All of a sudden, the guy is off of me, and I hear him zipping his pants up.
“What the hell is wrong with you, man—”
Are they still in here? Please still be in here.
The breath I was holding breaks through my cries. I scramble to shove my dress back down and push myself up to get a better view. When I look over, I see fists flying. I move back further onto the bed, scared as I watch the violence unfold in front of me. I hear fists continue to meet flesh, and watch as the guy who just walked in has my assailant pinned to the ground.
“You disgusting piece of trash!” he yells as he hits him over and over again.
He pulls him up by the collar of his shirt, and all I see is pure rage in his eyes to the guy. “You get off on raping girls at parties?” he yells with his face inches from the guy’s.
“She—she wanted it, man.”
He slams him back down onto the ground, hard. “What part told you she wanted it?” he asks, “Huh? Was it her tears she was crying, or her screaming at you to stop?”
I can’t see the guy anymore as he lies on the ground; all I can see is the guy on top of him. I hear pained moans before he starts to hit him again. I’m physically shaking, not able to calm myself down. The pure fear and shock have completely killed any high I was feeling. The effects are still there, but none of them feel good anymore. Someone else rushes into the room, pulling the guy on top off. The guy on the ground doesn’t get up, and I don’t hear any noises from him anymore, which tells me he’s either unconscious…or he’s dead.
When I look up, I recognize that it’s Mason—a frat guy we’d met a couple of times from Simone. Then I look to the guy who just saved me. I stare at his hands—bloody and bruised—then move my eyes up to his blood-stained shirt and slowly raise my eyes to meet his. My brows furrow, and I blink through the fog.
I know him. Where do I know him from?
He stares back at me, breathing heavy. There’s this look in his eyes; it looks like anger, hurt, and sadness all in one. I don’t fully understand it, honestly. We’re all just frozen in place…not saying anything. People start to crowd the open door, trying to see what’s happening, when suddenly, Simone, Lani, and Sandro push through.
“What the fuck?” Sandro says, standing there, taking in the scene.
Mason grabs Simone. It looks like he’s worried when he sees how upset she is, but Simone pulls out of his hold to get to me. She and Lani rush over to me on the bed, and Simone pulls me into her arms. She looks up at Mason. “What happened?”
Mason shakes his head, just as confused as all of them. “I don’t know…I was headed to the bathroom when I heard a commotion like someone was fighting. When I walked in here, Bash was beating the shit out of this kid, and I pulled him off.”
Bash? Why does that sound so familiar?
Sandro looks over at the guy lying on the floor. “Is he…dead?”
Mason bends down and checks his pulse. “Nah, just knocked out,” he says, looking at him for a second longer. “Probably needs some kind of medical attention if you want my professional opinion. Definitely gonna need some stitches.”
Mason winces and stands back up.
“Someone get him the hell out of here,” Sandro shouts.
Mason nods and turns to the crowd of people outside the door, pulling another guy in to help him. They both take one end of his unconscious body and carry him out of the room.
Lani looks over at me. “Lydia, what happened?”
I just shake my head, unable to speak. I try to open my mouth, try to say something, but I can’t. I see the tears swelling in her eyes, like she knows…whatever happened here…wasn’t good. She looks over to her brother, still desperate for answers.
Sandro turns to Bash and gives him a silent, questioning look.
I watch as Bash clenches his fist. He looks over at me, like it’s my decision, even in this room full of people and an obvious scene; it’smychoice if I want it to be said out loud or not.
I nod, and he gives me a sympathetic look before speaking.
“I was…looking for an empty room, and when I opened the door…” he trails off, diverting his eyes from me and looking at the floor, “he…he was holding her down…and he was on top of her…while she was screaming.”
I feel Simone tighten her hold on me, and both she and Lani gasp at the same time.
Simone leans her head down to whisper to me. “Did he…did he…?”
I shake my head to tell her no.
