I Hate You...I Think Page 11

  Holding my breath I watched him pick up my shoe. My stomach clinched. He stood there a few more moments before dropping it and running off. I listened hard to see which way he went but couldn't tell from the rain fall. Waiting a few more moments I pulled myself out from under the bush.

  There was laughter nearby. "Gotchya!"

  I whirled around and came face-to-face with Luke. He grabbed my arms twisting them and tried to knock me down. I cried out in pain and brought my leg up kicking him in the crotch and took off again. My bare feet ached as I ran across the hard ground. Twigs stabbing into the bottom of my heels. I could hear footsteps coming from my left and from behind. I veered right and ducked under a fallen limb. I came up on a large wall. Meaning all I could do was climb. There was no other escape

  Hauling myself up, my stomach scrapped the edge of the jagged fence. I dropped down on the other side, right in the middle of a junkyard. It was like a maze. There were cars piled high above my head. I move backwards watching the fence. I ran my hands over the cars to keep from tripping. Something pressed into my back and a cold metal object pressed into my jaw.

  "Gotchya," Derek hissed into my ear. I choked, biting my tongue. A coppery taste filled my mouth. Derek began dragging my backwards.

  "Luke!" He called out turning me and dragging me toward a building. It looked like a little storage shed.

  "Did you find her?" Luke yelled. He was close by.

  "Ya," Derek told him. We entered the shed. Luke came in a moment later a scowl on his face. Derek released me slinging me to a mattress on the floor. I backed up to a wall pressing my back tight against it.

  "What should we do with her, Derek?" Luke asked kicking at my leg. I recoiled away from him.

  "I don't know yet. We have time. No one’s going to find her out here," Derek smirked.

  "Please, don't kill me," My voice came out as a pathetic whimper and I choked down a sob.

  "Sorry, I'm not going to promise that. Not after what you did back there," Luke snarled stepping forward grabbing a handful of hair and jerking my head back. I flinched as pain shot through my cheek as his hand made contact with it. Clutching my cheek with on hand I grabbed hold of his hand on my hair to help the tension on my scalp.

  "That's for kicking me," he growled. Luke held out his hand to Derek. Derek placed the knife in his hand. Luke jerked me to my feet slamming me to the wall pressing the sharp blade to my throat.

  "Why don't we help her get out of these wet clothes," Luke laughed. Derek gave an eerie grin and came up beside me.

  "No!" I cried struggling. Luke pressed the knife into my throat. I hissed in pain as it pierced my skin along my jaw. My heart was about to beat right out of my chest. Tears formed in my eyes and I couldn't see straight. Derek roughly unbuttoned my shorts and jerked them off revealing my underwear.

  I tried to shake my head. "Please," I begged.

  There were voices, suddenly. They carried into the broken window.

  Derek and Luke exchanged looks. Luke dropped me to the ground.

  "Let's check it out," Luke said. He glared down at me.

  "Don't move," he threatened. The pair exited, bolting the door behind them. There was a small hole on the side of the building. It was just big enough for me to fit through.

  Pushing myself off the wall I ran to the opening and crawled in on my stomach. It opened into a larger space but it didn't go anywhere it was blocked by cars and junk.

  Way above my head I could see light. I debated on trying to crawl out, but what if everything fell over and I was buried alive. There was a corner of a car and a broken table that made a little narrow hiding spot and I crammed myself into it pulling my knees up.

  How long could I stay in here? What if they could reach me? Dammit. My cell phone was in my shorts pocket and my shorts are still out there. I shivered. I was still wet and it was extremely cold. The rain poured down on me from overhead.

  The door of the shed opened again. "Where is she?" Luke yelled.

  "Dammit, she's probably in that little crack there," Derek growled. Their footsteps got closer to my hiding spot. Luke's face appeared at the opening he was glaring at me viciously.

  "You stupid little bitch!" He yelled. "Get out here, now!"

  I shook my head. "N...no," I replied stuttering.

  He threw his arm in the hole. Screaming, I pressed against the car away from him. He couldn't reach me. He retracted his arm and disappeared from the hole.

