Cole comes to the rescue. . .

So to pick up from last time. . . From Jessica still.

************

I didn't know where I was going. I didn't even make it to the street before I felt someone wrench my arm almost out of my socket. The beating of my heart was loud in my ears. I whirled around, my hand raised in a fist to give my sister the worst black eye she's ever had. My eyes burned, through tears or hate I didn't know. But as I did so I didn't see the bright red hair that looked like flames that normally came from my sister's head, but the short, black spiked cap of Cole's hair.

I couldn't stop my fist. There was too much momentum behind my swing. But, thankfully, he moves quickly and slid gracefully away from my wild strike and he let go of my arm.

"Oh, my. . ." My hands flew to my mouth. "I'm so sorry."

"I hope you thought I was someone else," he said with a slight smile and rain dripping down his face.

"I. . . I. . ." I couldn't get my words out. Stupid. I'm so stupid. . .

His eyebrow cocked and he took me all in with a quick look. "Are you okay?"

My chin started to quiver and I dropped my gaze, not answering. I could feel my mouth opening, but no sound came out. His hands moved upward even the slightest bit, as if to offer a hug. Without realizing what I was doing, I was in his arms. Tears escaped from my eyes and meshed with the rain that fell. Whether his invitation was intentional or if I over stepped my bounds, I didn't know. But I did feel his arms lightly wrapping around me, his cheek rested gently on my head, and his hands ran up and down my spine comfortingly.

I didn't know what I was doing. After the night before, I should have been running for the hills. After the dark, I should have kneed him and sprinted back to the police station. But I just needed to be held. It didn't matter if he'd tried something before, it didn't matter if I hardly knew him. I needed someone. I needed to be cared about and felt like I was loved for even a brief moment. I knew he would probably leave and I would continue running, running from everyone and everything that I knew. But for that moment, I didn't want to be alone.

Then he did something I didn't expect.

"Come on. Do you want something to eat?"

Without an answer on my part, he escorted me to his car, the black one at the back of the parking lot. He opened the door and I slid inside. The seat was cold, but dry. It smelt like it had before. The leather was soft under my wet clothes. I wipped my face dry, and cleaned off the little bit of make up I had. Cole got in next to me and reved his engine.

He drove out of the parking lot and down the road to a fast food resturant that was close by. I could tell he was looking me over closely again, his eyes ever scanning me up and down.

"Do you want to go in or take it somewhere else?" he asked politely.

I glared at the building. I didn't want to be around people. He got the message without me saying anything again and pulled to the drive through. Before long, Cole handed me a soft drink, which I sipped without tasting, and we drove out. We went without speaking for a while before he shifted in his seat to get something out of his pocket.

"Here." He plopped something heavy into my lap and let his hand slide again onto the gear shift in the center console. It was my cell phone. "It must have fallen out of your pocket when you were getting out of the car last night. Some girl called. . . Ah, Kaycee? I think her name was. What?"

My eyes started filling with water again.

"What did I say?"

"It's nothing," I whisper. The words barely come out even then. "Don't. . ." Don't worry about it. Just let me alone. . . NO! Don't let me alone. Please to leave me. . .

He pulls the car over to the side of the road. The rain has let up slightly but there is still a light tapping on the roof of the car. "No, there's something wrong. Will you please tell me?"

This is such a change for him. Why am I near him? I ask myself. After hurting me. . . like he did last night. Scaring me and letting me run like that and not coming after me to apologize? Why did I hug him. . . ? Why does everyone else hate me. . . ? Why did she say those things. . . ? Am I really horrible? Awful? I am. I'm nothing. I'm indecent. I'm awful and horrible and I shouldn't even be here anymore. I shouldn't be sitting here. With him. I should be. . . My own thoughts trail off.

"You should be what?" he asks, his voice soft as velvet and so close to my ear.

I shrink away and he looks me deeply in the eyes. He wasn't supposed to hear that.