Double checking that the bathroom door was locked, you slowly slid down onto the floor, leaning your head against the back of the door with a shaky sigh. You were safe now, you told yourself as you tried to stop the tears that were still falling. As you sat there, crying, you realized the only way out of this damn party would most likely lead to you having to walk right by the guy you were hiding from.

Your hand shaking, you tug your phone out of your pocket, again trying to call your friend, Ruthie. The call, like all the other’s, just rang and rang and you angrily disconnect the call. It was so like her to drag you to a party and abandon you. You tell herself there was no way she could’ve known what would happen, but you’re still frustrated.

Before you can talk yourself out of it, you dial the number you still knew by heart. Rafe. You knew you shouldn’t be relying on your ex, but when something went wrong your mind still automatically went to him. For all his hard edges and darkness, he had a way of making you feel completely safe. You listen to the phone ring, crossing your fingers that he’ll pick up.

“Yeah?” His voice comes across the line, deep and gravelly and you already feel just a little bit calmer.

“Hey” you say softly, sniffling. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything…I didn’t know who else to call”

Rafe furrows his brow. He can immediately tell by the way your voice cracked that something isn’t right. You were upset. And while it gave him a certain sense of satisfaction that you’d called him, he pushes that aside, instead focusing on why you’d called.

“You’re not interrupting anything” he lies, the date he’s on no longer important. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m at this party. Ruthie disappeared and left me with this friend of her boyfriend’s. And he…he tried to… he tried..” you trail off, sniffling as you try to tell him what had happened. “I locked myself in the bathroom.” You whisper shakily.

“He tried to hurt you?” His grip on the phone tightens until his knuckles turn white and he has to keep himself from hitting the wall. Some guy had tried to assault you, and your friend had abandoned you.

“Stay where you are, baby” he instructs, keeping his voice a lot calmer than he actually feels. He stands up from the table, tossing bills down and ignoring the questioning look from his date. He’s already moving to the door, completely focused on you.

“Don’t unlock that door for anyone until I get there” he climbs into his truck, ready to break every speed limit to get to you.