  "She's around that fucking corner. I can't get her. When are Max and Greg going to be here? Max will be able to crawl in there and grab her," Luke asked Derek. My blood ran cold. There was two more guys coming and one could fit in here. Luke's face appeared at the hole again.

  "When I get back you better be out of there, or there will be hell to pay," he hissed.

  "Go to hell," I told him. His face became livid.

  "Just wait, bitch. I'm going to enjoy fucking you."

  Luke disappeared from the hole and the door of the shed opened and closed again. I had to get out. I had to get my phone. Let someone know where I was. But, I didn't know where I was, and I wasn't risking leaving my protective space. What if they were lying just to get me to come out? A sob escaped my lips.

  "Ever?" A voice called it was far away but I knew it.

  "Oliver!" I screamed. I started to move but what if it was my imagination and I just ran openly into Luke's waiting arms. I cringed back at that idea and clung to my tiny space.

  "Everlyn!" Oliver called again. He was on the other side of the pile of cars I was in.

  "Oliver..." I sobbed. I was a pathetic, helpless mess. I heard the door of the shed brake off its hinges.

  "Ever?"

  "I'm in here."

  Oliver's face appeared at the crack in the wall. He sighed in relief. Oliver opened his arms to me and I crawled toward him quickly. Wiggling out of the hole I wrapped my arms around him tightly.

  "Ever, where are your pants?" Jake asked bewildered. I looked up at him a brief moment and looked across the space past Jet and Tyler to the floor. My shorts were gone. Jake followed my gaze seeing nothing.

  "They must have taken them," I muttered shivering. Oliver pulled his jacket off wrapping it around me. He froze catching my face and tilting my head up.

  "Who?" Jake asked. Oliver moved my wet hair back revealing the jagged cut along my jaw.

  All four let out an angry gasp.

  "They chased me through the woods and I was stupid and I think they tricked me into running here cause Derrek was waiting for me and then they said they were going to kill me and...They were going to rape me..."

  "Derrek," Oliver snarled.

  I nodded. "And the other one was Luke, they said that two more guys were coming to. One that could get me in there."

  I wasn't sure if they could understand me because I had started crying again. Oliver pulled me into his arms tightly and stroked my hair. Half of me was surprised the other half didn't care. I enjoyed the warmth of his body.

  "We need to get her out of here before she gets hypothermia," Oliver told them. Voices echoed through the shed. Gasping I hid my face against Oliver's chest.

  "Is that them?" Jake demanded.

  "Yes," I choked out.

  Luke, Derek and I'm guessing Max and Greg appeared at the shed door. They stopped instantly seeing it was kicked off its hinges.

  "What the fuck are you doing here, Wolfe? And, why do you have my property?" Luke snarled.

  "Your property!" Oliver yelled. I clung to the front of his shirt.

  Jake wrapped his arm around me pulling me to him letting Oliver go to rip the men apart.

  "Why are you in our territory? Answer me!" Luke stepped closer. Oliver's face twisted in rage.

  "Are the son of a bitch that cut her face?" Oliver demanded.

  Luke smirked at Oliver. "Nice touch isn't it," he spat.

  I knew what was coming next.

  Oliver attacked Luke first punching him hard in the face. Surprisingly, Luke o
nly stumbled back. The other three jumped Oliver. He took them out quickly, before Jet and Tyler could jump in to help. Derek's head bounced off the door frame wall violently. While the other two got punched in the face and were unconscious before they hit the ground.

  "I bet its nice fucking your little girlfriend. I bet she has a tight as-"

  He never finished the sentence Oliver's punched landed on his jaw a deafening crack resounded around the room. He had clearly broken Luke's jaw. I stared in horror. Jet and Tyler grabbed Oliver and restrained him.

  "Oliver, stop. We got to get Ever out of here. She's freezing to death," Jake told him. I was shivering still now I realized I couldn't feel my toes.

  "I can't feel my toes. Jake," I muttered not daring to look at Oliver. I could only imagine what would have happened if Jet and Tyler hadn't of stopped him. He would have killed those guys.

