Torn (Torn Series) Page 0,29

realized I was still sobbing uncontrollably.

He just sat there and held me as I soaked his shirt with my tears until my sobs started to subside. Even after I stopped crying, I leaned into him, unwilling to move away from the safety his arms provided.

"Chloe we need to call the cops before he comes to, which I'm assuming will be soon."

I looked over to Nick on the ground and a chill went up my spine. The police would be called, I'd have to press charges, tell my whole story to a bunch of cops, stand in a court room and be berated by some attorney. I didn't have it in me to go through all of that, to have other people see how vulnerable I'd made myself. I just couldn't do it.

I looked up and him and shook my head, "No, I can’t do it. I just want to go home. We were both drinking and I'm sure he wouldn't have done it otherwise."

Drake looked like I'd smacked him across the face. “Are you kidding me right now? That piece of shit tried to rape you. Drinking or not, it doesn't matter, what he did was wrong."

I couldn't stand to look at his face and see the disappointment. I lowered my gaze as I shook my head again, "No, I’m not doing it. I just want to go home. I'm calling a taxi and leaving before he wakes up."

I grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket and started searching for the nearest taxi service.

"You're really serious aren't you?"

I glanced up at him and saw the anger radiating from his eyes. "Yes I am."

I started dialing the number when he grabbed my phone from my hand.

"Well you're not going home by yourself. I live right around the corner; you can stay with me tonight.”

Before Nick I would have been practically jumping up and down to have this opportunity, but now I refused to go with him. I felt so much shame because he knew what had almost happened to me. Underneath that, I felt fear. Even though he had saved me, he was a male as well and I didn't even really know him all that well.

"No thank you. I would rather just go home. I'm not feeling as drunk, but my head’s starting to throb and I just want to go to bed."

He stepped forward, grabbed my arm, and all but started dragging me across the lot.

"Well I'm not taking no for an answer. You shouldn't be alone after what happened tonight. You can go to my house and sleep in my bed."

I jerked my arm from his grasp, "I'm NOT sleeping with you."

He sighed and turned back toward me, "I know you're not sleeping with me. You can have my bed, I’ll take the couch."

Chapter Seven

Welcome Home

Drake finally convinced me to go with him after much kicking and screaming on my part. As we pulled up to a house just a block away, I realized he wasn't kidding about living right around the corner.

"Why do you even drive? You could walk faster.”

He grinned, the first one I'd seen since Nick, “I could, but then I wouldn't be able to show my car off to the ladies."

I rolled my eyes as I stepped out of the car and toward the house. It looked small from the outside, and as far as I could tell in the dim lighting on the street, it was either light blue or gray. He unlocked the door and held it open for me as I stepped inside. He flipped the light on as he closed the door behind us, revealing a small entryway that sat between a kitchen and a living room. A hallway led into darkness across from me, where I could only assume the bathroom and bedroom were. He hung his jacket next to the door and headed into the kitchen.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Um, no I'm fine," I replied as I inspected his kitchen. It wasn't huge but it wasn't tiny either and while the appliances weren't brand new, they were nice.

"Do you own this place?"

He shook his head, "Nah, I rent off my Uncle Jack. He's currently deployed overseas so I'm living here by myself until he gets back, probably another year or so."

"Ah, I see. Well it's a really nice house."

He smiled as he leaned against the counter, "Thanks."

His expression turned thoughtful, "Are you really ok?"

I looked at the checkered floor tiles as