?”

“Dad…,” she mumbles. “Why…why did you leave me?”

She thinks I’m her father, and I know I shouldn’t be hearing this right now, because I’m not the one she means to tell.

I gently remove her hands and turn to face her, but she quickly wraps her arms around my neck and hugs me, burying her face in my neck.

Warm tears soak my shirt, and she hugs me so tight I can hardly breathe. But I wouldn’t want her to let go, because something is hurting her.

I’ve never seen Rainey cry. She always seems so strong.

“You left,” she sobs quietly, “and bad things happened… He did things… He did something to me…”

My forehead creases, and I hold her cheek, gently pulling her face back to look at her. Her eyes are squeezed shut, and tears are leaking out. The sight breaks my heart, and I take a deep breath.

“Rain, who did something to you?”

She doesn’t answer. She just cries softly.

“Tell me.”

She stays silent, and I respect her drunken state and decide not to push her.

I pull her back to me, wrapping my arms tightly around her. I’m not the one she means to tell, but I’ll comfort her.

~He did something to me.~ There’s only one person I can think of when she says that.

“I called for you…every night,” she slurs, her words uneven. “But you didn’t come… You didn’t come for me…”

I reach up to run my fingers through her hair. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

Her grip on me tightens. I wince a little at the pain, but I don’t want her to let go.

“Stay with me…please?”

“I will. I’ll stay with you,” I whisper. “You’ll feel better in the morning, and it won’t hurt as much. So let’s get some sleep, okay?”

“Don’t leave… Don’t leave me…”

“I won’t. I swear I won’t.”

She’s clinging to me, her arms wrapped around me like she’s afraid I’ll bolt.

But I’m not going anywhere, not when she’s this vulnerable.

I can’t move much, but I manage to adjust just enough to lie down, her head finding a home on my chest.

She’s snuggled up against me, not an inch of space between us, and I run my fingers through her hair until she drifts off to sleep.