  The parking lot of the park wasn't that far away from the entrance of the junkyard surprisingly. Jet and Oliver's cars parked there. Oliver came to Jake who was carrying me. He held out his hands to take me. I frowned a bit uncomfortable about going to Oliver. Oliver seen this and pressed his lips together. Jake handed me over anyways.

  "I'll take Ever home. Jet mind if I take your car?" Oliver told them.

  Jet shook his head no, he didn't mind. Jake looked at me a brief moment and nodded. The three got into the other car and left as Oliver sat me down in the passenger seat. He came around and hopped in turning on the heater and cranking it up full blast. I warmed up quickly. His jacket still wrapped around me.

  "Buckle your seat belt," he told me softly. I did still not looking at him. A few moments passed, I knew he was staring at me waiting for me to look at him but I didn't. Finally he started the car and drove to my apartment.

  Then I remembered. "Oliver, I don't have my keys. They were in my shorts," I told him softly.

  "That's alright. I'll pick the lock," he replied. I nodded, of course he could pick locks, note the sarcasm. Oliver insisted on carrying me upstairs even though I protested.

  "Just be quiet," Oliver ordered. I glared at him annoyed. After picking my apartment lock and stepping inside he sat me down on the floor.

  "Thank you for bringing me home," I told him. "And, saving me," I muttered the last part softly.

  "Don't tell me you think I'm leaving," Oliver said shutting my door and locking it. I looked at him confused. He rolled his eyes and moved into my living room.

  "Why aren't you leaving?" I asked annoyed.

  "Because, I'm going to make sure you’re okay. Now go take a warm shower."

  How dare he order me around in my own house! I opened my mouth to tell him to get out.

  "I could carry you," he smirked. I shut my mouth tight and stomped past him to my bathroom. After taking a warm shower and changing into a long sleeve shirt and pants, I came back out into the living room. Oliver was standing in the kitchen still a little wet with a bag in his hands. He didn't have that bag before, did he?

  "My turn," he announced running off to my bathroom. Groaning I jumped down on my couch and flipped through the TV. I hope he leaves soon. This has been awkward enough; he can't possibly stay the night.

  Twenty minutes later he came out in a black shirt and pajama pants drying his hair.

  "So, err....I'm clearly safe now. No need for you to bother about me," I told him picking at the edge of the couch not looking up at him. He let out a sigh and sat down next to me on the couch. I jumped at the sudden movement and moved away from him. He watched me closely frowning.

  "Ever, we need to talk," Oliver said softly.

  "There's nothing to talk about. You clearly don't want to have anything to do with me, so we'll just leave it at that. It's for the best anyways, you are my tea-"

  Oliver placed his hand over my mouth.

  "What makes you think I don't want to have anything to do with you?" He asked frowning and removing his hand.

  "Because, you have been avoiding me, so I just thought,”

  "You just thought," He scoffed interrupting me again.

  "If you’re going to be an ass you can leave," I scowled at him standing up from the couch.

  He stood up as well. "I'm not being an ass, Ever. You’re just being ridiculous."

  "I'm being ridiculous?" I asked pissed off. "You’re the one who was a complete ass. You don't know how to be respectful of me at all and just let things go."

  "Ever, stop being dramatic," Oliver shut his eye holding his head.

  "Just leave," I ordered. He's being stupid. If he's going to be an idiot he can go be an idiot at his own house.

  "I hate this," Oliver sighed in frustration.

  "Well, if you hate me so much then why are you still standing here?" I demanded. Oliver stepped forward suddenly taking my face in his hands. I gasp.

  "There are things I do hate when it comes to you," he said softly. I scowled and tried to get away. He wouldn't release me. Wrapping his arm around my waist he pulled me closer.

  "I hate it when you’re hurt," he started. I stopped fighting and looked up at him.

  "I hate it when you're not smiling. I hate to see you cry," he continued rubbing his thumb over my cheek. I stared at him shocked.

  "But most of all," he sighed releasing me. "I hate the fact that you hate me because I am an insensitive jerk," he lowered his head.

  The complete look of sadness marked his handsome features. This is a side of him I had never seen. He was always so arrogant and full of himself. For once he looked lost and sad, and this. This side I loved. Loved? Did I love him? Looking over his soft face I thought it over. It's too soon to think I love him...isn't it....

  "Then your stupider than I thought," I gave wry smile. His head snapped up.

  Glaring at me, he sucked in a breath his face turning slightly red.

  "What's that supposed to mean?" He demanded. "I just basically told you I love you and you call me stupid?"

  I continued smiling at him. "I mean I love you too, stupid."

  Oliver's mouth dropped open staring at me. "What?" He asked bewildered.

  "Don't make me repeat myself," I told him punching him in the arm. He touched the spot on his arm that I had punched him still staring at me in awe, then suddenly reached out gathering me up in his arms.

  He leaned his head toward mine. I shut my eyes feeling his hot breath tickle my lips. His lips pressed gently to mine they were warm and soft. Gripping the back of his head I pulled my face closer. Inhaling his scent and enjoying the warmth of his arms around me.

  After what seemed an eternity we pulled apart. Oliver laid his forehead to mine our nosed touching.

  "I love you too, Ever," he told me kissing me once more.

  Chapter Eleven

  "Are you uncomfortable with me sleeping in here?" Oliver asked with a smirk.

  "No," I muttered a shutter running through my body. Oliver wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest and wrapped the blankets around us. If I didn't feel so awful I would be blushing.

  "You shouldn't have been running around in the rain. Now you got a fever," he teased.

  "Shut up," I told him my voice muffled against his shirt.

  We were silent a moment, I was just listening to his heartbeat.

  "I'm sorry about how I acted the other day," he whispered.

  "I was just worried when I didn't hear from you. You were right when you said you’re not part of my gang. I can't boss you around."

  I lifted my head to look up at him. I can't believe he apologized.

  "If I had said something sooner then you wouldn't be sick right now," he frowned.

  "And, I wouldn't have been chased through the park either," I grimaced.

  He sighed and scowled at the wall behind me.

  "I promised myself I wasn't going to let Jason's gang get anywhere near you. I'm not very good at protecting you I guess."

  "Those guys were part of Jason's gang?" I asked shocked.

  He pulled his eye brows together and n
odded. "What were you thinking walking in their territory anyways, Ever? Jason's place was right on the other side of the junkyard. You’re lucky we heard you scream or we wouldn't have found you."

  Another shutter ran through me and it wasn't from the fever either.

  "I...I have been walking there at the park for a week. I didn't really think about it I guess."

  Oliver cupped my face and made me look at him.

  "You need to think about things now," he said gently. "I told you those guys are creeps, and Jason knows you’re with me. He'll go out of his way to hurt you because he hates me. I wouldn't be surprised if this starts a war now."

  Oliver frowned and rolled onto his back pulling my head onto his chest.

  "I'm sorry."

  I felt guilty now. I have probably caused a huge mess just cause I had to walk through the freakin park.

  "It's okay. It's not something for you to worry about," he smiled.

  "Though I wish you would have told me about your mom, Ever. I wanted to be there for you."

  I shrugged. "I don't know why I didn't tell you. If Alex hadn't have been there when my Aunt called he would have never known either. I just...I wanted to deal with it on my own. It's not like she was really in my life. I mean she is my mom but..." I shrugged again.

  "I understand," Oliver told me. "My dad is the same way. If he died tomorrow it wouldn't really bother me."

  I watched Oliver's face closely he didn't seem bothered by telling me this. He rolled on his side facing me again.

  "He's been in prison since I was seventeen for drugs," Oliver shrugged.

  "What about your mom?"

  "She died when I was three. Drug over dose."

  Oliver took a strand of my hair and pushed it behind my ear.

  "Like I told you I grew up in this kind of stuff. I guess you can say it runs in my blood," he admitted with that lopsided grin I have come to adore.

  "You enjoy fighting and racing and doing illegal stuff?" I grinned. It was hard not to with that look on his face.

  "Yeah, it's kind of exciting," he shrugged.

  "Then why do you work at the college? I mean you said you didn't care if you lost your job," I frowned.